'The more you volunteer ... the more you like it'
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Benjamin Hammond wanted to do two things when he returned home from serving a mission to Puerto Rico: he wanted to continue developing his Spanish language skills, and continue the good feelings that come from serving others.
The logical thing to do, said friends, was to volunteer as a translator at Primary Children's Hospital. He took their advice and, since he returned from his mission in November 2005, has donated up to four hours a week helping doctors communicate with Spanish-speaking patients and their parents.
It's the best feeling," he said, "to enter into a difficult situation where parents are distraught and straining to understand the doctor and, by speaking their language, bring calm to an unsettling situation."
When it comes to donating time, said Benjamin, "a half-hearted effort won't work. I've seen it many times. If you are doing it for a grade or for yourself and not for the benefit of someone else, you won't last very long. It wears thin and you give up.
"But the more you volunteer with the right attitude," he said, "the more you like it." — Shaun Stahle
