AMH2020 student
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”-
Maya Angelou. The importance of community service in the world today is a lot
of times forgotten.
I was raised in a
home where serving others was not only a good thing to do, it was expected.
This past November, I became a published author in a book about goodness around
the world. The book is called “Goodness Abounds”. In the passage that I wrote,
I explained how my inspiration for Philanthropy stems from my grandparents. They
have set an incredible example on the importance of giving back. In 2004, my
grandparents, Bill and Cindy Perry opened the Perry Pavilion, attached to the
Dr. Phillips Hospital in Orlando, Florida. It is a comforting place for
families of patients to stay if they are from out of town and don’t have a
hotel. The families are not obligated to pay for their stay, but donations are
welcomed. In hospitals, it is not uncommon to see people sleeping in the
hallways, or in the uncomfortable chairs in the patient’s room. The Perry
Pavilion gives them the option to be in a comfortable living space just steps
away from their loved one’s hospital room.
When my grandparents opened the
pavilion, I was asked to donate my toys to the play room. My parents told me
that the kids who would be playing with my toys are kids whose family member(s)
are really sick and toys will brighten their day when they have been sad. Even
though I was only five years old, this changed me as a person. I was able to
give up some of my most treasured toys for the benefit of other children.
Ever since,
I have found myself putting my community on the top of my priority list. I have
been a part of many community service projects, mission trips and donations. I
was able to be a part of serving dinner to veterans at Veteran’s village with
my history class, lead my professor, Dr. Soldani. My professor leads this
amazing dinner a few times a month. The veterans who live there know her name
and look forward to seeing her every month. I was able to be a part of this
amazing event. These men that we served dinner to have given the ultimate
sacrifice. They put their life on the line to sustain my freedom. The least I
could do for them is serve them dinner. It was an extremely humbling
experience. Some men rolled in on wheelchairs, some limped, and others walked.
There were men who were very sociable and wanted to talk the night away and
others who did not say a word. In both situations, you could tell by the looks
on their faces how happy they were for us to be there. They graciously said
thank you, as they walked out with a full plate of food and a smile on their
face. When I’m serving the community and I get to see the peoples’ reactions, I
am reminded of the reason I do what I do.
In the
midst of the holiday season, it is crucial to remember how important giving is.
Receiving gifts is always fun, but nothing can replace the feeling when someone
loves the gift you gave them. My favorite part of the holiday has to do with
giving back. It has become a family tradition over the years to do something
called “Layaway Angel”. Layaway is where people can go shopping at K-mart and
put things on layaway that they cannot pay for at the moment. These people put
payments down, when they can, toward the items. Once the item is paid in full,
they can take it. My family goes to our
local K-mart and heads to the layaway section. A woman named Rachel, who knows what
we do every year, takes us into the attic where all the layaways are kept. There
are hundreds of items just waiting to be paid for and taken home. During the
holiday season, majority of the layaways are toys and things related to
Christmas. But, there are always some items that are not. Lots of times there
are diapers, baby food, or clothes on layaway. These items are for the people
who are neediest. We choose about four or five peoples’ layaway and pay them
off completely. These people work so hard to provide for their family,
especially during the holidays. It can take several months for them to pay off
their items. Rachel calls the customer with the layaway items that we chose and
gives them the exciting news that they have a “Layaway Angel” who just paid off
their items . The reaction of those customers is the most amazing thing I have
ever heard. You can hear the happiness in their voice and tears of joy. Tears
fall down our faces also, knowing the difference we just made in someone’s life.
They are always so thankful of what they have just been given, and that is the
reason we do it.
Serving the
community has shaped me as a person. It’s the year 2017 and people are more
self-obsessed than ever before. If you think about it, most people today would
much rather stare at their iPhone than make conversation with the people around
them. As years go on, people become more and more selfish. Even smile or just a
simple “how’s your day going” could make someone’s day, but nowadays that could
be seen as “awkward”. There are very few
people who realize how important community is. Community service makes the
world a better place and it should be practiced more often. Once people
experience the humbling reactions of giving back, they will want to do it more
often. My perfect world is a place where everyone is kind to each other and
love one another. The first step of that is community service.
