First Experience with Service Learning

Soon I will begin volunteering for an orginization called Community Meals through 1st Baptist Church in Everett. Every Friday night people from the church and other volunteers (like me) will come together to prepare and serve food to people in need. We will also interact with the people that come to eat. (first baptist church of Everett website) We will be serving people in need of a meal, i.e.- families, children, homeless. I imagine my first day to go something like this- I walked into the church excited to experience a new surrounding. I could already smell food being made and I sensed a positive vibe in the air. When I walked into the kitchen I was immediately greeted by a woman with a big smile on her face. Seeing her positivity made me that much more excited to start the evening. First, she showed me around and told me a little bit about what would be taking place for the evening. Then she showed me a task to start helping prepare the food. I kept busy for the next hour or so, trying to help prepare as much food as I could. I felt really good about being able to give back, even if it was something like making food for someone. Around 5pm I could start to hear people coming into the eating area. It was time to start serving. As I was serving everyone I was suprised by how many families there were. It made me really thankful for what my family and I have. After serving was cleanup, and then I thanked everyone and headed home, excited to be able to do it again the next week. I chose this Service Learning option because I have always been interesting in volunteering at a shelter type setting. I'm excited to actually be able to do it. I hope that after all this I will continue and possibly be able to bring my son along so he can experience it too and gain a new perspective on how fortunate he really is. I hope I can really make a difference in someone's life as many people over the years have made in mine.