Penn State Civic and Community Engagement Volunteer by Grace

Penn State Civic and Community Engagement Volunteer by Grace - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

There has always been a part of me that needs to help others. During my first semester at Brandywine Penn State, I decided to take on a project I felt I needed to do. I wanted to take that feeling and spread it through the campus. A fellow student and I came together and thought it would be a good idea to create care packages for the homeless. The packages included supplies such as non-perishable foods, toiletries, and other necessities. We also wanted to go out through the neighborhoods that surrounded Temple University and help clean them up. We presented the idea to the Penn State Civic and Community Engagement Student Club and they happily agreed to help. As a team, we created posters, flyers, and bins all over the school to collect supplies. I recruited twenty volunteers to help clean up with us. Before the clean-up event, Kevin and I called a meeting about safety, rules, and what not to do in these heavily trashed areas. We then set off for Temple University.

We started by handing out care packages to anyone we saw that needed them. Unfortunately, we did not come across many in need, but those we did were overwhelmed with happiness. I contacted a few shelters who were more than grateful to accept the extra care packages. As we began to take on the neighborhoods that surrounded that college, I remember feeling this sudden shock overcome me. The streets were covered in garbage. Every piece of land, every corner of eyesight had trash. Our garbage bags filled up faster than we thought, and we had to buy more.

The most memorable moment for me was coming to an elementary school. The outside of this school was completely overcome by trash. Beer bottles, wrappers, cardboard, and boxes, were lying on the field of the front entrance of the school. This scene broke my heart because the young students accepted this as normal. It was a moment of realization for me that a good amount of people do not care about the living souls who reside in these neighborhoods.

I needed to raise awareness. I took out my phone to document this experience and show the reality of our communities. I have realized through experience that talking about a problem is not as effective as seeing it. I wanted to make this something we do a couple times a year and involve other schools. More than that, I wanted people to care, to feel the passion I feel inside of me for others. Our colleges are in shared neighborhoods and we have a responsibility, as members of the community, to take care of them too.

It is truly a gift to bring happiness to those who never ask for much. This experience made my heart very heavy experiencing all of this. I realized I took for granted so many things in my everyday life, things I don’t need. Seeing those peoples’ faces made me feel guilty for wanting things I never needed. Since that experience, I have stopped buying unnecessary things and believe in a simpler life. Instead of the money I would have spent on myself, I take on projects at my local church and spend the money on that. The most recent project was making meals for shelters. I convinced a couple friends and family members to contribute prepared meals. Just thinking back to those faces of people who were in need makes me want to spread that feeling to as many people as I meet.