Five Lessons You Can Learn Through Community Service

Community service is work performed by a person or a group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community with no compensation in return. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines community service as “service that a person performs for the benefit of his/her local community.”

However, not all community service is voluntarily per se. In some cases, it is a graduation requirement for students or a bail condition for people who have breached the law.

In any case, it is meant to benefit others, not the person carrying out the service. Community service is more focused on the outcome of the activity measured by the amount of time or work provided.

In schools, students are assigned to engage in community service to give them an advantage when applying for colleges or as a requirement to graduate from high school.

While it’s permissible to engage in any sort of service, it is best to render services that are tailored to your skill or interest. This way, you will be more effective. Community service is performed for some distinct reasons. They include:

• Requirement by a government as a part of conditions for citizenship.
• A substitute for or an addition to other criminal justice sanctions–in this case, it is considered as community payback.
• Requirement for students to meet credit scores for a subject such as service learning or a requirement for graduation.

For students, it allows them to explore the real world and gain firsthand experience.

Furthermore, it enables participants to make a real difference in their society. Many people have found their life’s purpose in the trenches of community service. What’s more, the experiences, relationships, and information gathered during community service will turn out invaluable in the future. in the end, it’s about making an impact and bettering the lives of other people.

Fives Lessons Through Community Service.

While community service is primarily aimed at bettering others, it also rewards those rendering the service. It ensures their social, psychological, and mental growth. But that’s hardly all of it. Here are some incredible benefits you can enjoy when serving others.

1.   You Cultivate Leadership

People who participate in community service usually find themselves taking up roles that require great responsibility and leadership. When placed in a team to work with others, they must learn to manage those under them as well as learning to delegate tasks wisely.

This way they also learn to motivate their team members and boost their morale at every point. This becomes an opportunity to hone their leadership skill.

2.  You Boost Self-Esteem

Since it is a humane act of service, it leaves the giver with a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that they have added their quota of value to make the world a better place. This leaves you feeling accomplished and fulfilled with a better impression of yourself and a positive outlook toward your future and life goals.

3.  You Grow Your Network

Community service helps you to connect with new people who are also making a difference. In most cases, you will meet new people who share common beliefs, values and interests.

This is a huge advantage for introverts who have a hard time meeting new people and engaging others in meaningful conversations. This becomes an avenue to improve their social skills. Once the skill is mastered, it becomes easier to meet and connect with new people.

4. You Understand Your Strengths Better

Serving in a campaign or project allows you to see real-life experiences. By understanding others, it is possible to understand yourself. Unknown to some people, they have super skills for coping with a crisis or working under pressure; skills they may never discover without community service. It is also an avenue to understand your weaknesses and know how to shore them up. You can learn communication skills, being a good team player, and problem-solving.

5.  You Improve Your Personal Health

On a more personal level, community service can be a perfect antidote for depression, especially in difficult times. It has proven to be an awesome support system for people struggling with depression. Since the participant’s mind and body is active in something enjoyable and fulfilling, they become hard targets for depressive thoughts.

Community service does not have to be perfunctory. Showing up to others is a way of showing up for oneself. Asking yourself honest questions such as “How can I help someone today?” shows that your attention is gradually tilting away from yourself.

This puts you in the right frame of mind. Making other people the focus through community service has a therapeutic effect. You are building the character of a person who stays committed for the long haul.

In closing, community service requires opening our minds and heart to new people, experiences, cultures, and moments. Admittedly, some of our life-altering decisions come to the fore when we are in service to others. Find inspiration in Mahatma Gandhi’s words: “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”