Best Times...

When reflecting on my service learning experience. I think the most rewarding opportunities is working with those who are the backbone of the service. When I walk in to the experience, it feels like family. Mrs. Kathryn is greeting me....with open arms and a big smile. Then I see Larry, he is always very polite in answering questions and he manages the day to day operation. You can really see that he loves the opportunity of helping others in the community and this job really fits his communication skills. He is very approachable and enthusiastic about this cause. I am embraced when I come to help. Knowing that I can make a difference in my community makes me feel empowered. Because I believe in this initiative so much, I tell others at the hospital about volunteering. I have recruited others from the hospital to share in the joy of giving back. I also am a advocate to others about Golden Harvest Food Bank when they hold a food drive. Another best time is when I was able to work with the mentally handicapped as I taught them how to sort. Knowing that they were so proud of themselves, made my heart smile. I applaud the educators that take the initiative to incorporate this learning into their lesson plan. We come in contact with so many people performing this kind gesture that it teaches you love and hope for mankind. I have watched my own child embrace this concept. She gets to mingle with others who share different experiences, cultures, and realities. My worst time was experiencing the fact that so much food is thrown away related to expiration dates. Seeing that wastefulness makes me cringe. Food has become an expensive commodity. Also, seeing crates of food that have been shipped to our site which is infected with insects or varmints. It seems they are eating much better that some of the vulnerable population that we are serving because they were able to infiltrate the food before unpackaging and sorting. This experience reminds me of the concept of Christmas...it is always better to give than to receive. Krista