Hello. My name is Vanessa and I am an addict to community service.

It started so long ago and built up so slowly that before I knew it, I had to have service opportunities whenever I could. It didn’t matter if I did it with friends or if I was alone. The more I did, the more I wanted.

My first service experience was singing in a nursing home when I was 6. The first time was no fun; I went because I caved into peer pressure. After the first couple of tries, I was hooked on the stuff. Food and clothing drives and fundraising for pennies with UNICEF boxes was just the beginning. Through Girl Scouts, I found just how powerful service could be. From there, I moved on to more serious stuff with Habitat for Humanity and leading organizations in college. I even started traveling looking for service. First to Mexico, and then later Mozambique and now Argentina.

Now that my personal supply of service will run out in a month, I am looking for more, but I think I will stick to the States this time, possibly with AmeriCorps. I have heard that Service Nation is trying to get millions hooked. With the presidential election on the horizon, you can’t escape discussion of service. Apparently, service is pretty addictive for others because now people are using social media to find more of it. I know that I should warn them so they don’t get caught in the same trap, but somehow it doesn’t feel right. I have never felt better than when I indulge this addiction. Perhaps you would like to try?