Give Them Dignity by Sadie

Give Them Dignity by Sadie - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

Nearly everyone has had a mentor who impacted them in their youth. These wonderful heroes teach us about life and what it means to live a full life. Perhaps not as much in recent culture, but in older generations, the elderly were treated with a high amount of respect. Wisdom is often associated with age. So many books have been written about people’s lives and the mistakes they have made. We can learn so much from the elderly - not just how we should live our lives, but also how not to live our lives. We can learn from others’ mistakes and grow from them without having to experience the same pain that they did.
Through volunteering, I have built up a practice of serving in my life. I desire to continue this practice for as long as I live. We get to mean the world to others just through our love. This has completely changed the way I see my hobbies, activities, and everyday life. No longer will I seek the bettering of myself, rather I can use my skills to be a blessing to others. Currently, I volunteer in my community at an extended care facility, my church, and in several youth organizations. Working with the unfortunate, the elderly, and the forgotten members of our community is a humbling ordeal. It can be very painful and requires making sacrifices. These experiences teach me about living my life fully every day.
One part of the service work that I participate in is through my local church. When my church hosts a funeral, we host a lunch for the family and I help. Typically this means serving food, washing dishes, and putting away tables and chairs. It doesn’t require much work, just showing up. The kitchen help with sits with the family and shares in their sorrows as the family recounts their stories. Throughout my volunteering experience, I’ve learned that listening is the best gift I can give to someone. It doesn’t matter if a person is thirsty or hungry, they just need to tell you their story.
Another part of my service work is helping in youth programs. I love to play with the children, to laugh and make jokes with them, and to be there to hear their outrageous stories about their day. I help at two children’s programs. AWANA and Ark. We sit at a little table in little chairs and put together puzzles, make Play-Doh figures, shape wiki-sticks into ballerinas and cowboys, and put on a puppet show for the kids. Some days I walk into the room feeling tired and worn down but one warm smile from a shy little kid is all it takes to rejuvenate my heart. Kids ministry is hard sometimes because we often only get to plant a seed and don’t get to see the fruit of our labor. Someday, one of these precious children will remember how I cared for them and will be able to spread my love of God to another child.
The third part of my service work is at an extended care facility. This is the place to which I have devoted most of my time. I have gotten to know each resident, to listen, and talk to them. Some remember better than others, but each one has told me about their past and their life’s ambitions when I spent an afternoon doing one-on-one conversations. I have the responsibility of passing out the root beer floats on Fridays, learning which residents like extra ice cream, and which ones want orange soda instead of root beer. I have the opportunity to teach them everything I learned that morning in flight instruction and they love any interaction. I have had the great privilege of giving them their dignity back and treating them like human beings because that is who they are. Last week, an elderly man asked me to remind him what it was like to be young. He asked me about my hopes and dreams. Volunteer work is very important to me because it has taught me so much.
Community service is not a chore or a task to check off on a list of things to do today. It is an opportunity to mean the world to a child, an old man, or a grieving family. It is a way to make connections and bring life to people. It is hard, it hurts, and some days I just can’t do it, but I still do. I keep coming back and telling the children that they are loved and appreciated more than they could ever imagine. I still wash the dishes for the families that just can’t take care of it right now. I will always tell that old man that he is more than an old man, he is like a grandfather to me. No greater gift can I give them, than to show up and listen. That is all it takes. Anyone can do it. The hardest part is saying goodbye. These people come and go from my life so quickly. Before I even realize it they’re gone and that is why every hour of service work is valuable.