Why Connor Risley Cares

I’ve always had this drive to go out and make a difference in the world. Growing up, I would constantly be nagging my father about volunteering in the community. Day in and day out I would bug my parents, “When will we be able to go and do one of those volunteer things?”

My parents were both busy people with tight schedules. They would tell me it’s difficult to find something that fits into their calendar. “We will let you know if we find something.” As you can imagine, this was not the answer an idealistic 7 year old is looking for.

Being so young , I didn’t really know how to find opportunities myself. The options were pretty limited. I didn’t have a license so I couldn’t drive, I didn’t have a computer so I couldn’t research myself and outside of my parents, I didn’t know who to ask.

As I got older,  like my parents, I became a busy person. When I wasn’t at work, I would be practicing one of my instruments, studying for school or participating in extracurricular activities. I couldn’t find the time to figure out when or how to get out into the community and volunteer. I quickly started to understand why my parents couldn’t help me out.

Besides donating at blood drives, I couldn’t really serve my community. I felt like a bump on a log, too busy to help people or to do anything to make the world a better place.

I asked my father again, thinking that he might have a more fruitful answer. He explained that volunteering was a big ordeal, dealing with sign-ups, waivers and scheduling. Being a teenager, this seemed intimidating. Why couldn’t the process be easier? Why did it seem so difficult to help others? I figured that it would have to be something to put on the back-burner until I was older.

That’s why The Call KC is so important. They are exactly what I’ve been looking for. By making it easy to find opportunities, they enable us to go out and make a difference. They help the younger generations get involved in volunteering and that leaves a lasting impact on today’s youth.

What this charity has achieved so far is monumental, and the community service hours only seem to be going up. This opportunity offers me the chance to finally better my community and I’m excited to help others do the same.