Remember that one-liner when you were writing your college admission essay or when you cast your ballot during the recent election? You know, the one about "saving the world" or "making a difference"? Well, guess what? This summer is your big opportunity to fulfill that promise by improving your local community.
With the national rate of unemployment in March at 8.5 and Florida's percentage nearly one point higher at 9.4, more people are in desperate need of a helping hand. Yet with the rising numbers, the terrible irony is that when case loads are up, resources are down. Or to be quite frank, when more people need help, there is less help to go around, especially here within Alachua County where more than 22 percent of the population lives in poverty in comparison to the 12 percent of the total population in Florida.
Moreover, it's obvious that the poorest of families will be impacted the hardest by the deteriorating economy. Therefore, every student at UF can make a difference this summer by volunteering free time through collecting unwanted clothes, feeding the hungry or mentoring kids. Individually, people may only have a subtle impact on the community, but collectively, we as students can make a lasting difference in our towns and cities which will help our fellow men live a better life.
