Personal Narrative: Volunteering At The Salvation Army

Volunteering at The Salvation Army I realized this was my chance to make a difference. When people hear that a person is “homeless,” I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind is a bum, dirty clothes, a drug addict, and a drunk. However, that is not the case at all. Living in times like these, recession plays a huge role on unemployment rates which eventually leads to homelessness. Not only that but natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, left thousands of people homeless in New York. Being the only person to volunteer at The Salvation Army I was nervous walking in alone, not knowing how it would be like. As I entered a few friendly smiles greeted me in and I was told to go to the back kitchen. The beating of my heart, like the gallop of a thousand horses, pulsated in my ears. Even though I chose to do this, my palms were sweaty and my foot tapping as I nervously stood there waiting to be told what to …show more content…
Most of the people that were there yesterday were back again. The only difference this time was that we made 60 pounds of delicious spaghetti with meat pasta sauce. Many of the people I met were friendly and started short conversations with me. Overall, the experience was eye-opening and enlightening. Using my time to help people, helps me realize that making people happy is what brings joy to my life and that there is nothing more important that this to me. These two days brought so much happiness and joy. Even though I wasn’t rewarded with a tangible or materialistic gift, that simple “thank you and God bless you” brought a smile to my face, making me realize that my hard work and I am appreciated by these people. I learned values, and I felt accomplished. When I came back home, I reflected on all that I had learned and experienced these past months with these life changing experiences. I wanted to hang on to this wonderful feeling of being there people in need. I love using my free time to help others, and hope to