Personal Statement: Why I Volunteer

Why do teenagers volunteer? Partly because school forces us to do so in order to graduate, but a bigger part is the joy of giving. The pure satisfaction that we can give back to our community or put a smile on someone’s face makes up for all the hard work. I moved to Virginia in the summer before eighth grade. In the two years I have been here so far I have chosen to give back to the community because I was given such a warm welcome. In all the seven states I have lived in I have never been greeted so warmly. My first Christmas here, firefighters came by my neighborhood and handed put candy canes and I decided at that moment, I would repay them.

Halfway through my eight grade year, I volunteered to make brownies for my local fire station. I baked for three hours and on a wintery Sunday afternoon I buzzed the doorbell at the fire station. The firemen and firewomen faces lighted up with joy when they realized the treats were for them. They welcomed me in and gave me a tour of the fire station, but the smile on their faces was enough thanks for me. I baked brownies for firefighters twice and loved their ecstatic reaction each time. Out of my two major opportunities volunteering, baking brownies for firefighters gave me the most satisfaction because I was able to see the joy brought to their eyes immediately.

The main focus for this club is volunteer work, and for Christmas we sold Christmas trees. I was responsible for explaining prices, collecting money, and taking the wrap off the trees. I worked for a total of four hours and enjoyed every minute of it, I faced no problems, everyone was in a good mood because of the holidays. Having co-workers made the work more enjoyable. I learned a lot more form selling Christmas trees than from baking brownies. I realized the importance of people skills and how getting along with your fellow co-workers is