Throughout the day, I find myself going through the motions of life without thinking twice. I wake up, go to school, go to work or dance, do homework, then go to bed. In between activities, I spend a majority of my time on my phone or watching Netflix. I rarely, if ever, think twice about the privileges that I have been given because of the social class I was raised in. It was not until after I started volunteering to do service work that I realized how fortunate I was. Most of the people I volunteered for would love the opportunity to receive an education while, at the same time, participate in a sport or hobby that they were passionate about. These individuals would also love the chance to relax at home on a phone or watching Netflix. An
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During the summer of 2014, I had the opportunity to serve others in Birmingham, Alabama. One night of my trip was spent running a community meal for the homeless and less fortunate in that area. A meal was prepared by a group of volunteers, and it was my job to help serve the food and provide a friendly face for the visitors. Volunteers, including myself, were pulled into conversations with a few of the poverty stricken individuals. I learned about several of their families and home lives. One mother explained to me that she had sacrificed multiple aspects of her life, including her self-worth, to adequately raise her son, who had a learning disability. As the meal concluded, it dawned on me that compared to the others there, I have been fortunate with the items and opportunities my life has presented me. Thinking back on that experience, I am reminded to be grateful for every opportunity life has to offer …show more content…
I finally received a wake-up call when I was asked to organize a stock the cupboard and secret Santa event for my youth group. A Department of Human Services social worker knew of two families that did not have enough money to buy their children Christmas presents. One of the families was a grandma and an uncle raising a two-year-old boy. The boy was born with drugs in his system, so his first hours of life were spent going through a withdraw. As a result of drugs, both of his biological parents were in jail. Both the grandma and the uncle worked full-time jobs, so they would be able to afford basic necessities. After fundraising and gathering all of the food and Christmas gifts, the grandma invited me to their house to deliver the presents and judge their tree decorating contest. My first impression of their house was a worn out door, steps, and flooring. There were a lot of random trinkets inside, but the social worker informed me in advance that a majority of their possessions were from stores like Goodwill. In their living room, there was only an old box television set and a tiny couch. I gave my input on the tree decorating contest and left shortly after that. Weeks later, after Christmas, I received a picture of the little boy in the batman costume, on the scooter that was bought for him. He also had an ear to ear smile in the picture. His
During the summer of 2014, I had the opportunity to serve others in Birmingham, Alabama. One night of my trip was spent running a community meal for the homeless and less fortunate in that area. A meal was prepared by a group of volunteers, and it was my job to help serve the food and provide a friendly face for the visitors. Volunteers, including myself, were pulled into conversations with a few of the poverty stricken individuals. I learned about several of their families and home lives. One mother explained to me that she had sacrificed multiple aspects of her life, including her self-worth, to adequately raise her son, who had a learning disability. As the meal concluded, it dawned on me that compared to the others there, I have been fortunate with the items and opportunities my life has presented me. Thinking back on that experience, I am reminded to be grateful for every opportunity life has to offer …show more content…
I finally received a wake-up call when I was asked to organize a stock the cupboard and secret Santa event for my youth group. A Department of Human Services social worker knew of two families that did not have enough money to buy their children Christmas presents. One of the families was a grandma and an uncle raising a two-year-old boy. The boy was born with drugs in his system, so his first hours of life were spent going through a withdraw. As a result of drugs, both of his biological parents were in jail. Both the grandma and the uncle worked full-time jobs, so they would be able to afford basic necessities. After fundraising and gathering all of the food and Christmas gifts, the grandma invited me to their house to deliver the presents and judge their tree decorating contest. My first impression of their house was a worn out door, steps, and flooring. There were a lot of random trinkets inside, but the social worker informed me in advance that a majority of their possessions were from stores like Goodwill. In their living room, there was only an old box television set and a tiny couch. I gave my input on the tree decorating contest and left shortly after that. Weeks later, after Christmas, I received a picture of the little boy in the batman costume, on the scooter that was bought for him. He also had an ear to ear smile in the picture. His