|
.jpg) It
is widely understood among high school seniors and college graduates that
volunteer experience can help towards their long-term career goals. The
experience looks great on school admission forms and resumes, and it provides
unique career training that can be drawn upon in future employment.
These were
certainly benefits I sought when I joined the Boulder County government
volunteer program. But over the past 10 months that I’ve been volunteering with
Boulder County, I’ve gained much more than a bullet point on a resume or
application.
As a
volunteer, I interview and write articles about the many other unique,
interesting volunteers who give their time to Boulder County. These articles
recognize and thank individual volunteers for their service to the community.
They also serve to promote the programs in which the volunteers serve and,
ideally, inspire volunteerism in others.
Volunteer
writing has indeed given me knowledge and experience that I hoped to gain
professionally. However, I have been surprised by how much the articles have
impacted me personally as well.
Of all my
duties as a volunteer writer, I most look forward to the volunteer interviews.
Through these conversations, I meet kind, motivated people who actively make a
positive difference in the world. The volunteers have varied backgrounds – from
young adults, to doctors and other professionals, to retired folks. For me,
their volunteer achievements demonstrate humanity’s unlimited capacity for love.
And their firsthand accounts of a volunteer’s impact demonstrate how a single
volunteer can be a catalyst for powerful change in our community.
One volunteer
described how the generosity of ordinary residents makes it possible for more
children to go to school with proper supplies and receive holiday gifts. Another
volunteer spoke about at-risk teens who now excel in school and work part-time
jobs thanks in part to the aid of volunteer mentors. Without these volunteers,
the communities of Boulder County would not be able to combat issues such as
poverty and social inequality, which are often present in our own backyard.
Volunteer
Spotlight articles have become the highlight of my month. The writing
assignments energize me with a sense of purpose. I can’t help but enjoy the
feeling of accomplishment that rises when I see my words in print. But, most of
all, I am overwhelmed by the hope I feel whenever I discover the amazing impact
of another caring volunteer. Writing may help build my future, but volunteering
feeds my soul.
For
information about Boulder County government volunteer opportunities, please
visit:
www.bouldercounty.org/volunteer or call 303-441-4889. |
