Rinckey: Students should volunteer

How many times have you been online and seen someone ask for donations? You’ve probably seen it more than once. But how many times have you actually donated?

I see a lot of people using Facebook and Tumblr to raise money for organizations. While this is great because it raises money for important things — like helping to feed starving children in a third-world country or buying food at the Humane Society or for the Cherry Street Mission — I don’t think it is the best way for college students to help out.

A better way to help a cause is to actually volunteer in person with an organization.

I see people ask for most donations on social media sites. How many friends do you have on social media? The people you are friends with are probably the same age as you. If those people are anything like a normal college student, they are broke or saving their money for after college. They have the, “Sorry dude, I can’t donate, I need to pay my rent,” lifestyle. They can’t or don’t want to donate, so they won’t.

Raising money to meet a quota, while noble, is the most impersonal way to help. All you do is give money, which can be as indirect as clicking a link on a website — click and done. But you aren’t emotionally invested in it. It might make you feel like you are doing something, but you aren’t really benefiting yourself by doing it, except maybe by getting a tax deduction.

There is a distance between you and where that money is going. Wouldn’t you want to see the actual change you are making?

While college students might not have very much money, we do have time. And donating our time through volunteering is something we can give.

Volunteering is good because you can directly help — no money necessary. That means anyone can help. You aren’t limited by your socioeconomic status. You can help, your little brother can help and even your great aunt Helen’s next-door neighbor can help. The opportunity cost of what you could be doing instead of volunteering is the only cost put upon you.

People learn new things every day, and by volunteering, you learn new things about yourself and new things about the people you meet. And you are bound to meet new people when you are trying to make a difference in your community.

Volunteering gives you real world experience that you can put on applications. Who doesn’t want things to put on their résumé? When you volunteer in person, you are giving back to your community. Helping your community can help you. If you help clean up a local park, your town will look nicer to new people and it will make you want to spend time there as well.

If donating money to a cause is the only way you can help or the only way you want to help, there’s no shame in that. The shame comes when you have the means or have excess free time, and you still choose to not help others.

I know I’m guilty of having the, “I’m just a college student, there’s no way for me to help this cause,” mentality. But I know that’s not true, and that is something I need to change about myself. So this summer I am volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program at my local senior center. And I hope you volunteer during your spare time this summer, too.