Enteringthe cafeteria, I could not believe what I saw. Tables upon tables were coveredwith clothing, food, toiletries, pet supplies and books. There must have beenmore than 50 people there to sort everything into bags and boxes.

Thiswas the scene at my school on Make a Difference Day, a "national day ofdoing good." Its purpose is to donate goods to the food bank, clothing andtoiletries to a women's shelter, and newspapers to pet shelters. Canned goodswere everywhere, and over in the clothing section, the donations were stackedhigh.

It really felt good to be part of this, knowing that the food Ipackaged would help so many. Even though most of us have what we need, somepeople do not have the bare necessities of life. The food and clothing wegathered were distributed to them, some of whom may even be ourneighbors.

I encourage teens to get involved with community serviceevents. You will feel better about yourself and at the same time help others. Ifmore people help out, then more would be aware of how much in need some peopleare.

Overall, Make a Difference Day is a great experience. All thosewho helped out know what a great feeling it is to make a difference. I hope youget involved next year.

See www.makeadifferenceday.com for how to getinvolved