A separate post about volunteering advice?
How does one make the world a better place?
To all those young students who want to give back to their community (or to simply get their volunteer hours in), it can be hard to know where to start. Kevin Wang from Silicon Valley, founder of Bridge to Harmony, offers some advice.
“Get your feet wet. Some people might want to volunteer, but not know what’s the perfect fit,” he says. “Go to a local library, or a local nursing home, or even just go out and do basic things, like picking up trash on a beach.”
After all, there’s always something each of us can do to make this world a little brighter. For Kevin and Bridge to Harmony, that includes writing a book or making a podcast.
“It’s great to just go out and to familiarize yourself with working with a group of people to serve the community. Based on that, opportunities will branch off.”
Getting started may just be the hardest part, but Kevin assures you that it will pay off. Many organizations would be delighted for another pair of helping hands, especially right after the pandemic. And plus, everyone has to start from somewhere.
“Just go for it!” Kevin urges students. “One of the most valuable things you can do is to put yourself out there, even if you aren’t sure how things will turn out, just trust that the dots will connect in the future. Even if things don’t go well, you can always grow from the experience, and learn and pursue the next thing.”
Finally, “One thing branches to the next.”