To be very honest this world has a ton of issues, major issues that often times have a solution. Even if there not in your home, city, state or even country, but they are still there and there is no way to deny it or overlook it. For example people living on the streets, famines, people being killed for their beliefs and sickness, robberies and murders. Well if you're not in that situation or if you can take your situation and help someone else, its time you stand up and fight for what is right. This is where you and I come in, what do you do to help in your community and by extent your world?

Volunteering is a big part of my life and means a lot to me in many ways. My church goes on a lot of mission trips around Detroit. Last summer a group of us went to help out a church that was having a day camp in Detroit. It was a week long and I was so excited. There was a meeting first that told the group of about 25 kids what we would be doing at the church. We were all ready and knew are goal. I was dropped off at the church at around 8:00 o'clock am. We left by 8:30 and where there by 9:00. We had an hour to set up. At 10:00 the kids showed up it was amazing to see them just want to play and to fulfill the need to be loved. I never thought that I would say that I loved someone when I only knew them for a week, but that week I defiantly did I learned about each child and the challenges that face them living in Detroit with crime rates, unemployment and everything else that the city had to go through. When they first came in some where shy, some were happy to be at a place they felt safe at and others just wanted to be loved, held and comforted and we were there. They ran around and I thought I would want to do crafts but the first day I did recreation and I loved it. This was really a great way to connect and it was with the littler kids. The kids clung to my friends and I we held them. By the end of the week they had reached out and told us what was going on ,but mostly we just played with the little kids they needed somewhere to have fun so that is what we gave them. Of course, there were always the little ones that stood out and for me that was Tiara. The little girl was shy in the beginning so I started to talk to her she seemed somewhat afraid so I tried to comfort her. Soon she came out of her shell and she laughed and played with the other kids. I carried her around and she did not want to let go when it was time to leave and to go to the church sermon. I learned that I loved helping these little kids it was so rewarding.
The first day was not as moving as the second when at the end of the day camp I took a ride where they rode to drop the children off. It was horrible the houses were tiny and almost all of them had some sort of graffiti on it. Every house was bolted and about 25% of the houses had broken windows. I had always known that Detroit was a pretty poor and had high crime rates, but this was the center of Detroit and the worst, I had never seen this far in before. As we went around we saw a park with a little barn that had gun shots in the barn. There was a lady in the car as well as my leader, Josh and the lady explained that there was a shooting there almost every night and that every night you could hear a gun shot from somewhere around there she also said that it had a lot of drug problems. From then on I knew that nobody can stand by and watch we have to do something to help. We must! I have tried to come by at every time and my church has done a mission trip about every month to try and help this little church.
In June I am going to West Virginia for a mission's trip where we will be painting houses and helping in any way we can. I can't wait to help out. Don't wait right now is the best time to change your life and it will mean so much to others. What will you do? I know what I will do!
Thank you for your time Teen Ink!!