Students Make a Difference in their Community
Media by Jilian Bunderson
Illustration of people coming together to make a difference in the world.
For more than 20 years, volunteer organizations all over the nation have participated in the National Make a Difference Day on the fourth Saturday of October. Started by USA Weekend Magazine in 1992, National Make a Difference Day is full of community service and volunteering. MHS Students are also making a difference at MHS.
From KEY Club to National Honor Society, Caroline Grosman, senior, participates in a wide range of volunteering opportunities.
Grosman volunteers at a Ranken Jordan, a Pediatric Bridge Hospital. Grosman has spent more than 80 hours volunteering her time to the Rehabilitation and Therapy Department, where she cleans therapy toys and finds supplies.
Part of Grosman’s responsibility is to volunteer with non-therapy related conversations.
“My favorite part is being able to talk with the kids,” Grosman said. “I love watching them grow stronger each session.”
Grosman said community service is a great way to give back.
“It really puts in perspective how grateful I should be about simple things that I take for granted,” Grosman said.
From YMCA Youth Development program: Volunteer at an animal shelter (Humane Society), holiday cards to soldiers overseas (Operation Gratitude), donate gently used books and clothes (Goodwill), volunteer at a hospital (Barnes Jewish Hospital), volunteer at an assisted living center (Delmar Gardens).
Hoda Elbeshbeshy, junior, is an active participant in KEY club, who works with the club often to find opportunities for community service.
Through KEY club, Elbeshbeshy goes to elementary schools and other places to tutor, help work social events, carnivals or talent shows.
Elbeshbeshy said she learns valuable character traits through volunteering.
“You can develop different skills from volunteering such as working with others, leadership, and communication,” Elbeshbeshy said.
Along with these characteristics, Elbeshbeshy mentioned a more personal impact of volunteering.
“Volunteering can assist in developing a sense of compassion and can encourage people to help others in the future,” Elbeshbeshy said.
Elbeshbeshy spent more than 20 hours this school year alone volunteering through KEY club to serve her community and make a difference.
“It makes me feel like I am using my time well and actually helping people that need help,” Elbeshbeshy said.
MHS offers many volunteering opportunities. Micah Roeseler, freshman, volunteers frequently around the school, he says. Roeseler volunteers through the AFJROTC program.
“I volunteer so I can make the world a better place,” Roeseler said.
Roeseler says that helping out his community and volunteering makes him happier. “You know that you have improved someone’s life or improved the place where you volunteered,” Roeseler said.
After joining the JROTC program, Roeseler took on volunteering opportunities to help the MHS community. Roeseler said that he signs up for any opportunity provided to him to better MHS.
“Volunteering makes me happy to know that I’m helping out the school community,” Roeseler said.
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