Volunteer I Am?
Posted on May 27, 2010
Steilacoom letter winners (from left): Micah Donor, Colin Chambers, Sean Hobbs, Sarah Rhodes, Jessica Nepper and Forrest Walters.
Submitted by Karen Hobbs
Bob Connelly read the following poem (written by Eileen Thompson of Huntersville, NC) at the beginning of the Award Night program for this years United Way of Pierce County Letter in Community Service Celebration!
Twenty-four hours in every day.? Where can I go to give some away?? For my time is a gift.? My experience gold,? All I desire...?Is a small hand to hold.
A tear to wipe, a child to soothe? A lonely patient to comfort when blue ?A harried worker to lend a hand to
There's no need for you to strike up the band? For I rarely seek out the fanfare of man. ?I simply have time to give quite away ?To help those in need and brighten their day
For my time is my own.? I give it for free.? A volunteer I am.? A volunteer I'll be.
Imagine the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall. Now fill it with High School students and their parents from all of Pierce County and imagine the positive energy that flows from 318 student volunteers. These students have volunteered an average of 275 hours EACH, this year alone! A grand total of 78,465 hours volunteered. This has an estimated value according to National standards of an incredible $1,588,916.25!
Pierce County is the only county in the United Sates where every school district participates in awarding a Letter in Community Service. This is the 9th year of United Way organizing this program. Students must volunteer a minimum of 145 hours from 1 April through 30 March of the year. Some of these hours must be with a school based organization but the rest are whatever and wherever the student sees the need. This year these groups ranged from the Fort Lewis Thrift shop to local churches to the Pilipino American Youth Organization, from Boy Scouts to Girl Scouts and FISH Food Bank, as well as Madigan AMC and the Tacoma Nature Center.
This year’s recipients from our area are: Steilacoom High: Colin Chambers, Micah Donor, Sean Hobbs, Ashleigh Nelson, Julia Nelson, Jessica Nepper, Sarah Rhodes, Forrest Walters.
Lakes High : Rylan Bonnevie, Chelsea Brown, Tatiana Bryant, Benjamin Cenit, Beth Hines, Stephanie Huber, Zachary Lavine, Robert Meyers, William Ramirez, Katrina Villanueva, Raiza Villanueva, Katherine Vlaming, Caressa Zoleta.
Clover Park High: Michael Agonoy, Jessica Davis, Khaliq Iqbal, Hana Page, Shannel Tuitele.
A few more interesting statistics, there were 231 first time winners, 71 2nd timers, 11 students who received this award 3 years in a row and only 4 who participated for 4 years in a row! Letter winners included 136 Seniors, 101 Juniors, 53 Sophomores and 23 Freshman. All students also receive the Presidential Volunteer Service Award at the Bronze, silver or Gold level depending on number of hours served.
For more information or to start an application as a High School student, visit the United Way of Pierce County website.
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