City Serve

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

- Winston Churchill

Community Service is a humbling activity that creates and spreads true happiness. Not only is community service beneficial to others, but it is also beneficial to the person performing the service. Service builds selfless character, creates great role models, and generates joy in the hearts of the server as well as the served. I am a huge advocate for everyone to find some way to serve the people around them, and I urge people to also choose a service that they are passionate about. Service is about helping other people, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be something that we don’t enjoy doing or that doesn’t benefit ourselves. In fact, doing service that is enjoyable and aligned with our interests allows us to be passionate, effective, and influential volunteers dedicated to giving back to the community.

City Serve in Raleigh is a wonderful event that provides volunteers with several service options around the community which encourages service that is centered around passion. City Serve is an annual event put on by Providence Baptist Church where volunteers are sent to different locations to serve the community all on the same day. I signed up for the Hilburn Academy K-8 location, and worked with other volunteers to “beautify” the school and complete chores that the teachers and students have been asking for. I met other dedicated volunteers, many of whom were teachers, NCSU Education Majors, principals, students, and social workers. I loved hearing these people talk about how much they love what they do, and I’m blessed to have had this experience to serve Hilburn Academy alongside such motivational individuals.