Last week, the students and faculty members of Choate participated in a day of community service in order to help those who are in need of aid. Even though the events that took place altered the normal class schedule, the day itself meant a lot to the Choate community. The day involved packing and sorting toiletries and medical kits for fire victims, writing cards for veterans, hearing stories of first-hand Red Cross experiences, and training in first aid and CPR.
Community Service Day does not only benefit the organizations and people who receive our help: It also holds significance to members of the Choate community who are participating in the community service events. By interacting and aiding those who have been plagued by misfortune and disaster, students who are privileged enough to be a part of the Choate community gain a better understanding of the importance of giving back to people in other communities.
There are several Choate students who already acknowledge the importance of doing community service, having either participated in events like the ones that took place on Community Service Day, or having experienced misfortunes or disasters in their own lives. That being said, there are several students, and teenagers in general, who sometimes take for granted the life that they so graciously live. They may be stressed out from school, focused on sports, or interested in maintaining a social life, but they fail to recognize that there are many other people in the world who have it much worse than they do.
While on campus, Choate boarding students do not have to worry about when their next meal will come or whether they will have a roof above their heads. But there are many women, men, and children who are starving, homeless, and lonely, and they greatly appreciate the help that volunteers and first-responders provide. Choate may only be providing people with tubes of toothpaste, Bandaids, and handwritten cards, but in times of desperation, small things like these can go a long way in making a difference in people’s lives.
Choate students and faculty members may see Community Service Day simply as a day off from classes, but in reality it is much more. It is a time when members of the Choate community come together to try to make a real difference in the lives of others. The Choate Administration should continue to hold a day of community service every year in order to continue to raise awareness of real world problems and difficulties that many people face. In a world in which there is violence, disaster, death, and destruction, it is crucial that groups like the Choate community participate in aiding people who have experienced great hardships in their lives.
