Importance of volunteering during high school years The effects volunteering has on young adults

By: Emily Sullivan StaffWriter

Wake up, go to school, attend after-school activities, complete homework and repeat. The normal robot cycle most kids and teens fall into. That was how I looked at my everyday life in 2017. Life can be completely normal and then in a blink of an eye it can be changed forever. It was the year that changed me as a person and helped me realize the importance of volunteering my time to help others as well as giving back to organizations. It was the year that my mom sat me on the couch and told me that she had Stage 3 breast cancer.

Hearing those words come out of my moms mouth were words I never wanted to hear. Shock, fear, frustration and confusion were my initial reactions at the time. My family saw this disease as something negative, but over time, our outlook on the experience changed. We are now grateful for the experience and all the positive people, communities, organizations and friends that came together to save my mom’s life.

For the past six years, the team has raised over $150 thousand for cancer research which directly goes to Dana Farber. We have fundraised events in Walpole and surrounding towns to raise money. At the end of the year, we walk in Boston with all types of people who have been affected by cancer.

Chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries and doctors visits are all tasks associated with the disease cancer. Many hours are spent battling a fight to beat the beast that is cancer. Dana Farber is one of the world's leading hospitals for adult and pediatric cancer. Thousands of people walk through the doors of Dana Farber everyday fighting during one of some of the lowest points in their life. With the help of doctors, nurses and volunteers- patients are able to leave the hospital and announce that they are cancer free. From my experience, Dana Farber saved my mom’s life and I will forever be grateful for all the work they had done. Through this experience, it has led me to my love for volunteering and giving back to communities that have helped my family.

After my mom was told by doctors she was in remission, we created a team called Sullivan Stronger. This team is completely volunteer- based and works with all different types of people to raise money for the Jimmy Fund Walk that takes place in October.

Every year, in the summer my family and I volunteer to help out with the Pan Mass Challenge, a bike-a -thon fundraiser that gives all its proceeds to Dana Farber. It is inspiring to hear all the stories and learn about people that are strangers. Bikers tell incredible stories which help foster a sense of community that we all can relate to. Volunteering has the power to let people become friends while supporting a cause. My love for volunteering is rooted in Dana Farber and all they have to offer. I feel that volunteering can shape you as a person and teach you to be grateful for the normal life that I was once not grateful for.

Volunteering can look different from person to person. Every person has a different story that means different things to them and finding organizations to give back too can be very rewarding. Not only are you helping others, but you are benefiting yourself as well. You learn a lot about other people and communities; similarly, volunteering gives a sense of satisfaction to know that you are helping others that may be less fortunate than you.

Likewise, volunteering helps communities grow and leads to more opportunities. Some examples of volunteering may be helping out at local events, animal shelters, community centers or even local libraries. The small task of spending a few hours giving your time to organizations has never been made so apparent to me. In the grand scheme of my life, a change in the way I live has never been so significant. From being unaware of my seasonal slump to fully acknowledging it and also getting over it, I was able to reflect on my emotions, understand my hardships and change the way I live for the better.

Before Daylight Savings, I had fallen into a cycle of being unmotivated to do the things that I like. I became distant with friends and family. I only found comfort in my bed. And I wanted nothing more than to be in the safety of my own home. I became even more addicted to my phone, yet I also started hating TV shows. Each episode I watched would just feel like a drag, which ultimately made TikTok my guilty pleasure as it is for so many other teenagers. The short and quick rush of something good— maybe happiness or sparked dopamine or maybe just feeling an emo- ter time. I first noticed I was hating winter when I was driving in the snow. I realized that I did not feel the pretty and aesthetic vibe that winter and snow had always looked like to me. At first it was nice, but then the snow became a brown and dirty slush that ruined the bottom my body and my mentality. From being miserable to suddenly being ready to accomplish anything, it was clear that there had been some sort of shift. I felt a sense of motivation that I had not felt since last July. I felt the urge to hang out with my friends, whom I had not hung out with since New Years Day. I felt, most surprisingly, uncomfortable in my bed. Every time I lay down, I feel like I need to be moving or accomplishing something when the sun is out. At first, all I knew was that I felt so much better and that I could see the sun when I got home from school. The days are brighter and I feel like I can do whatever I want whenever I want. This feeling was entirely new since I had never felt such joy when coming out of the winter time and a seasonal slump. Especially with- to practicing instruments to doing the laundry. Anything. Everything that I have to accomplish, I can