Community Outreach: Impact and Inspiration in Appalachia

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Recommended: Volunteering as a contribution to society

The gateway to my participation in community action was my work at Mountain TOP: Tennessee Outreach Project after I finished 9th grade. I went with my church to the Cumberland Plateau to provide assistance to impoverished families and people living in rural Appalachia. We did a lot of odd jobs for a lot of lonely people. My group and I cleared hornets’ nests, built sheds, landscaped, and did a myriad of other things. Mostly, we showed the impoverished locals that people still cared and that they were not abandoned. The tasks were never very glorious or overtly life-changing, but it made people happy. After seeing the glee in the eyes of the little boy when we finally removed his family’s hornets’ nest, I knew that I could never stop trying to bring joy to others. I would never have a satisfying life unless I used all of my talents and skills to make others happy. …show more content…

I am an empathetic person, so it also pains me to feel the sadness of other people. I know it sounds corny, but when I help people, I feel like parts of our souls connect. When I engage in community service, the bonds between us strengthen, and I generally feel more tied to humanity as a whole. Despite the atrocious aspects, I overall love humanity. The bad parts make me appreciate the good things in life, so that I feel compelled to share them with everyone I meet. I am not holier-than-thou or arrogant; I also do horrible and careless things because I am human. However, community service gives me the opportunity to right some of my wrongs, and it lets me make the world an overall more loving

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