Latrobe sisters Rachel and Emily Guidi may have been nudged into volunteering at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital by their mom, but now they enjoy the work they do. "First, my mom kind of pushed us to do it," Rachel Guidi, 16, said. "She said we needed to get out and do something. "At first, it was 'I had to do it,' but now, it's 'I wouldn't want to stop doing it,' " she said. "It's just kind of like rewarding in some ways." Older sister Emily, 18, said volunteering at the reception desk at the hospital has become a learning experience. "You don't realize it at first, but all the different people you meet -- it's interesting," Emily Guidi said. Teenagers who volunteer like the Guidis are not uncommon today. In fact, a federal study says 55 percent of teens volunteered in 2004. That's nearly double the rate of adults. Their grandparents -- members of the so-called "Greatest Generation" -- reached out during World War II with homefront scrap drives and Red Cross bandage-rolling and have continued their involvement in old age. While teens' volunteer commitment is similar to that of their grandparents, their motives are different, said Terrence Milani, director of student volunteer outreach at the University of Pittsburgh. Necessity and patriotism drove the "Greatest Generation," he said. Today's teens reach out because they've been taught almost from birth that being an American citizen involves giving back. The Guidi sisters, students in the Greater Latrobe School District, said they often feel as if they gain more than they give by volunteering. Both work the reception desk at the hospital, answering phones and directing visitors to patient rooms. Emily Guidi began volunteering at the hospital last summer. She always had an interest in the medical field and decided on nursing as a career. She's heading to Carlow University's nursing program in the fall. "I figured spending time in a hospital couldn't hurt," she said. Rachel Guidi started volunteering two years ago, even before her older sister. She said many of her friends volunteer at the hospital or for other organizations. "I think, first of all, we have more time to do that because we don't have anything else to worry about," she said. In many cases, schools encourage community service. Some students volunteer as part of a graduation project. In the Greensburg Salem School District, seniors who have fulfilled all of their course requirements can take a community service class. Sarah Keller, 18, of Salem Township, is one senior who has been taking advantage of the class since January. Every school day for about an hour, Keller heads to the American Red Cross Westmoreland County Chapter in Greensburg to help out with office work. She does her volunteering during the school day in place of a study hall or another elective. "It just seemed like it would be a fun experience," Keller said. "I do a lot of sports and after-school activities, so I don't always have time to volunteer. So I figured this would be a neat way to help someone out." Justin Meyer, director of educational services and community relations for the Red Cross chapter, said Keller is one of several teenagers who volunteer. They do everything from stuffing envelopes to helping out at Red Cross events. "They're tremendous. They really are," Meyer said. Natalie Bercik enjoys spending time after school Tuesdays and Thursdays tutoring students at Hutchinson Elementary School in the Greensburg-Salem district. "It's actually a lot of fun," said Bercik, a 16-year-old sophomore at Greensburg-Salem. "You become almost a teacher." Bercik tutored last year, as well. She also tutored students her own age when she was in fourth and fifth grade. She said community service is encouraged among teens. "I see it happening a lot just with the clubs we have at school," she said. "The schools create a very open atmosphere to do these types of things." Bercik said she considers her tutoring "very rewarding." "It's nice just to be able to be a mentor for a little kid," she said. -- Reporter Lara Brenckle contributed to this story

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