SADD. The English Club. The Spanish Club. The Drama Club. A reporter and soon-to-be managing editor for the school newspaper. Youth Group. Bible Study leader. Pulpit committee and Board of Christian Education member. The list of my extracurricular activities goes on and on. But none, however, have touched me on a more personal level than my volunteering at a local nursing home right down the road from my high school.
The first time I came to the nursing home was with my youth group. We were there to sing hymns to a large group of residents of the home. I had not really wanted to be there, but as soon as I saw the joy on their faces, my heart melted. It was hard to imagine that I, a total stranger, could brighten a person's day just by being there.
Then it hit me. These people were here because they had no one. Their families either could not or did not want to take on the responsibility of caring for them in their old age. Many of these senior citizens were the last surviving members of their families. Others had no relatives who live near enough to visit regularly. Most of these people were truly alone. They needed someone, and I, who am blessed with a loving family and life of comfort, could be that someone.
