Building Stronger Communities

There is nothing more heart-warming to me than seeing people come together and uplift each other. I am so excited to tell you all about my platform: Building Stronger Communities through Service!

Communities are as little and as big as you would like to them to be. A family is a community, your block is a community, your city, your state, and even your country is a community that can work together benefiting the things around it and itself.

I think my story just began as a young girl who always wanted to serve the people around me. As I got older, my community grew and I would participate more and more in different projects. I never wanted to limit myself in what I could do to help others so I began to participate in various service organizations and I quickly grew to love it!

Through my platform I want to empower and educate young people to serve their communities. Through serving their community, one will grow personal character and joy of helping others while also building a stronger community. I want to show people just how easy it can be to get involved and lend a helping hand to a community that needs its citizens.

Volunteerism is not about how much one can give, but is what one can contribute. One extra hand, one extra smile, and one extra giving heart can make a world of a difference!

If you are not sure where to begin you serving career, consider these tips:
1. Consider your talents- What are you good at? Is there something that particularly sparks your interest more than other things? Different talents are used differently everyday!
2. Find something you truly care about- if you find something you really care about, it makes the time and effort much more enjoyable for you and for the cause you are helping.
3. Think outside the box- with new ideas comes greater leaders!
4. Don’t wait to be asked- check out your local volunteer center, they will help connect you with a project that best suites you!
5. Volunteer with friends and family- There is nothing better than helping the community you live in with your loved one! Gives more quality time, satisfaction, and great memories!

Miss North Dakota International 2016, Taylor Woodruff