Freshman year, seven months (summer included), and 180+ hours logged. Sacred Heart—a program that provides essential services of food, clothing, shelter—is where I exhaust most of my service hours, where I love giving the free time I have to the community and get love back. 

At Sacred Heart I generally assist in the food pantry, where I give out produce to those who shop there. The program strives to provide food for those who cannot afford it. People come in with carts, and I gather the groceries that they need. Interacting with the community one on one really gives me joy, and in one experience a customer brought in their dog and I got to pet sit their adorable German Shepard puppy while they shopped. I’m able to understand Spanish and Vietnamese—my grandma spoke to me in those languages frequently when I was younger. So, when I come across customers who can’t speak English well, I can help by understanding and communicating their needs.

While I can assist a lot of people individually, I feel like the effect on my community is really tiny: I’m just one out of billions. While my impact may be small, it certainly isn’t invaluable. Many of the workers at Sacred Heart have told me they appreciate the effort and time I put in. It’s not only the community that benefits but also the appreciation and love that comes back. One day of school, which I had off for a holiday, I ended up doing ten hours of community service straight at Sacred Heart. Now, because I have basketball practice every day after school, I don’t have the free time I used to. Despite this time consuming schedule change the workers at Sacred Heart will let me volunteer, even when their staff is “full.” 

Finding motivation to use the hours of sleep and homework and relaxation as time spent on others can be difficult. When it comes to inspiration, it’s not only the effect I make on my community but the effect it makes on me. Seeing others relieved and happy because of what I can do for them brings me joy, as cliché as it sounds. Previously, I wasn’t very happy with a lack of self-confidence and so I use service as an outlet to resolve my negative feelings. When I see other people elated and jubilant because of the service hours I put in, their gratification makes me feel better: it helps me heal and recover. While some students find service a burden—“Ten service hours, how am I going to get that done?”—I feel the complete opposite. Why not help when the love comes full circle?