A Community Service Experience

In April, I uprooted from my family and friends in Ohio, and took a job in Texas; where I didn’t know one single person. Once I was settled in at my new job I began my hunt for a place to volunteer. Volunteering had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember; therefore finding a new organization to volunteer with was important to me. It would not only provide me with the opportunity to meet people, but to fill some of my down time, now that I was in a new place. Volunteering isn’t as bad as some think, it provides you the opportunity to do things you enjoy, meet new people, possibly change your life, and give back to the community.

I found an organization that I was excited to work with, it incorporated two things that I thoroughly enjoyed. The organization was in a neighboring community named Therapeutic Riding of Texas (TROT). TROT was a non-profit organization uses horse back riding as therapy for mentally and physically handicapped children and adults. I was very intrigued by this as I adored working with the mentally and physically handicapped and horses. It was a perfect fit.

Now that I had found a perfect organization to volunteer with and doing something I enjoyed, it was time to meet new people. When you are new in community making friends can be difficult; however by volunteering you meet at least a few people or more that you at least have something in common with. I went to my first class Tuesday to see what TROT was about and how it worked. It was about a 40 minute drive from where I lived to the horse stables in Red Oak, Texas. Feeling prepared to jump in if needed this evening; I was in jeans, a t-shirt and my work boots.

As soon as I walked into the horse barn, I was reminded of what was missin...

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...zeable one at that, feel the need to make a bigger impact by giving there time and energy. I have volunteered with Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Alex Rodriguez who at the time was a rookie with the Texas Rangers, clergy, small business owners, UPS drivers, factory workers, teachers, parents, teenagers, farmers, all of who were volunteering there time, not their checkbooks. Volunteering in today’s society can provide you with the benefits of also being a networking opportunity.

For anyone who has never volunteered, the benefits outweigh anything negative that you can think of. I began volunteering at an early age and now in my mid-thirties continue to volunteer on a weekly basis. I believe that I have continued because I have seen first hand the difference I have made in someone’s life. Quit making excuses and get involved, what do you have to lose?