How to include giving in your estate plan

The link between volunteering and academic performance

There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from diff erent backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they’re doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefi t them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they’re studying. College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process. Though

a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than two-thirds of their applicants, that fi gure is signifi cantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States.

For example, Stanford University (4.3 percent) and Harvard University (4.9 percent) recently reported acceptance rates below 5 percent. Though volunteering alone won’t help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé builder and be even more eff ective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.

Who are Soroptimist?

Soroptimist are women at their best, working to help other women to be their best.

Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.

Locally, Soroptimist works to assist Florence and the surrounding communities with scholarships and awards. The women of Soroptimist are a colorful group of caring people who see value in women and girls who are motivated yet struggling to achieve their goals. Some of Soroptimist projects include, supporting the Focus Four Crisis Line, feeding hungry fi refi ghters while working the Mapleton Fire, celebrating motherhood by creating and gifting Mother’s Day Baskets for new moms, promoting Human Traffi cking Awareness, among many other important projects. One of Florence Soroptimist largest service projects is to organize the Soroptimist Community Christmas Basket Project. This project supplies about 400 Florence area families with holiday groceries, easing food insecurity, and stress around the holidays. Many businesses and service groups work with Soroptimist to meet the needs of so many. Please consider joining in this eff ort by sending your monetary gift to: Soroptimist International of Florence P.O. Box 1209 Florence OR 97439 If you would like more information, check out Soroptimist of Florence on Facebook. Or Call 541-991-3455