Each year, National Honor Society members must attain 20 volunteer hours to meet NHS requirements. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic canceling most face-to-face events, volunteering opportunities have become limited. 

“The hardest part about volunteering during COVID-19 is finding new opportunities,” junior Annika Roberts said. “A lot of volunteer events have been canceled or postponed, so it’s hard to find a place that’s open and working during the pandemic.”

Even so, NHS leaders and volunteers are finding new ways to serve the community. 

“Some of the interesting volunteering opportunities that have emerged due to the pandemic are online tutoring (Scholastician.org), a contactless card project for senior citizens, and book reviews for the library,” NHS President, senior Laura Young said. “There was also a socially distanced volunteering event with a clothing drive.”

Young is working with the other NHS leaders and teachers to find ways for students to support their school and community. But she also feels that while volunteering is essential, students need to balance volunteer work and keeping safe. 

“Obviously, volunteering is very important, and many organizations depend on their volunteers to run,” Young said. “On the other hand, it is vital that we keep the spread of this disease slow. It has been an interesting balance finding ways to both serve the community and limit Corona’s impact during these unprecedented times.”

Students like senior Shivani Kosuri feel that volunteering not only benefits the community but the person as well. 

“Volunteering makes a positive impact on me personally because I have always enjoyed helping others, and the feeling of getting tangible work done is something I could never give up,” Kosuri said. “It makes a positive impact on the community because it strengthens the bond between others when collectively coming together to help others and achieve some of our goals.”