Finding Time to Give Back

As a James Madison student, it is easy to get caught up in your own life. When you are not reading or writing a paper you are enjoying your avid social life, which most likely consists of meeting up with fellow Madisonian’s to discuss readings or proofread each other’s papers. However, it is important every now and then to take a pause and try to impact someone else’s life.

This semester I joined a group called Spartans Rebuilding Michigan, which is a student organization, designed to connect students willing to volunteer with charities and associations in need throughout East Lansing and the state of Michigan. In addition to working with a myriad of organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Volunteers of America, and Greater Lansing Food Bank’s Garden Project they put on fundraising events of their own each semester to benefit different groups in the community. I recently volunteered with SRM at the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, which works to create a home away from home for families of hospitalized children at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. A group of us went and made dinner and dessert to give families a taste of home cooking for when they returned from the hospital. While we were there, we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Ronald McDonald House and then meet some of the families staying there. By taking a few hours out of our day and cooking a single meal we were able to provide these families a little sense of normalcy.

Not only do you get the satisfaction of helping others when volunteering, it is also a great way to network and build relationships with organizations and your fellow Spartans. With our busy lives, it can seem nearly impossible to find time to volunteer. However, I have found that I have benefited just as much as the people I have volunteered to help. SRM has helped me make new friends and feel connected to the community in a way that I have not before. If anyone is looking for an opportunity to volunteer or meet new people I highly recommend taking a few hours out of your semester to do so, it is definitely worth it!

Gabriela

Sophomore

IR & PTCD