Volunteer center
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service in action: The Major league baseball players trust - volunteers of america action team national youth volunteer program

Teen in action
"Differences We Could Make Would Be Astonishing! " - Action Team Captain Konrad Palubicki, Everett, Washington
You make a difference in your community when you get involved as a volunteer. And volunteering can benefit you! Find out how from Seattle Action Team Captain Konrad Palubicki. Like all captains of the Players Trust and Volunteers of America Action Teams, he recruits other teens to participate in service projects at school and in the community. Supporting the Seattle Action Team are Major League baseball players Raul Ibanez and J.J. Putz of the Seattle Mariners.

Action Team Captain: Konrad Palubicki
School: Cascade High School, Everett, Washington
Grade: Senior

I volunteer because …“There are so many people out there who need help. My effort in volunteering definitely makes a difference.”

Favorite volunteer experience . . .“My favorite experience has definitely been both times I volunteered as a camp counselor at Camp Cedar Springs, a camp for fifth graders. Each year my high school gives students opportunities to volunteer as camp counselors. As a child I enjoyed going to camps, and so this experience was very rewarding because I was able to work with students while simultaneously doing something that I loved. Getting to know the students and teaching them new things was a ton of fun.”

First volunteer experience . . . “Being an altar server at my church. I would help during masses on a weekly basis.”

How volunteering benefits me . . . “Volunteering gives me a huge sense of satisfaction, knowing that I’m able to make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Working with and for community members gives me chances to meet new people and try new things that are beneficial to more people than just me.”

What I can contribute by volunteering . . . “I am able to help out and make things possible for others and my community that would not happen without volunteer help. For example, Camp Cedar Springs couldn't function without a group of high school counselors. Other activities, such as Cascade High School's Annual Food Drive, impact the community on a much larger scale. Our annual food drive feeds over one hundred families for multiple weeks. Events such as our food drive have tremendous and very direct results.”

What I tell other teens to encourage them to volunteer . . . “I tell people to be the change they want to see. If everyone went out and got involved in volunteering, then the differences we could make would be astonishing.”

What’s in My iPod . . .  “I have music ranging from 50 Cent to Dave Matthews in my iPod, and I like discovering new artists and bands that are not necessarily well known.”

Favorite baseball player . . . “Ichiro Suzuki”

Seattle Action Team Captain Konrad Palubicki encourages other teens to make change happen through volunteering in your community. “It’s easy to sit around and dream about things, but . . . dreams are unlikely to occur unless you actually motivate yourself and set out to accomplish them.”