Alex L., Oakwood High School
Helping Others Also Helps Yourself
Last winter, the day before the Ohio State-Michigan game, I was riding home in the car when my sister discussed her volunteer work for the National Honors Society. I was there, unfortunately. I was close-minded and valued helping myself over helping others. Suddenly, my mom had the idea to volunteer us at a local food pantry for veterans.
Unaware of the sweet rewards, I groaned and complained, trying to get out of it. But in the end, I caved. I woke up the next day- a bleak winter’s Saturday morning- got dressed, and made my way to the veteran’s food pantry with my mother, sister, and brother.
However, I realized that this wouldn’t be such a boring time after all: they had snacks and cookies for the volunteers and a service dog to help some of the veterans being served. I also realized that it might be helpful to get some service hours. I was now determined to trudge my way through the hours.
Soon, the food pantry opened, and people came pouring in; veterans of all ages, from 20-year-olds to veterans of the Korean War, but out of all the people I helped, one person stood out to me.
When an old vet from Vietnam came through the door, the volunteers who’d seen him before, tensed. Volunteers told me later that he usually had a grumpy attitude, so I should be careful when helping him. Soon, I found that out the hard way. Immediately after thanking him for his service, he retorted, asking if I knew what I was saying. I was taken aback, but quickly gathered myself and explained that both of my parents served in the military and I knew the toll. He was more relaxed after that, and my trudge turned into a brisk walk.
Despite shifting gears in my mind, he took longer to get his food than anyone else. He took an hour and thirty minutes to get his food, and he didn’t accept everything they offered. On one such occasion, I asked him if he wanted rice, and he replied with no, because “all they eat in Vietnam is rice.” He really was a kind person though, as I soon discovered.
As we walked out to his car, he told me what he did over the past few months. Apparently, he was in Washington, D.C. a few months ago for 9/11, where I traveled, coincidentally, on vacation. He showed me pictures of him having fun with his friends, and he looked joyful. He was also an Ohio State fan, same as me, and we talked about how much Ohio State would win by that day. It felt refreshing for me to make his day, and my mindset turned into a run to finish my volunteer work. So next time you get an opportunity to help someone, I encourage you not to waste it. Helping others also helps yourself.
