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 would 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.” She is one woman that I will never forget. First going into this, I was elated knowing I was I getting out of the office for a few hours. I did not comprehend the fulfillment I would receive from delivering meals to the elderly and disabled. But I am pleased and proud of the work that I have done for Meals on Wheels. There is no better feeling than doing something for someone else and seeing such gratitude for something so simple. Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Peterson). In an effort to revisit and make a difference in my community, I have arranged that over Thanksgiving break, I work Monday through Wednesday delivering for Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana.
The concept of Meals on Wheels originated in Great Britain in 1939, when the Women’s Volunteer Service for Civil Defense served meals to elderly and disabled during the Blitz. The National Council of Jewish Women started Meals on Wheels in Indianapolis. Mrs. Morris L. Jacobs...
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...u have been successful in your lifetime. I think that people get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything in their own lives that they neglect other people. Donating clothes, shoes, and jackets from your closet that you haven’t worn in a year is enough to make a difference. I think it is extremely important that people set aside time to give back to their community at least once a month because you really do get back more than what you put in.
Works Cited
Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana. "Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana." Meals on Wheels of
Central Indiana. N.p., 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
Nichols, John. "The Very Fundamentals of Christian Faith." Core 9 Lecture. Shen Auditorium,
Rensselaer. 21 Oct. 2013. Lecture.
Peterson, Eugene H. The Message, Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado
Springs, CO: NavPress Pub. Group, TH1NK, 2006. Print.
a.k.a. Web. The Web. The Web. 09 Oct. 2013.
...Hobbiss, A. Food Deserts And How To Tackle Them: A Study Of One City's Approach.Health Education Journal, 137-149.
(2011, November 1). National Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/hunger.html. National School Lunch Program (NSLP). n.d. - n.d. - n.d.
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
...Hobbiss, A. Food Deserts And How To Tackle Them: A Study Of One City's Approach.Health Education Journal, 137-149.
I learned about the importance of giving back at the age of 11yr old and putting the very important needs of others in front of my own. Volunteering in a homeless shelter at a young age opened my eyes. Where I was placed to give food, clothes, money & hygiene products to people in need. Where would I be right now without the help of God, my mother, family& friends and the church community”. Giving a helping hand to the people in the community is Something we should always do. In the ("bible Acts 20:35 says in everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the lord Jesus himself said: it is more blessed to give than to receive"). Having a compassionate heart for the community blesses the congregation.
Growing up in a lower income family, I always assumed that earning more money gave me more power to spread good works of humanity. As I got older and experienced more around my community, I witnessed people around me that helped with things such as hurricane relief programs and canned food drives. This inspired me to find ways for me to impact others in my community. Each year my family donates all leftover food from our local grocery store to people in need all over
Volunteering at the Olivet Neighborhood Mission has made me realize that not everyone can afford the same things. In healthcare when patients are sick some tend to refuse treatment because they do not have the funds to pay for it. Educating our patients and the risks that they can take if they
Upon learning that I had to do a service learning project for Ethics class, I immediately began brainstorming ideas. I decided I was going to work on a website for the Esprit De Corp group since they could not find anyone to do it. However, I ended up getting paid for so that did not work out. So I had two back-up plans. My first idea is that I was going on an AWOL trip for Spring Break. AWOL stands for Alternative Weekend of Offsite Learning. We spent a week in Denver doing various community service projects. Now, that was a week of community service, but it wasn’t done in Iowa. So I took the initiative of doing some service in Storm Lake. One day after mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Fr. Klein approached me. He asked me if I wanted to help out by leading a confirmation retreat for 90 Storm Lake juniors that would be confirmed in a couple of weeks. I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to help out the community and maybe even help myself spiritually.
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” This quote exemplifies my own personal philosophy on community service. Service is the greatest gift one can return to their community. When an individual takes their personal time and effort to help others in need, it helps progress not only the community they live in, but multiple communities ; ultimately promoting unity and teamwork. People gather together to work towards a common goal: building the people and organizations they are directly and indirectly affected by so that the next generation will be stronger than the previous one. Community service is but is not limited to monetary and material donations, housing reinforcement, neighborhood clean ups. It is as simple as holding a toy drive for
My experiences working in the poor neighborhood soup kitchen allowed me the opportunity to serve the less fortunate. The diners were composed of a variety of ethnic cultures. In serving them, it prompted a push for equality by allowing for interaction between two separate ethnic and social cultures. Serving them helped me understand their struggles with daily survival. Likewise, the assembling of Thanksgiving dinners and visiting the home-bound has succeeded in doing the same. Finally, for three summers I have attended week long mission trips aimed to repair the homes of those in need throughout the poorer areas of America. I've attended trips in Trenton, NJ, Hammond, IN, and Parma, OH. During my experiences, the resident that I served for the week had been from a different ethnic culture. Spending a week with a complete stranger from both a different race as well as a different socioeconomic class is a unique and humbling experience. I learned regardless of that fact, we are all human beings who share common values of kindness, compassion, etc. In all three of my years, our resident was as eager to serve us as we were likewise. Every day of
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.
This has opened my eyes to the plight and struggles of others. We are all God 's children and as Christians, we must be compassionate towards the difficulties and suffering others are facing. It is up to us as a society and people of God to help the underprivileged. We must be their advocate. We must let them know that there are people who care. Working with the many volunteers (mostly high school and college students) at my church, I have learned that there are people who care and give selflessly and generously their time and resources to help those less fortunate than they are. Serving the less fortunate has given me the most self-gratification I have ever experience. It is a wonderfully intrinsic feeling that is indescribable. I have learned that it is my and the responsibility of the community to come together and serve the less fortunate. Most importantly, we must give unselfishly of ourselves to better the needs of others. By doing this we are setting an example and paving the way for a better nation and starting the process of eliminating hunger and homeless from the wealthiest country in the
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.
Numerous amounts of people would come to receive bags of food and select some clothing if they needed some. Particularly during Christmas time, the children that would come would receive some books, toys, and a stuffed animal. At these service events, I had made three very important observations. My first observation was the gratefulness of those who came. The adults, especially those who had to wait for a long time because of the sheer numbers of people that came, remained patient and orderly. Some of us can’t even be patient when the drive thru at a fast food restaurant becomes a stalemate. These people could worry less about time. They were grateful for simply being able to receive some goods that could help provide for them and their family. As for the children, the toys that they received weren’t necessarily desirable in the perspective of a privileged child. However, these kids knew how much their parents sacrificed for them. They were appreciative for any of the toys they received. For fortunate kids, they can expect that their parents will buy them a gift for Christmas. Yet, others can only hope that their parents can get them one small gift. Thus, they cherish anything they receive, something that all of us should do. The second observation I made was that we made sure to evangelize those who were there. In Matthew 4:3, in response to the