What does it mean to serve?

Is it joining the military?

Does it mean being elected into a political office?

Or is it being on your local school board? Truth is, it’s not that complicated. Anyone, anywhere, can serve.

To serve is simply doing something for someone else. It’s participating in something bigger than yourself without seeking personal gains.

This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Washington Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. I met with FFA members from all across the country, who shared my passion for leadership and agriculture. My experience was life-changing and eye-opening to the world around me, and the daily problems that surround all of us. I realized that this world needs our help desperately. Our neighbors are struggling with things we may never have realized.

The WLC motto this year was: Doing what you can, with what you have, where you are. This showed all of the attendees that we can make a difference in our communities, with just our personal resources, right in our small towns.

When people think of change, typically, they think of changes that affect thousands of people. WLC taught me that change can be helping one person at a time. To serve your community you only have to make 1 single person’s life better. This being said, anyone can be a changemaker, if we just do what we can.

You don’t have to have huge groups of volunteers or large fundraisers. If everyone works with what we have, we can better the lives of others in our communities. For example, donating a single meal means one person doesn’t go to bed hungry. Recycling one bottle means it doesn’t end up in a landfill. Small actions can make a big difference. It’s up to us to determine if the difference is a positive difference, or a negative one. We have to do what we can with what we have.

WLC taught us that just because we live in small communities doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference. Helping our small towns could be big changes like organizing a trash pick up to clean the local parks.

It could also look like donating a pair of shoes for the kids in the school closest to you. It’s up to us to take the first step to improve the lives of those around us. Doing what we can, with what we have, where we are. WLC showed me that the smallest actions can change someone’s world. Serving our community is what we are here for. I can’t wait to use my new skills to better my community. I hope you will join me as well.

It’s time to make a difference, and the difference starts with us