'headed for Sioux Falls, SD' - My presence and the community

Two days ago, a few underclassmen, classmates and I were headed for Sioux Falls, SD in our big yellow school bus. During our ride our teacher simply explained that during the day we were going to be doing a little yard work for a few community members in the area. Just as we arrived to our first destination our teacher was done talking and sat down facing the front of the bus looking out at the work we had ahead of us. All of us students were a little confused as to why we were helping with yard work for the owner that looked in her mid 60's was outside already getting started. We begin to pair up in groups and are told what to do. We were to work fast and efficiently cutting bushes, raking the lawn, and pulling weeds from gardens. With twenty-six students there this job went rather fast and before we knew it we were back on the bus heading to our next job.

On the way to our next task for the day our advisor once again stood up and praised us herself and that the woman was extremely proud of all the work we did. At that moment our teacher then answered the one question that was going through all our heads "Why did we need to help her she seemed to be perfectly capable of doing things herself?" With the teacher till standing she told us that that woman is currently battling stage four cancer and was unable to winterize her house this fall because she's so worn out and tired from chemo. At that particular moment my heart just sank and I felt so warm inside for helping someone like her in need of something so small but to her felt like a task she never thought about being able to complete.

That same day we helped an elderly couple with yard work once again that filled up the morning half then served supper to about two-hundred and fifty homeless people at a place called the Banquet.

What is a community? Communities are various kinds and groups of people who interact with each other that share a common location. In a community there are some people who are extremely kind, caring, compassionate, and are willing to help people when in need of something, and this is the type of person I am. From all sorts of volunteer work that I have done throughout the years, I find great pleasure leaving the place where I just did work and can reflect on that throughout the rest of my life.

How will my presence enrich the community? Being involved with other students from my high school and doing many different types of volunteer projects with them, getting them involved and making them feel good about the things they just did is one of the biggest rewards of volunteering. Then by going away to college I hope to continue to staying involved in the community and try and get as many people as possible to make a difference in others lives. Not only trying to make a difference for other people but to also help themselves realize how fortunate they are to have the resources and to learn not to take anything for granted. I feel that my generation is taking too many things for granted and I believe it's important for them to learn that not everything comes with an easy snap of the finger. With the help of my generation, and dedication of all I believe that we can slowly make a change in your community that will ultimately change the lives of many families and individuals.