It’s like a scene from an old 1950s movie. Small town. White picket fences. Everybody knows everybody. You can ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar or an egg or two. Community service is simply helping the friends and families that you have grown close to for years.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world anymore. Times has changed, making us distant, even to the people who live right next door. This is why doing community service is such a big deal today. However, while volunteer work should be exactly that, voluntary, some people find that it’s an easy resume booster.
YHM spoke with Seton Hall students Chimma Nwobi and Cathy Chukuka about their opposing views on volunteer work and community service.
“It’s sad that things have changed like this. I mean I honestly wish I could say that I would do community service if I didn’t need it to get into college, but I can’t. Think about it this way: It’s a form of punishment for criminals, so it kind of has a bad connotation,” shares Chukuka.
“It’s true. It’s sad that people volunteer just to ‘look good’ but community service is what makes the world go round. The Peace Corps and the Military are extreme versions of community service, but where would the world be without it? We need more people who are willing to get to know the people around them and sacrifice their lives and their time for the too,” says Nwobi.