A Latino Perspective
The Benefits Of Community Service
By
Elizabeth Cardona
State Representative Donald F. Humason,
Jr. (Republican--4th Hampden District) is notoriously known in his
Westfield District and on Beacon Hill for the love he daily displays for his
city. Each day, wherever he may find
himself, you can bet that Representative Humason is
wearing his “I love Westfield” pin.
After
just a few weeks as his intern, I have learned that Representative Humason’s adamant feelings for his beloved city are just as
evident in the dedication he demonstrates toward his constituency. In fact, he usually jokes with colleagues
about his commute to Boston but always looks forward to the beauty that
Westfield offers on the return trip.
As a
life-long resident of Springfield, I, too, love my city! Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to
devote some of my time to community service in hopes of gaining a better
understanding of government. So far, the
experience has been extremely uplifting, educationally motivating and
beneficial.
Perhaps
many of you have, at some point, given some thought to becoming involved with
your community but have been discouraged from doing so by time constraints. However, just a few hours of your time can
provide a number of benefits, some of which include:
l experiencing
a feeling of accomplishment from knowing that your efforts are making a
difference;
l providing
you with a sense of pride as you commit your time to improving the quality of
life for others;
l helping
you to develop and/or upgrade skills that are important for today’s job market;
l allowing
you more opportunities to network and, perhaps, giving you an insight into a
different career path.
Like Representative Humason,
you may feel ecstatic about your city.
If you love Springfield, I challenge you to “step up to the plate.
” In the coming months, I will be
working to put together a “Community Involvement Fair” in Springfield to
acquaint residents with the various agencies, organizations, institutions,
etc., and to give those who are interested an opportunity to interact and
become familiar with the numerous volunteer possibilities available in our city. For
more information, please call (413) 739-9817. n