As we all know, McPherson High School has now made it a requirement to log 40 hours of community service work in order to graduate. Most students aren’t thrilled about this new requirement, but that’s because they don’t know how many benefits there are to doing community service work! I know it seems overwhelming hearing the words ‘40 hours of community service,’ but that’s because you don’t yet know how very little that number will seem after you have started. At McPherson High School there are an infinite amount of useful tools to help you start your journey in becoming a volunteer to help better yourself, school, and your community.

There are many ways to get started in community work at MHS in clubs like FCCLA and KAY club. There are also many tools and resources at MHS for students to use to help find community service work, like the community service board (pictured below), you can also pick up a sheet there that will help you with calling and setting up your community work. “I truly believe that community service benefits everyone – the givers and the receivers,” teacher and FCCLA leader Julie Diepenbrock is quoted. “Helping others makes us better people. When we help others we become more compassionate and kind. Find something you believe in and love and find a way to help others through volunteering,”

Community service can be very beneficial to not just the people you’re volunteering to help but also to you. Studies done by CNCS have shown that people who volunteer have a lower suicide rate, greater functional ability, and lower depression rates later in life than people who do not volunteer. Volunteering is also a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and make connections in your community. Community service can also help build up your leadership skills and also improve your communication, and people skills. Volunteer work plays a big part in our community and can benefit not only the people in need, but yourself, and your school; together we can make a better community.