A shot rings out as a car goes by.

A father slams the door and a baby begins to cry.

A teenager holds an empty tin can and wishes he was high.

A woman sees all of this and wants to help.

A LIGHT GOES OUT IN A CITY

A sweet melody echoes from the windows of a classroom.

A nurse wakes a patient to free them from doom.

A mother sheds tears as her only son becomes a groom.

A homeless person is a witness and cries out for help.

A LIGHT GOES ON IN A CITY.

Cities across the country face familiar situations each day. People are the mortar that hold the bricks of a city together. The mortar frequently weakens and it must be maintained and supported. That is why it is so important for individuals to take action and to inspire those who need to help themselves.

For the past two years I have participated in the City Year Serve-a-thon, a national day of community service. The effort is small, compared to the yearly struggle of the full-time City Year volunteers. Soon after I start college, I hope to volunteer my time and effort to the city I will be living in. For me, the opportunity to help others can only make me a better person. I look forward to the challenge. As Jan Struther once said,

"A city is greater than its bricks and mortar

It is greater than tower or palace, church or hall:

A city is as great as the little people that live there.

PEOPLE CAN ONLY TURN THE

LIGHT ON IN A CITY." fl