Volunteering at North

Volunteering for a good cause written by: Ava Henry olunteering at local establishments can benefit the community and the people in it. Sophomore Sofi McCroskie tries to take time out of her week to help at her local library. “I spend a couple of hours a week volunteering at the library. At the library, I help with shelving books. Sometimes on the weekends when I have time, I’ll help read to kids that come in. I think it is really rewarding to work with kids. It’s always fun to read to them because they are always so enthusiastic about stories,” McCroskie said Even though volunteer work can greatly benefit others and the volunteers, it can sometimes be hard to manage with a busy highschool life. “It takes time out of my day that I could be doing homework or working and that does add one some stress because I am not always the best at time management. I enjoy it though and it is worth taking time out of my day in order to volunteer,” McCroskie said. Being able to help people can give you different feelings, depending on what you do. Although, being able to volunteer seems to give people the same feeling of fulfillment. “I feel like it is kind of fulfilling to be able to go out and help people, for those who do not have the same opportunity as you. I do not really do much at the library, but just being able to help out when people need it is pretty nice,” McCroskie said. n foriegn countries can give a new perspective to anyone that does, and can be greatly rewarding to the individual. “Planning things for mission trips takes a lot of time and effort, but I think that everything is worth it in the end. Giving to other people is a lot more fulfilling than doing things for yourself. When I go to El Salvador I build houses, which brings me a lot of satisfaction to see families get new homes,” senior Natalie Federoff said. In addition to partaking in mission trips, Federoff is one of 62.8 million people who volunteer in their community. “I am also in NHS and am in charge of community service for STUCO, so I do a fair bit of volunteer work for the school as well. I think that since I was a kid I’ve had a calling to help those in need. I would consider my family a lot more fortunate than other people in the community, and thankfully that puts us in a position to help those less fortunate than others,” Federoff said. Something else Federoff does to volunteer is help in soup kitchens. She thinks it’s important to build character and help others. “I volunteer with a soup kitchen that gives food to the people that can’t afford it and it really makes my day better seeing these faces come through and light up. Especially the kids that come through, they all seem so grateful and so happy when they see us and I think that’s awesome,” Federoff said. v

Iphoto by: Ashton Overby sofi Mccroskie Natalie Federoff

29 Design by: Emily Johnson any clubs and programs at Liberty North could not accomplish the great things they do without the work and volunteer hours of dedicated students. “I think that the theater program reallly benefits from everyone who volunteers. It’s a way to not only spread awareness about the show, but also a way to get kids involved. Younger kids usually don’t have a lot of ways to be involved in theater and whenever I, or anyone in the theater program, volunteer, it gives them opportunities to learn about all the production of a show and what goes into it,” sophmore Georgia Barge said. Dedicating time to a cause that she is passionate about, Barge likes her volunteer work and thinks it pays off in the end. “I really like getting other people involved in what I love to do. When I was younger I would have loved having the opportunities that we are trying to give other kids, and I think that is the main reason I do it. All the volunteering I put into the program really pays off, and I think I am just fortunate to spend some much time doing something I’m really passionate about,” Barge said. hurches often work to better the community and help those less fortunate out, and these things are often completed by volunteers. “I work at soup kitchens at my church, and it’s always great to see how thankful and nice the people I serve are for everything. It is a really great experience because most people I work with are all kind and put in real effort to help the people of our community,” senior Emma Angle said. Many organizations that work with volunteers aim to help under-previlaged children in the community, and children are often a source of inspiration to volunteer for many people. Angle agrees, claiming that children are the inspiration for and the best part of her work. “Personally, my favorite part of the volunteer work is seeing how happy it makes kids that come to the soup kitchens. They always run and play and just make the environment so much lighter than it would be without them. They are the main reason I continue to go and volunteer at my church” Angle said. Those that volunteer have different motivators. Seeing how emotional or thankful they are, or just being able to have the satisfaction of helping people. Whatever the motivator may be, some people that volunteer do it to give back to a community. “That is my biggest motivator. When I go down there, i get to see who I am building the house for and a lot of the times they get to help out to. It is really fulfilling because once we are done, they get to move into their house. Things like that are really emotional because we take that stuff for granted,” Angle said. Volunteering can help so many people, even if you may not be interested in doing so. “If you are interested in helping, maybe so start with something so intense. Maybe start going to harvesters and if you like the way it makes you feel, you can continue doing it,” Angle said. It is a really great experience because most people I work with are all kind and put in real effort to help the people of our community,” senior Angle said. M

Cphoto by: Ashton Overby Georgia Barge Emma Angle photo from: Dice Photography