BY SUSAN CHAPMAN

When I was growing up, community service was a large part of my life. Whether it was collecting blankets for Caribbean hurricane victims or playing the piano at a local nursing home, serving those in need was something on which my family, church, school and after-school organizations all placed special emphasis.

I was fortunate to learn early that the reward for giving is far greater than the effort put into it. The knowledge that children in a far-off village would feel warm again because of the blankets my fourth-grade class sent to them, or that seniors who hadn’t seen a visitor for days would somehow find joy in my less-than-concert-quality musicianship, provided me with a wonderful sense of satisfaction that I enjoyed renewing whenever I could.

These days, as a writer in University Communications, I am often called upon to draft a letter or a message that focuses on UCLA’s commitment to community service. But now, as a mother of four, I find it increasingly difficult to personally fulfill that commitment. As I became more focused on my own world, and less on that of others, I noticed that something very special was disappearing from my life. More importantly, I realized that my lack of involvement could only mean that I was depriving my children of something invaluable — the opportunity to serve others.

I was delighted, then, that the senior managers in my department, led by Assistant Vice Chancellor Lawrence Lokman, decided to take part in a local community-service project, and that I was charged with finding an opportunity that would be meaningful for all of us, families included.

To find volunteer projects for our large group, I turned to the Internet and was amazed at what I found. From the Special Olympics to reading to children at a local homeless shelter to cleaning up the coastline, volunteer opportunities in the Los Angeles area abound.

In an effort to narrow my search, I focused on the LA Works Web site. Located at www.la-volunteer.org, the site presents volunteer opportunities in an organized way and provides the information necessary to determine if a project is right for all involved.

Of the many activities listed, working in the Daniel Webster Educational Garden in West Los Angeles was the one our group chose. The garden is run by the Belmar Child and Family Center, a child-guidance clinic that provides horticulture therapy, among other services to youngsters.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early December, my colleagues and I, accompanied by families and friends, worked side-by-side with other community volunteers to cultivate the flowers and vegetables that help troubled youngsters find beauty in their world. The work was strenuous and the weather was hot but, by day’s end, we felt an enormous sense of accomplishment.

For me, that day in the garden brought back that same satisfied feeling I experienced so many years ago. I was glad to know that something I did would again make a positive difference in someone else’s life. And realizing that this brief period of time working in the garden with our group had “planted the seed” of public service in my children, I felt even better.

Chapman is assistant director of executive communications.