Serving my Community by Eric Cunningham

Eric Cunningham's entry into Varsity Tutor's December 2019 scholarship contest

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Serving my Community by Eric Cunningham - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

I am currently a member of my high school Key Club. This is my second year as a member. We volunteer to support many of the community's events, like face-painting during back to school night, working many kids with special needs events, school and highway clean-up, and managing tailgating booths during home games.

I've also found ways to volunteer on my own, separate from the school's Key Club. The community is always asking for volunteers to support their efforts in ending child hunger, or help celebrate our veterans. Volunteering for the past 2 years in the Sierra Vista Elks Lodge Haunted House Fundraiser to raise money and food for Peach's Pantry is usually the most exciting event because I can dress up and scare people for a good cause. I've also participated in the Wreaths Across America event, helping to place nearly 5000 wreaths at our local Veterans Memorial Cemetery, volunteering again this year.

At first, my motivation to volunteer was so my student profile would look good to colleges I intended to apply to. Now my motivation is seeing the how the community benefits from events I've volunteered in. I looked at my schools clubs, and chose the one that would do most good for the school and community. I signed up for the Buena High Key Club last year and haven't looked back. I learned a lot about myself when I started volunteering with the Key Club. I've never given hunger much thought, until I volunteered to raise food and funds for our local food bank, I've never thought about our deceased veterans until I helped put wreaths on each grave during Christmas. I've always had that volunteer spirit in my, I just needed the push to get inspired. My parents are both Army veterans, and it's helped having the entire family volunteer to serve the community.

I've been very fortunate to have had the tools and resources available that helped make volunteering easier. I live in a very military friendly community, where the majority of people in town are veterans or work on the base (Fort Huachuca). My high school is full of kids of service members and parents tend to be very involved and supportive. The high school has clubs students can join that provides volunteer opportunities throughout the community. With the help of my parents, I've been able to volunteer with organizations outside of school such as the Sierra Vista Elks Lodge #2065, Walk to End Alzheimer, and Wreaths Across America.

The volunteer activity I was able to see that directly affected those involved, was volunteering three years straight to the Elks Lodge #2065 Halloween Haunted House for Peach's Pantry. Not only were the members hard at work building and decorating the haunted house, but many even stayed and helped me do the scaring. After the 3 night event, the Elks Lodge had raised $1300 and $750 worth in canned goods. All that went to the food bank and boxes were put together for families in our community that are in need. It affected me deeply to know that needy families in my community were going to get the assistance they needed. Who knows, many could be kids I sit next to every day in class.

Before I started volunteering, I thought that it would be a burden. Just something to put on a college paper. Now that I've seen the positive outcomes of what am able to do for the community, it's been life changing. It’s a great humbling feeling getting to help others in the community. I've learned that volunteering can be fun, no always all work. At the haunted house I was able to scare people for a good cause, at the event for special kids I was able to use my love of art and my artistic skills to make the kids smile at when I painted their faces.

The event that meant the most to me was the Kiwanis Club Uncommon Event for Extraordinary Children. The event was to honor children with special needs. We had a face-painting booth and it was amazing how something as simple as a rainbow or smiley face painted on their cheeks or hands, was so meaningful to them and brought joy to everyone involved.

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