Undergraduate / Helping Community in Florida - MIT Supplemental Essay [3]

I am not sure if I am on the right track with this essay. Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated!

At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world's biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)

the community garden job

The pile of mulch seemed daunting, exacerbated by the Florida sun shining down on me, but I picked an old red garden shovel with one hand and gripped a wheelbarrow with another. It was another hot afternoon in the community garden, and my job was to spread mulch around the vegetable beds and water the plants. I've done much volunteering through my school and at my local hospital, but working at the garden has been the most rewarding. With the help of my mom and grandparents, I tend to my family's garden plots in a community garden. I feel a sense of satisfaction when looking at the trellises tangled with beanstalks or the bunches of leafy greens that started as seeds that I planted. I am able to help my family eat healthier with the organic fruits and vegetables that I helped grow. My family and I also donate extra produce from our plots in the community garden to a rehab center close by, and I am proud that I can help others in my community eat a little healthier.

(180 words)

Undergraduate / Contributing to Community - MIT Supplemental Essay [2]

I decided to volunteer at the hospital

At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world's biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)

When I decided to volunteer at the hospital last summer, I can't deny that scenes from "Grey's Anatomy" had run through my head. But even without the glamorization and level one traumas, volunteering at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital has been a fulfilling experience that has allowed me to help others.

For four hours every Friday afternoon, I can be found in the emergency department at my local hospital. My work takes me all over the floor, as I assist in a variety of tasks, depending on what the nurses need. There is always something that needs to be done, from changing linens to making blood culture kits. My favorite part of volunteering is interacting with the patients, even simply helping them with directions or listening to them tell an interesting story. I may be far from the operating rooms, but I know that helping out behind the scenes is an important part of helping the emergency department run smoothly.

I became a volunteer at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital with the goals of getting my feet wet in healthcare, getting involved in community, and to make positive differences in the lives of people. I have happily completed all these goals throughout my experience volunteering. (205)

I could really use some tips to make it less bland. I feel likes it's extremely generic right now, and I'd like to change that. Thanks!! :)