"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." -- Maya Angelou This year, I had the opportunity to give back to the community in many ways. I volunteered at Helping Hands, Meals on Wheels, and the county Science Museum. These volunteering experiences further opened my eyes to the needs of my community and the many opportunities to serve by volunteering. Helping Hands has helped my family in the past. Several years ago my family was struggling with income and Helping Hands was generous enough to help us pay our electric bill. I chose to volunteer at Helping Hands because I wanted to give back to the program. At the time, it seemed like there was little value in sorting piles of toys but then the manager shared with me that many children would be very happy to receive these toys for Christmas. This one comment helped me to put it all into perspective. Volunteering isn’t about me; it is about playing an active in the community. Bringing joy to families who are suffering, giving hope to the hopeless. I also had the privilege of helping with the Meals on Wheels non profit organization. My grandfather used to be a Meals on Wheels recipient and he would share with me how he enjoyed looking forward to their company and a hot meal daily. I volunteered because I wanted to give back and help someone else’s loved one in the same way. It was very rewarding delivering hot meals to people who didn’t have the means of getting one as well as being there for them to talk to. Overall, it was a very humbling experience, it made me realize just how blessed I am and how much I take for granted daily. At the Science Museum I helped take inventory as well as help prepare for community services such as the Science Nights and Boy Scout and Girl Scout camp-ins. When I was young, I personally had the opportunity to participate in one of the Girl Scout camp-ins they hosted. I remember how the volunteers worked hard cooking our breakfast and helping with the activities. It was very rewarding to be on the giving end instead of the receiving end. The Science Nights, which are free to the public, are a good outreach to the young students in the community. These nights are a way of making education fun and exciting for the children.
I felt as if I was able to make a change even though it wasn't a major change. I also loved working with kids of all ages ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. They all brought a different personality which I enjoyed. Overall, volunteering anywhere helps someone make a change in someones life and their own even though they may not notice it. There are many people who are in need of volunteers all the time and not many people get the opportunity to volunteer during their lifetime.
However, most of my volunteer work comes from outside of the school, such as; Pelotonia, Light the Night for leukemia and lymphoma, Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, etc. For many of these organizations I have volunteered more than once. Volunteering at Light the Night has a story. For my 16th Birthday party, I wanted to have my friends and I volunteer for the day while having fun at night. So I had 7 boys and girls, along with me, volunteer for Light the Night, organized by me.
The Organization The organization that I volunteered at was the Carroll County Food Pantry in Carrollton, Kentucky. This operation runs every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-5 p.m. for all community members, and on every third Wednesday 9:30 am-12: 30 pm specifically for the elderly. Throughout the week, the pantry gathers numerous volunteers. In fact, every month the local churches of Carroll County will rotate and work the food pantry on assigned days.
With the help of the Me To We team at Queen Street Public School, I volunteered at a local food bank. The experience was quite educational and fascinating. We encouraged staff and students to donate non-perishable food items for the "We Scare Hunger" campaign. This was definitely a highlight of my grade five year because I felt very humble and warm-hearted by doing a simple act of kindness. In addition, I was chosen to participate in the "Intergenerational" program. This was created so that grade five students can learn more from the elders of the Burton Manor senior home. We had the privilege to learn about their history and interact with them through several educational and fun activities. If accepted, I will indeed join several clubs and teams to contribute my time and talents to make the school an exciting learning
There has always been a predominant belief in my household that it is important to help others- whether it be volunteering at a food pantry or just keep an elderly neighbor company when no one else is around to do so. The main takeaway from this was that one couldn’t receive good in their life if they never gave any. I have been more eager to follow this through, not necessarily in the spirit of receiving some good in return, but because it gave me a good feeling to know that I was impacting someone’s life in a positive manner. I wanted to be able to foster this feeling and incorporate it into my everyday life, so I could carry that feeling with me wherever I go.
Throughout the fall semester I did community service at a thrift shop and soup kitchen in Lawrence. There I experienced things I have never encountered before in my life. These experiences have taught me a lot, and have truly made me look at America's underprivileged, in a new light.
I find myself extremely passionate in Community Service, I have volunteered at Emmanuel Apostolic Church during Vacation Bible School for the past two summers, preparing food, coming up with creative ideas to keep children occupied, and making sure children are safe. During this time my leadership and conversational skills have strengthened. In addition to that, I have also volunteered there on numerous occasions to feed the homeless. In high school, I also volunteered at an Elderly home on bingo night to interact with the elderly, gave a listening ear, it was extremely rewarding to see them smile, laugh, and interact with me as if they had known me for a while; that showed me how much they appreciate having company. I take huge delight in
I began by tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and eventually became a teacher at the boys and girls club. The focus of my continued volunteer work was to enrich the children’s after school experience whether they needed help with homework or busy work. During my volunteer work the issue that stuck out in my mid continuously was social class or classism. The BGC emphasizes many different issues and points such as “creating aspirations for the future,” “Helping youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process is the main thrust of these programs and also to develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning, decision-making.” BGC encourages kids to engage in healthy and positive behavior as well as to help the youth build and discover creativity in the arts “Club programs help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills.” (bgca.org)
During my 2 years as a member of The National Honor Society, I have done multiple community services. The best part of doing services is watching others smile because of what I have done to help them better their lives. When I was part of Earth Day at my school, I traveled to the historical paterson great falls. To interact with children on how to reuse our resources to help our community become cleaner. The best part of doing this is that a week after our service, the children were beginning to take small steps by picking up trash off the parks.
This year I have served 74 hours for Learner Leadership Council, 27 hours for National Charity League and 17 hours for New Tech High at Coppell. One of my favorite places to volunteer is at Cornerstone Closet where homeless adults come to get needed items and take showers. We get to help them find clothes, and necessities and spend time talking with them. Another organization that I spend a great deal of time serving in the summertime is Metrocrest. We put together the food backpacks for families through the Backpack Summer Hunger Project. These organizations reach out to other organizations and charities and assist with acts of service. Even on campus I have been able to serve others. Being a NTH@C Tour Ambassador has been an important way for me to give back to my school. I enjoy showing others our learning environment and the importance of what happens each day. By attending clubs on campus is also another way that I feel is a pertinent way to serve alongside others and celebrate their passions. School events such as ‘The Day’ and other school wide bondings also exemplifies service participation. It is a powerful way to show our connection to those around us on a daily
The site I volunteered at was Cradles to Crayons in Boston, MA. This group provides children up to age 12 that are living in low income and homeless situations, with essential items they may not be able obtain otherwise. This includes clothes, shoes, school supplies, toys, books, and more. This helps these children at home, in school, and at play. Their overall mission since being founded in 2002 is to give children in need the most important basics of life. Their approach revolves around the idea of people helping other people. Better off communities are paired up with poor communities and those who have spare items donate them, and they are given to those in need.
Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home.
People’s lives are changed every day by their actions and experiences. This past summer, I participated in a community service project, an experience that opened my eyes in many ways. I was a volunteer at the County Memorial Hospital. In my time as a volunteer at the hospital, I was able to meet patients and staff members from all over the world and learn about their life experiences. Listening to all of their stories has made me truly appreciate everything which I have.
A reflection of my volunteering experience can be summarized in two words: Life-changing. It is hard to explain the feelings that occur when you involve yourself in selfless acts for your community, such as volunteering. There is a feeling in your heart that you cannot ignore, maybe it is the happiness you feel or the overflow of emotions in helping others. In other words, it is a feeling in which you want to share with others. Maybe with a friend, maybe a classmate, maybe a family member, or maybe even a stranger. Either way, spreading how life-changing volunteering can be is a great start to making a positive change in your community by simply by involving others.
Volunteering impacted my life by building my self-confidence, relationship skills, and social skills. Helping others and devoting my time to this organization supplied me with a sense of pride. I now know that I have the ability to accomplish a wide spectrum of tasks. Volunteering gave me a positive outlook on life. While doing so, I met numerous people whether they were patients, coworkers, or other volunteers. I learned how to share similar interests with others which created friendships. As relationships began forming, I felt an enormous amount of support. I ceased to be timid; my interaction with others strengthened.