April  2001

Locked in Handcuffs
to Lending a Hand.
A Volunteer’s Story.

The handcuffs snapped tightly, pinching his wrists with a shot of pain. And as the siren lights flashed brightly before him, so did the past few months of his life. His friends that he spent time with, the choices he made—all were now leading him into trouble. Thy’s "tough guy" facade was breaking down and uncovering a scared young man.

Sitting in the Sedgwick County Jail for six months served as a wake-up call. Thy had never been in serious trouble; now his junior year of high school, and life as he knew it, were interrupted as he awaited trial.

"It gave me time to think about what I did…the people I had hurt," says Thy. "I decided to make a positive difference when I got out."

A Chance to Change

Thy was given a second chance. The judge showed consideration for his clean record and rather than jail time, Thy was placed on probation with a court order for 100 hours of community service.

Although Thy wanted to turn his life around, he needed something to help him get away from the pressures of his old ways and former friends. The United Way Volunteer Center provided the structure Thy needed to succeed.

Thy grudgingly came to the United Way Volunteer Center to begin his service hours, expecting to be overloaded with boring busy work. While he did stuff his share of envelopes, the United Way Volunteer Center also gave Thy opportunities to complete his court order with meaningful community services that truly impacted his life.

"I started out thinking that I just wanted to get this over with," says Thy. "I thought that it would be boring and a waste of my time. But then I started liking it. I found that it was a way that I could help out a lot of people."

Thy began to realize that he could do a lot of things without getting into trouble. He recognized that he was actually making a difference in a lot of lives and volunteering became fun.

Volunteering Makes A Difference

"People get involved with volunteering for many reasons, from a desire or passion to something that has been mandated to them," says Kara Kuehnel, director, United Way Volunteer Center. "But no matter the reason, if given the right opportunities, people stay involved because of a passion and desire to make a difference."

Thy completed his 100 hours, finished high school and is now in college studying engineering, receiving technical training and working nearly full time. Most importantly to Thy, four years have passed since his court order and he continues to use the United Way Volunteer Center to volunteer—only now, it’s on his own.

For Thy, volunteering serves as a constant reminder for him to stay out of trouble, and what his life might have been like without the United Way Volunteer Center.

"Volunteering is keeping me straight and focused on what I want to do in my life," says Thy. "It builds my self confidence…my self esteem, and keeps me going the right way."

Call United Way of the Plains at 267-1321 to find out more about how your money is helping our community.