When a person performs a service or activity for the benefit of the public, it is known as community service. Community service is done by volunteers, workers who are not paid. When people get involved and volunteer, it improves the community and makes it livelier. Some organizations solely depend on volunteers to keep it running. Community service builds a rich community of people who will lend a helping hand when it is needed.
Last year, over half of American teens and young adults volunteered. Seventy-five percent of people ages 13-22 volunteer regularly because their friends also do so. According to a survey conducted by DoSomething.org, the most common volunteer activity done by young people was assisting with fundraising. Young men are more likely to do physical volunteer work, such as environmental cleanup. Young women are more likely to work with the homeless and other needy people.
Jennie Stare, a senior at JHS, says, “I volunteer because you really get the feeling that one person can make a difference.”
Students who attend private high schools are 25% more likely to volunteer than students who attend public high schools because private schools usually require a certain amount of community service hours in order to graduate.
Seventy percent of young adults from wealthy families volunteer, compared to 40% of young adults from low-income households.
Many young people are pressed for time so they would like to have an opportunity to complete volunteer work quickly. They usually aren’t able to stay the whole time during an event but still like to help out. Most teens also like to have direct contact with people while volunteering. Lots of youth care about hunger and homeless people. They also tend to like working with animals. Aside from knowing all the good they have done, teenagers also like to volunteer because it looks good on a college application. Being an avid volunteer, you can sign up for scholarships for college and get an edge in college admissions.