(Fall 2015 Student Essay)
Umbrella-Ella-Ella-aye.
I don't know if you have heard of this song, but it's pretty catchy. The artists is Rihanna and it features Jay-Z. I thought it was funny considering my project.
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet. I'm doing a service project, to better help my community. I'm going to be passing out umbrellas on different days, to people that could use them. I know its opposite from my quote but I hope to learn from being friendly to others. First I will pass out umbrellas at my job. I work at Budget rental service. It’s a place that people rent cars and or moving trucks. Well the first thing people forget in cars is there sunglasses or CD's. Though the second thing people forget is umbrellas in the truck or back seat. For the past 2 months, I've collected over 60 umbrellas from rental cars and most of the time people don't come back for them. So there is a room dedicated to lost and found with lots of umbrellas. I asked my boss if I could have them for a service project and he said he'd take it out my paycheck, that’s a joke. He said sure and said I'm welcome to it. So every day I would take home 2 or 3 umbrellas until now I have almost 30. I left the rest at work because when it rains and I'm at work I would ask if people would want an umbrella to walk out to their car with. Most of the time, people are shocked and very surprised. The first time I gave someone an umbrella, it made me feel good about myself.
It was a rainy Monday, November 2nd, I was at work, and it had only been raining for 15 minutes. I was shy at first to ask because I didn't want to upset anyone. Then I see a car pull up. I asked an older couple who walked in fast, if they would like an umbrella because I noticed that they didn't have one and they replied very thankful. After I gave it to them I felt like I did something good. It rained for over two hours and I passed out umbrellas to over five customers. My boss is a really nice person and one time I didn't ask someone, he did! They took it too. It made me feel really good that in just one day we had helped over 10 people not get rained on for the rest of the day. My boss, Mike, had really enjoyed handing out umbrellas with me. Since we had so many we could literally pass out 50 umbrellas if we wanted to. He likes doing this also because I'm cleaning the storage room.
Total Hours: Two hours, Umbrellas passed out: about 10
Today is November 8th. It poured rain all day long. I worked at budget car rental. My shift started at 8am. I get to work and its slightly raining. I went inside and got everything ready like I usually do then go outside to start the day cleaning cars. I got done with the first two hours’ worth of cars in the wash bay so I went inside for my Morning break. Whenever I want I can take a break but I've limited myself to only take a couple breaks and work as much as I can so that way I'm a hard worker. On my break I really don't break. I like to talk with my other workers if nobody's busy. My boss likes everyone to be friends with each other and talk if there's no customers so that way everyone is on the same page with work too. Anyways, a customer named Ms. Shayla came in and returned a car, she had to wait on a taxi to come and pick her up from Budget. It started to rain harder than the morning rain had. I stopped washing cars because it got windy, but I made sure we had plenty to rent. Well Ms. Shayla was a real nice lady, she was talking to my boss about being a Marine Biologists and it got my attention. My boss is a very friendly guy like I said. He likes to make his customers feel welcomed, he's been doing it for 35 years. Anyways Ms. Shayla waited for 20 minutes for a taxi and then I asked if she would like an umbrella. She said to me, "This is wonderful, how thoughtful of you, thanks." I felt like I made a friend and help someone too. Well in 5 hours of work I helped almost 15 people that day. I felt pretty good about myself. Every time someone was leaving with one of my umbrellas I thought how much of a difference I made to their day. How much of a mood changer I did you know? I really like this project.
Total hours: 5 hours, Umbrellas passed out: about 15
Today is November 9th, I had school today, well half of school. My last class, history, canceled so I just went to my first one. On my way it started to pour so I thought it would be the perfect time to hand out umbrellas. Ever since this project started I've been keeping umbrellas in my book bag in case it rains at school. Well I got dropped off by my mom around 9 and had to do some homework before class. Well after I got done it was around 10 and I had an hour to hand out umbrellas. It looked like no one had brought umbrellas to school. I sat my book bag down and then said very loudly "Would anyone like an umbrella?” Instantly 4 or 5 people walked up to me and I gave them all an umbrella. I felt pretty good about myself, even though some people were giving me strange looks. I guess no one has ever given away free umbrellas at TCC. I went to sit down before class and a girl came up to me and asked if she could have one. I gave her one and then she said how nice it was and asked why I was doing it. I explained to her how I had a project to do and my service was passing out umbrellas to people who needed them. She had thought it was really cool. Turns out, we made great friends we talked for about 20 more minutes and then we exchanged numbers. We've been talking all day. She has done community work in the past and she said she loved helping others. I kind of called it when I asked if she was going to be a nurse. It's cool because I want to be a Surgeon Assistant. It’s sort of the same career path, Health care and all. Either way I feel like I made a new friend on this project. The other people I gave umbrellas to, were really cool to. I didn’t really exchange much conversation because it was raining. People were kind of in a hurry most of the time and said thank you or they didn't want one. It was pretty cool to pass out umbrellas at school though I hope it rains again because I still have a lot.
Total hours: 2 hours, Umbrellas passed out: about 10
Today is November 18th, I had school today. My mom told me it is supposed to rain today and tomorrow. Well on my way to school it doesn’t look like it’s going to rain but I bring my umbrellas anyways. I get to my math class and a few people brought umbrellas. So I asked out loud “Dose anyone want an umbrella?” Two students who I never talked before said they would like one so I let them pick from like 15 umbrellas I brought to school in my book bag. They thought it was cool I was doing this. I kind of made a few new friends. I asked a girl who is also in my history class if she wanted one and she laughed and said no because she knew it was my service project, plus she already had one. I asked the teacher who was packing up from the class before us if she would like one. She thought it was so nice and cool that she offered to give me a donation, I told her no worries it’s my service project so I wouldn’t accept it. But she told me how she forgot her umbrella in the car and now she doesn’t have to worry, it made me feel really good and I think I’m even going to take her as my math teacher next semester. Maybe she will remember me and give me extra credit, that’s a joke.
Total hours: 1 hour, Umbrellas passed out: about 5
Today is November 19th and it rained for a few hours today but the weather was just bad all together. In the morning it was nothing but misted all day then about 2 o’clock and it pours really hard till around 4 then it sprinkles the rest of the day. I stopped by the Gas station to get a drink around 12 and when I did I seen a homeless man out front. I reached for my umbrellas and grabbed him one and went over to give it to him. He didn’t say anything, so I just walked away but I felt good that I was the person to help him. Later on around 1 I was passing Pensacola Street going back home and there is an area were a lot of people walk on the streets. I was with my boyfriend so I told him to pull over and I had about 15 umbrellas one me. I went over to the bus stop and handed them out to everyone who wanted one. I had enough umbrellas for all 10 of them. I felt really good because it had poured right after I gave them umbrellas. I had an idea to go buy some ponchos from the dollar store in case someone wanted one of them. So later around 6 me and my boyfriend went and bought about 5 ponchos and I’m going to put some in my purse in case I seen someone in need of one.
Total hours: 2 hours, Umbrellas passed out: about 15 Bought; 5 ponchos
I officially have done 12 hours of handing out umbrellas, I will document my project with this day to day journal. This project has shown me how a little kind gesture can change someone’s day, maybe other people will pick up on this and help each other out more. I would like to keep doing this on my own and just keep some extra umbrellas in my bag or ponchos in case it’s raining. I have the access and it makes me feel really good about myself. Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
