Almost every Sunday morning I get up at 7:30 so I can go to my favorite APO service project. Where is it, you ask? The Ronald McDonald House. It has opened my eyes to a number of things, including the joys of cooking and being grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given. Knowing that people will have food for the morning makes me feel good on the inside. The truth is that doing something for someone else has always made me feel good because my mom instilled in me that it was important to give to others when you can.
I started going to this project because I have been collecting soda tabs pretty much my entire life and I wanted to see what the Ronald McDonald House was all about. Also, I wanted to see how much of a difference a small gesture could make to a number of people. I never thought it would have a huge impact on me and that my love for this project would only grow. Not only does it have an impact on me, but I make an impact on the people that are there because they have smiles on their faces knowing that they will have something different to eat for breakfast on a Sunday morning. It also makes them happy knowing that college students take time out of their busy weeks to help them keep their nutrition up.
This is a project I get to do with some of my amazing friends and we love it more than anything in the world. It bothers us when we can’t go and it doesn’t matter to us if we have to get up early.
I have gone on this project six times over the course of my sophomore year and I can’t wait to go back again when I return to college for my junior year, but now is the time for me to start studying for my finals. My like for cooking has increased because other people were able to teach me how to make things like eggs and French toast. It might be a long drive from campus, but it allows the people that are going on the project to bond and get to know each other.
My favorite thing about this project is writing on the little chalkboard all of the food that we made and leaving a nice message like “Enjoy! Have a great Sunday.” I write this tiny message because I know it will have a large impact on the people that see it because they realize there are people in the world that want to help them in any way they can.