But maybe you've been meaning to join a service club and haven't gotten around to it all year. Maybe you don't have time after school because of play rehearsals, sports practice, or a part time job.
The phrase 'community service' has been changing over the years, especially at New Trier. What used to mean doing nice things for your community now has evolved into doing stuff you don't want to do in order to beef up your college applications. (Of course the urban dictionary definition is a little different, but that's to be expected.)
If you are one of the students at New Trier who has volunteered many a time for causes you don't know much about, you're not alone. New Trier prides itself on its number of social service clubs, and tries to make it as easy as possible for students to spend one day a week after school helping underprivileged kids learn how to play an instrument or sports (and obviously much more). If that's you, you have an opportunity to make up for your lack of 'community service', or a chance to relive your guilt about not giving back at all tomorrow! New Trier's Peer Helping club hosts two blood drives every year, one of which was in October, and the other is tomorrow (Friday, February 24). Giving blood is a great way to help your community in a more measurable way, and Peer Helping makes it incredibly convenient.
I give blood every 56 days, it's something I have been passionate about since I organized and hosted a blood drive via LifeSource at my middle school in 2008. There's no down side, so if you're eligible to donate I urge you to do so.
If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to ask me, I'd love to help you set up an appointment at a donation center outside of New Trier if donating tomorrow is too short of notice for you.
Whether you donate blood tomorrow or go to a service club every week, giving back to our community is an important part of becoming an adult. If you don't know what you're interested in, I recommend trying out as many clubs as possible until you find one that suits you, and in the mean time donating blood is perfect for those of us who hope to actually help our communities rather than do community service in order to convince schools you're worth admitting.
In addition to the "standard" volunteer efforts, I think it is very important to make a difference with the people that surround you. Many of the kids that are big in the social service clubs often do not come full circle when it comes to just being a pleasant person. The intentions are spectacular and I fully respect the fact that they are giving their time to help others less fortunate, but believe it or not, an enormous difference can be made in everyday life with the people that sit next to you in your classes. A jolly "hello" or a "how has your day been" can go a long way. I make it my goal to be this venerable and respectful gentleman before I even consider spending my time elsewhere. Plus, if everybody loves you, it is much easier to get them to come along to volunteer at the charity of your choice.
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