Community Service is vital for the public good and a great society. Its been said that people are only as strong as the weakest link, yet many of the wealthy and of the poor live in bubbles of their own World that the other can't even begin to comprehend. In addition when people say Community Service, what comes to mind for most people is hours upon hours of picking up trash or volunteering at a local food bank. While those are aspects of community service, there is so much more to community service than that. There are 6 main areas (described below) and many more sub categories in each area that make up community service and many times you can end up creating incredible community services to people by using your passion and skills. Following the six main areas, the case will be made for why it should be included in the educational curriculum for all students and how it should be implemented into every school. 

​

​

1: EVENT PLANNING & FUNDRAISERS: Most causes and organizations need/require events for public availability in addition to money for funding the works they do. If your good at stretching money, convincing people to give and throwing parties/social gatherings/get togethers   than find an organization connect them to donors and start planning/implementing those events. While many will say your not doing actual work, ignore them because you are. Public visibility with the events expands the reach of the mission and the parties honor those doing the work, while the fundraisers keep the doors open, the mission alive and the lights on. 

​

​

2: EDUCATION/LITERACY: Volunteering to read to children, tutor children and to teach them how to read/write regardless if its individual effort or thru an organization such as Whiz Kids (  https://whizkidsok.org/about/ ) is crucial to helping people succeed in life and reach their potential while opening up many educational and job opportunities.  In addition it helps empower the individual to better live the life they want instead of burdening the tax payer. Its indirect and takes a long time to show, however the impact and benefits to the community and society are of tremendous value.  

​

3: MEALS: There are many organizations that help serve the needy and the homeless or the lonely. Food is the way to end hunger while winning hearts and minds. Regardless if your serving the meal, cooking the meal or buying the meal as part of a community get together/gathering, serving a guest or feeding the needy, you are performing an important part of community service by bringing people together and making bellies full. This also includes those working in agriculture and factories who make are food and keep it on the shelves year round. They are a huge part of community service, often overlooked and taken for granted. 

​

4: ART, MUSIC, SPORTS & FOREIGN LANGUAGE LESSONS: Regardless if your teaching an individual how to paint, painting a mural on a wall, taking someone to a museum, teaching a kid how to play guitar or tutoring a student in French/any other foreign language you are helping to both beautify the community and strengthen the National Defense. Today there are many cultural exchange programs among cultures for music and arts. Examples include the New York Philharmonic ( Wakin J. Daniel: Feb 27th, 2008: New York Welcomes Symphonic Diplomacy: New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/asia/27symphony.html Accessed December 31st, 2018), the Olympics, international soccer matches and in today's technological  advanced World of communication, learning a Foreign Language is no longer a luxury but rather a National Security Issue. To compete globally, a country needs people who can speak, read and write multiple languages. Also imagine if the next Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Mozart OR any other famous/talented artist was denied music lessons growing up and never able to fully develop their gifts/talents. 

​

5: POLITICAL/LEGAL ACTIVISM: Community is based on shared values and ideals which play out in the legal and political arena. Even if you never take an interest in politics or the law itself, it always takes an interest in you. While unpopular by many, political and legal activism is the way to promote your values and ideas on how society should run and operate. In addition it also controls employment numbers, many opportunities and the funds into or lack of when it comes to projects. 

​

6: PUBLIC WORK PROJECTS & FUNCTIONALITY: This is the most important part to any society and usually involves many unsung heroes. From the people building the pipes of the sewage system, keeping the power plant operational, the roads paved and many other areas, the people in this line of work keep the community clean, running smoothly and allow most people not to worry about these things while having time for personal pursuit/enrichment and cultural enjoyment.