“I have 770 service hours (about 32 days). Every year, I had to do at least 100 hours of work to get the President’s Award gold medal for community service. Last year I had to do around 250 hours. I volunteer every week, and I like spending my free time doing so because it helps me de-stress. I started volunteering in eighth grade because I started off as a student in the organization Hanlin Education Foundation of America, and they had many volunteering opportunities that I thought were really fun. My dedication to volunteering now comes from the excitement in seeing the impact of my hard work.
I think that having friends supporting and volunteering with me makes the experience much more enjoyable and helps deal with burnouts. During volunteering, I also learned to become more flexible and to easily solve problems. The most memorable moment of my volunteering days was when I was at a senior living center. The seniors were so nice, and they taught me how to speak and count to ten in Cantonese.
Other volunteer work I did was at sports meets, such as swim competitions and track and field competitions. I also helped with the Wellness Center renovations and a Hello Kitty marathon. Although I’ve been to many different opportunities, most of my service hours came from volunteering under Hanlin, where I organized events at the food bank.
Volunteering is a way to give back and make a difference where it’s needed most. To make an impact through your volunteering experience, you should focus on building relationships and being consistent with your work because making a long-term difference comes from being reliable, understanding the needs of the community, and sticking with it over time. If you want to get into volunteering, first find something you’re interested in, and over time, you’ll realize that it’s fun and de-stressing.
Whether it’s volunteering at the food bank or cleaning up a local park, even the smallest efforts can make or create a meaningful change, and it’s really rewarding to know that my time has contributed to something that makes life a little better for others.”