One of the most important aspects of being on Ogallala Commons Intern is community service. The importance of community service is taught first and foremost at our annual retreat that takes place in June at the Talon Point Retreat in Dumas, Texas. Talon Point, like many other places, takes several stops to become more environmentally friendly. In order to do so, the kitchen staff uses traditional silverware and plates, rather than plastic. All OC interns are assigned a breakfast, lunch or dinner shift to clean up after and wash dishes. So our first hour of community service occurs at our retreat!
One of the requirements for our internship is to complete ten hours of community service. I split my hours between two projects involving kids in Phillips county. I chose these two projects because I love working with kids and I wanted to give back to the young kids in my community.
I participated in several other community service projects all around Phillips County. My favorite project was assisting with our local Cloverbud Camp. Cloverbuds are the youngest level of 4-H members, from ages 5-9. Rather than showing animals or general projects, the Cloverbuds attend two camps every summer where they eat snacks, do crafts, and learn about 4-H. This project was my favorite because I love working with kids and 4-H is an organization very close to my heart.
My second project took place at another place very close to my heart. I spent a few hours one morning at our local Childcare center. The center had recently received a grant for new rocking chairs for the infant room, as well as new toys for the toddler and preschool room. I spent those hours assembling the rocking chair, as well as putting together the toy lemonade stand for the toddler room. This was also the most challenging for me because I’m not a very hands on person, but seeing the kids enjoy playing with their new stuff made it worth the struggle.
