Hunger in our communities by Annabelle

Hunger in our communities by Annabelle - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

I arrive in the parking lot only to see at least 40 cars. I know there will be more. So many are hungry. I pull into a space behind our starting point for the night. Tonight I am separating the food into bags we will be handing out. I know that we will hand out food until we run out. Almost every week we do. It looks like we have lots of good choices for our community. Some weeks we have just enough and have to give less in each bag. I am glad this week will be better. I know I will see many familiar faces. I hope the kids I usually chat with while the food is loaded enjoy the cookies I see. I hope we have enough for them to have a few extra. They could use that little extra happiness.

Something I have learned is that too many people are hungry in my community. I want to make sure everyone has enough food. Have you ever been hungry? I am lucky that my parents have made sure I have not had to experience hunger. I can not understand how the world has so much food but I still see people I know who do not have enough.

A service I am currently active in is Gracelife Chapel’s food outreach program. Gracelife Chapel operates a free food program to all who are hungry. I enjoy volunteering here because of the people, the atmosphere, and the purpose. The organization does not require our community to prove that they need help with food, they simply provide for anyone who asks. I go once a week to load cars of my fellow humans who need food. We ask how many are in the family so we know how much to put in the bags.

In addition to weekly food distribution, I pack backpacks while here for students who are hungry. These are taken to the local schools and given to students, some that are my age. I am glad to help kids in my area have the food they need. I will help drop the food off to local schools. I love being able to provide a source of nutrition for these families and kids when otherwise they may struggle to have a basic need met.

I enjoy putting others before myself. I plan to study criminal justice in college. Helping others comes so naturally, that I want to pursue a career where that is all I do. I plan on working towards a job with the FBI or a detective field. I want to be somewhere where I can help people every day. I plan to work towards making the city I live in a better place day by day. Everyone could use a little help in their lives, I want to be a part of making it easier and safer for all. I have found that the skills I learn while helping others impact my entire life. Helping others is one of the most important life experiences anyone can have. If you think you need more in your life, try helping others. It will give you a feeling that is hard to beat.