C: Paying forward kindness to others comes with a feeling like no other.

AMH2020 student* 

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” This quote by, Saint Basil, describes how kindness, good deeds, and courtesy gathers love and brings friendship to one another. This Service Project is a perfect representation of the good deeds and kindness that students are capable of bringing forward. It gives the students in this course a chance to put a smile on someones else’s face. It gives us, the students, a chance to do something a little more. It gives us a chance to make a difference.

            For my service project, I chose to send a box to an American soldier in Afghanistan. This box consisted of a book on positive living and faith, snacks, candy, notebooks, and writing utensils. I chose this specific method because in my eyes, American soldiers are the biggest heroes that there are. They give their lives every day so that we can live freely. The book that I sent, The Art of Listening to Prayer, gives its readers an explanation of what it means to have a personal relationship with not only others, but with God. I believe that soldiers can benefit from reading this because it gives them a little something extra to fight for and motivation to keep pushing. It lets them know that there is someone watching over them even when they are thousands of miles away from home.

            This connects to my core value and major because it is my dream goal to fulfill others hopes and dreams. I specifically sent this book in can effort to help a soldier push a little further and to fulfill all soldiers dreams of getting home safely to his or her family. My major is, Construction Management, I chose this major specifically because the main goal of this profession is to build someones dreams. In Construction Management, one can find many hardships and bumps in the road. It is the job of Construction Managers to keep pushing and to find a way to come up with the finished project. The thing that I love the most about this profession is how you have something to show for all your hard work. It is a whole new feeling being able to see what hard work and dedication can really do. Construction Managers help make dreams into a reality.

            This Service Project is extremely beneficial to young students because it reminds us that there are some people in the world who rely on others for love, friendship, and motivation. Paying forward kindness to others comes with a feeling like no other. This Service Project is a great way for students to get involved in the community and make an impact on someones life.  Some may not know this but these little acts of kindness is just what these people need. These soldiers, veterans, and the homeless, rely on us to push them to keep moving. It gives them a further reason to keep their faith and to make the most of their lives.

            The community benefits from this project because it gives students a reason to go out in an effort to make a difference. Small acts of kindness such as sending a box to soldiers, serving  veterans at dinner events, and donating to the less fortunate, go an extremely long way. It can help turn those who are depressed and lonely into someone who sees the good things in life. This project can literally save someones life. The differences that things like this service project can make are limitless.

            When I was young, my mother created a project called, “Sports Center”. The idea of this project was to collect used/new sports equipment and deliver them to foundations such as, “Kids in Distress” and “Jack and Jill Childrens Center”. These are both programs that aim to help less fortunate children by providing them with education, food, shelter, and toys. My family would gather as much sports equipment as possible. My siblings and I would knock on doors for hours in an effort to collect something to donate to these children. We would even look through bulk trash around our neighborhood in search of something we could salvage. The greatest part about this project was being able to see the smiles on these kids faces when they saw what we had brought to them. These children, not much younger then myself, seemed to rely on us for happiness. The experience was life changing, it gave me a whole new look on what it means to pay forward kindness and to give back to the community.

            Ever since the first time I made the donation delivery with my mom, being able to help he community in any way possible is a priority of mine. That is why I believe this project can truly help make a difference in not only the community, but in the whole world. Something as small as a used baseball glove or a football, can change a persons life. Below are images of the box that i sent to Afghanistan. The box doesn't contain much, but I believe it is enough to make a positive impact on a soldiers life. The community relies on us for support and assistance.