Weathering the Storm
Hours:
2 Letters to Nursing Home (1 hour)
Crescent City Farmers Market (2.5 hours 11/15/20)
Crescent City Farmers Market (2.5 hours 11/20/20)
Habitat for Humanity, West St. Tammany Parish (4 hours 11/24/20)
Hope's House, Rome, Georgia (2.25 hours 11/28/20)
This
semester has been one full of challenges that none of us saw coming. From the
COVID-19 pandemic to an unusually busy hurricane season, me and my classmates
have ‘weathered the storm’ and persevered. I am grateful for the experience but
even more grateful for the friends I have made along the way.
As
the semester began to come to a close, I stumbled upon a few volunteering
opportunities that neatly came together to perfectly fulfill my hours. The
month of November has been the month of volunteering for me.
First,
one of my classmates, Rubel, told me about a local farmers market, the crescent
city farmers market, that was in need of volunteers. I must admit I was skeptical
that I would be able to contribute there. However, it was quickly apparent how
much I would be able to help these local farmers. In fact, it was some of the
most rewarding work I have ever done. These farmers, coming from around
Southeast Louisiana to sell their produce, have been especially hit hard by the
pandemic. With COVID-19 restrictions, many of the markets have become a drive through.
I was charged with alerting a group of producers which customers were in line
to purchase their goods and made sure they kept their different buyers needs
straight. What made this so rewarding was being able to help hard working
people help themselves.
I
repeated this volunteering work the following week doing virtually the same
tasks. More than anything, I am glad to have learned about this farmers market
as I plan to try and work at it every weekend next semester. I have come to
know many of the producers and enjoy being in their company.
Next,
I volunteered at the West St. Tammany Parish Habitat for Humanity. Here, I
helped to unload donations, price and then take them out onto the store floor.
Habitat for Humanity was a great experience as I was able to work alongside
people who are earning their homes built by Habitat for Humanity. I also feel
like I was a big help since I was able to lift many of the heavy objects and
gave others a break. But I must admit, I was pretty sore the next day!
Finally,
my last few hours were accomplished back home in Rome, Georgia at Hope’s House.
Here, I provided the homeless of our town a thanksgiving meal and someone to
talk with. Chick fil A was kind enough to provide sandwiches to us and I was in
charge of handing them out those in attendance. So many people showed up that
we eventually had to order pizzas in order to feed everyone. But most
importantly, no one went hungry. We estimated we fed around 60-70 people. What
was even more rewarding, however was interacting these great men and women.
Many had fallen on hard times throughout their life with quite a few losing
their job and eventually their home during the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe
having someone to talk to and encourage them made a difference in their life
and having a square meal was certainly a blessing for them.
To
conclude, this semester has been a whirlwind of experiences. I have travelled
to a new city, made completely new friends, and been challenged academically
like never before. But having wonderful classmates that I have become close with
in addition to faculty and staff that truly care about their students has
resulted in my most successful semester academically even in the hardest
classes I have ever taken. I am truly grateful for this semester at Tulane and I
am counting down the days to the start of the next one.
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