I volunteered for the service project at High Plains Food Bank. High Plains Food Bank was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned citizens who conducted a survey to see if food banks were needed in the area. High Plains Food Bank is a nonprofit organization, and its mission is to attenuate hunger in the Texas Panhandle by collecting, storing, and distributing groceries to the hungry people in the Texas Panhandle. The agency helps many families every year and is continuing to help more families. The food bank is located at 815 Ross St, Amarillo, TX.
For the past two years, I have been involved in the Carmax Cares community service month. We provided assistance to the Foster Care Support Foundation in Roswell, Georgia. This organization sends out gently worn closes, shoes and other necessities to support foster care providers in the state of Georgia. We packaged items to be sent out and organized their warehouse inventory. On campus I am an active member of SABAC as well as the Georgia Club.
The Salvation Army is well known for having its reputation for producing exceptional musicians, Edward Gregson being one of them. His parents were Ministers in the Salvation Army, this resolted in travelling and not living in one place. At an early age only nine years, he started playing the tenor horn in a brass band. That and the piano which he started around the same time, ignited his passion for music. He completed his secondary education at Manchester Central Grammar School and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
I know that we had degust on how to take note on how my date went on the days I’m scheduled to work at The Salvation Army. On October 24, 2015 I came to work knowing that I wasn’t still feeling very well. Michelle Sweeney came in to work with me since Ro had a vacation time that need to be used. I mentioned to Michelle that she will have to be the one to transport residents due to me having (blurring vision).
The transition from childhood to adulthood occurs when an individual is able to recognize the impact he or she can leave upon their community, gaining life skills doing so. An accomplishment that marked my transition from childhood to adulthood, would be best demonstrated by the process and completion of a leadership responsibility when I performed my Eagle Scout Project. I joined the scouting program when I was very young, and have been very active since ever. Becoming an Eagle Scout has many challenges that a young Boy Scout must undertake, including the completion of a community-based project, which is an important step in obtaining this notable rank. The Eagle Scout Project is designed for the scout to learn different leadership responsibilities.
I was an Infantry Medic with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Cambbell. After 2 tours in Afghanistan, I was medically retired with a few injuries. I taught myself graphic illustration as a means of theraphy and started creating digital art. After a request for a custom stormtrooper cardback, this hobby took off.
Throughout high school I have participated in many different activities and programs, but one of the opportunities I was given I will carry with me forever. As a junior at River Valley I participated in the Marion General Teen Volunteer Program. After interviewing and being placed in the physical therapy unit I took the opportunity to branch out into other areas of the hospital. I soon made my way to the labor and delivery floor where everyday a miracle happened. My duties while volunteering included assisting the nurses during hearing checks, changing diapers, and rocking crying infants in special care.
Last semester, I spent most of my weekends working at a pharmacy as a pharmacy technician. My job is not easy because I have to deal with demanding and impatient customers and their insurance company all day. I have worked 9 hours shift without a break. Nevertheless, I love my job. I feel accomplished and satisfied knowing that I helped in the process of improving others’ health.
I have always been willing to give out a helping hand to anyone and everyone in need. Recently I have not been physically available to do as much service as I wished. Starting this year I have had a busier schedule than normal. Because I've been balancing a lot of school and after school academics. Having only a few hours left in my weekdays and weekends to volunteer and do service, I have almost completely given up on participating in any service at all, as it isn't even a consideration in the back of my head.
It has been been a goal of mine to attend the United States Naval Academy after visiting Annapolis with my grandparents in 2012. Since visiting the Naval Academy I knew that I wanted to serve America with the utmost honor and integrity. The Naval Academy Summer Seminar would give me the ability to hone my leadership skills and give me valuable experience that I could use as a Navy Midshipman and throughout life. This summer experience is an opportunity of a lifetime because it will allow me to understand and benefit from the mental and physical challenges the academy provides. Challenging myself at the Naval Academy Summer Seminar would be greatly beneficial for me because I will have the confidence and skills to make decisions
The Salvation Army also sends out pamphlets that if you "make a gift” to their organization you will get tax savings, for example, it says that, “if you give a gift of $5,000, you will get an income tax reduction of $2,309 plus a North Dakota (if you live in North Dakota, its different in other places) tax credit of $924. Then, at 6%, the payment you receive are $300 with a tax-free amount of $236. After receiving your income for life, your remaining gift of the $5000 goes to help those in need. It just sounds strange to me, to give a donation and then get money back, because to me, giving a donation means you don’t expect to get anything back, you do it because it’s the kind thing to do, not to get benefits.
As much as it burned me to go to the welfare building and apply for food stamps, I knew it would put food on the table and help me in the long run. I always heard and seen how people abuse the program by either selling their food stamps or just not feeding their families at all. For those examples, I wanted to learn more about the program and try to educate people on how important this program is. I asked them to volunteer with me and get a good look for themselves on how the Hunger Task Force helps our community by providing
I have had the unforgettable opportunity to personally raise $1,400 for kids to go to summer camp, whose families could not afford it otherwise. I have worked at food drives, homeless shelters, and kid’s programs in my town, in hopes to make someone’s day a little bit better and ultimately make my community stronger. These experiences shaped who I am today. While I cherish the experience I had making a difference in my own town, I am ready to grow and leave a positive impact somewhere else in the country.
Often in life, we come across situations that may stretch us and challenge us, finding ourselves forced to get out of our comfort zone. Volunteering is definitely not for everyone, people may not have the adequate time, confidence, knowledge. But that does not mean you avoid the situation at all times, you must allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone and experience things that you would never think about doing. On the first week of volunteering it was a bit intense for me, as I found it difficult and little bit sad to watch the women living the way they do, for some reason I felt that they were always missing their children and grandchildren. Some of the residents did not even have family so they never got visitations.
What is life’s most extraordinary pleasure? For many, money, power, and/or fame come to mind, and the idea of helping others does not register. It seems for every person eager to help, there are millions ready to hurt or disregard those in need. Nevertheless, the world is not beyond salvation; there are numerous individuals willing to give their time and labor to transform the world into a better place for all. These devoted people are volunteers, and they believe life’s most extraordinary pleasure is the joy of helping others.
