By Sebastian Lopez

Illustration | Sebastian Lopez

In a time where technology allows us access to read about every single problem in the world, there are often issues in our own communities that we overlook. Yes, world hunger and global warming is important, but if we wait around for those problems to be fixed before we focus on smaller issues, too many people’s needs will be forgotten until then.

The solution is to be more active in your local communities. Community action benefits everyone; the people that community aims to assist, and also yourself. Community organizations usually have the common goal of helping their lesser neighbors, which ranges from legal advocacy to volunteering to build homes and distributing food for the poor. Participating in these community actions also allow people to grow social skills, expand your network of people, and develop a better understanding of the things happening around you.

If there is any place in the world that needs the help of a strong community, the Bay Area is a great place to start. In 2019,  the Census Bureau recorded 1.5 million Bay Area residents in poverty. The same year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development counted more than 8,000 homeless people in Alameda County alone, with even higher numbers in other Bay Area counties. Communities are important  because many of the homeless and lower- class depend on charitable handouts  and community volunteers to maintain their human needs. Some community organizations also hold resources for people to find jobs and sometimes shelter for their families.

AHS already has some ways for students  to become active in their communities. Some academies like Health and Medicine and Future incentivize participation by making community service hours part of students’ grades. There are also multiple clubs on campus like Interact, Students in Action, and Key Club that are based around giving students the opportunities to help around their local community. What AHS could do to maximize student action is by requiring community service hours in every academy, and also providing more resources and attention to the community-based clubs.

The reason why communities hold so much power is their strength in numbers. In order for communities to hold considerable influence and help people in need, they need young people like us that are willing to use their free time to volunteer and try to make the world a better place. •