Khiyara Saladin

This experience improved my ability to multi-task while still engaging with the main task at hand. I knew about the Memphis Botanic Garden previously, but was unaware of the various events they held there. They brighten the Memphis community in so many ways. During my service, I met so many different parents of many different kinds of children, doing their best to bring joy to their childhood. Whenever I was lost, they always found a way to make their child's experience better. This service aligned with my personal values, as I work with children myself and seeing their joy for magic warmed my heart.

Habitat for Humanity opened my eyes to new experiences. I had never before thought about the hard physical labor it took to build a house from scratch, and the fact they were being built for families in need excited me more. From this service, the group of experienced builders made it easy to understand and made the process a lot quicker. We were able to finish almost an entire lawn in one day. This aligns with my personal values, as I believe everyone should have access to shelter, no matter the money.

During this experience I improved my multi-tasking abilities. I learned how different each kids life are and the various things that impact their development on a daily basis, as well as the challenges teachers go through each day. I made connections with various teachers at the school and saw the unique ways they handled their classroom. I plan to continue working with this organization because of my interest in working with kids and the skills it helped me learn. At times it is difficult to control a classroom of 15 8-year-olds, as many of them have different needs and questions. Working through this issue allowed me to learn to navigate hardship while still keeping my cool.

At the food pantry service, I was able to use my problem solving skills by coming up with a variety of ways to fix the incorrect packages. As I worked, I wondered about the people who would be receiving these packages, and the help they would bring to community in need. I met two other volunteers there who were very helpful with the process. We formed a sort of assembly line to make the mission smoother. The organization made sure to give us the proper information for success and helped us if needed. When we were fixing the incorrect packages, we found that some were actually already correct, and went through to make sure we didn't change the ones that did not need changing.

I improved my understanding of hospitality through this experience. I understand now the struggle that homeless families go through, as I had previously not interacted or seen a family struggle with homelessness, rather just individuals. I met and talked to other emerging leaders there about their experience volunteering at the site. I hope to continue doing similar service in the future, improving the liveleyhoods of those who are homeless. Next time I also hope more people come in to eat.

Throughout this service I feel I improved my hospitality skills. I learned to greet everyone with a warm smile and a friendly demeanor. Before this service I had never had any personal interactions with those who were struggling with homelessness. It opened my eyes to the daily struggle real, kind people go through everyday, and I was more than happy to help in any way I could. While attending the service I met two friendly and inviting souls, Mr.Joey and Ms.Gayle. They both were helpful throughout the entire process. I plan to continue volunteering through this service as the grand feeling of community and the direct impact to those in need is a change I want to be apart of. This service aligned with my personal values as I believe everyone has the right to a warm meal, clothes on their back, and a roof over their head, and I was happy to see this service bring them closer to these neccessities.

Khiyara Saladin  12 months ago Please contact williams192@gmail.com for verification of my attendance.

This experience improved my ability to listen thoroughly to instruction and follow through in a timely manner, something I often struggle with. I have always heard about Toys for Tots, but never knew the intricate details of how they impact the community and the process for delivering bags of happiness to families in need. From my service I met Ms.Rachel, who helped me a lot with the process and taught me more about the event I was attending. She was very insightful throughout my time there. We were able to pack up 60+ packages for children in need in those short 3 hours, contributing greatly to their mission. This service aligns with my personal values as I work with kids for a living and being able to know that there are less fortunate kids being able to experience a happy Christmas brought me so much happiness.