A Heart's Reward

Arizona Daily Wildcat Jennifer McKean

I felt horrible when a whole group of volunteers decided the kids weren't worth their $5 and dropped out of the project. I was afraid there would be a number of kids without a present from Santa, so I went out the night before and bought presents for more than 10 children. I ran home and wrapped all of the gifts. The next morning when we all showed up at Lewis-Street and the kids all ran to us, hugging our legs, with little smiles on their faces brighter than I'd ever seen, I knew that I was lucky to be given the chance to make a small difference to one child.

I entertained a handful of children, danced with them, built block castles and gave shoulder rides until I dropped to the ground and decided it was time for a group nap. When we opened gifts, to this day, I still remember the look on 4-year-old Josline's face when she ripped open her present from Santa. It didn't matter that it was only a Barbie doll. She acted as though I'd given her the world!

She cried and hugged me repeatedly. Leaving that night was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I went home feeling a great sense of worth. I had made so many unhappy children very joyous, even if for only one day.

That was just the first of many dramatic experiences that I have had with volunteering. Every opportunity that I give my time and my efforts to help someone else, my heart is rewarded.

It's important that we all contribute to a community or to a part of society before we graduate from college, at the very least. Most of us don't have the time or the energy to spend additional hours on projects unrelated to our course work, but we have to make the time. Not all organizations seeking volunteers need to have your full dedication. Many opportunities to volunteer are only for one day or for a weekend.

The Volunteer Center of Tucson is always looking for students to get involved. The center's mission is to "strengthen the community by mobilizing people and resources to deliver creative solutions to community problems." It is a private, nonprofit organization that helps us all to MAKE A DIFFERENCE, and it currently has more than 1,000 specific volunteer jobs listed in its database, in more than 600 agencies.

There are endless benefits to volunteering, including exploring new career options, developing new skills, gaining career-related experience, meeting new people and feeling the personal rewards of doing something worthwhile for someone besides yourself.

Big companies, that most of us will be applying for jobs with someday, look for a diverse background in their applicants. The guy with the 4.0 GPA, but no involvement in school activities or outside volunteering, hasn't a chance against the 3.5 GPA who has worked for three different volunteer organizations and became the officer of a club.

Future employers and graduate schools are looking for a few key qualities that many of us gain from the experience of volunteering. Interpersonal skills are important, because it lets people know that you can interact and work well with others. That's a BIGGIE. Another quality they're looking for is planning skills. By organizing a fund-raiser and other volunteer activities, you can learn how to plan well.

Marketing is another great quality that hiring institutions look for in applicants, as well as an important part of volunteering. Once the fund-raiser is planned, someone must go out there and sell it to the public.

Finally, leadership and managerial skills are crucial to landing a big job. Take charge of coordinating events and show everybody that you can handle the pressure and the work load.

Don't volunteer just because you want to sell yourself for employment though; do it for little people like Josline. Do it to provide needed support to someone or to better your own community. Eighty percent of nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to meet the growing needs in communities around the world. They make our society an easier place to live for millions of people.

Think about something that you're interested in, but never took that extra step to get involved with. The ENVIRONMENT. TEEN PREGNANCY. HOMELESSNESS. The ELDERLY. CHILDREN. HAZARD RELIEF. INJURED ANIMALS. There's a cause for everybody. You just have to find it.

There are opportunities to volunteer right on campus. Try to land a research job within your department. It's the best stepping stone to major success in your field of study. You will build important future contacts within the department, as well as reinforce the work you do in the classroom. Especially science majors. Volunteering in a research lab is a key prerequisite for career advancement, so start early.

There are literally hundreds and hundreds of organizations that are looking for volunteers right now, so call the volunteer center for Tucson at 886-6500 or e-mail them at VolTucson@aol.com and ask them how you can get involved.

Jennifer McKean is a junior majoring in journalism.