What a Few Can Do by Gabe

What a Few Can Do by Gabe - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

The most prominent organization I’ve been involved with over the years is Samaritan’s Purse (specifically, their Operation Christmas Child program). Operation Christmas Child is dedicated to distributing gifts to impoverished children around the world. Working there has allowed me to see how just a few people can affect the lives of others for the better.

A volunteer's job at an OCC drop-off center is to collect donations from other people and send them on. The donations include toys and entertainment, but also necessities like soaps, toothbrushes, cups, washcloths, and so forth. We unload them for doners, package them in larger cartons, then reload them onto semis for distribution. Sometimes a few teenagers will lift thousands of boxes at a time. It's strenuous work, but a privilege to be a part of.

Working for Operation Christmas Child has taught me about my own worth, not regarding who I am, but what I can do. There are only a handful of volunteers in a drop-off center each year, yet somehow, we each manage to reach thousands of children around the world. If those six or seven volunteers weren't there, the work wouldn't be done. Therefore, volunteering has shown me how a small number of people with a common goal can accomplish great things. Cliche as that might sound, I've seen it happen.