Essay ‘My Community Service Experience’

Mahatma Gandhi once said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” this to me means that by helping others, in turn, you help yourself. Although usually done unintentionally, volunteers can often end up gaining more from their experience.

Central Idea

Today I want to inform you about community service culture and how it has impacted me.

I've been doing volunteer work for almost 7 years now and I've realized that its more than just doing work for free, or helping others.

I will be speaking to you about community service culture, first, by explaining how I became involved with this culture, then how my artifact represents being a part of community service and finally the significance of my artifact.

So, how did I become involved in community service?

Body

My dedication to doing community service first started in high school.

I wanted to join a club and came across a club called Interact, sponsored by Rotary International, whose purpose is to spread kindness and provide humanitarian aid internationally.

Community service truly started to become a passion of mine when I joined this club because there were so many different opportunities that didn't realize I could partake in like blood drives, walks for cancer and even parades.

Once I found that I truly enjoyed all aspects of being a volunteer, I started to look for other volunteer opportunities on my own.

Now it has become a tradition of mine to gather a group of friends and go out to volunteer for my birthday.

My time in interact club is what lead me to obtain the artifact that I present you today.

I have a 4-way test coin. It was given to me in my last year of high school in recognition for my four years involved in interact club and the time I dedicated to serving the community.

On the back, the coin is an inscription of the four-way test, which is an ethical guide used by those involved in Rotary International and is recited at every club meeting.

The purpose of the artifact is to remind its holder of the morals that each Rotarian upholds not only when doing community service but also in every aspect of their lives. The inscription reads: “Of the things we think, say, or do; Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better judgment? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Now that I've explained the artifacts connection to me and the community service culture, I’ll explain its significance.

To me, this coin is a reminder of the many things I have learned and continue to learn through community service.

It brings back fond memories and of the fun things I did and the wonderful people I've met from each different time I've volunteered.

The inscription on the back the coin is a reminder to always uphold those ethics in everything I do.

Most importantly, it reminds me that goodwill is not just spread in acts of community services, but in daily life as well.

Conclusion

In conclusion, doing community service has not only helped me impact the community that I live in but also myself.

Today I have informed you all of how I became a part of the community service culture, my connection to the 4-way test coin, as well as its cultural significance.

In the words of Gandhi “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”, and I continue to find myself each and every day. How do you find yourself?

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