Choose to Make a Difference

By Zahra Najeebullah

Dorothy Minh, a student at Yerba Buena High School, spends most of her free afternoons hanging out with animals at the animal shelter and volunteering to walk the animals, clean their cages, help feed them, and many other duties.

Dorothy has been doing community service since sixth grade and still continues to do so.

“I think helping out and volunteering is something I would continue doing.”

Community service is something many young people enjoy doing. It has many benefits that help out both the volunteers, as well as their community.

Some schools require students to do community service for a certain number of hours. Yerba Buena High School is included but there are students who like volunteering just because they want to.

“I volunteer at animal shelters, which is a great way to get involved,” Dorothy says. “There are so many places you can volunteer at, but I love going to the animal shelters because of my undying love for animals.”

Dorothy said she also volunteers as a tutor, she tutors students who are not doing well academically. Many other students in Yerba Buena help out by tutoring as well, which makes a big impact on students who need help raising their grades.

Another student, Nhu Thai, said that she volunteers by helping out in libraries. “Libraries usually need help organizing shelves and assisting patrons. You can also help by setting up and running public events, such as author signings and book fairs.”

Nhu said helping out at the library builds up her social skills and has made her more outgoing.

“I get to meet new people and learn new things, and then put my experience on my resume,” she said.

According to Scholastic News, volunteering allows students to develop helpful skills, which they will take into their future careers and lives.

“Students in Yerba Buena should do community service in order to learn new skills, build compassion, and become a more responsible person.” Dorothy states. “I’ve learned so much from my experiences while volunteering.”

Chieu Nguyen, a librarian at Tully Community Branch Library, said that she’s had tons of high school students volunteer at the library. “Volunteers are so helpful to have around here because there’s so much they can help out with,” she said.

Nguyen also said that the students who help out are making a difference.

“They are able to make the library an enjoyable and friendly place.”

There are many students at Yerba Buena who do community service. It’s a graduation requirement, but some do it regardless of that.

According to the librarian, young people involved in community service are more likely to get good grades, graduate from high school, and go to college.

“I’ve come upon many volunteers who say that volunteering has helped them mentally in a lot of ways,” Nguyen includes.

According to Current health, people who volunteer and do community service are less likely to engage in risky behavior and are more mature.

Dorothy said her sister, who graduated from Yerba Buena, was a very ”depressed and gloomy” person but after she started doing community service, she became a much happier and healthier person.

“She got to meet many people while volunteering at different places. She got to experience so much and learn so much as well as how to be a helpful individual. I think it’s important that we try to volunteer and dedicate our time to help others,” Dorothy adds.

Scholastic News states that even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need.

”Sometimes with busy lives, it might be hard to find time to volunteer, but the benefits of volunteering are enormous,” Nhu said.

Nhu, Dorothy, and many other students at Yerba Buena are happy to do community service. “Doing community service has given me purpose and meaning,” Nhu said. “It’s a way to learn to develop civic and social skills and become more aware of what our community needs.”

Engaging in community service is a way for students to become active members of their community and has a positive impact on our society. Students can also benefit from volunteering by learning to develop skills from their experiences, which they can use later on in their lives.