Personal Narrative: One And Only Hindu Heritage Summer Camp

As a first generation Indian-American, I am no stranger to being a part of a distinct community while observing two unique cultures. Traveling to India exposed me to a dynamic population with rich diversity comprising of numerous languages and differing religions. Though these individuals may have had differing customs from their neighbors, there were similar ambitions to conquer grinding poverty. This poverty can be clearly noticed by seeing citizens sleeping on floors of a railway station, or the lack of air conditioning in searing hot weather. The frailty and mortality of the human condition was starkly visible in India. As a fellow human, I was humbled not only by the lack of privilege and opportunity of many citizens, but also by their

In "Museum Indians", Susan Powers describes her mother from her childhood perspective.Power uses vivid imagery, similes, and metaphors, to convey details about her mother.These details help readers to understand some of her culture and why she wants to be like her mother, and why she feels like she is only "half" of her

My drive to help others stems from my time volunteering with the service organization, Rotary, and their leadership program, Camp RYLA. When I attended this camp as a high schooler, I learned invaluable lessons of self-confidence and connecting with others, traits seldom found in a high school environment. My experience at this program inspired me to return as a counselor, where I have been helping foster the growth of today’s youth for the past four years.

I have been involved with several service activities throughout my life. Some of the more recent services that I have participated in include: Helping set up and helping teach underprivileged children at the Children's Defense Fund Freedom School. Here I volunteered my time during the summer helping set up the classrooms and supplies, moving and unpacking and organizing; supplies, food, and donations the summer program. I also helped out this summer program by checking people in and out, guiding and directing people where to go, and unload and load the children onto the busses. During the summer I also volunteered a week of my time to be a “buddy” to a special olympiad at their Special Olympics Athletic Retreat. Being a “buddy” included self regulation, chaperoning on field trips one on one, assisted with self care skills when they where needed. Also this summer I volunteered my time for four weeks being a counselor in training at the Stowe YMCA. This included reading to the campers, helping serve meals to the campers, Chaperoning on field trips with the campers and being camp counselors to campers in grades pre-k through fifth grade. I also have been participating on my temple’s youth group advisory board. There I help determine, plan, organize, and run group activities and social events for the youth groups. I have been doing this for the past three years. This group also partakes in several community service projects throughout the

Furthermore, I have also done quite a few acts of service to my town and school even though I realize that it is not necessary for me to do so, I believe that by serving others without a reward is the best way to become a better person and leader. As a matter a fact I am a member of Frisco’s Teens4Green and have volunteered to play “Rufus the Recycling Dog” at local elementary schools, which was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. In addition, with my early release periods, rather than go home early most days, I choose to go assist some teachers if needed. By assisting them I can learn more about following in one’s footsteps to achieve a certain goal and how to aid another in a time of need. Since then, I knew that I had to serve my school in different ways rather than just teachers. I wanted to demonstrate to my class that I could be a worthy asset, and that I was there for them in wanting to make our senior year extravagant, yet

In this regard, the most important part of service to me personally is giving back to the community. Volunteering is my way of providing service to others, it is not only effective, but it’s a good way to meet people, to learn, and to develop social skills. By helping or supporting others, I learned and used new skills in communicating with people and I have gained confidence in myself through different interactions. Providing aid to a family in need or helping out an elementary teacher is necessary, because as people it should be our natural tendencies to support one another, and bring aid when aid is due. For example, at Seven Lakes High school I created the Girls for Krause Club. It was given the name the Girls for Krause club after the Krause Center; a center in Katy that fosters girls who have been taken out of their homes due to sexual harassment, parental mistreatment or mental issues. My first visit to the Krause Center was with my youth group at church. I was so touched by all the girls at the center, and how open they were about their situation. I remember one of the girls telling me thank you, for treating her like “a regular person.” This interaction gave me the incentive to create the Krause club, because I wanted to allow other girls my age to interact with these girls and bring attention to a center that wasn’t well known in my community. Moreover, creating the Krause club has been rewarding and a way to showcase

I am a volunteer for Camp Kesem, a program that provides support and puts on a summer camp for children and teens whose parents have been affected by cancer. The past year I have volunteered with the organization at "bar-canning" and "tailgate-canning" events, where I have fundraised for and informed people about Camp Kesem. I also organized a flag-football team for one of our largest campus fundraisers, "Football for the Fight." Lastly, I was accepted as a volunteer counselor for this year's summer camp, where I will be a cabin leader for 11-12 year-old

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" Gandhi. I always like to volunteer and join charitable events because their benefits are numerous. For example, volunteering let me meet a wide range of people from different backgrounds and this helped me to enhance my character, improve my social skills, and make me a better citizen. In addition to that, volunteering let me embraces new experiences and knowledge. When I went to a high school in the United States in 2013; I was selected to be a member of the 'National Honor Society’.

Last year, I experienced something that changed my life forever. It didn’t make me a different person, it just changed how I viewed things in our daily lives. Last year, I volunteered with a group known as Challenger Baseball. Challenger Baseball is a program, that gives differently-abled kids, a chance to experience all the fun parts of playing baseball. Each player is paired up with an able-bodied buddy. Not only do the buddies help the players play baseball, but they are also there for the player to talk to. Last year, I volunteered to become one of these buddies. At first, I was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect. However, that fear quickly turned into joy. The smiles on all the players' faces, was more than enough to get rid of any fear. Although

As an uncultured, whitewashed, charter school Indian, going into high school trying to find an extracurricular activity for me was a bit of a challenge. I was very unexposed to my culture, and had friends who showed me something I could be apart of. When I saw what it was, I turned the other way as fast as I could. We walked into the Canton cafeteria on a Tuesday after school, and I can truly say I’ve never seen so many Indians gathered in one place—on time—for the same cause. It honestly felt like being back in the motherland, and never do I want to go back there. I look ahead with the only two Indian friends I had standing at my sides and as I stand in awe, they go about greeting everyone and catching up. I’ve never felt so out of place, which was was weird considering everyone usually knew who I was, but I had no idea who any of these people were.

I feel that after all of the sacrifices that have been made by the community for my benefit, I have an obligation to give back and re-pay what has been given and more, I have an immense amount of appreciation and gratitude toward my community and all they have done for my peers and I. Community service also plays a big role in my involvement in the youth group at First Baptist Church of Bryson City. each year, a group of teenagers, including myself, participate in multiple community service projects -- whether they are as close to home as the Hospital Hill Road clean-up, or a far away as mission work in Port-au-Prince, haiti. I have been involved in many community service projects, because giving back to my community is something that simply gets done without

Many people don’t realize the true value of volunteering, but I’ve come to understand the incredible impact of volunteering through my experience at Memorial Hermann. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” For me, his words could not be truer.

I was so excited to start going to Heritage Middle School, I was finally starting to grow up. I was going to meet new people and have more classes that I have to manage now all on my own. Now I am becoming one of the big kids I will become responsible for my own work like projects and turning in my work on time.

One year ago I joined “Good neighbors” (NGO) a major goal of which was rendering assistance and encouraging to the children from low-income families in our country, as well as in many other countries. I have been helping to implement the very first project by filling out questionnaires of children and other tasks of the employees of the organization that had to be done. I was fortunate to be involved in a noble cause in it. While I was working in this organization, I obtained unforgettable experience. “Good Neighbors” made me feel amenable and responsible for little children which needed our help. The volunteer experience revealed my feelings to the children, which have become like siblings to me. A selfless and free aid to people, especially to the children, is a great matter. I understood that everything we did was for the benefit of children. Even if I do not have enough forces and opportunities to make the world better for everyone, I am realistic about my forces and capabilities and I strive to make this world better for specific

From sophomore to senior year, I volunteered at the Glide Memorial Church, an organization that helps to serve food to the low- income and homeless. I decided to volunteer at Glide because I want to give back to the community that I am part of by mitigating the issue of homelessness in San Francisco. On the first day of volunteering, I was sent to pass trays of food to people. I like volunteering there because I enjoy seeing the smiles on the people’s faces when I pass the trays to them. As I continue to volunteer, I was placed in many positions and challenged myself with different and new responsibilities. I did clear up, help people to clear up their mess and clear up the trash. I help fill in food in the trays and pass the other volunteers.