I might be a little biased in my view of the importance of Community Service because that is basically what I want to do with my life, but I think a lot of people need to refocus. Serving others should always be a priority.

I don’t want to make sweeping statements about the general population, but I feel as if we have grown so apathetic to the community. We use smile.amazon and we chalk it up to a win. We are all just so damn busy that we can’t fathom actual service. We can’t even think about taking a few extra hours one Saturday to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

Community Service is about going on and affecting people, making a change with your two hands, or being maybe a little uncomfortable for a short amount of time so someone else can be more comfortable. Any can just give some extra change or run a charity run. Community service is an experience.

We are so privileged. We wake up every day with the sun that shines and clean air to breathe. No one is perfect, but we all have something that we can give. Talents, time, two strong hands, whatever it is, use that gift to give back.

A lot of people sit around and complain about society. We want to pout and mope, but do nothing to actually help break some of the cycles that we are so unhappy about. Policy and governmental aide can’t do everything. Boots on the ground is paramount to a better tomorrow. Anyone can criticize, but it is the ones that roll up their sleeves and get to work that will change the world. Good deeds brighten an otherwise dark world. Could you imagine if everyone on your facebook feed that had posted a nasty comment about the election actually did something kind for someone else? As Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

I know that everyone is passionate about something different and no one has the obligation to be passionate about the same things as others, but there are many different ways to do community service. Somehow I am sure you could find a way to couple your passions with the community. If you are in love with doing design work, help a non-profit with their PR, if organizing and administrative work really gets you going, work in the office or plan an event for an organization, some people love to get their hands dirty and there are endless possibilities for that. Use your own passions to help others.

A lot of articles on why you should do community service talk about how volunteering is actually better for you than the community that you are serving. Although that is true, I just don't think that is a good argument for serving. Help because it is the right thing to do, not because it serves you to do it.