Helping Others

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again” (“Quotations from William Penn”).

As William Penn reveals, offering assistance to others is essential to leading a fulfilling life. In a fast-paced society, many people do not stop to think about offering their own time for the benefit of another person. Whether it be handing out fliers at my farmer’s market or serving dinner to the elderly citizens of my community, I believe in making a commitment to offer my time for charity in order to improve the experiences of people around me.

My interest in helping others began six years ago when I joined the National Charity League – a mother-daughter organization fostering volunteer opportunities in my community. Being only twelve when I joined, I had a very narrow perspective of the people who composed the global population and amount of diversity that could be found. I was raised within a financially-stable family in an upper middle-class town, which created a perfect bubble with little knowledge of real-world needs of the less fortunate. For me, NCL burst that bubble as I learned the importance of service and gained a sense of personal achievement with every service opportunity.

One volunteer event in particular had a profound effect on my life. For two years, I refereed volleyball matches for the Special Olympics. Being an avid volleyball player, watching the jubilant expressions form on the faces of these special-needs adults provided me with an uplifting sensation; after they executed the simple act of hitting the ball over the net, which is what I often had taken for granted, I shared with them a sense of youthful excitement and pure happiness that I will always remember. Seeing the love that these men and women had for each other and for the game and the sincere gratitude they displayed towards me after volunteering brought me immense joy that continues to put a smile on my face. Through this and other NCL experiences, I attained a new-found sense of appreciation for the opportunities and excellent health for which I have been blessed with.

Although my life is just beginning, I am optimistic that the knowledge I gain from my studies and my involvement with NCL will reinforce my passion to help others. Past interactions with the diseased, healthy, elderly, young, active, and sedentary have motivated me to remain involved with people in my community. Giving something back and improving the life experiences of those less fortunate is what I believe in and what I would like to do throughout college and my career in the health field. What I do now and in the future for my fellow man will define my legacy, hopefully leaving the world a better place because I was in it.