Community Service Commences

I recently graduated from college and decided that while I search for a permanent job I will participate in as many volunteer opportunities as I am able. I've always enjoyed philanthropic projects (during high school and during college years I loved having to complete a certain number of hours as a graduation/sorority requirement and was happy to exceed the required amount) and now I have lots of time to participate in a variety of things! I have some big opportunities planned and I am searching for smaller opportunities as well.

The goal is just to do good and be happy about it. I want my service to be filled with variety. I want to help various people in various ways. I hope to meet and work with lots of new people. I want to learn and grow from these opportunities to make myself a bigger-hearted/more well-rounded person.

My summer of service began earlier this week while volunteer cooking at a summer camp that I have worked at as well as attended as a camper. Camp Shalom has been a huge part of my life (my grandpa worked there and my parents met there) and I have always wanted to give back to the place that has given me so much. Camp helped me to develop my faith, leadership skills, communication techniques, patience, and has given me the opportunity to meet countless friends. I was so excited to volunteer cook and continue to strengthen my connection to camp while helping current campers and staff have the best week possible.

I enjoyed helping to prepare camp meals for the elementary and junior high aged campers (some of whom I had met/counseled in the past-it was so fun to see their familiar faces!). I enjoyed seeing campers get excited over a delicious dessert/favorite food or make a grossed-out face over something new that they were not excited to try. I also got to interact and meet the current staff as well as see some new building projects around camp. These three days also helped me improve some of my kitchen prep skills as I prepared many ingredients for the salad bar. I discovered this neat chopper thing that perfectly diced tomatoes, peppers, and onions. (I may need to buy one because it is so fun!) Since I worked at Camp Shalom for multiple summers, I knew how hard our one full time cook worked and I was excited to make her job a bit easier. I think having benefited from the work of volunteer cooks in the past also provided as inspiration to help. Also, I did not mind to be paid in brownie batter and blonde brownies (along with the other delicious food of the week).

Overall, it was great to give back and re-enter the camp community in a different role. I can't wait to do it again (maybe later this summer or) next year!