1) How did your community service work help the community?

I went with my family and two friends on Thanksgiving to deliver home cooked thanksgiving meals to the firefighters working in our community.

2) What were your initial reactions upon hearing that you would be engaging in a community service project?

At first i wasnt excited about it at all. I thought it was a nice idea to give the firefighters food because they were working and could not have their own thanksgiving meals with their families, but I did not want to part take, I would rather stay home and spend the day at my own house.

3) How did it make you feel to give your time and energy to others?

Once I was at the fire station and saw the reactions of the firefighters and how grateful they were, I felt great too. I no longer cared that I wasn’t sitting in my own house and felt good about myself to make their job of working during the holiday easier.

4) What did you learn about yourself, the people around you, and the service site?

I learned that I should not be selfish, and that I enjoy giving my time to others more than I thought i did. I learned that the people i was with, including my siblings and two friends have great hearts and even my ten year old sister enjoys not being selfish. I learned that the firefighters are the least selfish people, because not only do they also spend their time saving others, but they risk their lives for it as well.

5) What stands out as the best/ or most trying experiences that occured while engaging in your community service?

What stands out the most was the reaction of the fire fighters when they saw the food that we brought them, and how thankful they were for our kind gesture.

6) How did engaging in this project relate to your education and the larger issues in society?

Engaging in this project made me realize how special the firefighters are in our society and how we should appreciate them more.

7) How did your experience relate to the “Leadership and Service” session?

My experience related very much to that session, because the firfighters are the perfect examples of leaders and service. They dedicate their lives to serve as leaders in our community and serve to the people by saving them when they need help.

8 ) How has your community service experience changed your attitude, thinking, and actions towards yourself, others, the community, and community service work as a whole?

It changed my attitude and thinking a lot by converting the community service work as a whole from an annoying and time consuming one, into a heart filled and special one. It made me realize that doing community service doesnt only benefit the ones that you are trying to help, but it benefits you as well.

9) How has your community service experience impacted you personally? What is the most important thing you learned about yourself through this experience?

It impacted me personally because i felt much better about myself after I participated in this project. I learned that although I may think that i  enjoy being selfish more and worrying about myself, I really enjoyed caring for others and that made me even happier than worrying about myself.

10) Were you satisfied with your experience overall? Why or Why not?

I was definitely satisfied, and I think that the firefighters were as well.

11) Do you see yourself staying involved in community service during your college and adult years? Why or Why not?

I definitely want to stay involved and will make time for it, because it made me happy and made my day better as well as helping others.

12) Sum up your service-learning experience in a one-two sentence headline.

“Being Selfish is overrated: Helping others isn’t.”