My Story on Why I am Determined to Get People to Volunteer 

 

My name is Rachel Handa and I am a student at Chapman University. You might be wondering why I chose to make a website on volunteering. There are a couple reasons why. One of the reasons is because there is plenty of negativity in our daily lives such as dealing with traffic, drama, long hours of work or school, and stories of crime and terror. Therefore, the world can always use more people helping each other out, happiness, love, encouragement, and positivity. 

 

Another reason is because according to Positive Psychologist, Martin Seligman, it was concluded that 50% of happiness is from genetics and only 10% is from life circumstances such as your job or social status. The remainder 40% comes from your “intentional behavior (Tomchin, 2014)” What does this mean? It means that a whopping 40% of your happiness comes from what YOU CHOOSE TO DO.There are a couple different ways you can “become a happier person like forgiveness, faith, gratitude, acceptance, and adopting an optimistic thinking style (Tomchin, 2014).” Therefore, YOU should choose to HELP OTHERS because your actions can make a difference to them, as well as increase your own happiness. 

 

I have found a lot of happiness through volunteering for different causes. I have worked a lot of charity events such as the Share Our Wine Event and Relay for Life. I also have volunteered at the Boys and Girls club in Irvine, the Isaiah House in Santa Ana, Orangewood Foundation in Santa Ana, among other causes. In these experiences, I was able to work hands on with foster youth, children, and the homeless. In all of those times I went to volunteer, I ended up learning and gaining so much more than I was ever expecting. I would go with the intent to give back to those in need, but everytime it made me realize how much I was learning and growing through these organizations. They were all truly humbling experiences, and I want everyone else to have the opportunity to experience the same feeling. Volunteering might take up some time and energy, but every single time you give back you will see it was worth all of it and more. 

 

I will never forget the little drawings the kids at the Boys and Girls made me, the stories of hardships from the homeless women I worked with, or the incredibly determined and happy foster youth I met. All of these moments made me realize that life is all about finding what you can do for others. When I look back on my life, I want to be able to say I did my best in making a difference and giving back to others. 

 

Do you have a story that will inspire others to volunteer? Please share any of them in the comment box. Thank you! 

 

- Rachel Handa