Ella Mcintosh

My direct service benefitted members of the broader community by helping to bring joy and Christmas cheer! Serving at Starry Nights was so much fun. Me and a friend went together and all we were doing was directing traffic, but it was still the best time. It felt like a split between people facing and environmental. We were serving for Shelby Farms, but got to see people in their cars. To make it more fun, we were dancing as we circled around our traffic directing wands. It was freezing cold, but we actually started to get hot from moving around so much. The people of Memphis are who came to the show, and their reactions to our dancing was the best parts. We got laughs, yells, claps, and thumbs up. I think this will encourage people to keep coming and come next year, which is great for Shelby Farms, because Starry Nights is their biggest fundraiser of the year. This aligned with my personal values, because as a Christian, the Bible says that whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly. Waving our wands around having fun as we directed traffic was exactly that. I also learned that Starry Nights cannot happen without volunteers, so I was so glad to help, because I myself go to Starry Nights every year. Since learning this, I have decided I definitely want to volunteer with this organization again. It is so rewarding to see the smiles on people's faces, and I hope to go again soon!

My direct service at Room in the Inn benefitted members of the broader community in Memphis by providing those who need it with good, home cooked meals. I served the less fortunate population here in Memphis, and they always seem grateful that we are there when I see them. We had twins come in whose birthday was very soon, so the cook had made them a birthday cake. It was so sweet. They seemed to feel so seen and were so excited. This time, I definitely improved my dish washing skills. I have washed dishes at home, but this was a whole new level. Me and my friend Mikayla washed dishes the entire time, and it was all kids of dishes. Although it wasn't a glamorous job, it was very rewarding as well. I worked as a team during this service, so it impacted my experience a lot. Doing this with Mikayla made it way more fun and not even feel like a task. Working as a team also helped us to be more efficient, and there were no dishes left for the cook to do. I certainly plan on volunteering at Room in the Inn again, because I really enjoy getting to see the people's faces light up when we serve them their food, and seeing the cook be relieved to have help. Room in the Inn is one of my favorite places to serve!

My direct service benefitted members of the broader community, because I served families in Memphis who were in need of food being on the table this night. I really enjoy serving here, because I get to help less fortunate families who really seemed to appreciate us being there each time I see them. I can tell they seem a little stressed, and taking dinner off of their to do list for the day is very rewarding. This service for me definitely aligned with my personal values and beliefs; as a Christian, we are called to serve without expecting anything in return. This is exactly what I get to do at Room in the Inn. This service has an impact on me personally for sure. My family was never rich, but there was also never a question if there would be food on the table. Serving here makes me feel really grateful for everything I have and grew up with. I definitely plan to volunteer with this organization again, because everyone working there is so kind and truly happy to do what they do. It is out of pure intentions, and it is so fulfilling to serve the sweet people here.

This direct service benefits members of the broader community such as the less fortunate by providing them with meals for them and their families. There were many children who otherwise may not been able to have the quantity or quality of food I helped serve for their dinner yesterday night. I served the less fortunate of population of Memphis, and they were very grateful. I could tell by the adults' faces that they were relieved to have a good meal for their children. The kids were all excited to have mac and cheese! I worked as part of a tam during my service, which made it more efficient and also more fun. We made dinner plates and instead of each of us going down the line to put each item on each plate, we had a system where we passed each plate down the line of each person who was putting a certain item on the plate. This service had an impact on me personally for sure; it made me more appreciative for what I have. My parents have never struggled to the point where putting food on the table was a large issue, so seeing it really made me think about my childhood and parents and how blessed I am. I enjoyed the experience so much and the man in charge named Darren gave us Halloween goody bags, which was so sweet and thoughtful. I will definitely continue volunteering with this organization, because it was simply so rewarding to know I was helping those in need.