By: April
Hi! My name is April, I am fourteen years old soon to be fifteen, and this is going to be my blog about community service. Every month I am going to post once or twice talking about my community service experience. This post is long delayed, but finally going to be posted so here it goes…
Last year for Thanksgiving it was like no other. I did something completely different; instead of just enjoying my Thanksgiving meal I decided to give back to my community. I served Thanksgiving lunch to less fortunate women at Angeline’s House. It was a life-changing experience. I never knew that this many women in the Downtown Seattle area suffered from poverty.
When I first walked into Angeline’s house I did not know what to expect, in fact, I was a little scared. However, immediately when I entered a woman thanked me for giving up my time to serve at the soup kitchen. Under no circumstances did I ever expect to be thanked for doing the right thing. After that I was put to work at once. First helping with placing candles in candleholders, then setting the tables. Time past extremely fast that before I knew it was time to serve lunch to the women. I was nervous at the beginning because I was waiting on a table like a waitress and I had never done that before, but soon enough I became a pro. Another volunteer even asked if I had done this before, but I replied, “No.” As soon as the women sat down I asked what they would like to drink, then I served them their meal. After they finished eating their main course I took their dessert order. Most of them ordered pecan or berry pie. Throughout the whole meal I would walk back to the table to see if they needed anything else if not, I would help other volunteers with their table and vice versa. When they were done eating I cleared their dishes. A few women even tried to clear their own dishes or get their own food, but I told them, “This is your special day for us to serve you.” They were rather surprised, yet excited.
The best part about volunteering at Angeline’s House to serve the Thanksgiving meal was the kindness that the less fortunate women showed to me. For example, there was this one sweet woman who kept on thanking me and complimenting my actions; before she left she even walked up to me to say one final thank you. I could not believe how thankful many of them were that I gave up some of my time to serve them. It amazed me that one small action made such a difference in their lives, but what they did not know is that they made just the same difference in mine because of the joy the women brought to my life.
