Service Learning Report Quotes ~ Spring 2009
“It was the first day of school in Spring 2009 when our teacher handed out our service learning project…I wasn’t interested at all because it looked like it was going to be a lot of work. I thought that it would be hard for me because I never volunteered before
Overall, I conclude that I’m proud of myself. … Also, I felt satisfied. I’m fulfilled that I reached my goal. Rather than completing my hours, my goal was to try something new…. The result is I liked it….This encourages me to go back and help them again.”
J. Castro
“My experience volunteering has been wonderful, exciting, and fun.
Even though it was my first time volunteering, it didn’t go that badly. I actually loved it and I decided to keep volunteering at least once a week. … I always thought it was a waste of time helping others when I could do something else, but I was wrong. There are families that need help. I also thought people just took advantage of it and that they didn’t appreciate it, so why volunteer? Again, I was wrong. People do get the help especially now that the economy is going through harsh times. Everything I did while volunteering at the end brought me joy.
The important thing I learned from this experience was that I have time to help others….trying new things won’t hurt me and to stop assuming things that aren’t true.
Volunteering will be in my schedule from now on.”
Y. Garcia
“My experience was great. I was nervous at first and felt comfortable later….This was my first time volunteering for anything, anywhere. I really enjoyed it and had a fulfilling experience….This was a great opportunity for me. I honestly think that if this wasn’t part of my grade, I wouldn’t have done it.
I am looking forward to volunteering again… This was a chance for me to assure my career path and know where I want to go with it. This experience made me feel great as a student and as a mother.
My shyness…I overcame that. …The most important thing that I learned during my volunteering was a greater respect for teachers, a change in my attitude, and I became more social and open…. (even) my husband noticed a big change in my attitude, which helped our relationship.”
G. Cajero
“Before I could start volunteering, I had to go through orientation. To calm myself down, I thought of it as training for a job.
While I was volunteering, I was having so much fun. I was helping out a lot of people. …It was like a family reunion, except no one knew each other and most of the people were not related.
Volunteering was a new experience for me, and it has changed the way I feel about getting out, being proactive with my life, and helping others. Many people would think that volunteering is a waste of time, but it can bring joy into lives, especially for the youth and children. It can change many people’s lives just to know that there are people in the world who care and are willing to give a hand. It has changed me in a way; I would want to go out and do more volunteer work…I will not hesitate to volunteer or help someone with any problem. I will start to volunteer more often because it gives me a good feeling that I helped out someone with a charity for an NPO. … I would recommend anyone to volunteer for an organization that felt like it was important to society.”
M. Neal
“‘The more I help others to succeed, the more I succeed.’ – Ray Croc. The way I felt after completing a few hours of volunteering is a feeling I’ve never experienced in my life…..it gave me the chance to connect with my own culture and religion spiritually. Although I knew many people that attended this mosque weekly, I never connected with them on the level I did during my volunteering….
…there were a handful of (women) who didn’t even have a place to sleep at night, let alone feed their children. The only ‘real food’ they would eat all week long was at the mosque, and the only time some of the kids would open up and actually have friends to play with was at the mosque….even though I couldn’t lend out a hand to everyone, I could at least show how much I cared.
Volunteering…was definitely not what I expected it to be like. My ideal thought was just to help serve the food and clean up…(now) I’m actually so much more involved. … We all learned so much from each other…I’ve learned so much more about myself these past few weeks than I have in the past nineteen years of my life. One main thing I improved about myself is not to complain about the small challenges I face, but to help myself overcome them.
In a way, I felt disappointed … because the past few years…I (didn’t) get to know the people that came there. (This experience) motivated me to continue helping out there even after my hours were done.
…(before) I judged people by the way they looked,…The most important thing I gained after volunteering … is that I’ve learned that no matter what color or race you are, many of us share common fears and issues. ‘Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.’ I did something – and it was definitely one of the most moving things I’ve done in my life.”
A. Raza
“There are thousands of women who end up homeless for different reasons, … why they end up at the shelter.
The whole experience was not to clean and perform any major duties, but to help the women feel joy and ambition within themselves.
My experience at the shelter was a good step into making me a better person and viewing life differently. …The most important thing I learned from the shelter was that no obstacles are too big to overcome…by keeping faith that you can do well in life and being happy no matter what you go through. This is the first volunteer work that I have done and I would do it again simply because the best way to live one’s life is helping others every chance you get.”
J. Taylor
“Volunteering motivated me to want to make a difference in my community as well as with myself. In addition it made me a better and less selfish person.
I thought I wouldn’t like this service learning project….like ‘Why do I have to go work for free?’ … Since I was forced to do this, I had many bad misconceptions. … Even though I once volunteered for a library when I was a teen, I believe I was too young to understand the importance of volunteering.
I felt a difference in my whole attitude, even a difference in my morals. Now I do not sit around complaining; I actually go out and volunteer to make a difference. So what if I am only one person. By being one of many to volunteer…, I am making a huge difference in the lives of others.
…I can move on in the future to become one of the utmost respectable citizens in my community. I would volunteer anytime in my life again.
I feel this service learning project was a good experience. Many teachers should try out something like this. It will help the student become a better person. In addition, it will help (make students) understand why people do the things they do.
T. Johnson
“Universities look at extra curricular activities and how much volunteer time we have provided, besides our grades and academic record. … I had also mentioned it to a couple of people including my parents; they were very glad I would be volunteering…
It was my first time volunteering in my life and I felt glad because I was making a difference…it greatly built my self-esteem … my personal fulfillment was very great.
In the near future, I will definitely volunteer again. …in just five hours of volunteering, I have learned more skills than I have in my current … job at the airport.
I never knew how rewarding it is to volunteer and give personal time to help others. I also believe that at the same time we help ourselves by volunteering…we make a difference…”
W. Tesorero
“I had never thought about volunteering in my life. …I was nervous … because I didn’t know what I was going to be doing.
After I completed the four hours of community service, I felt different. I guess you could say I felt proud of myself for helping out the city where I live to become a better and cleaner community.
Volunteering is one of the best things you could do in your free time. It’s a great way to help your community or the less fortunate people.
… you’re going to feel like a new, improved person knowing you made a difference in your city. … This was a great experience for me, and I would do it again in the future…”
J. Rojo
“The thought of adjusting to civilian life has impaired, defocused, and depressed the veteran, so he (or she) has to remain within his (or her) veteran community in order to receive adequate care to regain self-esteem. Unlike others, the veteran has to have medication to suppress his (or her) nightmares, blinking pictures of gunfire, and the devastation of visions of victims of war, until common ground is achieved through treatment to regain his (or her) insight of life. There are no cures for these afflictions, but …peer counseling seems to make a very big difference.
…peer counselors continue to help and show other veterans that they are loved, appreciated, and that help is here for them … (and) peer counseling doesn’t stop at the homeless and mental health departments…there are also convalescent homes which hold some of our oldest veterans who are unable to care for themselves, and some have lost all outside contact with their families. …Bingo games, wheel chair aerobics, and just sitting down talking about whatever makes them happy (can make a difference). … organizations get together and send lovely gifts, donated arts and crafts works, and most of all ,personal happy cards which brighten their days to let tem know we have not forgotten (them), nor will we ever (forget) the (sacrifices they have made for us).
…there are almost two million homeless veterans who are still out there in CA…(work is being done to locate them and bring them to get help). … As a volunteer, there are many places that you can really be of help to those who have gladly helped you….volunteer services office in the main hospital accepts volunteers of all ages – all the time…plenty of veterans would love to share a conversation, have a laugh, or find out how your are doing in school, which could have been a veteran’s life-long dream, to be where you are today, in college.
It’s not only an experience for them, but for you also. You might want to have a long lasting career in patient care or the medical field; this could be the start of something unique and challenging. Do yourself a favor; come out and see what the military world is all about, and I guarantee you that you will be surprised and curious enough to stay for a day….a pleasant atmosphere, people with manners, …a welcoming crew…(and an) impact (on your life).
S. Haynes
"It was a good experience helping homeless people, especially when I actually got to talk with them. They told me many things about life, giving me advice and to be circumspect about making choices in life. Also, they always told me to study hard and not to slack off in school. When I was volunteering, I did not notice, but after the volunteering, I felt good and felt proud. I still do not quite know for sure why I felt happy."
D. Kim