Ogallala Commons interns have a required 10 hours of community service with our 200-hour internship; some may think it’d be impossible to fit it all in, especially if having to balance additional responsibilities. Luckily for me, I’ve got the perfect schedule to fit all my hours in. A typical week is Tuesday through Friday: internship at the library; Saturday: volunteer at Blue Rose Ranch; Sunday: volunteer as A/V tech at my church; Monday: volunteer at Summer Food Program post-lunch activity with the kids. I had my 10 hours in the first week I started logging, but I didn’t see any reason to stop after that. I’ve been volunteering at Blue Rose for five years and my church for four years now, so you might say I had a bit of a head start; however, I have been logging hours separately from the start of the internship. But the ultimate total of hours means nothing if it hasn’t impacted the community.
Volunteer work should not be done simply to fulfil a requirement or look good on a resume. It should be done with the community and the impact you want to make in mind. My volunteer jobs are not for the hours, but because I care about the organizations and people I work with. It means something to me to know that my being at Blue Rose has enabled them to continue and enhance their youth riding programs. It means something to me to know that I am helping lead my church into a new era of technology. It means something to me to know that the kids who need the free lunch will stay to enjoy the activity and offer help when their own project is done. I believe that community service is meant to change the atmosphere of the community, but it is also directly connected to changing the attitude of the person. I know after five years, this summer in particular, I have become more of a leader, more empathetic, and certainly more patient. It’s all due to my time put in to give back to my community.
Until next time,
Becky Heath
