Volunteering in my community has provided me with many benefits that I didn’t even consider before I started. I’ve volunteered with a handful of organizations in the city, but mainly Covenant Health at the Misericordia Hospital. As a volunteer, I get the chance to meet many patients and learn about their illnesses and treatment, and those interactions helped me develop social skills and more self-confidence. Encouraging people to stay positive or upbeat brings me a lot of joy! Helping those who are facing challenges really makes me appreciate how fortunate and blessed I am. I believe volunteerism helps the community, and the whole country, by inspiring empathy and helping us all remain humane and humble.