As you participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities, we would like for you to reflect on your experiences. Think about and respond to the following questions:
- What was the experience?
- What did I learn about myself from this experience?
- What did I learn about my community from this experience?
- How can I apply what I learned into another part of my life?
In this experience I worked as an expo to get the consumers breakfasts to their tables for a volleyball fundraiser. I spent 3 hours in back with kitchen calling out orders to the cooks and yelling names of the ‘Servers’ (volleyball girls) who were to bring the food to their tables. Although I work in restaurant myself, I realized how difficult it can be to deal with people who do not know what they are doing in that type of situation. I learned the importance of stepping up and being a leader as well. This whole experience was a rather crazy mess. No one knew what they doing, let alone how to serve food or gather it from the back. I had to step up and create a system of who was next to receiving their order of food. Although this system was just writing their name on a piece of paper, as if a ticket for the food had been sent it. In the middle of calling out names, orders, and telling others what they needed to do and what needed to be done. I realized that everyone had seemed to come to me with all the little problems/questions. I learned that in a time of need I am able to step up and take charge when no one else will, and how important it is to have a leader when others have no one else to turn to. I can apply this to other parts of my life because having the courage to take charge is hard for most to do and being a leader I have the ability to create a change with my ideas.
ReplyDeleteBack in September, I volunteered at a fall festival that my church put on for my community. For four hours, I ran "The Cupcake Walk" booth, which is basically a spin off of Musical Chairs with a prize being a delicious cupcake. It was so great to see the kids faces light up when they received their reward.
ReplyDeleteFrom this experience, I learned that I really enjoy being with children. I find much pleasure spending time with children. I think a lot of this comes from the fact that I have 3 younger siblings.
Because so many people came the the event, I learned that my community is united. Even though the majority of the people didn't attend our Church, they were still willing to come and interact with each other. That's the true definition of a community. It is so great to talk to my neighbors and grow new relationships with families who live so close.
This experience helps reaffirm that I would like to become more involved with children. I enjoy tutoring and teaching piano to kids during the week. I also know that my community is very supportive of family events, which is helpful information for future volunteer opportunities.
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ReplyDeleteOn October 17, at the Odyssey Buckeye Campus, I volunteered for a face painting both along with all the Varsity OI cheerleaders. We set up 3 different tables and each of us had separate sections depending on our ability to paint. Everyone had separate jobs; for example Geneva was collecting the money and the rest of us had to face paint.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a hard time with kids and this is an amazing experience when it comes to patience and being able to deal with kids as much as I do. I saw the union between the schools and how many different people from all 3 campuses came together.
I liked being able to interact with the children and seeing their reaction when I finished painting their face and how excited they were to show their parents.
On September 19 the cheer team did a Cheer camp for kids, the girls who attended varied aged from 5-12.
ReplyDeleteDepending on how we got along with kids we divided ourself into two groups. Some took the little kids including me because we have more patience and work well with kids and the other half took the junior high girls. Both groups had to learn a stunts, a cheer, and a dance. After a couple of hours we had the parents come in and watch the girls perform.
This is a really big role to take in, especially since you have to be a leader and a role model as well.
It took a lot of patience for me, especially when the ages varied from 5-10 in my group.
I loved how we (the cheer team) where able to take a huge leadership role and were able to work as a team to be a role model to young girls who want to have fun and be like us some day. I loved being able to show our potential as a team and that hopefully we can be an inspiration to them.
Every Sunday, I help set up and tear down my Church. My church is a church plant and we meet in a school, so tables and chair must be put away every week after the service. I have been doing this for several years, so its a little difficult to answer some of the questions because I am so used to it. However, I know there is value in every volunteer opportunity not matter how much you do it.
ReplyDeleteOrganizing papers, greeting, setting up chairs and tables, etc is a weekly process. It also can be hard work. Helping my Church makes me realize how much it means to me. I often sacrifice sleep so that I am able to volunteer. Some of my community also comes to help out and that tells me that church means a lot to them as well. Without volunteers to help set up, our church could not operate. Sometimes, I'm not sure how many of our church attendants appreciates or realizes how much it takes to set up each morning, but I know that myself and part of my community is thankful to be apart of such a simple but great opportunity.
I believe that when I help set up church, I am working for God. It brings me great pleasure in knowing that I am doing service for my Father.
I can use my experiences of volunteering at my church in many different areas of my life. First, I can grow the relationships I make in church. Also, I can learn many skills I can use at home like organization and social skills.
For me, volunteering for my church is the most valuable opportunity out there because it means so much to me. Not only is it great to use my time for service to others, but it is so rewarding to know that my God is pleased.
I have helped on Sunday with children's church for about 4 years now. I get to church at 8 every sunday morning and go over the lesson for the day. Then I attend first service and I am sometimes asked to help in other areas at my church. During second service we do lessons with the kids. We lead them in worship and have small groups etc. At the end of service we pick up the chairs, put them away, shut down all the sound and wait till the kids get picked up. After cleaning everything I don't leave till around 12:30. This experience has taught me patience, not only for kids but for people of all ages. It also taught me to work well with others and to be a leader.
ReplyDeleteAlso during the summer, I attended a missions trip to Guatemala. We spent 10 days there. The whole time we went to schools in the city and talked to them about Jesus. For a few of these schools we went to I was in a dinosaur costume and I loved it. We each had a specific job we had to do to set up our canopy. During this I learned to appreciate what I have. Theres so many things that I take for granted and half the time I dont even realize that those things can be taken for granted. I am so blessed not only with the country I was born in but with the family I was born into. There are kids who have nothing and are some of the happiest people I have ever met. I learned I dont need materialistic things to have happiness. Also I learned that you never know what people are going through so everywhere you go, every person you meet be nice and show them love.