My name is Nicholas Lume, I am 11 years old and I have lived in Middle Village all my life. I attend Our Lady of Hope School and I am in the sixth grade. I want to explain to you a very important topic, “volunteering”.

In my school during my recess, instead of just playing, I have been helping out at the Pre-K/Nursery class at my school. I help the teachers with crafts by cutting papers and preparing materials for the students to make the crafts. I also help by arranging books when the new orders come in. Sometimes I bring mail to and from the office. Sometimes, another classmate of mine comes to the class and plays piano for the students. One of the students is my cousin and I like being able to see her and help her feel happy in her first year of school.

Other than my volunteering at school, there are other ways to help out by volunteering. There are local and national companies that can use volunteer support. For example, the Volunteer Ambulance Corp, Red Cross, and others. People should volunteer some of their time to help others in any way they can. You can help at a nursing home or a pet shelter. Some volunteers also help rebuild houses after a natural disaster. They build schools and hospitals. Some people can volunteer to help their local neighborhoods stay clean by recycling trash and cleaning the streets.

I am doing my part by volunteering in my school. I encourage you to volunteer in any way(s) that you can, even if it’s a small task it can make a big difference.