Meals on Wheels: An Eye Opening CEL Experience The Meals on Wheels experience happened every Friday for 3 weeks for me. In this experience I was able to personally deliver meals to generally older people living in apartments or retirement/old-age homes in different parts of Trenton. During every run, my peers and I would get in the Bonner van with 2 or 3 other Bonner volunteers and we would first go to Arc Mercer and I would help the Bonner volunteer pick up the food, in bags and a cooler, and the route book. Then we would go on the route, usually 4 stops with multiple drop-offs, and deliver the food. I usually did 2 of the stops, sometimes 3 depending on how many Bonner volunteers were present with us. When delivering the food, I would have …show more content…
Many people who I have met through this experience were tremendously grateful to get their meals, because they probably haven’t been able to get fresh meals in their lives before. I have also learned not to take food for granted. I have the privilege of easily accessing fresh or even organic food and I never really thought about how life would be like without these privileges. This experience was definitely one that opened my eyes to the reality of people living in food desserts. On one of the days when we volunteered, I saw a lady talking to my peer and she said how she wanted to be a recipient of the meals on wheels because she has been living off of food stamps and she doesn’t know if those food stamps will end in the future. This experience really touched my heart and made me realize how difficult life can be for many people who live in food desserts and may not be financially stable to afford high quality food. Additionally, I also learned how meaningful it was for these people to see me deliver their food to them. Even though they didn’t know my name they were delighted to see me deliver their food. This eye opening journey has showed me that there are people in my community who are not as fortunate to get a plate of fresh food every day and I should be more thankful and appreciative that I don’t have to worry about the quality of the food I
This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.”
Imagine a single mother, living in a poverty stricken neighborhood without any personal means of transportation. She walks down the stone-cold streets of Brooklyn and every corner she turns there is either a neon-green sign flashing 7-11 or a red-orange clown spinning a sign reading McDonald’s. In order to reach a supermarket or grocery store she leaves her kids behind, because of the hassle and danger of New York subways, and travels about two miles to feed her and her children a nutritious meal. Although eliminating food deserts in impoverished neighborhoods may not seem possible overnight or have an immediate effect, communities should come together to raise money to build a local grocery store or placing a healthy food trucks down the street, which can soon become a catalyst for completely
Reliable access to nutritious foods is a principal concern for most individuals. Still, even in a prosperous country like the United States, a considerable number of citizens don’t consistently have this access. This problem is especially prevalent in lower-income, urban communities like those in the city of Philadelphia where food deserts, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as areas “vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods,” are particularly common (). So what can be done to address this problem? Besides palliative measures such as food drives and other charitable endeavors, most people are ignorant of methods that can verily combat food insecurity. While a far-reaching solution can probably only be achieved
I also recently volunteered at the Cleveland Food Bank by packing lunches for under privileged children and sorting non-perishable foods for those in need. Prior to participating in volunteer services for the day, we were required to watch a video that explains the purpose of the Cleveland Food Bank and why there is a need for continuous support. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank works to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. The mission of the Cleveland Food Bank is to alleviate hunger by providing food and support to community organizations that feed the hungry. Many people depend on the support because of their financial situation, life changes, and possible mental or physical limitations. The Food Bank acts as a storage unit and distribution facility for smaller agencies and organizations such as schools, homeless shelters, churches, and day
The hours I put in at the food pantry had a greater affect on me than the thrift shop. On October 16, 1999 another classmate and I were brought to the food pantry in the middle of a poor section of Lawrence. We were brought inside and I was instructed to serve salad, bread, and pickles. My heart really went out to the unfortunate people when they started coming up to me. I felt extremely bad for them. There were people of all ages. Parents with their children, wearing dirt stained clothing filled with holes that did not even fit them. A good amount of the people I had to deal with were Hispanic and very few of them were able to speak English. It was very difficult to communicate with them. The little faces of the innocent children made me really feel for them. I knew these children had insecure families and were looked at as though they were fortunate to be getting food. These young kids seemed to be very appreciative that they were able to get some food in their starving bellies.
...unteer there and help distribute the food and help the families that are in need. They are a very responsible and smart organization. Organizations like this are needed case last year alone 15.9 million people were helped last year and that still wasn't everybody that is in desperate need of these resources(Feeding).
From Ancient Mesopotamia came a revolutionary tool that has crystallized the world into the complex civilization it is today, the wheel. The wheel has commutated the very way we live and think about the world and all credit goes to Ancient Mesopotamia for providing this life changing invention. Wheels are everywhere we look and in places that you wouldn't even think. Wheels are used everyday in some way or another and come in many sizes and innumerable different materials and purposes. This prodigious invention has helped ancient Mesopotamians work, move, and live and still helps us today.
I started volunteering at the food bank and the soup kitchen in grade 9, with a nudge from my friend. During my time as a volunteer, I would ask for donations and collect any non-perishable food items. Later I would go to the Soup Kitchen, to help cook some of these items and serve them to those in need. My volunteering experience allowed me to experience the environment and face situations that I otherwise would not. It opened my eyes to the harsh reality and lifestyle that many individuals in our society face today. My time at the food bank and Soup Kitchen helped me understand the importance of giving, ...
The Medicine Wheel is a symbolic part of Indigenous culture across the North and South American continents. It is hypothesized that that the Medicine Wheel was the heart of all ways of life. Stone Medicine Wheels have been discovered in the northern plains of the United States and Southern Canada. However, there is no current evidence to explain when and why these teachings began.
We, Aimee Johnson and Jessie Virnig, along with Amy Wilson and Shawn Klimek, decided to try to give the homeless a little hope. The week before Christmas we went door to door and collected food for the local homeless shelter. We decided to focus on collecting food because around the Christmas season, a lot of emphasis is put on toy drives and people sometimes overlook the fact that the homeless still need to eat. In order to broaden our research, we decided to collect food from more than one group of people. We went to an average middle class neighborhood and to a college dormitory. Before we went out into the neighborhood and dorms, we prepared a thank you letter to give to everyone explaining to them who we were, to tell them that we were collecting food for the homeles...
I assisted teachers, spoke to the kids as well aided the janitorial crew. However, there was this young kid, who was always picked on and made fun of. His mother had died when he was at a young age, and his dad is always working to support the rest of his family. He didn’t have much luxury as other kids in the already poor area. I talked to him and he opened up to me. He told me about his feelings and family and everything that he has been through. I showed empathy and put myself in his shoes. He told me that I was one of the first people that had actually tried understanding and caring about what has happened in his life. After we had talked, it seemed like he was feeling better and happier. I felt truly humble after doing this because I realized that several people experience problems and issues in their lives. Various people aren’t as fortunate as I am, however, giving back and helping them, allowed me to understand, and encouraged me to create a
I went to the grocery store and got cases of water, bags of bread, and stuff to make the sandwiches. I had finished preparing the bags and each had granola bars, fruit, ham and cheese sandwiches, water, toothpaste, and other hygiene products. My dad and I had arrived outside the homeless shelter and were ready to pass the bags out as we saw the swarm of people. Hundreds maybe even thousands of people gathered sitting in what little shade there was. I knew we had a homeless problem, but not to this extent and the bags I had made were going to make little to no difference on the vast amount of people that had been sitting outside. I was a little disappointed at first to be completely honest because I was not prepared for that many people. If I would have known there would have been so many people I would have made more bags. We drove around the block planning on what we were going to do and saw some tents set up. My dad and I were curious as to what they were, so we got out the car and saw that these people had been giving people food and I walked up to them and asked if there was any way I could help them. These people in the tents were actually an organization called Open Arms Outreach and a few girls scouts. They gladly let us help and we brought a few cases of water and the bags I had made and helped pass them out. The organization Open Arms Outreach
I volunteered at East Parkside Nursing Home through my church 's mentoring program. At first, I was somewhat uncomfortable volunteering at a nursing home because my great-grandfather, among many others, was mistreated in a nursing home. But, as the day went on and we engaged in activities with the residents, I eventually calmed down and got into the smooth of things. We had one-on-one contact with the seniors, and we learned about their lives and families. One of the seniors was a veteran who fought in the Vietnam War and he told all of the volunteers a few short war stories. For several residents, their families rarely visited them, so they genuinely appreciated the volunteers spending time with them. Later, we made holiday cards and sang Christmas carols for the senior citizens. They seemed so elated and pleased, which made me feel so fulfilled that I could make someone 's day by doing something so
Volunteering has really opened my eyes to many different difficulties that some people face. Having served the majority of my community service time at Goodwill, I have seen and experienced a broad range of people from a wide variety of circumstances: financial difficulties, poor living conditions, or bad misfortune. Having witnessed these people’s backgrounds, it made me more appreciative for the life that I have. I have learned, through all the different people who shop there, that not everyone has the luxury of being able to shop anywhere they want. The stingy smell and dust-covered items are not the most appealing, but some people rely on stores like Goodwill to offer reduced prices on goods, and me being there to help with this process is very rewarding. This made me think about all the times when I complained about not getting the name brand items, when, looking back, were all amazing things to be able to own. I may see the people I help directly in the store, but I do not even notice all the people I help indirectly through Goodwill’s use of profits to help people in need. When I read about the stories of some of the people who Goodwill helped, it makes me feel very good inside, knowing I was part of the help. This makes me feel grateful that I am able to use my talents to help the
Recumbent tricycles are three-wheeled cycles that allow the rider to be in a reclined position while on the move. The pedals are usually at the front (attached to the front wheel) and not by the side. Unlike other common upright bicycles or tricycles, it allows one's weight to be evenly distributed in areas other than the back and buttocks making it more comfortable than its counterpart.