The Voice

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Voices

Danielle Kanclerz

To volunteer is to help, however big or small the time contribution.

The act of volunteering is commonly misunderstood to be a strenuous or tedious task that few would enjoy completing. However, the term volunteering can be used to label many things, from assisting in the reconstruction of a city to sharing your umbrella with another student. One thing can be certain about people's joint beliefs on volunteering: the outcome of any volunteer
act helps another.

College students generally face a lack of time when it comes to juggling family, social, school, and work obligations.

"I just don't have the time to volunteer, finding places to work at and then fitting them into my schedule is too great of a hassle," said Alandis Norwood, a student from Ypsilanti.

The misconception that volunteering requires hours upon hours of unpaid labor scares many students away from the generally simple task. Volunteering your time could require nothing more than purchasing an additional coffee for your busy co-worker on your way into work or pushing a button to hold the elevator for another student.

Good deeds are never left unnoticed and require very little time and dedication on behalf of the volunteer.

Another common issue that arises among students is the lack of knowledge on where volunteer assistance is needed. If you missed the age of required community service hours for high school graduation, you likely don't have much experience with volunteer organizations. However, the daunting task of finding somewhere to volunteer can be proven quite simple with a few tips:

"The Internet has proven a useful tool. It can be as simple as Googling 'Non-Profi ts' or 'Volunteerism'. The United Way Web site (http://unitedway. org) also has links to all the organizations they assist and you can normally find volunteer opportunities at one of those establishments," said Brenda Priest, a local volunteer from Ypsilanti.

The idea is to go out, help others and get the job done, as projected in the media. Governors, senators and presidents alike have issued various statements promoting the idea, and supporting the efforts of American citizens.

Specifically, Sen. John F. Kerry has released plans for his "Compact with the Next Generation," in which students will be encouraged to help out in their communities by performing a variety of service acts and assist in creating the greatest expansion of national service in the history of America.

In return, the students will receive a grant covering their tuition costs for up to four years of study. However, is that truly volunteerism?

The idea of receiving tuition compensation in exchange for any arduous labor they were coerced into performing prevents students from volunteering for the right reasons.

So why should you volunteer in the community?

Priest does it because it makes her feel better. And others, too.

"You could see the people I was helping felt completely blessed," she said. "It was an extremely heartwarming experience to see the joy on their faces."

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