At Campolindo, students pursue many different activities outside of the classroom. However, one extracurricular stands out to many: volunteer work. Volunteering can open new interests, strengthen community ties, teach, create empathy, and best of all: give help to those who need it. With the immense amount of compassion and hard work at Campo, many want to go out and help others. But then the question arises, where?
To begin, students can join a charity organization, discover volunteer opportunities through a religious congregation, reach out to those close to them, and more. Commonly, students are encouraged by their parents to volunteer but eventually end up grateful for the experience.
This was the case for freshman Eli Levenfeld. In the fall, Levenfeld volunteered with East Bay Sea Serpents where he “‘was helping people with handicaps or disabilities learn to swim or get better at swimming.”
Affiliated with the Special Olympics, Sea Serpents is held at Campolindo High School and teaches those with disabilities from 6 years old to 50+ years of age. While the fall session has passed, the spring session is approaching in February. To sign up, students can visit ebss.team/volunteers to make a difference in their community.
When asked if he would recommend Sea Serpents to his peers, Levenfeld said “Yes, It’s only an hour or two out of your week and you get to help people who need it. And it can help with college.”
Senior Avery Appleton explained her reasoning as to why she chooses to volunteer, “I volunteer because we are very privileged, and I feel like a lot of people need help.”
Of the multiple organizations where Appleton volunteers, Lamorinda Village stuck out the most to her. The local nonprofit aims to create stronger communities by assisting the elderly with their needs. Appleton described the main way she contributes, “I usually grocery shop for seniors who are impacted by COVID and those with autoimmune issues.”
A duty like grocery shopping may seem simple to many, but some are not living with that same privilege. This simple, easy task can quickly change someone’s life by lifting the anxiety and fear of an illness. Other services offered include transportation, repairs, and providing company. Students can make a change in the community by visiting lamorindavillage.org to get started.
Another Bay Area program is Community Reading Buddies. Junior Mia Polichio has spent her past two summers “as a teacher to teach underprivileged kids in Oakland how to read and help those that are behind on reading.”
Community Reading Buddies helps children in grades kindergarten through third. After COVID-19, many elementary schoolers were behind their grade level literacy. As stated on their website, this means “they are four times less likely to graduate high school.” The group works to prevent that by pairing teenage mentors with elementary students and helping them improve their reading levels.
When asked if other students should volunteer at Community Reading Buddies, Polichio stated, “Absolutely, because it’s just a good way to give back and it not only makes them feel good, but you get a lot out of it.”
Students can work with children to improve their chances of a successful future simply by assisting them while reading. Only 3 hours a week for 8 weeks is required to help make a change in a young child’s life. To learn more about mentoring at Community Reading Buddies, visit https://communityreadingbuddies.org.
From swimming to reading, volunteer work ranges greatly across our community. Taking some time out of your week to dedicate to someone else can strengthen the community and make a large impact on someone’s life.
