Natalie Hardy

I donated money for the Greek Life sponsored book drive from last month (February).

Canopy NWA Fundraising Campaign - I brought in 6 items to donate to the drive. Some personal items that were requested (toothbrushes for kids + adults and floss) as well as some school supplies for kids (crayons, markers, and pencils).

I helped volunteer at my mom's work (Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics) on Good Friday. Normally when I volunteer here it is in the summer for their college student program, but I unfortunately cannot work that into my schedule this here. So instead, my mom organized for me to work when I came home for Easter. I stocked different supply shelves and took inventory of various items and toys in the PT/OT Department. I also helped to fill little Easter baskets for some of the patients as well as their families and siblings. We put snacks, toiletries, baby blankets, age appropriate toys, crayons and coloring books, and some eggs full of candy. I didn't get to help deliver them, but knowing that I helped put a smile on a child's face who's going through a tough time during the holidays was gratifying and made me feel very happy.

greek sing service event at the house

I volunteered with Payton Scarlett and Allie Wycoff to give little manicures to the girls who were dressed up as mini princesses. It was absolutely the cutest thing I had ever seen and the girls were so precious and so excited to be able to meet their favorite disney princesses.

Every year around this time with Christmas and the winter holidays coming up, my grandmother and grandfather participate in "adopting" families and their children through their church (Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church) in their hometown. They call it the angel tree project wherein you choose an angel from one of the Christmas trees at church and on it are various things that the family and kids need and/or would like. The families are either struggle a bit financially or are not as well off as others, so they need extra help providing a happy and positive Christmas experience for their children. The most common things requested are clothes and toys for the children, so when my grandparents picked their angels for this year I told them I wanted to help out as a way to be more involved within their church. My grandma and I spent a day shopping for the kids and going through the list of toys they wanted this year for Christmas (our purchases consisted of legos, disney princesses, and even one of those giant teddy bears along with other toys). Normally the kids receive their presents closer to Christmas or on Christmas day, but we all decided to give them some of their presents a little early this year. So on Tuesday morning we went to weekly reconciliation with our angel tree family and sat with them at church and prayed with them, and afterwards we let the kids open up some of their presents and the looks on their faces were priceless. They were smiling from ear to ear and the excitement was radiating out of them; after they opened all their toys they were so happy that they tackled me with the biggest and sweetest hugs, and I sat and played with them for hours. It was a really humbling and rewarding experience and I will definitely be participating in this every Christmas season because it helped me to realize how blessed and fortunate I am in my life.

Every few weeks or so my family's church does a volunteer project with some of the local homeless shelters in the less fortunate parts of Kansas City. It's a project called "Feeding the Lambs" wherein volunteers bring in food and prepare home cooked meals to those struggling to find a meal. I had the opportunity to volunteer with my grandma who actively participates in this project a couple times every month. Since the Sunday I volunteered on was prior to Thanksgiving week, the meal was a full on turkey dinner with all of the fix-ins. I didn't partake in the cooking portion, but I did wash dishes and help serve the people of the shelter. I also went around to the tables and asked if they needed anything else and I even got the chance to sit down and have conversations with some very nice people who opened my eyes and made me realize that there are real people in the world outside of my little privileged bubble who need help from people like the volunteers I was working with. It was a great feeling helping those in need and I will definitely do it again on Christmas break.