 "Photo:")
It was a Wednesday afternoon when a child came up to me and told me her life story.
It felt great to see that the kids noticed my presence enough to want to come and talk to me.
It was through Community Action Volunteers in Education that I was able to spend time at an elementary school last semester and I highly enjoyed the experience. I especially enjoyed getting to know the kids and making a difference in individual children’s lives.
Others might feel the same way about working with the elderly, working with animals or making our local environment a cleaner and better place.
No matter what you are passionate about, volunteering is a great way to bring fulfillment to your life as well as the lives of others, and Chico is a town full of great volunteer opportunities.
One great way for Chico State students to volunteer is through CAVE.
CAVE is a volunteer program in which students can do anything from working with kids, adopting a grandparent, cleaning up parks or working with animals.
While volunteering you make connections with people in our community, said Jessica Balsham, a student coordinator for CAVE’s Excel Program. CAVE has about 1,000 volunteers that all make a difference in diverse areas.
Balsham enjoyed making a difference in the kids’ lives when she was a volunteer, she said. Now as coordinator, she finds it amazing to watch new volunteers go through the experience.
One thing that stands out to her when talking to volunteers about their experiences, most of them bring up not just the children, but an individual child in particular, she said.
Programs such as these help Chico to become known as the type of town that cares about its children, elderly and animals.
Balsham is also a great example of how volunteering could lead to valuable experiences. Her volunteering led to her being a coordinator of the Excel Program, something she can now use to her advantage when applying for jobs.
Obviously the CAVE program isn’t for everybody, but that does not mean you can’t still make a difference while doing something you love.
Chico State’s Associated Students Sustainability Program offers a variety of internships and volunteer opportunities that are not only for a good cause, but can also be fulfilling and fun at the same time.
My roommate, who came to Chico for a year with National Student Exchange, got involved with the Sustainability Program and it made her time here more meaningful and memorable.
We are all busy with classes, work, our social lives and various other things, so it is understandable that some of us don’t have the time to commit to CAVE or the Sustainability Program.
If that is the issue for you, onetime events like Up ‘til Dawn can be fun, memorable and just as worthwhile.
Putting aside how much volunteering can add to your life as well as those of others, think about the potential benefits to the educational and professional aspects of your life.
Sure, nobody can escape the effort it takes to graduate college and find a good job, but a full resume is always better than an empty one and these programs are all great ways to catch an employer’s attention. They show that you went beyond the basic requirements to graduate college and kept that resume from looking empty.
I have enjoyed my time volunteering and have plans to volunteer again in the future.
Make a difference in your life as well as the lives of others by taking advantage of all the great volunteer opportunities that Chico has to offer.
Rachel Westmore can be reached at
rwestmore@theorion.com
1 comments
Thanks.