Teen Essay Winner: Ways teens can improve world

By MARIE AVENI- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Speaking at World Youth Day in Paris in August, Pope John Paul II asked teens to "mobilize their generosity, intelligence and energy to make the world more hospitable for all." Teenagers can do a lot in their communities and parishes -- and they can make it fun.

Sometimes, it seems like one person, especially a young person, cannot make much of a difference. Enthusiasm, however, is contagious and one person may inspire many others. Mother Teresa influenced millions of people in her quiet, humble way. Many other people throughout history accomplished much from small beginnings.

Teens can volunteer in their parishes and neighborhoods. They can read with younger children, and they can be role models by participating in drug awareness programs, such as ADDEM. If teens work with younger children, it will set a good example for them. The younger children will follow the older one's example and hopefully start to make the world more hospitable in their own ways.

Teenagers can help get other children involved also. They can put positive peer pressure on their friends to do what is right. They can start a pen-pal program, where they write to other teens in other countries and tell them about themselves and their volunteer work. They can suggest to them that they start similar programs. They can share ideas about how to make the world a better place.

You can get a group of your friends together and serve at homeless shelters or soup kitchens and clean up after the meals. If you know any elderly people in your neighborhood, you can offer to help clean their houses, take care of their yards, buy their groceries or just spend time with them. You can also volunteer at nursing homes to talk or play games with the residents there.

Teens can get together on a Saturday and go around and pick up trash in their communities, at parks and other public places. They can start recycling at their homes and start a recycling program at their schools. By doing this, teens can make the world a more beautiful place.

A good place to start some of these ideas would be through a parish youth group, where you would find others interested in helping. Your school may have a service club. Your town may also have youth groups already established.

If a lot of teens put in a little time and effort, they can do a lot to make the world a better place. We should all try to do something to help our families, our neighborhoods and parishes. This will show others that we care about other people and the world as a whole. Your volunteering can be fun and productive. All it takes is one person to get it started, and that one person could be you.

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