Back to School and Giving Back

VolunteerSquare.com intern and New Canaan High School student Abby Jenkins shares her perspective on volunteering and how it can help ease the stress of another busy school year by adding a hearty dose of perspective. We're proud of you, Abby! - Rachel 

Another school year is underway! Another year of lugging our thirty-pound backpacks to and fro every day and sitting through what appears like an endless amount of classes. It seems like nothing could brighten up the jam-packed months that lie ahead of us.

Now you can probably feel the impending stress that’s about to hail down on you. But what if I told you that there was a way to relieve some of that weight that you have there in your backpack? And although this idea is quite simple, and you may not believe me, it really can cheer up your whole outlook.

This idea is volunteering. What a better way to start off the school year than helping out other people? You'll lighten someone else's burden—even in a small way—and in return, you’ll feel better about yourself than you ever have before.

Just the thought of bringing a smile to someone else’s face could be enough to get you through those sleepless nights of cramming for tomorrow’s chemistry test. It’s a refresher that doesn’t cost a thing. And the benefits will stay with you longer than any short-lived luxury could.

If you’ve never volunteered before, who cares? There is always something to do and someone you can help. And after, you’ll feel enlightened knowing that you helped the world become a better place, no matter how big or small the task was.

All I’m saying is, just try it. What’s the harm? I know it can be scary trying new things, but what better time to start than when you’re starting an entire new school year? I know I was scared the first time I went to go volunteer at the Carver Center in Norwalk, but in the end I had a fantastic experience that I’ll never forget.

Not to mention the added bonus of getting my head in the right mindset to get things done—at school, home and in every aspect of my life. Everything’s a little nerve-wracking the first time you try it, but once you do, I swear you’ll never regret it.

So why not start the school year off fresh with volunteering? You'll feel good about yourself but also what you’re doing for other people. And hopefully, in some way, it will lighten the load of that backpack of yours.