Youth Forward

Julio Ibanez

Youth Forward Scholarship

31 May 2019

Youth Forward

We live in a world where tragedy can strike anywhere at anytime. It
seems like we see wildfires, storms, earthquakes, and other natural
disasters all the time in the news. In my opinion the best way to
overcome these travesties is through volunteerism. Many don’t see
volunteerism as being as important as it is but volunteerism
demonstrates humans at their best. Not just that but volunteerism can
have a huge benefit to your life specially at a young age.
Volunteerism is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal in
this day and age.

In 2017 alone, the US endured three major hurricanes in Hurricane
Maria, Harvey, and Irma. All 3 of these hurricanes are in the top
five most costly hurricanes in history. Unfortunately some people are
still suffering from the ramifications of these disasters but the
difficult part of the storm has passed. It’s no secret that people
lost a lot due to these disasters but the power of volunteerism
helped many recover and continues to do so. Many citizens from all
over the country flew down to Puerto Rico, Huston, and Florida to
support those whose homes and lives were destroyed in the midst of
the storms. It didn’t matter whether you were a democrat or a
republican, white or black, tall or short; people united in
volunteerism to pick up those affected by the storm. That’s the
power of volunteerism.

Volunteering shouldn’t be done by thinking of the benefits it’ll
bring to your life but it undoubtedly does. Through volunteering you
can meet people from all over the place. Not just from different
corners of the country but different corners of the world. It’s one
of the most convenient ways to network while doing some good for
something bigger than yourself. In addition to networking, you get to
experience and learn new things from other people. Some people become
volunteers without knowing how to even use a power drill and that
perfectly acceptable since volunteering only requires will. However
most people quit their volunteering stints knowing a lot more than
what they originally came in with. That’s something everybody
should strive for; constant growth and improvement and volunteerism
is perfect for that.

Volunteerism is a crucial part of our society that goes by extremely
under appreciated by many. Before taking on this project, I found
community service hours requirements pointless but I now realize how
important they are. If you want to feel like your having a positive
impact on the world while meeting and experiencing new people and
things; volunteer more. Doesn’t matter how small or big the event
is, get involved.