How did your direct service benefit members of the broader community?
My service at Toys for Tots allowed me to organize and line up the toy collection in preparation for it to be given out to children in poverty. It looks over children in need around Christmas time and has a positive impact on the community as it leaves a beneficial effect on the development of children.
Which population(s) did you serve?
I served the youth in need because these toys make all the difference on Christmas day for these young impressionable kids. It gives them a newfound sense of hope.
What was their reaction to you/your group being there?
The event coordinators were so happy to see my group arrive because we provided so much aid in getting the overwhelming amount of toys organized. There was a lot of work to be done, so every helping hand was greatly appreciated.
What skills did you develop or improve through your direct service?
I developed my organizational skills tremendously. I had to count and make sure the inventory at each table was proper and I also had to make sure the items going into the dropboxes were spatially placed.
Did you work individually or as part of a team during your service? How did that
impact your experience?
I worked as part of a team during this service. I had to work with my team members to find out the best way to make sure the toys were adequately organized in their right categories. They needed to be divided into age groups and gender and it was a tedious and time-consuming task that would have been so draining to sort alone.
What impact do you think your service had on you?
This service gave me time to self-reflect on the extent of things I can do to help others. If people are in need, the least I can do is take a couple of hours out of my life to help benefit my community. Every little bit of help I can provide will leave an impact, regardless of how big or small.
The direct service that I did benefitted the members of those who serve our country and their children. The work we did allows the building to be more organized for those who come in and pick things for their children whereas they don't have time to do it around the holidays because of their work. I served at Toys for Tots where my service benefitted the families of those and those who serve our country. The skills that I developed throughout this service were more orderly conduct. I learned how to work with others to provide a clean and orderly space that was easy to navigate through. This service perfectly aligned with my personal values, I loved the cause that I was doing this service for which made it even more interesting to be participating. I worked as a team during this service and I think overall, it helped me get things done faster. I was able to communicate with others and get to know more about them as well as help the community efficiently. I plan on continuing to volunteer with this organization as often as I can.
I enjoyed my time at Toys For Tots. We served at a warehouse with tables that are completely filled with toys, the toys range from all ages and genders. The lady in charge remembered us from last Sunday and was super excited to see us again, even with more volunteers this time. Our service goes to support the marines families with festive shopping to make the holidays transition run efficiently. The service aligns with my values because of how it's giving back to a community who needs everyone's support. Our tasks consisted of counting the stock for the toys and organizing where we worked as a team to get the job done more quickly. At the end we got cool marine tags that said “toys for tots” and “thank you” on each side. I 100% recommend this service so invite your friends and get some hours in!
1. My direct service helped benefit multiple families in the surrounding area by helping the families get their children Christmas gifts.
2. This particular time, I went to Toys for Tots , I had the job of reorganizing each of the toys for the boys and girl’s Christmas gifts by age.
3. My work contributed to the goal of getting the kids their presents by speeding the process along by helping the coordinator do what was needed to be done so the mission could be successful.
4. At this service , I worked with others to organize the toys and it made my service more fun because I was able to be social and work together to achieve our goal for the day.
5. This service made me personally feel good knowing that I was able to be apart of helping a family in need.
How did your direct service benefit members of the broader community?
Our service with Toys for Tots benefited the children at the various schools we made bags for. We set up for the next group of volunteers so they could easily put everything in bags.
Which population(s) did you serve?
We helped serve the less fortunate children in the Memphis area by working with Toys for Tots.
What was their reaction to you/your group being there?
The people over the shift were very grateful for our help.
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
I learned that Toys for Tots does not just give toys which I was pleased to see. Along with the toys they were given things like hats, toothbrush/paste, shampoo, laundry detergent, pencils, etc.
How did your service contribute to the overall mission or goals of the organization or cause you were working with?
We contributed by setting up for the next group of volunteers. We scratched out barcodes, set up stations, organized the goodies, and threw away the trash and boxes.
Did you work individually or as part of a team during your service? How did that impact your experience?
I worked in a group, and this was great because it helped the process happen a lot quicker than if it was only me.
Hi Gozie, please update your reflection on this experience in accordance with the guiding questions on page 18 of the EL Handbook.