(Service Project Fall 2015)
“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
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Honestly to sum up my whole experience working at veteran’s village I would have to use the word transcendent. This experience has truly changed my life. I never realized before this, that my time would be worth so much. I didn’t have to give any of the men and women their gifts to make them feel happy. Talking with them, reliving events of their past, and just making them feel pride in their service for our country was worth so much more. Giving the veterans a group of friends that truly do appreciate them, is the best support in their journey to getting back on their feet. Each person there is drastically unique. From the not so “qualified” dentist, to Marvin who likes to make mix tapes for you. I look forward to continuing to come to Thursday night gatherings, and getting to know even more of the veterans there. For the actual service project part I decided to bring a Christmas gift. My Christmas gift was a pair of flannel pajama pants, a matching thermal long john top, and a pair of also matching slippers. (I really do hope they appreciate how good I matched everything.) I decided to give the gift of pajamas and slippers because that’s a luxury I know not everyone there has. It’s getting colder and having something warm to sleep in or just relax for the day is important. Christmas is a very family oriented holiday. For the veterans that don’t have a family, giving them a Christmas gift lets them know that they have people that care about them. Just the act of giving can change a person’s mindset. I hope my gift makes someone’s day, and helps them to realize they are not alone.
