Working at my service site, St. Francis Xavier Social Ministry has truly been a blessing in my life. My overall experience has been wonderful and all that I could have hoped for in a service site. At SFX I truly feel like I am making a difference in people’s lives, instead of building something that people will use later, or filing paperwork to help an organization in order, (which are all detrimental to the success of that organization), I love that I can be present with people at my volunteer site. I get to learn about people and share with them while helping them get either an ID or a birth certificate, both which are a gateway to many things for our guests, employment, housing, medical care, needed medication, for them an ID or birth certificate …show more content…
Every person that volunteers wants to help our guests grow and succeed once they receive their needed identifications. Not only do I feel that I am helping others, but they are also helping me. Our guests have opened my eyes to what it means to be marginalized and to truly be strong, tough, and courageous. Not only are we blessed with wonderful guests each time I volunteer but the other volunteers have been wonderful to me too. They have welcomed me as part of their volunteering family, every person is extremely kind and genuinely cares about each other. I always get asked how school is going and if I need anything, I also have been invited to my first volunteer potluck lunch, which has made me feel part of the family. This has led to my decision to return as a volunteer at SFX next year.
As soon as I stepped foot into the SFX Social Ministry I could sense I would be gaining many new experiences, but I did not imagine that volunteering here would reshape the way I think of people of the Catholic faith. However, the volunteers at SFX did exactly that. Most of my extended family and much of my hometown is Catholic, but to me, they never exemplified Catholicism and their teachings. As a result, I had put Catholics in categories such as hypocrites, racist, sexists, and homophobic. Yet the people at SFX have debunked every stereotype I had created for Catholics and has shown me a brilliant side of Catholicism I have never had the pleasure of
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.”
Another service that I have done has been to volunteer at the West Campus Hospital gift shop. It was a great experience for me; if I had the time I would make the effort to volunteer again. For people that is good at socializing with others and love organizing I would recommend volunteering at the gift shop.
The lunch bell rung at full volume as the main doors flung open. I predicted that a herd of people will rush in like the water from a spill gate. But instead every person was a line; in fact it was a neat single filed line. Another thing I was astonished to see was to the fact that every single person I served to was superbly well mannered. It was the magical word of thank-you which left great remarks in my life and made my volunteering experience an enjoyable one. After the shift, I have come to realize that everything my family and friends have said about impoverished people was nothing but just a stereotype. In addition, I have self-discovered that volunteering is what I want to do on my spare time. The joy from making new friends, appreciated and making a difference in society was too meaningful to put in words. From then on, volunteering had become one of my most highly valued priorities. Whenever I have time to spare, I will go
Kris became a social worker because she has a passion and needs to help people. Her passion comes from years of abuse and neglect when she was younger. She stated, “It feels right to be a social worker. Although there is no thank you cards and the work may be meticulous at times, seeing smiles is a great reward”. I have learned most social workers enter this career due to personal experiences and they were to help make a change. I am one of them. Although I know I cannot change the world, I know I can make a difference in the lives I touch. I too will find the smiles of my clients
Selecting to do my service learning at Harvest Hope Food Bank was a very impactful experience. This was so, because of the fact that I have never volunteered at a food bank until now. The organization was able to connect me with the required skills I will practice throughout my career as a professional social worker, therefore better preparing me for assisting clients who may be dependent on my services.
I enjoyed this experience so much, that I decided to go back to volunteer for Change Point, and will be going there once a week. This experience had the impact it did because I got to connect with the community in which change Point serves and help assist others. By doing this, I gained hands-on experience in which will help me in my future career. I also was able to enhance my skills in being a leader and in communication. The parenting classes that I taught to others not only helped them but also helped me.
My community service work at County Hospital is to care for the rudimentary needs of each patient. My goals are to provide inspiration during the healing process, teach kindness and compassion, and discover my own abilities for empathy. "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I'll try again to tomorrow (Mary Anne Radmacher)." My hope as a volunteer is to help each patient find that voice, find that courage to go forward.
As I said earlier, one of the problem among homeless population is lack of of access to healthcare. Many homeless people were not even aware of their health problems and some of them did not even care. As a public health nurse, being aware of your surrounding and understanding the need of the people is helpful in order to provide better care. Homeless population are very vulnerable and they need a lot support from the people. I had fun doing this volunteer and it made me happy hearing homeless people say thank you for our effort in feeding
Volunteering made me find my career plan in sociology / Social Worker. With a college degree in one of these areas, I hope to impact my community in ways. First, with the knowledge from college, I hope to counsel with young people& adults. In today's society, there are so many negative things that influence adults & young people. I want to help them understand the importance of setting goals and striving to become great citizens. I also want to give them a sense of hope that with perseverance, they can become great role models for other adults &young people by
While volunteering there, I was placed in a local long-term care home for the elderly. This experience was highly beneficial. Working along side, nurses, care aids and other health care professionals was my first view inside the “system”. Volunteering at the Care Home, did not necessarily make up my mind on the field of social work but solidified my desire to work in the field of human services. I learnt from this experience at the hospital how profound my compassion for others truly was. It was not until my first year of college, that I started to volunteer with an organization that I am still with today and absolutely adore volunteering with. That organization is the Vernon Women’s Transition House in Vernon BC. I started off by filling in for employees who met in weekly meetings. While on the floor, I met many women who were in a place of ‘in-between’ and safety. This experience was eye opening. After a brief stay out-of-town, I returned to Vernon and again volunteered with the transition house – this time in another program: Support to Young Parents. This is an incredible housing program where young mothers who have fled abuse (potentially without the resources or parenting skills they truly need) can live long term. This apartment consists of 6 units, with the 7th unit converted into a resource and common space. The program
My interest in social work stems from a love of volunteering that I possessed ever since I was a young child expressing great enthusiasm for church and school service events. As I grew older, I began volunteering for many other community events, such as serving over 200 hours at a local hospital, helping with free cancer screenings, and fitting children with free bike helmets. I even created my own donation drive for a local women’s and children’s shelter. I feel the best when I am striving to create positive changes in my community and for struggling, marginalized individuals. Social services have been a part of my life for a very long time, and I want it to continue to be on a professional level.
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.
Volunteering enables an individual to make a positive impact on his or her community, while empowering the individual to better his or her life. This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at many diverse locations. From the hospital to the local library, I truly value my experience and treasure everything it has thought me. Volunteering lets us experience and learn things that we otherwise would not have learned; volunteering opens doors for us that we may not have been able to open before. Volunteering provides us with guidance and tolerance which we may use in the future to aid us in our decisions. At first glance, volunteering may seem to only benefit those who are helped, but on a deeper level, one can realize that volunteering benefits the volunteer as much as, if not more than, those who are helped. Not only does volunteering make a difference in one’s community, but it also helps the volunteer become a smarter, happier, friendlier and more caring individual.
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.
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