Dear Principal

Dear principal,

This letter is concerning who would benefit more from a volunteering program student participants or members of the community. John F. Kennedy famously declared "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy started a Peace Corps later that year, which is still active today. The Peace Corps allows people in the community and student participants to volunteer and help, and maybe learn a thing or two.

For people ages 65 and over, the volunteer rate has increased 64% since 1974, for adults ages 45-64 the volunteer rate has increased almost 30%.

High school students are required to get at least 80 hours of community service hours on top of having to do homework, as well as if they are in sports. For us students having to go to school 8 hours a day, the stress builds up. Some of us are trying to impress our parents, others have mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. to us as students and kids what matters most isn't getting volunteer hours or going to school every day, for some of us school is supposed to be our safe place, but it ends up being a place where we feel left out and used.

For parents who have full-time jobs, volunteering most of the time isn't an option. Parents also have a lot of stress from work, as well as mental illnesses. Some parents work 8 hours, while others work 12, and a handful of parents are unemployed and are getting paid by the government.

for people who are retired and have a lot of free time, volunteering could be a good thing. Studies have shown a link between helping others and being healthy. Voluntary work could also help those who are retired and have a lot of free time to meet new people and feel less lonely. Volunteering could also be a form of exercise depending on what you volunteer for.

Volunteer work is shown to lower stress levels as well, "Many people do volunteer work to be helpful with stress reduction", says Rodlescia Sneed.

Furthermore, volunteer work can create connections, and social skills, as well as mental health problems. Asking what you can do for others may also help you find what can do for yourself. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes might help you understand where they are coming from a little more.