by Oscar Pinto
Volunteering and service projects offer benefits that extend far beyond the hours logged. At Columbus, service is woven into the school’s values, encouraging students to not only fulfill community needs but also to experience personal growth and fulfillment. Programs like Blue Missions and Kicks for Kids help students gain insight into social issues and build essential skills like patience and empathy, all while making a tangible difference in the lives of others.
The personal benefits you get from volunteering are some that are not taught but learned. The impact on these needy individuals is incredible, according to those who have volunteered. Volunteering also gives you educational benefits, such as a deeper understanding of social issues in the world.
The community is affected simultaneously by helping out those in need, which ends up fulfilling local needs, building community connections, and enhancing the quality of life of those in need of one's help.
Service projects are some of our root foundations at Columbus. Helping others is part of our pillars and core values. Service is very important here at Columbus, but nothing is possible without Brother Albert Rivera's help.
One of the benefits of service work is patience. Believe it or not, working for those who are in need requires a lot of patience like, for example, Kicks for Kids.
Some students’ disabilities are more severe than others, ranging from sensory processing disorder (SPD) and autism to oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Additionally, some students experience anxiety alongside these disabilities. Supporting them requires extra care and patience to meet their unique needs, which can be demanding.
“Helping out kids with Autism and other disabilities requires a lot of patience, but the end feeling that I get knowing I am doing something for the kids is worth the patience that is required,” said sophomore Max Rodriguez.
Still, there are many ways to volunteer such as helping people with disabilities, feeding people in need, feeding the elderly or delivering food in food drives.
“Feeding people in need brings happiness to my life, My parents taught me from a young age to help those in need and it gives me a good feeling,” said sophomore Esteban Alfonso.
As a community, many of us can agree that community service is really important. It is so crucial that, sometimes, people's lives depend on it.
“Helping out the elderly is something that helps out because it helps them out because being at that age is difficult,” said sophomoreGabriel Piedra.
Service at Columbus
To graduate from Columbus, a student must complete a total of 100 combined community service hours, 20 of which are indirect meaning they can be through helping out in open houses or in services that are not directly helping those in need.
On the other hand, the other 80 required to complete are direct hours which is directly helping those in need such as Blue Missions, the Encuentro Project, and even packing food counts to those hours.
They might seem like a daunting task but thanks to Brother Al completing service hours is a walk in the park.
This is his 4th year as a service learning director and he is more than happy to be here to support youth service at Columbus.
“It's been fun and nice to watch the guys get involved in different aspects of the community," he said “It's been very rewarding to hear guys think about how they want to help the community and organize different service projects. So for me that has been the highlight of this experience and for me working with the Columbus students it's either in Blue Missions or the Encuentro projects.”
In Columbus, students are taking courses that can relate to a certain service project. Brother Al has the belief that the student will use those skills learned in the class in real life.
“I think it benefits the students in many ways I think and depending on the course they're taking. Some service projects are connected to a course a student is taking which hopefully brings to life what the student is learning in the classroom,” he said.
But beyond the classroom, service can bring a new perspective.
"The students begin to realize what their gifts and talents are," he said. "For some, it might open a new perspective on a social issue it might open up a career path that can be interesting for me. So I think part of the program is to open up students' perspectives to look at what other life choices they may make for their future and what else they learn about themselves through these experiences.”
In the end, Columbus's commitment to service learning, spearheaded by Brother Albert Rivera, is about much more than meeting a graduation requirement. It’s about inspiring students to explore new perspectives, discover their gifts, and recognize the value of helping others. By engaging in these projects, Columbus students become more aware of their impact on the community, embodying the school’s pillars of compassion and service and preparing to carry these lessons forward into their lives.
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