Small Town Volunteering

It snowed all day today, so I did what North Carolinians do when it snows...I stayed in. I had an extremely life-changing, community-supporting day of watching TV and working on a puzzle.

This weekend, I have been thinking about how I can take what I have learned back home. My immediate thought is that it is difficult for me to imagine myself teaching a dance camp, or doing a video about Salisbury youth, etc. because the Salisbury community already has a lot of those resources and projects going on. It is much easier to publicize and organize in a small town (less red tape!), and my meager talents are more valuable, as well. For example, in Cambridge Bay, there is no dance studio, so I am by default one of the most experienced qualified people to teach a dance camp. However, in Salisbury, there are plenty of opportunities for kids to take dance lessons.

Of course, I could volunteer with organizations already in existence, or simply volunteer in parts of town with access to less resources. But what about getting to know a community better? What about familiarizing myself with a community's needs by meeting its people? Why is it that after living in a place for 15 years I still am not familiar with its needs? I hope that I can use my time at home this summer to engage myself in service in the same way I have done here in Cambridge Bay.

Volunteering is Awesome : )