Community service is defined as voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area. Community service is often looked upon as things you must do in order to correct a wrong or something that is required of the law. I believe that community service is something your heart tells you to do. It has to be something that you feel within yourself.
This week, I did my first community service event at a soup kitchen with an organization. Now don’t get me wrong, I wanted to attend and participate, but it was a brand new opportunity for me. I didn’t know exactly what to do, how to “serve,” how to speak to the people, or basically anything about helping others at this soup kitchen. As that morning started off in the soup kitchen, I walked in for an introduction to the man that was over the soup kitchen and he explained everything that was needed to be done. We also did a big group prayer before we started to serve. My first thought was “we have to actually hand them the food?” because I thought that the people there came to the kitchen and grabbed their food, which we provided. I was actually happy that we got to physically bring them their trays of food and drink. It was a satisfying feeling to me.
This entire experience with helping others in need has completely changed my way of thinking. It has impacted my life in more than one ways. I appreciate things more; try not to be selfish and I don’t buy unnecessary things just because. I’m the type of person who has to see things as a way of really understanding and learning, Since I had never seen a soup kitchen, other than on TV, my mindset didn’t know what to truly imagine how it would be.This was a very humbling experience for me and if you had asked the younger me about this may have impacted my life, it would’ve been a very different answer. As I grow up and mature, the little things in my life become so grand. I have learned to appreciate everything that I do have. This really was a body cleanse for myself and I cannot wait to participate and volunteer for more community service.
HCXO!