Community service is a beautiful way to give back to your community. My ability to serve two different communities through volunteer work was a blessing. The two communities I served included Kansas City, KS, and the community of Kansas as a whole. Each of these opportunities was through different organizations. One was with KanCare Ombudsman, and the other with Giving Hope KC.
I had vastly different experiences with both organizations as I volunteered and will continue to volunteer with in the future. KanCare Ombudsman was an exceptional circumstance where I am helping the organization’s VISTA with social media marketing. I was excited to put my major to use in a way that benefits not only myself but others as well. The VISTA I am working with, Josephine, needed help understanding ways to schedule posts, share relevant information to the KanCare Ombudsman page, and generate innovative ideas to stir activity on the Facebook page. It has been a rewarding experience.
I also had the opportunity to volunteer with Giving Hope KC, a food pantry found in Wyandotte County, KS. When I arrived at my first shift, the place was packed with those in need, and I was excited to see that we had plentiful food to give to them. I helped escort individuals throughout the pantry to let them know how much of each item they could take. It was rewarding knowing that I could be of help. It was also wonderful getting to know the people as I walked along with them. Something I also noticed that is wonderful is how considerate each person was to those in line with them. If they felt that they were not going to finish something a food item before going bad, they would not take it so that if someone else needed it, that person could have it.
Humanity is beautiful, and I am very excited that I saw that with my own eyes.
