Volunteer Speech

Perks of Being a Volunteer

Speech written by D’Mone’ Clendinen

Date: 12/1/2013

A volunteer and lawyer die and go to heaven. As Saint Peter opens the pearly gates to the lawyer, the volunteer hears a great musical fanfare. The Lord himself appears and greets the lawyer. Saint Peter closes the gate behind him. As the celebration dies down and the last angel floats away, Saint Peter opens the gate for the volunteer. No music, no angels, nothing. Confused, the volunteer looks to Saint Peter for an explanation. "Oh, we get volunteers in here all the time. This was our first lawyer."  

A volunteer is a person who performs a service willingly and without pay. Volunteering is usually viewed as work for the angels of society because of the sometimes menial tasks that are completed. Being a volunteer is being a part of something greater than you. You get a chance reaping the rewards such as community service hours, the experience of shouldering responsibility, checking on your status in the actual community rather than just the virtual one, and finally, the incomparable experience of helping those in your community.

First, as a volunteer you may gain community service hours. It is important because many jobs and colleges look for people who are an asset to their institution. People who work with others and accomplish a task are its primary focus. College admission officers look at volunteer hours as a way to weed out students who are not well rounded. Second, volunteers experience responsibility learning time management and leadership. It gives volunteers a goal, helping others with the aid and support by others.

Most importantly, this act of kindness is a huge reality check. As teenagers or young adults, we tend think of ourselves way more than we should. What we do not realize or understand is that there are more people in the community with worse issues than what we think is the end of our world. So instead of wallowing in your own issues, volunteering gives a deeper look as to what is actually occurring right around us. We learn to be sympathetic to the elderly in the nursing homes, homeless mothers and families in shelters, or children in foster homes. Volunteering offers a chance for self- evaluation, granting you the ability to realistically see how others perceive you.  

Some might say that volunteering is a waste of time because there is no pay, but being a volunteer has its perks. It’s not about getting compensated. That’s what you get from a job. Volunteering is doing something greater than yourself for the betterment of your community. Whether it’s just for community service hours, personal enjoyment, or experiencing leadership and self-reflection. Remember the volunteers usually do not have the time; they just have the heart.