New Jersey by Ryan

New Jersey by Ryan - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

My family has lived in Burlington City, New Jersey for over four generations and is deeply connected to the community. As a result, we have always been very active in our community – coaching recreational sports, cleaning up local parks, and supporting charitable events at schools and churches. However, my most meaningful volunteer activity by far has been working as a member of the Burlington Bookends Teen Group at my local library. The Library Company of Burlington was chartered in 1758 by King George II and still continues to operate under the same charter today. I have had the privilege to volunteer at this amazing place for six years. Over that time, I have organized hundreds of boxes of donated books for yearly books sales that helped purchase new equipment for the library. I have participated in literacy events where I performed puppet shows, read stories and made crafts with young children at the local elementary schools. Last summer I was approved by the library’s trustees to become an adult volunteer. Now, I get to help the librarians perform various tasks around the library such as sorting and shelving books, and light housekeeping duties.
I hold this volunteer work above everything else I do, not just because it helps support a cherished, historical landmark, but because of the effects it has on the community. My hometown of Burlington City is designated an Abbott District, meaning its status is one of the lowest socio-economic urban areas in the state of New Jersey. Consequently, many of the residents do not have access to personal transportation, cutting edge technology, or family-focused entertainment. Libraries are not just for books anymore, but serve as a meeting place where residents can walk to for help with a great many things. Directly inside the foyer of The Library Company of Burlington is a bulletin board maintained with up-to-date brochures for help with medical issues, transportation services, free tutoring, and financial assistance. Children and adults can easily find books needed for school without driving to stores and paying for them. Free public computers are provided to help children with homework or adults with tax forms or job searching. Early childhood literacy events are hosted at the library and at the local elementary schools. At these literacy events, it has been my pleasure to watch children smile as I hand them a book, often the first one they have owned in their lives. I have helped senior citizens use a computer for the first time. I have hosted events, such as movie nights, that brought kids and adults together for a free, fun night of entertainment. I know that many of the things I have done may seem small, but to the person that needed computer assistance or the child holding a book for the first time, these things have mattered in a big way.