Service Reflection

On August 25^th, I went to Pay It Forward’s Community commitment day. This was a service event, and the group I was in went to Goodwill. Since all of us in International Affairs walked over together, most of the people in my group were in IA. Being that it was the first week of classes still, this was a great way to meet others in IA that I had not talked to yet.

Before I was there, I never put much thought into what goes on before the clothes and other items are on Goodwill’s shelves. I just assumed that they did not do much but hang clothes on the racks they belonged on and then replace them with new ones when more came in. However, when we got there, I quickly realized that was not the case.

All of the clothes were marked with different colored plastic tags, and our task was to find the ones with the green tags. We were to take all of the ones with this color off of the shelves and to the back room. They were probably out there for too long and the employees were looking to restock with newer brought in clothes. Just like other stores, they have sales and certain tactics to sell their items. I did not know how many items Goodwill kept in the back of their building either.

It did not take us much time to complete what we needed since there were so many of us. Since it did not take us very long, I assumed it would not take anyone much time. However, as we were leaving, the woman who was instructing us on what to do told us that what we accomplished in only a few hours, would have taken them much longer since there are not as many of them and they have other things to do such as help customers. She thanked us, and then we went about our day. Every time I volunteer I am reminded how much donating a small amount of your day can really help others in ways you could not imagine. It is often the little things we do that make the most impact on those around us. Had we not been there, it would have taken them at least a day. Because of that, they would not have been able to get the new clothes out as fast which would have prevented them from selling more of the new items. It is a great feeling to know you have helped others.

Not only did this open my eyes to volunteering, but it also relates to International Affairs. Compared to other countries, Americans have many more material possessions. This was evident in the amount of clothes and other items brought to Goodwill. It was good to see them being donated instead of just thrown away.

Overall, this was an event I am glad I attended. I got to make new friends and help others in the process.