During the Christmas season, it is important to find ways, not only to receive, but also to give. That’s what Chris Sparks has done in the past, but that is only part of his service to his community.

He does most of his community service “in shelters doing things like Thanksgiving meals for the homeless or Christmas presents for the less fortunate,” he said.

He spends his winter with those types of events, but he has other favorites, too.

“I love doing the airshow security for ROTC the most because I meet the most people and have the best time hanging with friends and providing a service for our Air Force,” said Sparks, who started doing Community Service about four years ago..

“I do most of my community service with my mom or with my ROTC friends, just because it’s enjoyable and we all share a common goal of helping people and getting stuff done.”

Meeting those types of goals are rewarding, but Community Service can help at a variety of levels.

“I personally like how it looks on applications, if I ever were to apply,” said Sparks. “And I like meeting new people and putting myself out there to try and help people… Community service has changed my perception of life a little bit and showed me that not everyone is as fortunate, and that we should take nothing for granted including the little things.”

The most rewarding things that he’s experienced in these endeavors go beyond just the way it might look on an application. “The number of hours I’ve racked up is nice, but meeting some of the people we’ve helped and having that experience of talking to them is really nice, he said. “Hopefully I’ll have enough time or energy to continue doing it [in the future], so if I do then I definitely will continue to do so.”