Volunteering to me has never been so much of a job that doesn’t pay. It is a way for me to give my time to help a cause, organization, or an event. I don’t volunteer because I need to get hours for school or for a club, I volunteer because I want to give back to my community. I feel a sense of belonging and importance when I volunteer, even if my job isn’t that significant. For the past two years, I have been volunteering at the Chicago Marathon. Even though I know that I play only a small part in such a large event, it gives me satisfaction knowing that I was part of helping the race run. Each year my family and I go to the marathon, whether that’s because one of us is running it or if we are simply there to watch, it has become a tradition …show more content…
Everything was so organized and precise, it was like nothing I had ever volunteered for before. At check-in we received our official Chicago Marathon hats and jackets, along with a badge that told us where we were stationed. My mother and I were assigned to the starting corrals; directing runners to one of the 10 groups based on their estimated pace and finish time. As the sun began to rise, we walked out to our positions and waited for the rush of runners to arrive. Slowly they began to trickle past, and then all at once. I couldn’t keep a smile from my face as I watched people of all sorts walk past me to run one of the world’s most iconic marathons. Running has always been a passion of mine and knowing that all those thousands of people shared my same passion was mind blowing to me. Some were just as giddy as me, asking me to take their pictures and not trying to contain their excitement. Everyone, runners and volunteers included, was so kind and appreciative, most thanking me for volunteering as they walked by and making me feel welcome. By the end of our shift I knew I wanted that experience to continue and to share it with
I have always loved sports and the competitiveness that comes along with them. In so doing, I have decided to eventually become either a high school or college coach at some point in my life. Subsequently, I decided to interview the Vilonia High School Cross Country Coach, Coach Sisson. As I walked into her office, I instantly noticed all of the trophies and team photos from all of the past years of coaching. She is also the school nurse so her office has first aid equipment intermingled into the trophies and team pictures. While I set up my notes and questions for the interview on one of the desks in her office, she was finishing up a diagnosis of one of the high school students who felt sick. After her patient left, I quickly started the interview in order to waste no time. She began with how she got involved in coaching. The Vilonia School District expressed their interest to her as being the next cross country coach several years ago. She was widely known for her passion for running and she gratefully accepted the position and has been a coach for numerous years now.
I am now officially in my Senior year of Cross Country , and am close to the end of my season. My first race of this year though was a big accomplishment for me, because I hadn`t been able to run. When I ran that race though it made me just so happy I was able to finish it, I was`nt happy with the time, but there is always time for improvement. I was glad to be racing again and being apart of the team again. I believe that my injuries were a barrier in my way, but they did not stop my sports career.
Sports are not for everyone. I tried a variety of sports throughout my childhood but I was never really athlete material. I am as slow as a turtle and I have little to no hand-eye coordination, but I gave each sport a try. It was truly a shock when I decided to run cross-country since I had no speed whatsoever.
Running. Running has provided me with so many opportunities. I have met so many new people and learned numerous life lessons. My life would be completely different if I had not had these invaluable experiences.
The most stressful and challenging situation was during my volunteering in the Rehab unit at the hospital. I was assigned to help a student therapist in assisting a patient in walking. The Patient was overweight and it usually takes more than two people when assisting the patient in walking but the therapist and the patient felt confidant enough that she would be able to walk without much help. When the therapist and I began to assist her in standing the patients knees buckled under her and she fell and began screaming in pain. The combined strength of the therapist and I were not enough to help get up and the only thing we were able to do was straighten out her legs and comfort her until more help came. I felt really bad what happen but
August 22, 2015, a day to be forever marked with blood, sweat, tears, but most importantly, triumph. That day was race day. The day when all my hours of grueling training would face the ultimate challenge. The day where I would be able to identify myself as a runner. There’s only one problem with that—I’m not a runner; I’m a tennis player.
As a Race Crew volunteer, I assisted hundreds of runners to become prepared as they started their journey to
And most recently I decided to donate twelve inches of my hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes and donates wigs to children who are struggling with cancer. I no longer see volunteering as a way to sign off hours of service but instead something impactful. The reason why I volunteer and will continue to volunteer is because I know that I could make a difference by reaching out and touching the lives of others in a positive way. After seeing how grateful these women were for the basic necessities us more privileged people take for granted, I came to an understanding that in order to better our community we must all help one another. Through this experience I was able to attain satisfaction by helping others who couldn't fully help themselves and I learned to give back to those who need it the
After the bombing attacks, I had nightmares for days. I was in the second grade at Child of God Lutheran School in St. Peter’s, Missouri. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Steinbrenner. I was around eight years old attending school that day while my sister Rachel was at Lutheran High School and my mother was at home. During the afternoon, my mother had picked up my sister early from school to go to the eye doctor.
“ Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better!” This is currently my life statement. I have unfortunately gone through the medical school application process once before with no avail. Negative thoughts filled my mind, feeling of hate ensured, and I regretted the sacrifices I had made; I was devastated. But then one day during an exhausting training session that my Sensei designed he said the statement above, I was flabbergasted. It hit me at that moment that it wasn’t the process I should be upset at, but it should be toward my work ethic. I must work harder in order to be better.
Still some people move away from the thought of volunteering at all. They think that it is beneath them, they find it demeaning. Think giving up your valuable time to help someone out. "I don’t get paid I don’t work", they say. My time is precious, I barely have enough time for me and my family, I
Volunteering enables a person to develop new skills that he or she would otherwise not have been able to develop. Unlike most other organizations, a charitable organization is happy to give positions to passionate, though inexperienced, individuals who desire to help others and benefit the community. Therefore, an individual with little experience in a field of work can gain meaningful skills that he or she can use in the future. For example, while I volunteered at the hospital this summer, I learned about the daily work lives and professional duties of doctors and nurses. Had I not volunteered, I would not have learned about these things. I was always interested in the medical field, but volunteering at the hospital let me explore my interests and en...
Volunteering increases a person’s physical health. A person who volunteers is found to live a longer life. Even more so, volunteers found themselves with lower mortality rates (Dietz et al.). Volunteerism has been helpful in increasing health and consequently lowers mortality rates. Furthermore, people experience less chronic pain when volunteering. Specifically, people experiencing chronic pain found it to decrease when volunteering and serve the public (Dietz et al.). Volunteers experience better health overall, but also specific enhancements such as reducing chronic pain like stated above. Additionally, volunteering can be physically demanding, increasing strength and stamina. Notably, Volunteers for Experience Corps found themselves with
Volunteering benefits a person by building connections with peers, improving family life, expanding career skills, overcoming self doubt, having lasting life impressions, and creating new opportunities. Just a small act can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The future is dependent on the individual person and the people they surround themselves with. Just a few hours will change both the volunteer’s life and the one that is in need.
Helping Hands has helped my family in the past. Several years ago my family was struggling with income and Helping Hands was generous enough to help us pay our electric bill. I chose to volunteer at Helping Hands because I wanted to give back to the program. At the time, it seemed like there was little value in sorting piles of toys but then the manager shared with me that many children would be very happy to receive these toys for Christmas. This one comment helped me to put it all into perspective. Volunteering isn’t about me; it is about playing an active in the community. Bringing joy to families who are suffering, giving hope to the hopeless.