Community Service and Ways You Can Help
Playgrounds
Often times, most playground equipment is either extremely old, broken down or just in need of a touch up. Also, it can be fun. A group of friends or even your family dedicating even 2 hours to bettering a playground can make all the difference. This is as easy as going to whomever is park commissioner and stating your intent. Most of the time, they’ll be game to work with you on this project, however, sometimes they’ll only accept a donation to fix it up and get professionals in to do the job.
Around fifteen years ago, my local community banded together to build a new playground for the school. Those that were in high school helped cut, place, hammer.. they did this completely free of charge and almost always on their study hall periods in school. The younger children didn’t do anything except watch in awe, but those just old enough to babysit volunteered to watch a few kindergarteners while the teachers helped out. It was a fun project that truly united everyone. It was our playground. Not so much as in building it, but ours to use and treasure as long as it was considered safe and up to date.
Not only can you improve equipment, but, you can volunteer to plant flowers, make the park around the play area appealing. Fix up a bench or donate one if one isn’t available. The parents and guardians who take the children there will truly be grateful for that type of donation.
Bottles and Cans
Once a year, the 7th grade class out of my old high school goes out and picks up garbage, bottles and cans along 2 miles of the highway that goes through our little village. Most of the children scowl and jeer, angry to be up at the crack of dawn and out in hideous orange jackets picking up others refuse. But the other 364 days of the year, nobody even cares. However, not only would volunteering a weekend a month resolve the pollution, but having one person collect refuse and one collect bottles and cans can also be somewhat profitable. Sure, it may not be much, but even five dollars worth of cans and bottles is money you wouldn’t have had if you sat at home that day. Not only that, the true reward is being able to drive through an area and know that you do your part to keep it looking as immaculate as can be. This not only makes it safe for other humans, but also prevents wildlife (should there be any where you live) from getting ahold of something potentially fatal by injestion or asphyxiation. Anybody can do this anytime – even in the winter. You don’t need to go to anybody to state your intent, you merely get out and do your part.
Poppies
Sometimes on Memorial Day, as well as the 4th of July in some places, you see those veterans out with their cans and paper poppies. On occasion walking, rarely sitting and standing around for a few hours outside of stores that have granted permission for their cause. Most of these veterans are elderly, in fact, even likely one of the veterans who helped make the little flowers. Why make an older veteran stand outside a store for a few hours when you could help their cause and allow them to rest easy and not strain themselves? After all, you’re most likely younger, so standing shouldn’t be so hard on you as it can be for others as we age. This takes no real effort on your part, you simply go to a VFW or American Legion, speak to someone who works there and in no time they’ll tell you what you need to do OR who you need to speak to. Once you have a scheduled time, go to the designated location, stand around, be civil. It also gets you out socializing with the public while doing something good. The true reward is knowing that those who made the flowers weren’t doing so in vain.
Soup Kitchens
Perhaps one of the most rewarding things you can do is volunteer a day down at a local food kitchen. Why? There are so many unfortunate people out there who are truly just down on their luck. They deserve a good, warm meal and a friendly smile just like those who are better off do. While this option varies from location to location on who hosts it, the easiest way to find out how to volunteer a day is to go down while it is open and speak to one of the workers. They may even give you a schedule, a rundown of what you’d be doing and get you started! Not only is this an excellent option any time of year, but also, around holidays too, when others may need a little more cheer than normal. If there is no soup kitchen in your area, you can also donate to a food pantry, which is just as good as a soup kitchen.
No matter what, Community Service should never be seen as a punishment-based operation. It never was and never should be considered one, either. If doing good for others doesn’t come naturally, you can also state your community services when applying for jobs. There are places who smile upon those who selflessly help others out wherever they can just because they want to do good. And remember, there are countless ways to involve yourself in community – just keep your eyes and ears open.
