Serving with a Smile (LUNCH) at Room in the Inn (2023-24)

On March 25th I volunteered at Serving with a Smile. This event gave me the opportunity to serve an organization that provides meals for the lower-income Memphis community. The people at Room in the Inn were appreciative of our service. During my time at this event, I got to improve my dish washing skills. I got to work as a team with Mikayla, Ella, and Lillie washing dishes and serving people their meals! We got to help serve the people that came and help clean up after lunch. Personally, this impact helped give me some perspective on how fortunate I am and how much I enjoy helping others.

General questions:
My direct service benefitted members of the broader community because I was able to serve the less fortunate community of Memphis, which hopefully will help the entire Memphis community. My service was people-facing. I served the less fortunate community in Memphis. Everyone I came in contact with was very grateful for my service.
1) I developed my food sanitization skills during my service. I was required to wash my hands regularly. I was also required to wear gloves and switch my gloves after every task I performed.
2) My service impacted me because it made me realize how lucky I am for the things that I have. It definitely made me count all of my blessings and made me grateful for each one of them.
3) I do plan to continue to keep working with this organization. I love my experience every time I go. I have a lot of fun getting to meet new people. Additionally, using my gifts that I have been blessed with to serve others who are less fortunate than me never fails to bring me joy.

I volunteered at Room In The Inn here in Memphis, Tennessee. Room In The Inn houses people who are homeless or who are suffering greatly financially. I helped the cook make plates, washed the dishes, and I brought out plates to the residents. My direct service benefited members of the broader community because I served food to the less fortunate people of the community. Serving food to them is helping them keep their family fed and helping families get back on their feet. I served the less fortunate members of the Memphis community. The residents didn’t really have much of a reaction to me being there. Some moms said thank you, but others did not acknowledge me. I think that this is because a lot of the families are focused on eating rather than who is serving them. This service improved my communication skills. I am sometimes a little shy, so this service challenged me. This service did align with my personal values and beliefs. This service aligned because I believe that everyone should help others, especially the less fortunate. Volunteering reminds me how lucky I am and how appreciative I should be for my life. I have learned a lot about the community that I have served since I have started serving at Room In the Inn. I have learned about how the facility helps families get back on their feet and how they organize who stays and who doesn’t.

My direct service benefitted the broader community, because I got to serve lunch to those who otherwise may not have been able to find a good quality meal. The person overseeing my service on this day was Ms. Angela. She was the cook for the day. She was instructional, but also conversational and fun to be around. I worked as a team with one of my good friends. Even though we were washing dirty dishes, it was still fun because we were doing it together. Working as a team makes anything better. Each time we serve them, they are grateful and say thank you. I will be coming back to serving with a smile, because I enjoy the routine of it and the purpose behind it all. It is truly for a good cause.