The ultimate gift: A legacy of service

Community service isn’t just about lending a hand – it’s about opening your heart. It’s the quiet power of showing up, giving your time, and making a difference simply because you can. To me, community service means more than just fulfilling a requirement; it’s about making an impact. I first learned this lesson not from a textbook but from my own family history. My great-great-grandfather, Sosthene Arceneaux, understood the true meaning of service when he made a life-changing decision for his community. At a time when African Americans had just been freed yet were still denied access to education and opportunities, he sacrificed part of his own land to build a school. He recognized that education was the key to progress. Despite facing rejection and even threats, he stood firm – protecting the school at night from threats, ensuring that future generations would have the opportunities he never had.

This legacy of service has shaped my own perspective. I had the opportunity to give back in my own way by participating in a Christmas toy drive. My role was straightforward: to help parents choose gifts for their children. Yet in those few hours, I witnessed firsthand what it meant to lighten someone’s burden. The gratitude in their eyes reminded me that acts of service, no matter how small, can be transformative.

I also had the opportunity to share my thoughts on service in a chapter I wrote for The Ultimate Gift, a book created by members of the Young Men’s Service League. I reflected on the idea that true wealth isn’t measured by money or possessions – it’s found in the impact we have on others. Whether it’s something as monumental as starting a school or as simple as distributing meals to the homeless, service is about building a better world, one action at a time. So, the next time you’re asked to serve, don’t see it as just another task. Instead, consider this: How will you use your time to give the ultimate gift?

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