Service is a great way to give back to the community. It teaches you life lessons that you will use every day. Making new friends, helping others and enjoying the satisfaction of helping are all in a day’s work.”The volunteer rate declined by to 24.9 percent in September of 2015. About 62,6 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September of 2014 and September of 2015.” Bureau of labor Statistics. At Sandy Sandy Friends Davy Adise and Sydni Butler take service for others seriously and take every opportunity to help their community.

At Sandy Spring Friends School, Service is a big part to the community. There are clubs and activities that give students the opportunity to reach the Maryland state requirement of service hours (75). Students engage in a range of activities that help other communities in need. Service plays an important role in our community; it can be seen in everything from formal weekend and summer opportunities, to club organized projects, to helping someone out informally.

Davy Adise, A senior at Sandy Spring Friends School is an active mentor to students in Learnserve International. He is the leader of a program discussing Islamophobia, helps donate fresh food to a local farm, and works with kids at his local synagogue. Davy has been doing service work for years, and draws pleasure from it each and every time. “I enjoy the ability to positively affect other people’s lives because so many have impacted mine. I like to be able to work with my hands and with people. It is also a social event that I enjoy,” said Adise after describing why he choose service work over other activities.

Davy remembers one day when he was working in a nursing home for people with advanced dementia. He explains, “I was sent to talk to residents showing symptoms of depression. I non verbally talked to a woman with fairly little brain power. She held my hand. In that moment there was a clear connection that I have always remembered.” Davy takes this experience and encourages other students at SSFS to help local communities. Davy, does not believe that the school should be offering one day activities. Rather, we should be focusing on longer activities so that students can get a full experience. Activities such over the summer are better he says, in part because you explore a potential field that you would want to pursue in your future. He believes the same connection is made helping as it is on intercession. “I hope that there will be a way to do an after school program with service work integrated into to schedule.” Students are prepared for the profession world, and service can sometimes be better than an internship. “It develops problem solving capability and also allows you to into potential professions that you could be interested in”.
Sydni Butler is the clerk of an in school club called Hands on Help. She does community service because she enjoys the smile on kids faces by helping them. Her club, Hands on Help, has completed several activities including several donations to a local elementary school. “Last year, Hands on Help had a school supply drive and we were able to take the donations to one of the schools we were donating and play with the kids. Interaction with elementary aged students put the drive into a greater perspective for me; I realized even more how important it was to give to that school’s community.” At SSFS, Sydni describes the unlimited amount of service opportunities. “Some are more formal, through clubs, while others are random like helping a peer with their life situation”.

Service can be everything from holding the door open for everyone entering Meeting for Worship to working on a farm. It teaches fundamental values that are hard to find in other activities. It is enhanced through the Quaker S.P.I.C.E.S (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship). Service at Sandy Spring Friends School brings students together and creating friendships. It fulfills a required need for students to graduate and can open gateways to other opportunities.