Lending a Hand

Lending a Hand
See what leaders gain when they give
by Ashley Mann

While few people will work for free, students delight in volunteering with a myriad of organizations. Volunteering not only helps students meet college entrance requirements but also makes them more effective leaders. Here are three Florida leaders who share how volunteering helps them succeed both in school and in life.

Not your average ManaTEEN
While a majority of students volunteer through school clubs and activities, Mike Monaghan gives of himself through a community outreach program. “I like volunteering through ManaTEEN instead of a school club is because the activities performed are true community volunteer activities,” Monaghan says. During the last five years, Monaghan, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High in Bradenton, has volunteered more than 5,000 hours through ManaTEEN, a club that promotes youth volunteerism and assists students in fulfilling classroom and college scholarship requirements. Monaghan is currently president of this 10,000-member strong club. “Being president of the nation’s largest volunteer organization requires me to be able to go do anything at anytime,” Monaghan says.

An activity he volunteers in weekly is the Junior ManaTEEN program in which he mentors youths from third through fifth grades. One of Monaghan’s memorable volunteer experiences occurred when he helped out at a local school. “I noticed a boy sitting by himself,” says Monaghan, who thought the boy might need a self-esteem boast. “After working with the boy on a weekly basis, he suddenly started changing and became more active and vocal with the other children.” Monaghan says this was exciting because of his impact on how the child acted, felt, carried himself, and looked on the future.

Monaghan also volunteers regularly with organizations such as the American Red Cross, United Way, the blood bank, the school board, and the Manatee County government. “I volunteer because I enjoy helping other people,” Monaghan says. “I would rather help someone else than help myself.”

In the past, Monaghan has painted houses and installed home safety items such as smoke alarms, deadbolts, non-slip bath mats, handrails, and fire extinguishers as part of the Lowes Home Safety for Seniors Program. He also manages American Red Cross shelters in times of disaster and distributes information flyers for local government and school board.

He says volunteering makes him a better leader because he shares what he has seen and felt with others. “Volunteering has made me open-minded to problems other people face,” Monaghan says. “When you see the smiles on the folks’ faces and the sincerity of their ‘thank you,’ it leaves a mark on you that you will never forget.”

SAVEing the Day
Some students volunteer through both school activities and on personal time like Ashley Sheppard, a senior at Crescent City Jr/Sr High. Sheppard serves as co-president of the school’s Senior Council and is involved in organizations such as Families, Community, and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA), Future Farmers of America (FFA), and Students Actively Volunteering for the Environment (S.A.V.E.).

“Through S.A.V.E., I volunteer time to help clean up roads, lakes, rivers and parks in Putnam County,” Sheppard says. “By donating my time, I am helping the community and showing pride in my town.”

Sheppard also volunteers at a local nursing home with some of her friends. There she offers manicures to residents and provides companionship. “Volunteering is a great morality booster, to see what my little bit of help has done to the lives of others,” she says.

Through volunteering, she has learned how to manage both large and small groups. With these skills, she helps head meetings of the Senior Council and teaches a class to younger students at her local church.

One of her memorable experiences volunteering occurred when she offered to be a junior staff member for the Mid-Florida Hugh O. Bryan Youth Leadership Seminar. Sheppard says she did a lot of behind-the-scenes work to keep the seminar running smoothly. “During the weekend, I helped get sophomores from meeting to meeting and prepared food,” she says. Sheppard also made entrance and exit packs for the participants. “There was a small group of us, and we worked as a team to help make a great weekend.” Also, during the seminar, she and a group of students volunteered at a local house for mentally impaired children. “We helped clean around the house and yard, and we entertained the residents.”

Volunteering at the Special Olympics was also a special time for Sheppard. “We cheered on the athletes and were around to lend a hand if needed,” she says.

Volunteering helps make her a better person and leader, she says. “Volunteering helps me work on my people skills and how I handle certain situations.” She gets a natural high from volunteering, and it makes her feel good knowing that she has done activities that do not just revolve around her. “When I volunteer, I know in my heart that I have done something good with at least a little bit of my life,” Sheppard says.

Sharing Spirit in the Community
Daniel Vogel, a senior at Buchholz High in Gainesville, leads and learns at the same time. As president of Student Council he serves as the main liaison between students and the administration and faculty. He also serves as president of the Spanish Club, National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (math club). And he volunteers at religious schools and as a summer counselor.

Vogel says one of his most rewarding volunteering experiences was at a local retirement home where he participated in a pep rally for residents through the Student Council. “At first, it seemed that no matter how much we cheered, the residents really didn’t care that we were there,” Vogel says. “However, as it went along, we could see the residents were having just as much fun, they just showed their enthusiasm in a different way.” Vogel and the other students led icebreakers where residents said where they were from and their alma mater, and some residents even sang their school song. The pep rally included a lesson about staying physically fit from a 102-year-old woman, which was a highlight of the event, Vogel says. Football players, cheerleaders, and Student Council members had a blast at the retirement home. “When we finished,” says Vogel, “everyone got chills because we realized how much it meant to the residents.”

In the past, Vogel has raised money for charities, secured coats for children, and acquired cans of food for the needy. He says he also has participated in walks for charity. Vogel says he enjoys the counselor volunteer role he plays in the community. Through Student Council, he has led numerous programs at Buchholz. He also tutors math through his involvement in Mu Alpha Theta.

Vogel says volunteering has helped to make him a better leader because of the skills he has learned. “In all of the programs I have led, I had to speak in front of an entire auditorium,” Vogel says. “At camp, I had to look after sometimes 15 to 20 kids at a time.” He says all of his activities bring some new skill that is needed and eventually learned.

At first, volunteering seems to be another thing that needs to be completed before graduation, Vogel says. “However, volunteering is much more, especially if you find an opportunity that has things to offer to you,” he says. “Returns from volunteering are not physical or monetary benefits but personal benefits. For me, it becomes fun to volunteer when I can get these types of benefits from my work. The sense of accomplishment and a feeling of overall goodness are most important through volunteering. When you volunteer and really make a difference, there is just a feeling of joy because you know you did something special.”

Learn more about these volunteering opportunities:

ManaTEEN at www.manateens.org
American Red Cross at www.redcross.org
United Way at national.unitedway.org
S.A.V.E. at www.appstate.edu
Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org