"Service Above Self” Essay
Throughout my childhood, service has been an extremely important virtue to me. Service not only helps other people, but it also satisfies me knowing I positively impacted someone else's life. Seeing other people who are less fortunate than I can be heart-wrenching but knowing I can help them, comforts me. To me, one of the most important aspects of living is helping those who are in need also live their life to the fullest. Everyone deserves to be living comfortably and that is why I believe it is our job, as people who are blessed with more than enough, to help those who are less fortunate. One of my favorite acts of service is helping those in need by creating shoes out of jeans.
As a service project, I volunteered to take old jeans, and, with the help of others, create shoes for those who have none. The moment I knew that there were thousands of children whose health was declining because of the infections they were getting in their feet I knew I had to help. There are so many children around the world who unfortunately have no shoes to wear, however, this project allowed us to create these shoes so their feet could be protected. Although it may not seem like a lot, these shoes protect children from getting infections and other injuries on their feet. For many, these donated shoes mean so much more than we can truly understand. When we see the happiness and amount of gratitude, they have it truly makes the service project worth every minute given. As president of the National Honors Society, I have had the amazing opportunity to come up with many different service opportunities.
For one project, we found a family in need in Faribault and gifted them with presents that they could not afford for Christmas. After raising money, we were able to gift this family over six hundred dollars’ worth of presents. The best part about this service project was seeing the children's faces light up when we put their presents under the tree. They had never received this many presents before which is why it was even more meaningful to us volunteers. It was so heart warning to see the family's thankfulness but also to see my fellow NHS members involved and excited to provide this sweet family with wonderful gifts.
One of my favorite things to do is protect the earth. From buying natural products and recycled materials to cleaning our environment; I love it all. That is why another one of my top favorite service projects has been cleaning our earth. It is eye-opening to see the amount of garbage and waste that people will throw on the side of the road. After multiple hours cleaning the one side of the road it was clean. It is sad to know that in a couple of months it will be dirty once again from people mistreating it. But we will go out there again and clean it up because that is what our earth deserves: to be clean. Another way I love to take care of our community is by taking care of our school gardens. I volunteer my time by planting flowers, pulling weeds, and just taking care of the garden. I love that people of our community can share the joy that these beautiful gardens bring me each season.
As a result of my community service, I have grown as a person, scholar, and peer. I have learned the most beneficial ways to help those in need by tending to their individual needs first. Although it may be challenging to find a lot of extra time in one's schedule, service will always be there for when you are able to find that time. These service projects have made me eve1more grateful and appreciative for everything I have in my life. I look forward to being of even more service to my community in the future.