For the past four years or so, I've joined my dad to ring the Salvation Army bells for his rotary club. At first I would come with my dad and one other person, but for the past two years it has been just the two of us. My favorite year was when the Salvation Army did a battle of the kettles. Each station had three kettles set up for donations, with each kettle corresponding to major colleges in the area- University of Kansas, Kansas State, and the University of Missouri. People could select which kettle they wanted to put their money in based off of their college of choice. While the donations were much smaller this year, I appreciate all the people who donate any spare change or dollar bills to make a difference for families this holiday season. It's especially fun watching the children donate because they are so happy doing so. It's a wonderful feeling to see people taking the time to donate or to wish us happy holidays.
I have always enjoyed giving back to the communities in which I live. Starting in middle school, I have served meals at a soup kitchen, cleaned trash out of streams, delivered Thanksgiving meals to people who would otherwise not have one, cleared invasive species out of a nature preserve, babysat children of battered women, aided crews picking up trash on the side of the road near my college, and spent time with pets in an animal shelter. I try to donate money each week to church and have sent in the occasional fund to my summer camp, a place that has been my second home for fifteen years.
If you have already done some volunteer work, keep it up! There are so many people and animals who would benefit from a little extra attention. To those of you who have never volunteered, I highly recommend that you consider it. Trust me, it's worth it.
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