my experience as a volunteer essay

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a great community service essay.

College Admissions , Extracurriculars

Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

• Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
• You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

• Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
• Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

• Length requirement
• Application deadline
• The main purpose or focus of the essay
• If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

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Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

• What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
• What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
• Why did you decide to begin community service?
• What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
• How has your community service changed you?
• How has your community service helped others?
• How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

• If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
• If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
• If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

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Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Synopsis vs summary, my experience volunteering essay sample, example.

I have had three avenues through which I volunteered: as a conservationist, as a meditation teacher, and as a musician. All three have been enriching and valuable in the development of my career, lifestyle, and personality. I think discussing each experience will help others understand the value of volunteering, especially in our modern age.

At the age of 16, I volunteered in a march from the Cascade Mountains to the Puget Sound called the Mountains to Sound project. It was for commemorating a new trail in the Pacific Northwest, and efforts to restore the surrounding forest after clear cutting had devastated the area. Besides marching, we planted trees and learned about environmental conservation. The new trail, called the Mountains to Sound Greenway, was over 20 miles. I decided to walk and run the whole way in one day. There were horse buggies for those who wanted to take a break. My brother, myself, and one other person were the only three people to walk the whole new trail in one day out of maybe 100 people. I had to push myself to my limits of physical strength and endurance, but the feeling after achieving it was unique. I felt that after this trek, I could walk anywhere, no matter how far. I also discovered I had reserves of strength within me that I did not know about. At one point, fueled by adrenaline, I was even keeping pace with the trotting horses. This experience showed a different side of myself: determined and goal-oriented. It also further inculcated a love for nature that had been developing since my early childhood.

Turning to the topic of being a volunteer meditation teacher, I have been teaching meditation for free for over 10 years. I was commonly shy in front of an audience and looked for ways to avoid doing presentations. Through teaching meditation classes as a volunteer, I learned the art of presenting myself and giving speeches. In addition, I learned how to remain personable yet respectable in front of an audience. So, being a teacher has boosted my confidence and my presentation skills. I also gained a lot of joy from teaching and seeing others grow in their peace. Through this, I learned the satisfaction one can garner from teaching. In retrospect, it is difficult to think of a more important task that I have done in my life than teach meditation as a volunteer.

I have been playing percussion and singing since I was a child. However, it was only when I attended an academy for learning the art of tabla, an Indian percussion instrument, that I had more expertise in music. After attending this academy for 10 months, and practicing daily for many years, I started performing. Almost all of my performances have been on a volunteer basis, as I have been invited to spread awareness of Indian culture and meditation in schools, halls, auditoriums, embassies, and many other places. The music I primarily play is for inducing a state of meditation, so this music complements my meditation teaching. Probably the most memorable performances I took part in were in India on a tour to spread the awareness of Indian traditional culture and meditation. The reception I, and the group I was a part of, got from people native to India was extremely heartwarming and encouraging. This activity boosted my confidence as a presenter, and gave me a sense of respect as a musician and messenger of traditional Indian culture. After performing for sometimes thousands of people at a time, giving a presentation in a business setting is now no sweat.

These three volunteering experiences—being a conservationist, a meditation teacher, and musician—have aided me in being more self-empowered in business and in my personal life. I believe it is important to prove to yourself that you can achieve great results, and for a charitable cause. It is perhaps the most satisfying experience to act for others rather than for yourself. This insight is important for children to learn, as they often think about personal gain only. It is key for children to comprehend that perhaps the greatest success is to provide success for others.

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What I Learned From Volunteering

August 27, 2014

Dylan volunteering in Boston, Mass.

This post should really be called: “How I learned more about my community and humanity once I stepped outside my college classroom.” You see, going to college in the heart of a city has an abundance of advantages, and many students are quick to take a big gulp of all the opportunities presented by the fast-paced, busy, and unique city landscape.

While internship opportunities, professional networking events for soon-to-be post grads, company hosted events at local restaurants and bars, and higher education possibilities are readily available and most likely taken advantage of by eager 20-somethings, taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit social/environmental justice organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities that complete the city of Boston are not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences.

But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people.

Volunteerism, civic engagement and advocacy are the driving forces for creating change and making a positive impact in your community and society at large. While gaining internship and job experience can lead to community impact and social change, it’s important for us to remember that before we start advocating for change and informing others about issues we care about, we need to fully understand the complexity and depth of the social, environmental, or economic issue we are passionate about.

Not only do we need to understand the ‘issue’ or ‘societal problem’ that many people face and are impacted by every day, but we need to meet and work alongside those whose daily realities are shaped by injustices, while not creating any divides or barriers in the process. Everyday people are affected by the issues that organizations fight for or against, and once we realize how people-centered things like advocacy, outreach and service are, I believe young people will realize their call to action and their potential in their local landscapes to really affect change.

My Experience

For example: Recently I had a very unique volunteer gig. A few times a semester I would take the Red Line to Quincy to volunteer at the   Prison Book Program , where I would read letters from incarcerated individuals from all over the country and find 2-3 books that match their interests and reading criteria. Opening each letter and hearing people’s stories reminded me of the harsh realities of our world today, and the difficulty many people face in preserving their human dignity and self-worth. (Left. Dylan volunteering in Boston, Mass.)

Whether guilty of crimes or innocent, our incarceration system is an issue that many activists rally around in terms of its success and promise in correcting and rehabilitating criminal behavior. So, to read letters and hear the voices of those who are living on the marginalized edges of our society, but who rarely have a voice in the issue that’s being nationally rallied around, is an uncommon circumstance that should be noted and have more attention and action drawn to. Their desire to educate themselves within the confines of a prison wall is real and heard by those of us who take time to spend their weekday evenings in the bottom of a church basement, sorting through donated books, and reading literary wish-lists of those who are incarcerated.

Another meaningful experience that sticks out to me is when I regularly volunteered at a children’s homeless shelter in Roxbury, Mass. for two years, and was reminded of the fact that the statistics we hear every day about homelessness are real people – not just numbers. Every child I played alongside, made a puzzle with, and created art work for, reminded me that the largest percentage of people who are homeless is in fact, not the men people see on the street who are waiting in line for the soup kitchen, but families: Mothers, children of all ages, infants, and fathers.

I was reminded that every human and every family deserves a place to call a home, a place to grow up, and a place to feel safe and comfortable. Helping the shelter to provide an afternoon of safety, comfort, respect, and joy for children who don’t have a home or much stability was a small but meaningful contribution to a much greater familial and societal obstacle.

What I Learned

I learned from my volunteer experiences in Boston that people are not powerless; in fact, we have a great deal of power and potential, despite sometimes being told we may not have any because of the zip code we were born in, economic status, family life, sexual orientation, or employment status. Through the volunteering I made as a priority and a cornerstone of my life in college, I learned how empowering it is to realize how much agency you have in your own life and how beautiful it is to share that with others in hopes of them discovering it themselves.

I learned how giving human beings are, even when they don’t have much to give. I learned how one of the biggest equalizers of our society is storytelling and the sharing of self. We open countless doors of understanding, compassion, education, and empathy when we let the chaos and speed of the cityscape subside, and take time to actively listen and communicate with our community members. Our community is a diverse fabric of human beings, and we all have a voice in enacting change, improving the lives of our neighbors, and promoting a more just and verdant world.

I learned that local nonprofit organizations have the potential to   amplify their outreach to colleges, and young people in general , through matching passions with skills. You as organizations need to purposefully identify for us why promoting service and civic engagement is not only important, but necessary if we want to improve our lives, the lives of others, and the dilemmas and misfortunes our world faces every day.

The relationship between young people and nonprofits can be the start of a significant change in our community, and should be a reciprocal and powerful educational experience. An open-minded and encouraging flow of communication between organizations and community members can be the launchpad for the social and environmental change organizations talk about and try for every day. Together, we can make change – not just a semblance of idealism, but reality, as well.

How does your organization engage with college students and young adults? Share what you’ve learned in the comments!

Dylan Manderlink is a recent graduate of Emerson College in Boston, Mass., who with a self-designed major, Investigative Theatre for Social Change. She is now a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school in rural Arkansas. She is passionate about working in the nonprofit sector and providing educational opportunities for students to creatively inform themselves and others about social justice, community change and human r

Topics: inspiration

Written by Shari Tishman

Shari led Online Marketing and Communications at VolunteerMatch from 2010-2015. After working with nonprofits for 9 years, she moved over to the corporate sector and is now leading Inbound Marketing for a tech company in San Francisco.

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Noriof Syracuse's entry into Varsity Tutor's May 2018 scholarship contest

Volunteerism: My Experience by Nori - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

Community service has become a major aspect of my life that has shaped me into who I am today. Volunteering is a way that I can give back to the world that does so much for me. There is no one way to define community service, because everyone has their own definition. However, it is not the definition itself that matters; it is what community service means to you. Is it the laughter of the special needs children when I help them bounce on the trampoline at cheer practice? Is it the squeals of the recreational cheer team that I coached when they win a competition? Maybe it is the joy on the faces of the veterans when they win a round of bingo. To me, volunteering and community service are all of these things. Volunteerism is a donation of my time in order to enhance someone’s life, even if it is only slightly. I view volunteering as a window through which I have an opportunity to change the lives of people, as well as my own. However, volunteering is not only about aiding others. It offers so much more. Through volunteering, I learned valuable community and social skills, and well as gained valuable work experience. I learned how to work with children, the elderly, and those with special needs. In addition, I learned what it is like to have a job and responsibilities. Volunteering has played in a significant role in the shaping of who I am today. Community service has been a resource for me to express myself and gain control of my life. After my father passed and my mother suffered a major stroke, leaving her permanently impaired, I sought an outlet, or an escape. I desperately needed a positive activity to take my mind off of the hardships I was experiencing. That outlet was community service. After a visit to my mother in the hospital, I would go to the public library and volunteer with their children’s activities. Seeing the overwhelming smiles of children after reading them a story made me forget about my problems at home. Volunteering has always been a way to bring joy into my life and to make my day (as well as someone else’s) a little bit better! My first significant volunteer experience was coaching a special needs cheerleading team. As a special needs coach, I had to control a group of special needs children. They struggled to do many things on their own, and looked to me to lead them. It is from this experience that I learned to be a leader. I volunteered as their coach during my freshman year of high school, and that is when my leadership skills truly began to develop. I was responsible for instructing the team on cheerleading and ensuring that they did everything safely. When they would go out and compete, they would bring tears to my eyes. I have never met such an inspiring group of kids, and it is from them that I learned that no matter what comes in my way, anything is possible if you give it your best effort, and that all hardships can be overcome. Coaching Team FIRE was not always an easy job. There were many meltdowns and times when I would want to give up. However, the joy that lit up their faces when times were good motivated me to keep going. From them, I learned perseverance. They would be elated when they successfully completed a forward roll, or learned a new dance. Every day, with their joy, they would remind me to enjoy the small things in life, and I will forever appreciate the endless giggles we’ve shared. That team made me proud and made me recognize how lucky I am to be healthy and well. They taught me that someone is always in need of help, and with my help, that person can succeed. Community service made me realize that I wanted to participate in a profession that helped people. At first, I was unsure of what I aspired to be when I grew up, but I knew one thing: I wanted to make an impact in people’s lives. I developed a love of science, and asked myself how I could help people with science. I decided that my goal was to become a forensic chemist, so I could help solve crimes. That way, if a crime was inflicted upon someone or a loved one, those people would receive justice thanks to me. I truly feel as if volunteering has helped me recognize what it is I aspire to be in the future. In addition, I have goals of participating in more volunteer work throughout my life. Volunteering is a significant way to make the world a better place and to grow as a person. I have impacted numerous lives through volunteering, and that is something that I take great pride in. Whether it was reading to children at the library, helping veterans play bingo, giving Thanksgiving meals to the less fortunate, or anything else, I made someone’s day better, and that is an amazing feeling. In addition, I have developed numerous skills through volunteer work. I feel as if I have grown significantly through my community service. Community service has shaped me into a responsible leader. I am grateful for all that volunteering has done for me.

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Volunteering Essay

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Topic: From what frequent activity do you derive your joy? Why is this activity meaningful to you and how does it shape your perspective on life?

My Volunteer Experience

I personally enjoy helping people with other problem they have because I always try to picture myself in another person’s shoes. I don’t enjoy watching people suffer or being unable to do certain things because I feel that it is every human’s responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves. Knowing that I can make a difference in someone’s day by just providing my assistance is very important to me because I can help bring ease to people. Volunteering to help others is where I derive my greatest joy from.

In the past few years, my volunteering experiences has allowed me to gain new perspectives on life. For example, when I volunteered at my local hospital, Nassau University Medical Center, in the summer of 2014, I was able to realize why I was such a valuable asset to a hospital as a volunteer. When I originally signed up to volunteer at the hospital, it was because I had to meet a service requirement for my school’s honor society, the Scholar Service Institute. However, after my first week of volunteering, I started to develop a love for helping people.

I realized that in the hospital, volunteers are very much needed because a hospital is a community of people working together to ensure the lives of hundreds of people. In that community of the working people, you have people such as pharmacists, who work hard to make sure that every patient gets their correct medication. However, for the pharmacists to deliver that medication to the different floors of the hospital is very time-consuming, but as a volunteer I was able to ease their job by delivering the medications to all the different floors of the hospital. Reflecting on this experience still brings me joy because I was able to help imperative people of a hospital efficiently get their job done and help patients get better with proper medication.

Another experience of volunteering is the bake sale my friends and I organized on Valentine’s Day of 2016 for Make-A-Wish foundation. We held a bake sale at the parish of our school, St. Mary’s Church. I feel that this experience was one of the most joyful volunteering experiences I was able to have. I felt that my friends and I could aid children of terminal diseases such as Lymphoma by helping them to experience some joy in their life. With the help of the funds of the $334 we raised at our bake sale, Make-A-Wish was able to grant the wishes of these ill children.

Whenever I volunteer, I never think of the personal benefits I will get. I always consider how others will benefit from my assistance. The pleasure of knowing that my assistance in the lives of others can make a difference is all the convincing I need to get out and volunteer.

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Volunteering Essay Examples

An essay on volunteering serves as a platform to explore the selfless act of contributing time, skills, and effort for the betterment of others and the community. The purpose of such an essay is to highlight the meaningful impact of volunteering, showcase the values it fosters, and inspire readers to engage in acts of service. Essays on volunteering emphasize the importance of empathy, compassion, and social responsibility, while also addressing the personal growth and fulfillment that volunteers experience. Promotion of Social Good One of the primary goals of an essay on volunteering is to promote the concept of social good and community welfare. These essays shed light on the positive change that volunteers bring to various social, environmental, and humanitarian causes, showcasing the power of collective action. Essays about volunteering emphasize the values of empathy and compassion that underlie acts of service. They encourage readers to step into the shoes of others, understand their challenges, and offer assistance to alleviate their hardships. Volunteering essay examples aim to inspire readers to take action and become active participants in their communities. These essays showcase how even small contributions can make a significant difference, encouraging readers to get involved and contribute their skills and time to causes they care about. Structure of an Essay on Volunteering:

Introduction: Begin with an engaging introduction that introduces the topic of volunteering and provides context for its significance. Thesis Statement: Include a clear thesis statement that outlines the main points you will address in the essay. Body Paragraphs: Divide the body of the essay into paragraphs that discuss different aspects of volunteering. This could include personal experiences, benefits of volunteering, impact on the community, and the values it fosters. Real-Life Examples: Include specific examples of volunteer work or organizations to illustrate your points. Personal Reflection: Share your personal reflections on the impact of volunteering, whether you’ve volunteered yourself or witnessed its effects. Encouragement and Call to Action: Conclude the essay by encouraging readers to consider volunteering and offering suggestions for getting involved.

An essay about volunteering serves as a reminder of the positive impact that individuals can have on society by giving back. By discussing the values, benefits, and personal growth associated with volunteering, these essays motivate readers to engage in acts of service that contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious world.

Why I Want to Volunteer: a Commitment to Giving Back

Volunteering is a powerful way to make a positive impact on the lives of others and contribute to the well-being of communities. It is a selfless act that not only benefits those in need but also enriches the lives of volunteers. Exploring the question of...

Reasons Why Volunteering is Important in Australian Sport

One of the last persuasive speeches on volunteering which I have heard was about the urgent importance of voluntary work these years as it has an important input in society, letting many organizations, to meet the demand for their services. Volunteers are the backbone of...

Volunteering at a Hospital: a Journey of Compassion and Contribution

Volunteering at a hospital is a unique and rewarding experience that offers insights into the healthcare field while allowing individuals to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and their families. This essay explores the significance of volunteering at a hospital, highlighting the...

The Motivators and Barriers for Blood Donation Amongst Male and Female Donors

A suitable blood supply relies on individual who are volunteer non-rewarded donors. In this paper, we would determine the selection and retaining sufficient normal voluntary non-rewarded blood benefactors the motivators and hindrances behind them should also be comprehended. Likewise, with fast increment in the use...

Formal Volunteering as a Protective Factor for Older Adults’ Psychological Well-being

Volunteering not only helps strengthen communities, but also promotes individual well-being. More specifically, volunteering among the geriatric community has been shown to yield a greater benefit than that of the younger population regarding emotional, psychological, and physical health. The study I will be analyzing asserts...

Personal Report on Volunteering at Dorothy Children’s Home

The USIU-A educational experience is pitched on helping the community as its major stronghold; building a culture and a community that both reflects and fosters togetherness, and demonstrate progress towards measurable community goals. This is done by ensuring that all students do community service in...

Fostering Team Bonding Through Corporate Volunteering Abroad

The effects of volunteerism on employees is well documented. So why not blend your next team-building effort with community outreach and volunteer efforts? Better yet, do it overseas! Volunteering overseas is a life-changing experience that can benefit the volunteer as much as it does the...

Cultural Development Through Acts of Kindness and Good Deeds

Many positive influences in society today have contributed to the development of a sustainable environment. Through multiple acts of altruism and teamwork, this has remained a possibility. Positive influences and human characteristics can both be developed through good deeds such as community services or mission...

An All-volunteer Force as the Better Alternative to Compulsory Military Service

“If a country cannot save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say: Let the damned thing go down the drain!”, once said Robert A. Heinlein at the 29th World Science Fiction Convention’s Honor Speech. In the last century, there...

The Main Skills I Acquired During My Time Volunteering

One of my weaknesses is working and collaborating in teams when working on various projects and/or assignments. In the past, there have been times, whether in school or on the job, where I have not collaborated with my team members as much when working on...

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About Volunteering

A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it, because they want to do it. Volunteering is an act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service.

Formal. Governance. Non-formal. Social action. Project based.

Volunteering is important as it offers essential help to worthwhile causes, people in need, and the wider community. Volunteering combats depression, and helps stay physically healthy.

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