In reflection

My project certainly started as one thing and evolved into something completely different. In the future, it may be easier to pick a single project (helping out at a soup kitchen) and focus entirely on that than to pick a theme (kids, including those my age and those with fur) and do several smaller projects within that theme. However, I would say this project has been largely successful.

I think that my project did positively impact the community. When I worked GI Joe Day, I realized just how many military kids there are as compared to volunteers willing to work with them. The ratio is pretty large. We were already understaffed, and the head of the project was very thankful for each set of hands she had working.

Similarly, there are relatively few people working in libraries compared to how many people utilize them. So many people do the summer reading programs at their local libraries, and some parents rely on the libraries to provide free, enriching activities for their kids. The librarians are happy to provide, but need extra help with the basics before they can focus on extra activities. I like to think that I took a weight off of the librarians' shoulders so that they could spend more time planning and executing their extra programs.

The choir project, of course, only affects the choir. However, an organized library could provide so much to the choir club. For one, having an organized music library helps the choir keep track of its music so we do not have to repurchase lost copies. Because the choir can find any piece we own (and not just what's on the top of the stack), the repertoire has increased, which also brings more music into the community at large. Organizing the music library has also brought the officers closer together, which I hope will equate to a stronger, more unified choir.

In short, as a teenager without many connections or special skills, I may not yet be able to create a project that directly affects people in my community at large. However, I can volunteer my time to those who can do that in order to make their work more efficient. This was my first large service project, but I doubt it will be my last.

Two libraries, one day

Today I had a choir meeting and a shift at the public library, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to take some pictures. I started off in the choir room at 10 in the morning, ready to sort through some music. In this picture, my choir director, Mrs. Baxter, helps me put away a box of music.

We're currently in the process of purging old, battered copies and putting what's left in new boxes, so virtually every box in the library is being taken down, re-evaluated, and re-shelved. It's a bit painstaking! However, I really like organizing things, and Mrs. Baxter has put me in charge of this project, so I'm enjoying it. Anyway, it isn't all work, work, work all the time, either. Around lunchtime, my fellow choir officers and I found a box of old choir robes and...well, this ensued:

 At one, I drove over to the public library to start my shift in the children's section. I feel so official with my volunteer tag:

I even have my own desk in case the librarians are busy and people are in need of assistance! Of course, I usually just get to re-direct people to the Reference desk or tell them which flier to pick up, but hey, somebody's got to do it.

While I'm at the library, I cut out crafts, organize coloring sheets, and (of course) shelve a LOT of books. Even though they're fairly repetitive tasks, I really like them, especially the shelving. There's a nice little feeling of accomplishment at the end. Sometimes, though, I don't have an assignment to do, so I'll just grab a book off the shelves, take it back to my desk, and read until further notice.

GI Joe Day

GI Joe Day began bright and early (okay, 9 in the morning, but it's summer!), and we spent the first hour setting up the event. The actual event ran from 11-1:30, during which I was in charge of serving food. At first the line for hotdogs was small and manageable, but around noontime there was a huge rush as entire families started lining up for food.

If serving hotdogs constitutes as a culinary art, then by the end of the day I do believe I could have challenged Rachel Ray. At one point we ran out of hotdogs because the demand was so high. There were several times where I was serving two families each wanting three, four, or even five hotdogs at the same time. It could get a little overwhelming at times!

Regardless, the day was a success, and I think it was a great way to start the project. Now, if only the SAT wasn't tomorrow...

Yet another side note

I've sort of found myself in a little non-official service project. It doesn't fit into my plan so I'm not going to include it in my reflection or anything like that, but because it's volunteering I figured I'd share a bit here.

I have a friend who is fostering a litter of black kittens, and this friend is out of town this week. Knowing how much I liked cats (answer: too much), she asked if I would be willing to go over to her house a couple times per day and watch after them, to which I said yes.

They're all named after characters from Friends, which just increases how much I love them. This is the only picture where they're all present and sitting still:

From left to right, starting with the pink collar: Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, and Monica.

In the future, I might see if I could volunteer at an animal shelter or vet's office.

Exciting addition to the project!

As it turns out, I was elected Librarian for next year's choir club. This means that over the summer, I'll be working with the other officers in the music library in an effort to put it in order by the first day of school. I wasn't able to put this on my official plan from Tuesday, but nevertheless I'm excited.

Beginning the project

Today I reached 1.04A in United States Government, and that brought up a question: what do I want to do for my service project? I started thinking about what's important and relevant to me, and then it hit me: why not focus on military kids? In that case, why not just focus on kids in the community in general?

After mapping out my project, I signed up to work at an on-post military kids' awareness/appreciation day, dubbed "GI Joe Day." I don't know yet what exactly I'll be doing, but I'll work on anything. I'm usually not a huge fan of little kids, but being an Army brat myself, I make special exceptions for military kids.

I also found out that the downtown library has a volunteer program in the summer because they need extra help with their summer reading programs. This year, the theme is "Own the Night." I went to the volunteer information session this afternoon, signed up for my hours (Mondays from 1-3), and got a crash course on how to shelve books.

You can find out more about the library on their website.