When I was younger I held some sick pessimistic thought that helping other people and volunteering was dumb and ‘not cool’. But once I got older and realized how many other people have it worse than I do, I slapped some sense into myself and began to appreciate the little things in life. Once I first volunteered last year for community service hours that were required for graduation, I didn’t think it was that bad of an activity.
Hurricane Sandy raced up the coast like it was her job and left every trace of her behind that she could. Luckily my area was fairly safe from ‘The Perfect Storm’ but others were far from that. New York City, New Jersey and areas surrounding them unfortunately devastated by the storm and still have people without power or a place to stay. Currently, an organization that I am a part of, the Society of Professional Journalists put together a little canned good drive for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. I’m also aware of other universities that have put together some sort of clothing collection as well.Baking, cleaning, doing yard work and putting together a festival did not seem so terrible once the act was finished and my heart seemed lighter. There are so many organizations and programs available to people who want to help out in their community and even after a natural disaster like the one the east coast just experienced last week.
It truly amazes me how quickly students and community members have come together to help the victims that have suffered from this terrible natural disaster. I even saw that a lot of students were complaining that they did or did not have classes due to Sandy and many of them did not realize the extent of the consequences from the storm and how many people were affected by it. Just because I was safe, doesn’t mean I ca
n go jumping up and down cheering that I had two days of school off. That energy used celebrating can easily be transmitted towards efforts in cleaning up the disaster from the storm or just reaching out through donations through the red cross website.
One of my good, old friends who is a part of his home town fire department in Upstate New York partook in an incredible event this pass week. Ethan Sharp took it upon himself to get his department the votes and money in order to travel down to Long Beach, NY to help clean up devastated areas that was left behind from Sandy. First, he had to get approval from the board which required four out of six votes which was quickly reached. Then, he faced the challenge of getting $8,000 worth of expenses approved for a hotel, food, and gas costs. Once it was approved on October 27th, his department got the OK to depart on this pass Monday at three in the morning. Ethan then had twelve hours to get a crew together to drive to Long Beach and work for 72 hours.
While they were down there, Ethan and his brothers worked extremely hard by saving two houses in a fire and helping strangers that they may never meet again. When I talked to Ethan about his trip he said “I will remember that fire for the rest of my life. It was amazing helping people I have never met and will probably never meet again. And getting thanked by US armed forces was one of the most heart warming and amazing feelings ever.”
Hearing about one of my friends take on such a challenge but also such a wonderful adventure warmed my heart as well. I would have never expected Ethan to do something like this and it just shows that a kid from a small town can most certainly make a difference with a little effort. I’m so glad that I can share this story with my readers and hope that if you want to do something and make a difference in your community or even hours away, it takes a little compassion and commitment that will sincerely go a long way.
