Out of the many strengths of the Versailles community, coming together for the youth is one of the greatest. Many events are held for the children in Versailles and neighboring towns throughout the holiday season. There are many opportunities for high school students to help out and ensure the events run smoothly at these events. Volunteering at these festivities helps the community, allows people to practice essential life skills like communication and responsibility, and grants service hours to students in clubs like the National Honors Society and Beta. This year, I enjoyed volunteering at two of these events. After reading this article and discovering more about them, I hope that more people will volunteer their time to help the youth of Versailles.
The first event I volunteered at was the Christman Open House in downtown Versailles. The Open House is a holiday event for kids and parents to do festive activities like shopping for their families, riding the trolly around, seeing Santa and his reindeer, supporting a local bake sale, and more. I helped run the “Pictures with Santa” station. My responsibility was to help the photographer direct the children to Santa and show their parents how they could receive their pictures through a QR code. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience because I was able to take some stress off of the photographer while also helping run a fun holiday event for our youth. This event helped me learn how to communicate with children and adults more effectively. I also learned some photography tips, like adjusting the camera to sunlight and shadows, and that being a photographer requires patience with the people you are taking pictures for and the environment due to factors like loud noises and distracted patrons. I look forward to this event next year and hope to elevate the photography experience even more by bringing in props and creating different settings for the pictures.
The second event I volunteered at was a Secret Santa held at our local Agriculture building this past holiday. I was an “Elf,” my role was to lead children around various tables set up by the homemakers club and help them shop for their family and friends. I helped them budget their money and keep track of everyone on their list. The booths had hand towels, wreaths, bracelets, pillows, and more. The hours I spent helping the kids shop were exceptional. I could see firsthand the love and care each kid had for every person on their list and how dedicated they were to making sure their gift for them was perfect. There can be a lot learned from children and how they unconditionally love one another, and this event reminded me that I need to be sure to implement that same mindset into my own life. The experience as a whole was extraordinary, and I am honored that I was able to help make it happen. This is something I will continue to volunteer at for many years to come.
In the future, I hope that more people will volunteer at local events for the community’s and their benefit.
