Well, here it is! My first actual blog post. I’m not allowed to just randomly shoot out saying a bunch of nonsense like a lot of other people, oh no. I’m supposed to get a bunch of information, AND THEN say all the stuff I want to. :)
Teenage Volunteering
My topic I’m addressing may involve what a lot of us (I’m no exception) may do on a daily basis. We turn on the computer/video game/TV and waste hours doing things that don’t really do much but waste our lives. Yes, we can learn about culture and how people think and all of that, but that’s not the point. What I’m saying is that we all need to “get a life”. I’m sick of this saying, because who’s to determine what “a life” really is? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that spending hours “exercising your fingers” isn’t the best idea for one. (Even if that’s what you’re doing…) But it’s okay to do that stuff, I’m just saying that we should use some of our time for being a bit more self-less. Volunteering. I’m not saying you don’t already help out every now and then; I’m trying to get you to do it more often. (STAY AWAY FROM THE OFF BUTTON PLEASE)
Look, you probably already know about the millions of people everywhere who have issues and need help, and all of the litter and broken down places in the world. Just saying, it’s kind of rude to just ignore it all. Look, there are a lot of people on the job now, but it’s not like it’s all covered. YOU have to DO SOMETHING. If you’re interested in volunteering, there is a load of ways in which to help your community. You might already know this, but there’s actually a National Youth Service Day. Even though it’s a “day”, it’s from April 11-13. (Why can’t it be day(s) or better yet a week?) “Since 1988, National Youth Service Day has harnessed the power of more than 22 million people in thousands of communities nationwide.” (Junior Scholastic, 1) Why can’t you be part of those millions, or even help make it higher?
There are a lot of organizations that would be delighted to have you help their cause. Remember “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”? (Hopefully so.) That came from SADD, “Students against Destructive Decisions”. SADD was started in 1981 as “Students against Driving Drunk”, an organization dedicated to help teens by using the influences that encourage drinking (like peer pressure and role-models) to their advantage by making peers and role-models who are against it. Slogans like “Friends Don’t let Friends Drive Drunk” and SADD’s positive influence have decreased the deaths or teenagers everywhere from drinking and driving by 60 percent. (Cooke, 1) (I find it ironic that a name like SADD would bring such a positive influence. :)) The name SADD was changed to Students against Destructive Decisions in 1997 to expand their reach as teenagers were susceptible to more and more ways of making decisions that are destructive. (How convenient)
SADD is a popular method for volunteering, because they have chapters (branches) everywhere across America. But don’t consider it the only method. When I searched for articles about volunteers, I was a bit surprised to find hundreds of them. All the more opportunity for you to start helping out in your community. (And less chances to make an excuse. >;)) But don’t think that you need to find some already established foundation to start helping others. Teens everywhere have begun their own adventures to improve their world and others. Now here’s my GIANT list of teens that’ve done so and have become the top 10 youth volunteers of 2002. (This is just to make it look like I’ve done a lot of work. :p)
1. “ASHLEIGH CROWE of Suffield, Conn., organized a volunteer group called Ashleigh's Army to help improve living conditions and education in a small Dominican Republic village.
2. Francesca Tenconi of Walnut Creek, Calif., founded the Children's Skin Disease Foundation and raised more than $100,000 to support research and start a summer camp for children with skin diseases.
3. William Dunckelman of Houma, La., started a national program that brings fine arts programs to senior citizens via audio cassettes, videos, and literary collections.
4. Lauren Echstenkamper, 18, of Osprey, Fla., collected books and recorded books on tape to help elementary school students learn to read.
5. Christopher Teel, 18, of Evergreen, Colo., has orchestrated several projects aimed at alleviating hunger, including raising money for a kids' meal program, recruiting volunteers for a food bank, providing clothing to migrant workers and low-income Hispanic fathers, and working with a trucking company to donate truck space and labor to ship items to the needy.
6. Nina Vasan, 18, of Vienna, W. Va., founded a nationwide network of teen volunteers in 44 states called ACS Teens to support the American Cancer Society.
7. Christopher Clark, 13, of Cleveland, Ohio, created the Christmas Angel Project to provide gifts for children from poor families.
8. Stacey Hillman, 11, of Casselberry, Fla., has raised more than $150,000 to buy 175 bulletproof vests for Florida's police dogs.
9. Anna Johnson, 14, of Wilson, N.C., has raised $35,000 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (she is afflicted with the genetic disease) through yard sales, a Kiss Your Baby photo contest, bake sales, and a letter-writing campaign.
10. Daniel Nally, 14, of Westwood, Mass., founded Turkeys `R' Us, which has provided more than 12,000 free Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families over the past six years.” (Poland, 1)
So you see, it’s obvious that people have made their own ways to help others, (fame not guaranteed) and there’s always the option of already joining a group. Volunteering is a noble cause, it helps you get into colleges, and it may feel good to do something good. Volunteer for something, whatever it may be! You shouldn’t have to commit a crime to do community service. :)
Works Cited
Cooke, Barbara. "SADD: Using Peer Power to Fight Drugs." Current Health 2 Mar. 2004. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 12 July 2007. http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&docId=A114477559&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=lom_udetmercy&version=1.0.
"Get Involved." Junior Scholastic 28 Mar. 2003. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 13 July 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&docId=A99821195&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=lom_udetmercy&version=1.0.
Poland, Scott. "The Spirit of Giving is Alive Among Teenagers." American Thought July 2002. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 13 July 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&docId=A90683562&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=lom_udetmercy&version=1.0.
Teenage Volunteering
My topic I’m addressing may involve what a lot of us (I’m no exception) may do on a daily basis. We turn on the computer/video game/TV and waste hours doing things that don’t really do much but waste our lives. Yes, we can learn about culture and how people think and all of that, but that’s not the point. What I’m saying is that we all need to “get a life”. I’m sick of this saying, because who’s to determine what “a life” really is? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that spending hours “exercising your fingers” isn’t the best idea for one. (Even if that’s what you’re doing…) But it’s okay to do that stuff, I’m just saying that we should use some of our time for being a bit more self-less. Volunteering. I’m not saying you don’t already help out every now and then; I’m trying to get you to do it more often. (STAY AWAY FROM THE OFF BUTTON PLEASE)
Look, you probably already know about the millions of people everywhere who have issues and need help, and all of the litter and broken down places in the world. Just saying, it’s kind of rude to just ignore it all. Look, there are a lot of people on the job now, but it’s not like it’s all covered. YOU have to DO SOMETHING. If you’re interested in volunteering, there is a load of ways in which to help your community. You might already know this, but there’s actually a National Youth Service Day. Even though it’s a “day”, it’s from April 11-13. (Why can’t it be day(s) or better yet a week?) “Since 1988, National Youth Service Day has harnessed the power of more than 22 million people in thousands of communities nationwide.” (Junior Scholastic, 1) Why can’t you be part of those millions, or even help make it higher?
There are a lot of organizations that would be delighted to have you help their cause. Remember “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk”? (Hopefully so.) That came from SADD, “Students against Destructive Decisions”. SADD was started in 1981 as “Students against Driving Drunk”, an organization dedicated to help teens by using the influences that encourage drinking (like peer pressure and role-models) to their advantage by making peers and role-models who are against it. Slogans like “Friends Don’t let Friends Drive Drunk” and SADD’s positive influence have decreased the deaths or teenagers everywhere from drinking and driving by 60 percent. (Cooke, 1) (I find it ironic that a name like SADD would bring such a positive influence. :)) The name SADD was changed to Students against Destructive Decisions in 1997 to expand their reach as teenagers were susceptible to more and more ways of making decisions that are destructive. (How convenient)
SADD is a popular method for volunteering, because they have chapters (branches) everywhere across America. But don’t consider it the only method. When I searched for articles about volunteers, I was a bit surprised to find hundreds of them. All the more opportunity for you to start helping out in your community. (And less chances to make an excuse. >;)) But don’t think that you need to find some already established foundation to start helping others. Teens everywhere have begun their own adventures to improve their world and others. Now here’s my GIANT list of teens that’ve done so and have become the top 10 youth volunteers of 2002. (This is just to make it look like I’ve done a lot of work. :p)
1. “ASHLEIGH CROWE of Suffield, Conn., organized a volunteer group called Ashleigh's Army to help improve living conditions and education in a small Dominican Republic village.
2. Francesca Tenconi of Walnut Creek, Calif., founded the Children's Skin Disease Foundation and raised more than $100,000 to support research and start a summer camp for children with skin diseases.
3. William Dunckelman of Houma, La., started a national program that brings fine arts programs to senior citizens via audio cassettes, videos, and literary collections.
4. Lauren Echstenkamper, 18, of Osprey, Fla., collected books and recorded books on tape to help elementary school students learn to read.
5. Christopher Teel, 18, of Evergreen, Colo., has orchestrated several projects aimed at alleviating hunger, including raising money for a kids' meal program, recruiting volunteers for a food bank, providing clothing to migrant workers and low-income Hispanic fathers, and working with a trucking company to donate truck space and labor to ship items to the needy.
6. Nina Vasan, 18, of Vienna, W. Va., founded a nationwide network of teen volunteers in 44 states called ACS Teens to support the American Cancer Society.
7. Christopher Clark, 13, of Cleveland, Ohio, created the Christmas Angel Project to provide gifts for children from poor families.
8. Stacey Hillman, 11, of Casselberry, Fla., has raised more than $150,000 to buy 175 bulletproof vests for Florida's police dogs.
9. Anna Johnson, 14, of Wilson, N.C., has raised $35,000 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (she is afflicted with the genetic disease) through yard sales, a Kiss Your Baby photo contest, bake sales, and a letter-writing campaign.
10. Daniel Nally, 14, of Westwood, Mass., founded Turkeys `R' Us, which has provided more than 12,000 free Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families over the past six years.” (Poland, 1)
So you see, it’s obvious that people have made their own ways to help others, (fame not guaranteed) and there’s always the option of already joining a group. Volunteering is a noble cause, it helps you get into colleges, and it may feel good to do something good. Volunteer for something, whatever it may be! You shouldn’t have to commit a crime to do community service. :)
Works Cited
Cooke, Barbara. "SADD: Using Peer Power to Fight Drugs." Current Health 2 Mar. 2004. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 12 July 2007
"Get Involved." Junior Scholastic 28 Mar. 2003. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 13 July 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&docId=A99821195&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=lom_udetmercy&version=1.0.
Poland, Scott. "The Spirit of Giving is Alive Among Teenagers." American Thought July 2002. InfoTrac OneFile. Detroit. 13 July 2007 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=ITOF&docId=A90683562&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=lom_udetmercy&version=1.0.
1 comment:
uhh, who the heck are you?
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