Saint John’s Community Service Essay Example

allow us to live in a ‘bubble’. Kids that go to our school are unaware of the poverty happening in our own backyard. I lived in Downtown Sacramento in 7th and 8th grade and was able to watch the homeless population rise in that short time. Volunteering at Saint John’s allowed me to see what happens to people as they are experiencing homelessness. Saint John’s program is targeted towards women who are experiencing homelessness due to an abusive situation.

It allows the women to live in a safe place with meals and rooms. They accept volunteers through the week not only to serve dinner but to take care of children and serve breakfast. This program and many others should be brought up in schools as places that kids need to go. Helping our community was something that wasn’t brought up until senior year, I think that it would improve the quality of many peoples work if students were required to do a small amount every year, then this amount could be increased slowly allowing kids to get used to volunteering each year. By forcing kids to volunteer once their senior year it turns this great project into a job for many of my peers. This project broadened my horizons, I plan to continue to volunteer with Saint John’s as frequently as I am able. I enjoyed seeing the smile on the women's faces when they were able to get their food. It goes to show that the little things are really what counts. For kids in our school I think this project has a great lesson to teach. I had only volunteered once before this project,

my stepmother worked at Brighton Preschool my freshman year of high school so I had the opportunity to volunteer in her class. I had a lovely experience playing and teaching the kids. Looking back now that I have volunteered somewhere with poverty stricken families I can see the sharp contrast between the preschoolers that went to Brighton vs the kids in Saint John’s.

The kids in Saint Johns seemed to be quieter, they were more excited for their food when the time came to eat, and they were less picky about what they were eating. When the kids at Brighton were served there was always many complaints about what was on the menu that day. There was almost always a breakdown at meal time, and they were not as thankful for their food. It makes me sad to think that the kids in Saint John’s will grow up not knowing when their next meal is. No child should go hungry. Above are pictures of the Saint John’s dinner services, when we serve dinner they get protein, carbs, vegetables and a fruit. I enjoyed meeting the other volunteers during my time at Saint John’s as well. One woman who was volunteering told me her story, she used to be in the Saint John's program but was able to pull herself out. She now has a job and volunteers for Saint John’s on the weekends to repay them for helping her and her children. Kids in America today don’t understand that there is such poverty in our country. We see on our phones that there is poverty in other countries but rarely acknowledge the poverty in our own

backyard. By bettering our own country we are bettering ourselves. Another benefit to this project is that it allows kids to gain more experience in case we need references for job applications. There are so many benefits that are apparent to volunteering. I may have donated my time to Saint John’s women's shelter but volunteering for the humane society, volunteering to build a home for a family, or giving back to those who lost their home in Paradise are all amazing volunteering opportunities. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change people's lives, It allows you to play a role in someone else's life. Helping people who may not be able to help themselves is an amazing quality to gain. Volunteering is a way of giving back to your community while developing important social skills, and gaining valuable work experience all at the same time.

Overall my experience with this project was extremely fulfilling. I was able to meet people that I otherwise never would have met. I felt that being in the positive environment was rejuvenating. As well as meeting new people I was able to help people in less fortunate situations as me. I enjoyed feeling productive and helpful. This project taught me many good lessons and has pushed me to try to volunteer regularly from now on.