Lion Vishnu Maya Upadhyay, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, WHNP-C, PMHNP-BC
Unpaid work done from a place of good feeling for the benefit of others”, is the definition of community service. In our society, community service is ever so important in order to keep morale high and the maximum benefit achieved. Community service not only inspires a community to support important causes, but it also forges a community of its own where participants may depend on and accept one another. When a group of these exemplary individuals comes together, the best type of club is formed: Dallas Everest Lions Club (DECL) a nonprofit organization. With everyone working towards the same goal, the impact they make can be felt beyond the community, because they have touched the hearts of everyone around them. A nonprofit organization is a drop of water in the ocean of the world: it may be small but the ripple effect of its actions spreads over tenfold of the area. Nonprofit organizations provide possibilities for people to participate in charitable activities in various locales around the nation and even beyond.
My experience with community service has been a long and rewarding one. The people I have helped, the friends I have made, and my family that I bonded with all gave me happy fulfillment in my life. Working with others to help others was the best feeling and I had to make it a part of my daily life. I found that other than being a Doctor of Nursing Practitioner is my day job, there were other methods to aid, heal, and make a difference in people’s lives. Being the President member of this esteemed group of individuals is an opportunity for me to impact the lives of fellow peers and their experience while also implementing my leadership abilities. I also saw kids, my own and others, grow into their full potential by joining service projects and leading small youth groups into doing to same. The older generation passed along their wisdom for the importance of selflessness, leadership, teamwork, and how to be thankful for what you are given in life, which raised the next group of leaders and is what I considered the greatest community service.