In Fredericksburg, Virginia, an exceptionally historical town, people may visit George Washington’s birthplace, numerous 18th century houses, Civil War battlefields, and the historic downtown. This town, though small, flourishes with a veritable richness in its historicity. It provides the local people with numerous opportunities for community service. Volunteering in a local neighborhood displays the love of Christ and a willingness to serve in this century when people focus enormously on themselves. Volunteers from Fredericksburg manage a variety of museums with artifacts found under the foundations of historical houses. Because of the abundance of sites, historical interpretation groups thrive. Most of the participants solely attend on a voluntary basis. One such group, started for young home-schoolers, is called George Washington’s Young Friends.
G.W.Y.F., an acronym affectionately bestowed on the group by its young participants, bases its historical interpretation on first person interactions. Participants construct these “personas” from primary sources and strive to portray everyday life in the 18th century as accurately as possible. Teachers in the group emphasize the importance of thorough research, dedication to the group and its members, and the learning of basic skills like sewing, cooking, and public-speaking. Groups such as this one benefit people who struggle with sociable interactions with strangers, as occasionally home-schooled children do. Kids develop a healthy appreciation of the importance of thorough research. Most of all, the group makes learning about history: enjoyable, straightforward and stimulating.
Libraries also provide abundant resources and programs for volunteers. Many libraries offer programs for teens to regulate the activities that exist at the library. Sometimes libraries present practical learning programs such a knitting circle that donates its products to poor people, or first aid classes for prospective nurses. Libraries usually have weekly volunteers to help with sorting books, teaching younger children, and even answering phones. Any one of these jobs not only serves the community but helps kids learn valuable lessons about getting to their jobs on time and how the library runs behind the scenes. Some libraries even allow groups of kids to organize events for younger children.
Other volunteer activities exist such as at the hospital. Obviously, volunteers could not participate in dangerous and serious procedures. However, the staff welcomes volunteers to share in mundane tasks such as food preparation and visiting patients, with little training necessary. Volunteering at a local church could appear as answering the phone at the desk, working with the children on Sundays, or helping with the greeting and ushering. Volunteer opportunities outside of organizations, such as at old people’s homes, not only profit the volunteer but deeply touch the people at the home. At the YMCA so many prospects present themselves, especially for kids with a talent for sports. All these just touch on a few main places to volunteer.
Volunteering not only assists the organizations served, but develops strong life-skills in the meantime. If volunteering at a business, people learn the basics of how businesses run and how to respond to having a boss. Community volunteering develops communities into lovelier habitations and makes for good practice at serving others. When kids have already determined what career they will pursue, volunteering at a location where they can learn more on a first hand basis constitutes an advantageous preparatory step. Kids learn a variety of useful skills from volunteering, while learning to sacrifice their time to serve.
Hours spent volunteering build character and prepare kids for life as it will appear in the future. Kids develop an appreciation for others who volunteer regularly because they will have experienced the same type of work. Ultimately, volunteering glorifies God because it shows a willingness to serve others. When serving people, volunteers can take the opportunity not only to do the job well but also to show God’s love to their fellow workers. All these reasons demonstrate the importance of volunteering and its benefits. Every Christian should strive to serve or volunteer in some area of their lives, whether at church or in the community, to show God’s love and develop good life skills.