I did a few community service opportunities this semester. These include picking up trash on the sidewalks around campus and around the path of the Olentangy river, apple picking, and making blankets for children in need. I did the trash pickup the first week of school as a way to get to know my new fellow ENR scholars, and I was luckily put in the same group as my saplings mentor, Jake, which made it easy to get to know him, too. I did the apple picking because it seemed like a fun service opportunity with my fellow ENR scholars’ students and all of the apples we picked would go to a food bank. I made the blankets with my friend from Torres because I had done it before in eighth grade. It was a good time just having nice conversations with people I had never met before and it was nice knowing that I was helping kids out there who may not have families that are fortunate to buy something as simple as a blanket.
The trash pickup addressed littering, which I had not realized was so bad until I did this service opportunity. It is insane how much trash people toss into nature without a care in the world of what other organisms it could affect. The main thing I can do to continue to address the issue of littering is to make sure none of my friends litter, which seems small but can be huge if everyone made sure their friends did not partake in littering. The apple picking addressed the issue of poor families that may not have the money to buy fresh fruits, since that is pretty pricey to some. This was great because I had partaken in food drives in high school, but those were all canned and non-perishable items, so it was nice to know that we were providing fresh apples to those in need. I can continue to address this issue by participating in this service annually as it is run through OSU’s farm. The blanket service opportunity addressed similar issues as the apple picking which was not all families can afford simple necessities, which in this case was blankets. I can continue to address this issue by buying blankets and donating them, even if there is not another blanket-making service opportunity.
The service I participated in this semester was the best community service opportunities I have done in my life. In high school I did some service, such as playing with kids at a local elementary school near my high school, and although it was fun and the kids were great, I never felt like I was really making an impact. However, by cleaning up trash, picking apples for a food bank, and making blankets for less-fortunate families felt like physical evidence that I was making a difference. The trash I picked up would be in the trash where it belongs, not the grass or sidewalk, the apples I picked would go to children who may not have fresh fruits, and the blankets I helped make would go to children in need.
My favorite part about doing community service is the learning experience. Anyone can do nice things for people and not really care about them, but when one really thinks of what a difference they are making in someone’s life, that is another part of service some do not usually think about. For example, it is strange to think of a world where you would not have fresh fruits or even a blanket to keep warm in the winter. When you imagine living in a world that the people you are helping actually live in on a daily basis, that is when service becomes meaningful.
If I could participate in these service opportunities again, the only thing I would do differently is tell more people about the service event and urge them to come. The more people doing service, the more that can be done and therefore more people on the receiving end of the service can be helped.
The most difficult aspect of the three service opportunities I participated in this semester was the trash pickup. Since it was a lot of walking, towards the end it was hard to have the enthusiasm that I had in the beginning of the service. By the end I just wanted to head back to my dorm and rest. However, it was very satisfying knowing that I had helped clean up the campus that I will be living on the next four years. The most satisfying part out of all three of the service opportunities was the apple picking. It was a great day outside and it was nice to talk to fellow ENR students and pick apples for those in need.
What I have learned about myself is that on a daily basis, I do think about all of the things I am grateful for in my life, but I do not really think of what kinds of struggles other people in the world may be going through. Through service, however, I am able to think of these people and it makes service very fulfilling.