Morgan Linsy

I had the wonderful opportunity to service Memphis Dream Center, which is a non-profit organization inside of the Life Church. This organization provides food and clothing and other necessities to women and families who are under-served, and they also provide aftercare services to a select number of Shelby County Schools to allow more time for parents who might work late. The area that I worked in specifically for this project was with preparing pampers for expecting moms who may not have the resources to purchase diapers, pull-ups, baby clothing for their coming arrivals. The volunteer supervisor was extremely grateful that myself and my line sisters were coming to serve, as volunteer work is what keeps the organization running. For this experience, we worked in pairs packaging and re-packaging diapers to have the MDC logo. Being able to work with peers while we prepared the diapers felt like we were lifting a hand out to the next generation. There are so many individuals who are not able to afford basic necessities, and we were able to relieve some of that pressure. The service aligned with my personal beliefs and values because I feel as though the most courageous thing to do is ask for help, so to be able to serve these women's needs is valuable to me. I would love to volunteer with this organization in the future because of their expanding outreach. As I matriculate into the real world, and as the Life Church is expanding their bases of operation, it provides me more opportunities to stay in contact with the work they are doing in the community.

Back at MAS this weekend, I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Morgan, a 2 year old pitbull. I have to say of all the dogs I have taken on field trips thus far, she was the most eager and willing to get in the car and get the party started. In fact, every pup looked excited to leave the kennel this weekend, so I'm sure they're starting to brag about being taken out. As the primary sheltering agency in the city of Memphis, Memphis Animals Services strives to provide the best care for all animals in-between homes. My service with Memphis Animal Services aligns with my personal beliefs and values, because I want to provide a voice for the voiceless. Advocating and creating spaces for these pups to experience what their every day could be like is an opportunity I cannot pass up. Each week, Ana, Emily, or Leah oversees the dogs heading out, and as volunteers at Memphis Animal Services, they always provide a welcoming environment that prompts me to continue coming back. I intended to continue volunteering with MAS, even once I matriculate this Spring, because I know MAS is where I will find my first doggie love, and I will continue to help advertise the animals at MAS so they can find their forever human love too.

Once again, I had the pleasure of working with Memphis Animal Services, and our pup this week was Ms. Lucky! Having had the opportunity to work with the animal population of the city of Memphis, each dog I have the pleasure of taking on a field trip teaches me something new. By allowing these dogs exposure to the rest of the University Community, where we frequently take them for walks, or even posting them on our IG pages while with them increases their chances of finding a forever home. Memphis Animal Services wants to ensure that they can keep as many animals from being the victim of euthanasia as possible, but with the shelter consistently at max capacity, these field trips allow them the opportunity to intake more fur loving balls of fun! Because I have only recently been involved with dogs, I always work in a team to ensure the safety of the pop, and that the most love is given to the pup. This allows me the opportunity to learn more about how each dog might have lived before coming to MAS, even just by watching them play around. Personally, each service confirms more than my first dog will be from MAS. I have formed personal emotional relationships with dog that make it so hard to bring them back, especially knowing what might await them. However, I look forward each weekend to making another pup smile, and hopefully helping them find a forever family.

The service that I completed with MAS was a benefit to the four-legged members of the greater Memphis community because by taking the dogs out on field trips, we are able to provide them exposure to potential families that could adopt them, especially considering how far over capacity Memphis Animal Services already is. The shelter volunteers are always extremely grateful, as well as the dogs, who are visibly excited for a few hours outside of the kennel. I worked as a part of a team during this service, with my partner Kylie Davis. I did not grow up around dogs, or any animals, so I am still learning the best ways to communicate them and show love to them whilst getting over my fears. Working together with Kylie, I was able to witness how loving dogs can be, as ell as grow my own desire to be a dog owner one day. The personal impact this service had on me, aside form growing my love for dogs, is that I developed a one-on-one understanding how important it is to take in shelter dogs. Many of these animals were strays or come form home where they were neglected and no longer wanted or able to be taken care of. Though I also understand why people breed dogs, or pay large amounts for a particular mix of dog, the light and love shelter dogs possess was so clear on Saturday, running with Kim Possible through campus or devouring a pup cup. It was like she was a free woman letting her hair down and it was touching to see. I definitely plan on volunteering with Memphis Animal Services in the future because although I cannot house an animal right now, as I'm living on campus, I definitely want to find a furry friend to get me through medical school and take in from the shelter specifically. There are so many beautiful and loving animals who deserve a home, and I hope that one day I will be able to give them one.

Through International Paper's America Recycles Day of Service, I was able to give back to our local Tiger Pantry which provides food to my fellow peers who may be experiencing food insecurity. We packed boxes, filled with non-perishable food items, with the hopes that this Thanksgiving they will have something to eat. Though we will not come in direct contact with those who receive the food via Tiger Pantry, I thoroughly hope and believe that they will feel loved and seen through the efforts made by International Paper to provide meals for students this holiday season. This service project was a direct reflection the mission of International Paper's recycling business because they reuse and repurpose materials to create a more sustainable environment. The boxes we used were remade materials from IP, and the wrappings and packages of the canned goods were taken to be recycled, with the hopes that they will be repurposed into another useful product. Something interesting that I learned during my service was how much paper vs plastic is recycled. According to the Marketing Director Amy, 32% of paper is recycled in current day, compared to 9% of plastics, and as we know, plastics are responsible for much of the pollen in our oceans. Having attended the America Recycles Day of Service with IP for the second year in a row, I look forward to attending this event and volunteering again next year, primarily as I watch and come in contact with different members of their various departments over. Seeing the various job opportunities that IP has, not only locally, but globally as well, like that of an employee from Krakow, Poland, it is clear they are a company that prides itself on retaining its employees while engaging in sustainable efforts to increase the longevity of our surrounding communities.

The direct service I provide d to benefit the members of the broader community was by picking up trash along local streets and the outskirts of some residential areas. The community that we served is the Soulsville area, where Memphis Rox, and the Stax Museum are located. I believe this service will benefit the animals and plants in the community by not only making it a more pleasant area to look at, but also by removing/cleaning up any dangerous glass or spoiled food a stray dog or small animal might ingest. Memphis Rox holds a weekly community clean-up, as a part of their efforts to better the surrounding community, so I believe I contributed to this overall mission by aiding in the beautification efforts that they have prided themselves on as a not-for-profit organization in a heavily under-resourced community. I think the impact the service had on me personally was exposing me to the lack of resources and plight that burdens a neighborhood less than 20 minutes from where I lay my head every night. It made me realize how much privilege I have not just as a regular citizen, but as a student of the University of Memphis, and the many opportunities we are given to better the circumstances in which we came from. I did this service as part of a team, volunteering with Black Scholars Unlimited, and it impacted my experience getting to see how people who were more familiar with the areas, shared their perspective on how they'd seen it grow over the years, either because they had visited, or because they grow up there. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the work we were doing, and it has caused me sense to pay more attention to how the areas I am from are affected by plight. I believe I will continue to volunteer with this organization to better understand how they've assembled such a strong community of volunteers and individuals dedicated to restoring areas in Memphis. I'd like to see something similar even just on the University of Memphis as we have plenty of areas in need of greater care that the students can provide to contribute making our campus look as beautiful as possible during all times of the year.

The direct service that I completed, during the 2023 Warm Welcome, was that I assisted freshmen and sophomores, and their families, as they moved in to their dorms for the academic year. This included helping them unload their vehicles to transport their belongings to their rooms, as well as answering any questions parents might have had about involvement, directions, etc. The population I served was primarily minority studies, Hispanic and/or African American, ages 17-19. The immediate reaction to my group being there was overwhelming relief, as many of the parents were older and it was extremely hot outside. Being able to have more hands to move more items at once was greatly appreciated by each parent I encountered. What I learned about the community I served, was that many students were nervous about leaving college and venturing upon a new experience away from home. I too was nervous leaving my parents, so I was able to ease their mind and their parents about what was to come. I worked as part of a team during this experience, and even though I know many students on campus, I was able to meet different student leaders in other organizations. It ultimately aided my experience by helping me to see how even in the hot conditions, and the wear and tear moving was putting on our bodies, how other people find joy in the servant work that they do for others. The person overseeing the service opportunity was Dr. MK Tyler, who serves as the Director for Student Leadership and Involvement at the University of Memphis. Dr. Tyler did a wonderful job of preparing us during training, but also during the service on what our responsibilities were, as well as the best approach to already frazzles parents and students. She equipped us with the tools to provide a stress free environment that helped us move as many studies in as quickly as possible.

Today I volunteered with the TIGUrS Garden at the University of Memphis for the Earth Day Celebration. Even though I was responsible primarily for checking in vendors and distributing parking passes, I made the most of my time and got to feed an alpaca, while singing along to the Zumba class going on behind me. If I learned anything from my experience today, it would be the true heart that the employee at the University of Memphis have for serving the community. Many have gone from grad students to full time employees because they enjoy the work that they do. I can only hope that as I continue my service and leadership journey not only in Memphis, but in life, my enthusiasm is a reflection of my commitment.

I do not consider myself having much of a green thumb, but the staff at Memphis Botanic Gardens made me feel like a natural at this month’s weed wrangle. In their native species exhibit, they showed us a select few evasive species which we were tasked with getting rid of. This was truly a learning experience, but I can say the Gardens are beautiful, so I understand why this work must be done. I had fun getting my hands dirty, and I look forward to visiting again.

For my first time serving with Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, I was beyond impressed. The work that they do and the heart of the volunteers is clear in every box filled and bag packed. Today, we filled 385 boxes and 600 bags. This was a new location for them, so they are able to mass produce and hopefully continue to feed more in need. I also met some other University of Memphis students with great stories, so it felt good to serve with other students just looking to do some good in our community.