Giving Back

During my free time, I like to volunteer and give back to my community. I’ve been volunteering since high school and have always enjoyed it. I find volunteering so rewarding and it gives me a great satisfaction knowing that I can make a difference in people’s lives, even if it is a small difference. Through volunteering, I always learn new things about my community,  resources within the community, and myself.

Below are a few volunteer events I have participated in along with a short description.

Canning for the Ronald McDonald House

Every year, the International Business Association (IBA) provides and cooks a nutritional breakfast for the guests staying at The Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House supports families of seriously ill children by providing families of those receiving treatment with room accommodations. A group of IBA members raised funds to purchase the breakfast served to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House by canning in the Center City area.

PPL Day of Caring

Last summer, during my internship at PPL, I helped clean up the Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus PA by removing weeds that prevented different plant species from thriving. The Wildlands Conservancy mission is to protect and restore critical natural areas and waterways, and educate the community to create a legacy of a healthy, sustainable environment for future generations.  That day we were able to help the Wildlands Conversancy in their mission.

Grace Café

In the Fall semester of 2014, the IBA had the honor to volunteer at the Grace Café for the first time. The Grace Café is a ministry of Arch Street United Methodist Church. On Sunday evenings, the ministry provides meals to the congregation’s members and neighbors, including those currently experiencing homelessness.  I worked with a small team to coordinate & prepare a weekly Sunday dinner for these members of the Philadelphia community. That night the IBA prepared and served meals for over 200 guests. After serving the meals, we had the chance to interact with the guests and learn more about them as well as share our stories with them.

The Inglis House

In March, the IBA had the opportunity to volunteer at the Inglis House. The Inglis House is a specialty nursing and residential care facility for adults with disabilities like multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries, etc. We worked with the activity coordinator to help residents make bird feeders and window decor.  I learned so much from these resident’s personal stories in just a few hours.  It amazed me to find out how optimistic and happy these residents are despite their disabilities and reminded me to take nothing for granted. This was a new and wonderful experience for me.