Volunteer opportunites abundant for South students

Volunteering is a common activity for the students of South high. Although many students do it from the goodness of their heart, many student groups also require it. The Liberal program requires 30 hours of community service to graduate and National Honor Society requires 6 hours of community service a quarter. Students go around and volunteer their time doing things they like and helping their community, but sometimes it’s a struggle to find the right fit. Here are some examples and ideas on what you could do!

Safe Families for Children

Sophomore Thora Schierkolk, along with her family, volunteer their hours by hosting kids for the organization Safe Families for
Children. They got the idea from church and decided to help out families in need. Safe Families for Children was created to help children avoid going into foster care by connecting parents in need with families who can provide a safe space for the children. Schierkolk’s family volunteers to takecare of children, while the parents restore stability in their lives and take care of anything that could get in the way of the children’s needs or health. Schierkolk’s family doesn’t have specific dates, but they volunteer as much as they can. “Whenever there is an urgent need that we can take, we will take it,” said Schierkolk . The visit can last from a couple days, to a year. The longest her family ever hosted a child was about a month. Schierkolk says she has learned some patience, and she has also learned to care for younger children. “It’s a great way to volunteer without setting time away to do it.” said Schierkolk. This is a great to earn volunteer hours without having to leave your home, and to help families stay together.

Children’s Hospital

Anna Mulhern, a junior at South is a Patient pal-float volunteer at The Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. Mulhern started to volunteer the summer before her junior year. She found out about this position because her older sister had previously volunteered as a Patient pal-float as well. Mulhern volunteers every Sunday, holding babies and playing with kids. “I adore kids,” explained Mulhern. Mulhern is even considering going into a profession in the medical field. Volunteering at a hospital is a great way to gain a skills and experience. “It’s so rewarding and such a good way to give back to the community,” said Mulhern. She has learned care for kids, and is now super comfortable with medical equipment. She likes to be an example for kids, and a role model. “I know the work I do can have a very positive impact on the wellbeing of the kids I work with,” explained Mulhern.

Math Center

Another good volunteering opportunity is helping classmates in South’s very own Math Center as Junior Alysha Davis does. He volunteers at the Math Center Monday through Friday, during seventh hour. At the Math Center, he volunteers by giving students their tests, handing out calculators, and tutoring them with intermediate algebra and

geometry. What led him to volunteer at the math center was his passion for math and giving students the help they need to get that grade or to pass that test. “I like math, I’m a nice person, and I like to help people,” explained Davis. 2nd semester, there will be an opportunity for students to become an official Math Center tutor which they can put on their college transcripts. This can be a great opportunity to get good tutoring experience and gain plenty of new skills, and it helps the South community. “[ I would recommend this] to people who like math, and helping people,” said Davis.