The Importance of Community and How Volunteerism Can Change Your Life! - A Guest Blog From Danielle Stephenson

Photo Gretchen Pingley

Do you ever wonder how communities keep going? Local government, tourism, marketing, and even infrastructure development plays a part in keeping communities intact! Something many people overlook is the volunteers who give their time to their communities every day. Volunteers are often described as the backbone of communities. They take care of the “behind the scenes” work that keeps social and educational programs running! Volunteers are the support system we often see but don’t fully recognize. The volunteer in my life was my grandmother, Shirley. I always knew she was doing something, but for years, I didn’t know that she was volunteering her time for local families in need, veterans, and children. It wasn’t until I helped her with a service project that I understood why communities are important.

As I helped my grandmother shop for Christmas gifts for a local family, I just thought that she was helping her social club do something nice. I helped package and deliver the gifts to the family, and that is when I learned why communities are critical to well-being. They were so grateful that they had their community behind them. Our world seems so focused on the individual. I never thought that communities really stood behind their neighbors and pitched in when people needed help. It seemed like something you read in books or saw in movies, but never in real life. Growing up in a small rural town, it was easy to hear about people in need and they always seemed to magically be okay. Communities are so much more than towns comprised of strangers who never speak to one another. Communities are like a puzzle. Every piece is important, and when one piece is missing, the puzzle isn’t the same. We all play a critical part in our own community, whether we realize it or not!

Volunteerism changed my life in ways that I never thought it could. Not only did it lead me to the Miss America Organization, but it changed me as a person. I learned to appreciate the little things, work with people who are different than me, and respect various worldviews. So how can volunteerism change your life? How ever you allow it to! It’s proven that people who volunteer report having a better outlook on life with less stress and increased feelings of belonging. You can make a difference in your community by giving your time just one hour per month! If you have a hobby you love, try using that hobby to give back to your community. It adds no time to your schedule, makes an impact, and provides an enriching outlet for creativity and well-being. Volunteer today, change a life tomorrow (including your own)!

Danielle Stephenson

Miss Capital City 2023