Volunteering Papers

Volunteering is important because it gives individuals a sense of belonging to the community and being part of something bigger than themselves. In today’s society it is too easy to become disconnected. We spend our days looking at our cell phones and maintaining our relationships over impersonal mediums such as social media. When you make a commitment to volunteer, you are connecting with human beings in a tangible way which is a vital part of well being. But volunteering is bigger than the individual, it is essential to creating a diverse close-knit and thriving community. Gillette in particular has many residents without strong social supports. This is due to our transit population and our growth in the past 30 years. When individuals do not have extended family and long term relationships within the community they are living it is essential to have services to fill their needs and volunteer opportunities which allow them to …show more content…
As a part of this group I have volunteered at various fundraising events. A few of these major events are the Empty Bowl and the Chili Cook Off. Each year I help set up at take down equipment for these events as well as work at different stations throughout the event. One of the more unique volunteer opportunities I have had is the Point In Time Count that occurs each year in January. The purpose of the Point In Time Count is to locate as many homeless individuals in the community as possible within 24 hours to make up the statistics for the national homeless count. We spend the night looking around town for people who appear to homeless and provide them with a bag full of essentials and count them for the national database. Volunteering giving back and connecting with others is a vital part of our community. Volunteering is important especially in Gillette because our community could not be the same without those who