The Joy of Volunteering

​Have you ever considered the joy volunteering can bring? You walk in the door with a smile on your face, you know it’s going to be a good day. They look up and see you as a similar smile starts to creep on their seasoned face. Though they don’t remember you from the last time you came, they know that you are there to bring them a bit of sun and glee from outside their long seen walls in the retirement home.

Can you imagine what it would be like to never have anyone visit you? The loneliness that can grow inside. Then, in walks a friend. Someone to visit with, who wants to listen to you talk about life experiences, to play games with, to decorate cookies with. The joy that youth volunteers, like me, bring to others is so important. It can bring a much needed lift those who are hurting inside, and brings joy to yourself at the same time.

This is what volunteering is about, isn’t it? We don’t volunteer for financial gain. We don’t volunteer to focus on ourselves and what we need. We are youth volunteers! We empower the community, lifting others to their full potential. I am so grateful to be a volunteer! I am so grateful for the opportunity to make someone else smile. Volunteers should be grateful for the morals and strength that volunteering can give us, I am.

Robert D. Hales puts this all into perspective when he says, “Gratitude brings warmth to the giver and the receiver alike.”

During this holiday season, we see a rise in gratefulness and giving. This is really good, but the best part about being a youth volunteer is that we don’t only give and bring joy to others this holiday season. We bring joy to others all year around and that is what makes us stand out! Through volunteering, we always have a reason to be grateful.

“Have a good time, do a lot of good work, and don’t forget, volunteering changes your life forever!” – Vicki Clark: YVC Board of Directors

Hey! My name is Malorie Hunt. I am sixteen years old and a junior at SUCCESS Academy in Cedar City, Utah. I love to bake, decorate cupcakes, do spray paint art, play softball, be involved in YVC, and many other things. I’ve been type one diabetic for about ten years now. I am the middle child of six and my little brother, Colton, has special needs (Angelman Syndrome). I am often referred to as the mom of our YVC. As a career, I would like to help people with special needs. I like to have fun and to hang out with friends.