Community service

Whether it's a social fraternity hosting an annual event for their national charity, the wrestling team selling t-shirts to support breast cancer research, a campus group having a clothing drive for needy families, or the opportunity to participate in yet another "walk X distance to support Y charity" type event, it seems like our inboxes are constantly getting flooded with e-mails to do this, support that, donate money, or attend an event, all in support of something or another. In most cases, unless you are planning the event, you have no idea what that something is. However, before you automatically delete that e-mail or reject that Facebook invitation, thinking "what can I, one person, do that will cause a big impact," at least consider what the event is. Chances are, it is something you might be interested in, even if you are not specifically interested in the cause being supported.

I'm going to be completely nerdy here and put that great economics class I took last Spring to use and suggest that you look at the opportunity cost of participating in that fundraiser or service event. What would you be doing with that hour of your life instead of getting a spaghetti dinner for which all of the proceeds are going to directly support something that fellow students on campus feel strongly about? You have to eat anyway, right? On that note, are you really going to wear that closet full of shirts that do not quite fit anymore? What are you really going to do with that spare change on your desk, most of which is pennies? I know, I know, you could be sleeping in instead of participating in that charity walk. But is that extra hour of sleep really worth losing the satisfaction you could get from knowing you used it to do something good?

I have to say this: I feel extremely blessed to be a member of the Rose-Hulman campus. During the time I've been a student, I have met some of the most caring and generous people. However, it troubles me when the person I see buying a T-shirt they might never wear for charity is the same one planning that spaghetti dinner, addressing letters for a fundraiser, and getting up early to attend another charity walk. As someone who has been actively involved in charity events, I know how much money this campus can raise. I have also seen how stingy we are with our time. I am just as guilty as the next person of saying "Sure, sign me up for that 7am event," then cancelling at the last minute because I wanted more sleep. But I have also had the benefit of seeing the appreciation on the faces of those directly affected by my time and support of a particular cause.

This summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a conference at St. Jude Children's Hospital. It is an amazing place. Words cannot truly describe what it was like to be there, knowing that every step I took was the result of someone's generous donation to keep the hospital running. Every patient I saw would never see a bill for the treatment they were receiving. It was in those moments, walking those halls, that I realized something about myself. No matter how hard things were in my life, there is a large chance that someone is having a worse time than me, and if I can do something small to make their situation better, it makes mine feel a little less horrible. For lack of a better comparison, it helps put light at the end of what sometimes feels like an endless tunnel.

The reality is, we are in college. We are not making hundreds of dollars that can easily be signed over to our favorite charity (at least not yet!) but we can give something just as valuable. Our time. I pose this challenge to you- next time you get invited to a charity event, instead of looking for where to deposit that spare change sitting on your desk, look for a way to get actively involved. Go to that event, or participate in that letter writing. You never know when that organization you just helped will be the one helping you or your family.