Why do you want to volunteer?

I have always been asked the question, “Why do you want to volunteer?” My answer has always been the same. Strangers continued to be curious, “You don’t get pay. So what do you get out of it?”

From my first service experience with the Cambodian Association of America (CAA) in Long Beach, California to my international community development with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, my humanitarian practice with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and today back to domestic service with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), I honestly realized that I am committed to volunteer service and I love it. Through these last ten years or so of volunteering experiences, I have gained new skills, knowledge, friendships, and patience. I honestly value the meaning of service and my life forever has changed.

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