There are people who volunteer to gain career experience in order to build their resume, develop skills or learn new ones. In addition, volunteer work enables others to make contacts with people in their chosen career. Many people volunteer to build self-esteem, to make themselves feel better, to feel needed and to feel that they have a place in this world; a place to truly feel like they are making a contribution to society. Others volunteer for the social aspect, to climb the social ladder while helping those less fortunate. Some people volunteer as a result of the instilled set of values they have a set of values that compel them to act on deeply held beliefs about the importance of helping others.

Some people volunteer because they have felt the cruel sting that life may have afflicted them or a loved one with, for example someone might volunteer for the American Cancer Society because a family member died of cancer. And, some people do it because they want a better understanding about different people or the organization they serve, "bridging the gap," so to speak, in order to better understand their community and themselves.

However, I volunteer to give back to my community. I am grateful for the help I received from others while I was growing up. When I was in high school I chose to increase my appreciation and joined the President’s Volunteer Community Service Program. There I was influenced by the way that I could spread my areas of involvement throughout my community and other surrounding areas. I want to acquire skills and opportunities that help improve the person that I am today, so I give back to enable kids to have the same chances at life that I have had. I know what it is like to be hungry, cold, tired and having to go without. This is nothing I wish to see anyone else go through if I can help it. Now that I am in college, I have not let that stop my desire to continue and have gotten involved in several projects and events already.

Volunteering is the ultimate payback to those who helped me physically, mentally and academically as I have grown. I remember asking a guidance counselor when I was in her office recently how I could repay her for all she had done to help me over the years. She smiled and said "You can help me by continuing to help others." A statement made that was so simple, yet so deep in its meaning.

The feeling that I can help to try and shape someone's life for the better is unexplainable. My desire to give back to the community was renewed by the fact that I made a difference. I feel that people should not volunteer for the praise or to boost your resume, nor should they do it because it gives your organization a community service for some kind of quota.

You should do it simply because it must be done. When we volunteer we are ultimately filling in the gaps that have been stretched out by apathy and the need of the people.