Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man sincerely try to help another without helping himself." This quote describes not only the difference a volunteer makes in somebody else's life or in their community, but also the difference volunteering makes in their own lives. Volunteering takes place on many different levels and in many different ways. Each time somebody volunteers, they give a part of themselves to improve the quality of life for those around them and ultimately society itself.
There are many ways that people volunteer in communities. Some people take many hours of classes and training, dedicating themselves to the communities indicating call day and night. These people are the ones who show up when a child has stopped breathing, a father is having a heart attack, or a grandmother has fallen down the steps. These people are the ones who rush into flames to rescue a daughter, hiding under the bed, who is trapped in a smoldering house. These people are the ones who use the "jaws of life" to save a young couple trapped and pinned in a wrecked car. We call these people our volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians and volunteer firefighters. I call them heroes. These men and women take time out of their lives, day and night, sometimes risking their own lives for the community's sake. Without their services and selflessness, many lives would be lost. .
Another way volunteering is demonstrated in the community is in the hospitals and nursing homes. There are many people who give up a little bit of their time each week to visit somebody who is sick or maybe just needs some companionship in a hospital or nursing home. These people bring smiles to faces that are normally gloomy. They tell stories that make terminal children laugh and forget about being sick for a while. They listen to the elderly patients reminisce about "the good old days.