Volunteering Community Service Learning

When a person contributes to their community, they gain more than a just a sense of accomplishment. The experience a person gets in return from helping the community is invaluable. It is a mutually beneficial experience. A person who helps those in need gains knowledge and experience that can help them in future endeavors.

A person can give back to the community in different ways; through volunteering, community service, and service learning. While volunteering, community service, and service learning can be carried out in the same ways, there are some differences. Volunteering is willingly offering your time and service to benefit a person, group, or organization, without pay. Community service includes services volunteered by a person or

The Houston Food Bank is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1982 by Joan and Stanford Alexander. Today, the Houston Food Bank is the largest distributing food bank in America and feeds 800,000 people each year. Their mission is to lead the fight against hunger by coordinating large scale distributions of food and other products throughout the city. I recently participated in service learning at the Houston Food Bank and it was a great experience. I spent my time scanning donated items and organizing them into packages that were to be sent to those in need. Teamwork and communication where imperative to completing the task. Due to the immense amount of items to be sorted, scanned, and packaged, there were several groups assigned to work on sets of items at a time. I worked with two others who were first time volunteers at the Houston Food bank, like myself. Communication is important because the exchange of information was necessary to complete what was assigned. We were instructed on how to handle the items, and we were encouraged to ask questions for anything we were not sure about. At first our pace was slow, as we figured out a method that

We had several projects and assignments that simulate the way of the business of world that highlight these concepts. They are not difficult concepts, but they are crucial. Teamwork, communication, and networking is what makes large and successful organizations like the Houston Food bank work. I know how organizations like the Houston Food bank work, yet I usually do not take the time to analyze it. I played a small role in the few hours I was at the food bank, and upon reflection, I realize that every small role counts. The massive amount of people that volunteer and donate to these organizations find a way to work together to make an amazing difference. A couple years ago, I was involved in a group that dedicated themselves to volunteering and community service. I had some of the most memorable experiences in the years I was in that group. However, with the responsibilities of work and school, I left behind the volunteering group. That day I was at the food bank reminded me that any small contribution can help. I only spent four hours at the food bank, but I, along with all the other volunteers, helped several families who cannot afford food. A spark within me was reignited to find time to help others. Ultimately, this experience has reminded me to be more aware of the needs of those within my community, and with a group of willing