Hello, my name is Keerthana Kumar and I am the Vice President of the Phoenix Jewel of the East Leos Club. The Phoenix Jewel of the East Leos Club is the youth counterpart of Lions Club International and its aim is to provide service to those who are underprivileged and in need. Through this organization, we have done various service projects including conducting free online classes during the summer and winter to teach community members new skills through activities. We have also volunteered in shelters such as Andre House and conducted separate clothing drives. Overall, the goal of the organization is to spend time volunteering to give back to our community, learning important skills along the way. There are many different fields of volunteering and local politics is one of them. Youth engagement in local politics is important because it enables the youth to learn vital skills and help influence future decisions in their community.
For approximately a year, I have been volunteering for a local political campaign. I not only served as a finance and policy intern, but I also did various other tasks for this grassroots campaign. A grassroots campaign focuses on social issues by working from the bottom up rather than from the top down. The majority of its power is drawn from volunteers who are passionate about advocating for social justice rather than from wealthy donors. While grassroots campaigns still have donors, they focus more on volunteers to power their cause. These campaigns are important since they focus on the social justice aspect of running for office rather than the economic and political aspects of running. The campaign I volunteered for specifically focused on environmental and housing issues for a low-income district. Because these grassroots campaigns focus on volunteers, they open up more opportunities to those who are younger, specifically in the high school and college range. Based on the activities I was involved in at the time, I was lucky enough to discover this campaign and apply for their high school and college-level internship. Throughout the internship, I gained an innumerable amount of skills and experiences.
Volunteering this past year has opened me up to new situations that have allowed me to use critical thinking skills I would have otherwise never used. I learned how to diplomatically speak to voters, a skill that will be useful later on in my life as I interview for jobs and colleges; I also learned the skills needed to organize and run a successful campaign during a global pandemic. However, the most important idea I learned was that regardless of my age, I can still have my voice heard in my community. Age has no factor in volunteering and advocating for issues that matter. I believe climate justice is a significant issue, and initially, I thought that since I am still under 18, I wouldn’t be able to make a huge impact. However, although I cannot elect officials into office, I can still assist those who are planning on running. I was able to make my voice heard this past year by assisting in drafting a policy proposal that may one day be enacted into law. But the one thing I cannot stress enough is the importance of youth involvement in politics and volunteering for their community as a whole, not only to gain life skills and experience but also to give back to those who need it.
Volunteering in local politics makes a huge impact on both the individual and the community. Regardless of age, finding a voice through politics about issues that interest you is crucial and allows you to develop important life skills. Volunteering, in particular, enables individuals to build connections and assist those who are less fortunate.
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