Soyoung Kwon
EHS Thanksgiving Food Drive
1. How did your community service work help the community?
Some people really overindulge with Thanksgiving while there are others starving in the city. Being a part of the food drive and also donating helps the community by giving the less fortunate a bit of a “real” Thanksgiving.
2. What were your initial reactions upon hearing that you would be engaging in a community service project?
Initially, I was a little annoyed that there would be out of school work for a zero credit class. After some thinking I realized that this shouldn’t even be considered “school work”. Giving back to the community should be something that is genuinely voluntary.
3. How did it make you feel to give your time and energy to others?
It felt satisfying to give back and know that someone truly appreciates the food that is being given to them by an anonymous person.
5. What stands out as the best and/ or most trying experiences that occurred while engaging in your community service project? What did you learn from these experiences?
I think the best experience that occurred while engaging in this project was just talking to the other people who also volunteered to collect food about their personal experiences and stories of people they know.
6. How did engaging in this project relate to your education and the larger issues in society?
It opened my eyes to the fact that the homeless people that I see everyday are friends and family members of other people and see poverty as pathology.
7. How did your community service experience relate to the “Leadership and Service” session?
N/A
Did not attend.
8. How has your community service experience changed your thinking, attitudes, and actions towards others, yourself, the community, and community service work as a whole?
Since I helped collect food and also donate food for the drive, I became more understanding of the people on the subways who collect food on a daily basis for the homeless and less fortunate. I have a new admiration for these people.
9. How has your community service experience impacted you personally? What is the most important thing you learned about yourself throughout this experience?
Participating in the food drive helped me take a step back and look at the larger picture of life; there is more to life than just school,work,family, and friends. I was reminded that taking care of your community is also very important. The most important thing I learned about myself from this experience was that I can help make someone’s day everyday.
10. Were you satisfied with your experience overall? Why or why not?
I wish I was able to be more active in the food drive, but it was an overall fulfilling experience.
11. do you see yourself staying involved in the community during your college and adult years? Why or why not?
I’d like to stay involved just because I feel as if change is really possible if more people get involved with giving back to the community.
