“There has been a lot of talk during this election about giving back to the community and national service. Both candidates have publicly stated their commitment to national service and are making it a priority in their administrations.   John McCain and Barack Obama have both served their country.”
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There has been a lot of talk during this election about giving back to the community and national service.

Both candidates have publicly stated their commitment to national service and are making it a priority in their administrations.  

John McCain and Barack Obama have both served their country.

McCain chose to follow in the footsteps of his father by becoming a naval aviator. Obama followed his own route and decided to help those in south Chicago as a community organizer.

 Time magazine published an article about this in their Sept. 22 issue and asked 21 celebrities how they give back to the community.  Miley Cyrus makes yearly trips to coal mining towns in Kentucky to deliver clothes, gifts and school supplies. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke about his first volunteering experiences.

If we are holding our future president and celebrities to these standards, then shouldn’t we be expecting the same of ourselves?

During my senior year of high school, my counselor talked about her son who decided to volunteer and help those less fortunate. Everyone was surprised he would volunteer as a young man. Personally, I find that a bit disconcerting.

Don’t get me wrong, I am no Mother Teresa. And I am not saying we need to quit our jobs to go into public service, but lending a hand every now and then would not hurt.

If the Terminator can do it, shouldn’t we be able to?

According to Time magazine, thousands of college students are foregoing their beach bum spring breaks and summers for those of the philanthropic kind.

With colleges offering more trips like these, its a great way to give back. 

I personally know people who have gone on these trips and they have all come back saying it was the best experience of their lives.

If traveling to another state is not ideal, think about other projects close to home.

Make A Difference Day is rapidly approaching and is a great opportunity to help someone in need around the university area.

Another idea is to find something you’re good at and use it to help a non-profit organization. 

Often, non-profit organizations do not have the funds to pay someone for services.

A good example is the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties.

They are often looking for people to help, and, as a public relations major, I considered putting my education to work and offering to help in their department. 

There are also plenty of places like Haven of Rest that are in need of volunteers to help. The YMCA, Goodwill and Children’s Hospital are always in need of friendly faces.

No matter how little time we have, we can all do something to help our fellow neighbors.

Regardless of age or occupation, whether student or professional, there is something we can do to help better the lives of those around us.

If we are expecting this of our future leaders then we should be holding ourselves to the same standard.

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