For his community service project, Marcus chose to volunteer at the local animal shelter every Saturday morning for a month. He had never been to a shelter before.
On his first visit, the shelter worker showed him around. There were dogs, cats, and even a few guinea pigs. Every animal had a card on its kennel with its name and story.
Marcus was given the job of cleaning water bowls and refilling them with fresh water. It was not exciting, but the shelter worker said it was one of the most important jobs.
He also helped walk the dogs in the small yard behind the building. An old beagle named Pepper walked slowly beside him and leaned against his leg the whole time.
By the third Saturday, Marcus knew every animal by name. He brought old towels from home for the dogs to sleep on. He made toys out of rolled-up newspaper for the cats.
On his last Saturday, a family came in and adopted Pepper. Marcus felt happy and sad at the same time as he watched the beagle waddle out with his new family.
The shelter worker took a photo of Marcus and put it on the volunteer board on the wall. You made a real difference, she told him. The animals noticed your kindness.
Marcus did not know that helping others could make him feel so full inside. He signed up to volunteer every month. He brought his younger sister the next time.