Learning to Help
By Hannah Guletz, Albany, graduating class of 2010
Imagine a world where teenagers spend their Saturday afternoons raising money for charity or serving meals instead of doing drugs or fighting; a world where teenagers recognize the importance of helping others and watch with pride as their communities are revitalized around them; where children in small African villages are able to write their own names. buildOn, a national non-profit organization and club for high school students, believes that this idealistic world is possible if young people become active. Through weekly program meetings and weekend projects, buildOn gives high school students an opportunity to make a difference in their communities and worldwide. I take pride in my involvement with this program and the changes that we are producing around the world. For the past three years, buildOn has been a very important part of my life and has taught me valuable lessons about myself and the world around me...
My personal experience with buildOn began on club rush day during my freshman year at Albany High School. “Wow, a free trip to Africa! Let’s join this club!” I exclaimed to a friend. My eyes lit up as I examined a blue poster which sat atop a card table, displaying a plethora of photographs of students in Africa and three words in large green letters: BUILDING WITH BOOKS. Within a month, I discovered that buildOn is much more than a trip to Africa. I was quickly immersed in a program that changes people’s lives, both those involved in the program and those who benefit from the volunteering and fundraising. I soon learned to manage my time in order to take part in service and experienced how rewarding it felt afterwards.
Just one year after buildOn came into my life, I found myself standing behind a metal counter, large spoon in my hand and hairnet on my head. The smell of cooked carrots floating in a bath of boiling water containing numerous spices filled the church multi-purpose room. The heat rising from the rice-casserole to the left of me made me wish I had taken off my sweatshirt before putting on my apron and gloves. After just a moment of discomfort, I saw the door leading to the stairs outside open. A line of men with scraggily beards began to file past the counter. After the first “thank you very much for being here today ladies”, my face lit up and I remembered why I was there. “Have a great day, enjoy your meal,” I told the men as they walked past. For the next hour, each spoonful of carrots represented a man or woman who wouldn’t go hungry that night and I spooned those carrots like my life depended on it. . The gratitude that I felt from the men was indescribable. Either with a simple “thank you”, a smile, or a look in the eyes, I knew that my action and a scoop of carrots were improving their day.
Since my first experience at the soup kitchen, my involvement with buildOn has been increasing steadily every year…What began as a free lollypop and a chance at a trip to Africa has turned into a major part of my life in the past three years. buildOn has taught me numerous skills and changed the way I think about the world. I have learned how to be a leader and witnessed the results that come from working hard and helping others. I’ll never forget the rainy day that I helped put a roof over a family’s head. After spending the day hammering nails into roofing material two stories above the ground I went away with a much greater appreciation of buildOn. Without this club, it would be more difficult for me to find projects like these that benefit the less fortunate and open my eyes to the necessities of others. I am thankful for the myriad projects that I have been able to be involved in during high school and hope to carry my love of community service into my college life.