COMMUNITY SERVICE

BY: BROOKE EDWARDS

WHAT IS COMMUNITY SERVICE?

Community service is when you perform an act that benefits your community. It is

when you make a difference by contributing something of value to you. For instance, your money, skills, time, or advice are all things that you would give up in order to benefit your community.

Helping without expecting something in return, motivating someone to make a

difference, and taking steps to fulfill the urge or sense of obligation to stand for something bigger than yourself are all

perfect ways to explain community service.

BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

There is many benefits of community service. It benefits the person or organization you

are helping by receiving help in their circumstances without having to give

anything in return. Personally, for myself, it makes me feel good. After playing with the dogs at the Lowndes County Animal Shelter,

picking up trash off of Patterson Street, helping build a house with Habitat for Humanity, or helping raise money and

participating in the walk for Relay for Life, at the end of the day I feel satisfied. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you

helped someone.

VOLUNTEERING AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER

LOWNDES COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER

I volunteer at the Lowndes County Animal Shelter because I love

dogs. I often go in their cages and play with the little dogs, and I take

the big dogs outside to run around. If they are dirty, I will bathe them so they can be clean.

This is a fun experience that I can tell the dogs enjoy just as much as I

do.

PATTERSON STREET PICK UP

Patterson Street is a very well-known street in the city of Valdosta, Georgia. Although it is very known, it is not

very well taken care of. To take care of this

street, I will go pick up the trash that has been thrown on the sides of

the road that are harming to our town.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-

governmental, non-profit organization devoted to

building simple, decent, and affordable housing, also known as a "Christian housing ministry.“ I

volunteered to help build a house here in Valdosta. I

worked for four hours in the heat putting up the frame of the house and then finishing

it with the walls. The lady we were actually building

the house for was out there with us. It was a touching

experience.

RELAY FOR LIFE

I relay for my nana.

Relaying with my friend,

Ryne.

RELAY FOR LIFEI participated in Relay for Life this year in honor of my nana, Judi Edwards. She passed this year on

December 15, 2011, due to lung cancer. Relay for Life

is a cancer fundraising event sponsored by the

American Cancer Society. Although the main

objective of Relay is to raise money for cancer

research and cancer patients, the event is held

to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the

lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the

fight against cancer.