Value in Volunteering
Junior discusses participation in volunteer work
Story by Paige Faulkner
The season of giving isn’t just about gifts — for some, it’s about doing good for the community. Junior Kavya Patel is one such person who donates her time to a few different organizations, most notably Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
“BAPS is my religious community,” Patel said. “I go every Sunday from 1:30 to almost 7:00. I don’t volunteer the whole time, but most of the time [I do] if we have stuff coming up.”
BAPS is a national religious organization that funds many causes, such disaster relief for hurricanes as well as more local missions. Patel helps with various activities within this group to raise money for outside organizations.
“The most recent big project we had was a playground,” she said. “We plant trees, do bake sales [and] do a walk-a-thon every year. We make the fundraiser for that walk, and we gave [the proceeds] to the United Nations lung cancer organization one time,” she said.
In addition to these events, Patel also volunteers for BAPS cultural festivals and works to make fun events for children.
“We do something called Kids Diwali Celebration. Kids from our community come and we organize a whole day for them,” she said. “We have a stage program that we do for them, games and a carnival.”
Teaching younger children about their religion is another crucial task that Patel assists with.
“I’m a youth leader, so I teach little kids about our culture,” she said. “I think I really impact them because if they don’t [learn] now from it, they’re not going to know when they get older. It’s important for them to get the basics down.”
The volunteers at BAPS make an effort to plan exciting activities for the community, leaving a positive impact on those who attend.
“When we’re holding bigger events, I make an impact on the people that come to it because no one wants to come to something that’s boring, so all of us work together to actually make it interesting and fun,” Patel said.
Although not everyone has a religious organization to donate their time to, Patel believes it’s important for people to find other ways to help their community.
“I encourage people to volunteer at school organizations — I’m in Kay Club, and I like to tell people to come with me to certain events that they hold,” she said.
Volunteering has an effect on both those who receive the benefits and those who give their time. Even for those who are able to donate items of monetary value, putting in time and effort is meaningful.
“Volunteer work has been instilled [in] me since I was really young because a big part of our religion is to do volunteer work,” Patel said. “I’m a really positive person. I think that’s because I can make other people happy.”
Design by Jaidyne Means
From the Heart
Why it’s important to do good for others
Opinion by Cady Reynolds
Everyone knows it’s a good thing to give to the less fortunate. Volunteering and other ways of giving are often highlighted during this time due to the number of holidays, in all cultures, around these months.
And, giving, whether that be donating money or volunteering your time, gives back to you in many ways. It makes you feel like you have a sense of purpose and inflates your ego; however, did you know it can help you more than just inflate your ego?
According to the Mayo Clinic, volunteering itself has been shown to lower rates of depression and anxiety.
Lowering rates of anxiety, especially in people over 60, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.
Volunteering can sometimes feel like something you have to do, or something you should do just to be a better person in your stats of life. However, real change for the people you’re helping and yourself comes from the heart.
To want to volunteer, spend time with people, and make their day a little better, that is what will help you physically and mentally.
Community is one of the most significant aspects of being human. During the holidays, we really feel this push, gathering around the Christmas tree or menorah, and the less fortunate, who maybe don’t have a home, or food at all to eat, never mind Thanksgiving.
These are the people who need community most during the giving season, and community that comes from people volunteering from the heart, for their heart is always the best company.
