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Ever since I can remember, I have always participated in volunteer activities during the summer. Whether it’s helping with my church’s Vacation Bible School, sponsoring a youth mission trip, or working recreation at a summer camp, there are always tons of things that high school and college students can volunteer for during the summer. Because I have enjoyed participating in these volunteer activities so much, I want to encourage you to start volunteering this summer too! So, here are five great reasons why you should volunteer this summer!
1. IT FEELS GOOD TO HELP OTHERS
First of all, volunteering feels good. Yep, as selfish as that sounds, it feels great to be able to help those around you. One summer, I volunteered to sponsor a mission trip to Houston, Texas where we did things like cutting vines off of a fence, playing games with young children, and even painting older ladies nails. Although some of these tasks were not fun, it was something that the mission center needed to be done and that the children and ladies enjoyed. It was amazing to see how grateful everyone was for all of the help that we did. Honestly, looking back, all of the hard work that we did that week has been forgotten, and I can only remember the joy that we brought to so many people’s faces.
2. VOLUNTEERING LOOKS GOOD ON RESUME’S
Another reason why you should volunteer this summer is because it looks great on resumes! Applying for a job that needs hard workers? If a boss sees that you have participated in a lot of volunteer activities, they will often assume that you are a great worker and will be very dependable. This may sound a little strange, but employers often take volunteer activities into consideration when choosing new employees! This is especially true if you are applying for a job and have already volunteered in that field! Having shadowing experience can also be a great start!
3. VOLUNTEERING CAN HELP YOU WIN SCHOLARSHIPS
One of my favorite things about volunteering is that it can help you win scholarships! If you have ever filled out a scholarship form before, you have probably seen the five to ten spaces (if not more!) where it asks you to list activities, organizations, or other things you have been involved in. Being able to spout off volunteer activities makes filling out scholarships so much easier! Plus, when a scholarship committee sees that you are very involved in your community, church, or school it will really help your scholarship application stand out! You know what that means? You get to save some money on tuition just because you participated in fun volunteer activities that you enjoyed! Need help finding college scholarships? You can check out my whole post on it right here!
4. YOU CAN GET GREAT LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Another reason you should volunteer this summer is because it can give you more opportunities to get letters of recommendations for scholarships or future employers! Sometimes, scholarships or employers need to see recommendation letters from people who are not professors and have seen your character and work ethic. This is when the people you meet during volunteer activities really become helpful. Often, if you do a great job helping out, they will be more than happy to give you a great letter of recommendation. Having these letters of recommendation will give you a chance to win more scholarships and have more of an opportunity to be selected for a job!
5. VOLUNTEERING IS A LOT OF FUN
The last reason why you should volunteer this summer is because it is so much fun! Seriously guys, I have never volunteered somewhere and not enjoyed it! Whether it’s teaching kindergarten students at Vacation Bible School, leading mission trips, helping at youth camps, or even volunteering at Special Olympics, I have always been able to have a great time working with and helping others. The trick is to volunteer at things that you already like or have a passion for! Then, what is supposed to be “work” will become play!
I hope these five reasons why you should volunteer this summer help you to go on and get out there! Volunteering is a great experience, so much fun, and opens up many doors for both high school and college students! If you are struggling to find places to volunteer, ask your peers or look online to get a few ideas!
