Reflection Paper

So, my friend and I gladly agreed to help him carry all his food and followed the boy to his apartment. When we got there, he opened the door and I was absolutely astonished at what I saw. Never in a million years would I have guessed that this boy who was always smiling and as happy as could be lived in a place that had only two pieces of furniture, an old falling apart couch and fridge with no food. This showed me that you can never really know what's going on in someone's life. The happiest of people could be going through some of the worst times of their lives. This experience and many others that I’ve had through my NCL experience are the reason that I love community service so much. Not only do I have the ability to impact someone's life through each charity I help, they also have an impact on me. I find charity work to be my biggest interest because I love seeing the impact I can have on someone’s life that they may have never had before. I am excited to continue my community service work throughout my college experience and look forward to finding a way that I can include this passion in my chosen major or future line of

When I was eight years of age, I started to realize that there was an entire word outside of the town, state, and country that I lived in. I became concerned about the lives of others, even those that I didn’t know personally. I often thought “There are people in other countries that don’t even have enough water to live, and I am living an amazing life here in America”. Not only was I concerned for those people, but I took action to help them. It was then that I started a fundraiser to raise money for people that can’t afford the basic necessities to live in third world countries. To this day, I have been saving every penny I could afford to make sure other people can live a better life.

I saw kids of all ages living with a burden pinned to their backs. However, they did not show it. They were just like me, a normal kid. Yet everyday they had to live in a sort of jail. Following a strict schedule when to eat, play, sleep, and go to school. They couldn’t hop in the car with their mom and go to the mall. The things I take for granted were what they were praying for. While here my fellow life teen members and I came together as a sort of beacon of light to play with and be a friend to these kids. We all came together to achieve a common goal and help those in need. This experience really hit home with me as I underappreciate all the little things in life that I should be grateful for. Trying to live a selfless life can be hard, but I will continue to help my community and those in need throughout my

My church opened many doors for me to assist my local community. For example, for the past 6 years, I led low-income families around my church campus to collect free school supplies and clothing. Every year in November, I delivered Thanksgiving meal to struggling families. At Christmas, I assisted my church in giving away Christmas presents to children who wouldn’t otherwise receive gifts. I also traveled to needy parts of the country on mission trips. On them, I restored a church and playground. These unique experiences were just the beginning of my service to beloved people and the community.

For my service project, I chose to clothe and feed the homeless. I chose this act, because I was once homeless, living in a car and the unfortunate state of affairs that many people find themselves in, really touch my heart. During my service project the message of “each one, reach one” really resonated with me. Much like Ebenezer Scrooge after his 3 ghostly visits, the needs of the less fortunate and down trodden were illuminated.

We set out flyers in our high school in October which got us a lot of donations for Thanksgiving.We donated those items to the homeless shelter at the city over. However, when we ended our last drive in the second semester, I found myself driving to the homeless shelter with the donations in my car yet again, but then I spotted a homeless woman sitting a curb with only a sign. At that moment, I decided to that instead of simply giving these away to a random shelter, I will give to those in my own community. I pulled over and took out a couple of cans from the trunk, I hand it to her and she was so happy. Though this wouldn’t be the safest option, it the felt the helpful one. I gave out my donations to homeless people in my community for almost a month till the donations ran

I received a monstrous amount of gratitude for helping with tasks both large and small. Although I was advised that it was accurate that people should not directly provide homeless people with money because it may end up being used on harmful objects, I became more and more sympathetic to the homeless each day. I learned how to aid them safely and effectively by volunteering in shelters and food pantries and by buying necessities to give directly to people in need. I did feel guilty for my initial feelings, but I was glad that I finally understood what the circumstances were actually like. I became more appreciative for what I had and planned to tell everyone I could about my experiences so that they, too, would feel compelled to lend a helping hand to the

I can make a difference in the world by being kind to everyone at any circumstance. For example in the article, “The Science of Good Deeds” the author states, “"One study showed that when men felt loved by their wives, they were less likely to experience chest pain that might signal a heart attack." This just goes to show that being kind can benefit any person in a positive way. Additionally, “Angel in Disguise” shows us that being kind to someone can not only benefit the recipient, but it can also benefit yourself. Mrs. Thompson was selfish and cruel before she met Maggie, while she was taking care of Maggie her heart changed and she became less selfish. Furthermore, in the song “Hall of Fame, I learned that you can accomplish anything as long as you try. This proves that anything is possible, but it isn’t always easy to do.

I sat and thought “what is a good way to give back to the community, but passionate to me at the same time” so I decided to help my elderly neighbor with some house chores and cleaning our neighborhood. I was determined to do this because I live around a lot of elderly people and I notice how difficult it is for them to do yard work or do the things that they once could. I felt positive about helping one of our elderly out because they can use it at times and even why you are helping out your actually being great company to them. The lady who I volunteered my time to was very friendly and we actually had a great time with each other. I helped her maintain her yard and pack up some things in her home to donate to the Salvation Army. After we got done in her home we took a walk around our neighborhood to clean and recycle things. I felt really good about this because i know i made a difference in the community just by cleaning my neighborhood and accompanied my partner in cleaning her home, it was a wonderful feeling because I know she really needed the extra hand and she told me she wished there was more teens like me around, that melted my heart and made me want to lend a hand out whenever i have free time in my day. I chose to work with her because everyday after school i would see her outside doing yard work and kind of struggling with carrying supplies.

One early Thanksgiving morning my family decided to head to church. As soon as we arrived there I questioned myself why there were homeless people slowly wandering

Sometimes my happiness comes from serving others and doing things that benefit others. It doesn’t mean living for others, but when I help others, I will notice that I’m a valuable person. For example, I made music for my friends overnight in order to help him attend the singing competition the next day. When everyone was enchanted by his singing, I thought my life was meaningful. I helped my dancing teacher to make-up for twenty actors. When I watched their performance, I had found that It's worth the hard work I put in. Moreover, I was a volunteer at the Olympic games; I showed the way to people, and at that time, I found the meaningful life when I saw their gratified smile. Liya Kebede said, “Helping others isn't a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.” I serve others, and they say thank you to me. I get my recognition through this process, and I raise my own

I am Marina Ferraz, a 16 year-old girl who has many goals. One of these goals is to be a better person, and to do so I plan to help other in need in any way I can. I live in a big city in Brazil called Sao Paulo, where I have lived my entire life. Sao Paulo, like any other big city, is a place where there are a lot of people who need help. I really like helping others, and it became a big part of who I am. Doing good things for others, not only myself, has become a big part of my identity. It has given me a will to share, made me more grateful and also made me put others in mind, not only put my own feelings and wishes as my main perspective. This all has molded me into becoming who I am.

Throughout my highschool career I have participated in many community services, but by far the most rewarding and memorable are the ones that I get to give food and nutrition to those living in poverty. I love to give the help to others that I would have cherished when I was younger. I know what a significant issue poverty is in our town, and I’m glad I could help make a difference, no matter how

“I alone can not change the world,but I can cast a stone across water to create many ripples” (Mother Teresa) shows my willingness to make a change in life even if it means I have to take it step by step. Since the age when I began to speak and walk I would always find the way to help those in need. I watched my parents struggle to pay bills and always stressing out over if we had enough to eat. Helping others was what made me feel like I had a meaning in life. It was the littlest things that made me happy from watching a baby’s laugh to feeding the poor. In eighth grade Mrs.Perez the librarian along with myself helped to organize a group which gathered donations of clothes and canned

Over the course of the semester, there has been numerous amount of areas where I believe I have improved in comparison to high school. What has helped me in my writing is the writing class and the in-class writing workshop. The writing class that is located in the Kremen education building has helped me with my writing greatly because in the writing center the person in charge teach us lenses and we apply those lenses to the writing, draft, or reading that someone brings in. The in-class writing workshop has helped me because other students get to read my writing. This is helpful because I get feedback from many students and they let me know what needs to be fixed. A new tool I have been using is They Say I Say. The book is very helpful because of the information and examples it provides such as the templates. I have been applying the templates into my essays and I have seen a significant difference.