Blog Entry 1

Before this class, I would consider myself to have had a decent amount of experience with volunteering. Much of my time volunteering came with the 4-H program that I was a part of growing up. While part of 4-H was taking care of my animals and taking part in different projects, another huge part of 4-H was community service and giving back to the community. A few service projects that I took part in through 4-H were creating decorations and spending time with people in assisted living, setting up and taking down chairs and tables for different events throughout the year, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, and cleaning the local churches. Aside from volunteering for 4-H, I also volunteered for the youth programs at my high school. This included volunteering for camps for basketball, soccer, and volleyball, helping run the concessions stands for different athletic events throughout the year, and volunteering for the tutoring program for students in the online school run through my high school. I also have spent a lot of my time volunteering with events run by my local fire department. My family is deeply involved in the local fire department on both my mom and dad's side of the family. Some events that I have volunteered and helped with in the past were the 100 Year Anniversary Event, the annual Open House, and brat fry fundraisers for the department.

While taking part in many events throughout my life, I have learned many valuable lessons. I have learned about the importance of staying involved in the community. Staying involved helps me to keep in touch with and interact with my local community. Another lesson I learned is compassion for others. Some people are in situations that have them relying on others to survive, and being one of those people to help them creates an emotional connection to help those in need. Volunteering also built skills like teamwork and communication. During a lot these events, I worked with other people, and for things to run smoothly, I had to be able to work with other and communicate clearly with my team or group members. 

Overall, I would not trade any of these experiences and events that I have been a part of for anything. There have been so many valuable lessons that I have learned and so many friendships that I have gained from working with other durning these service opportunities. I am looking forward to continuing giving back to my community both now and in the future, especially with the Oshkosh Area Food Pantry.

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