Service Project Essay

4/27/13

The school I attend requires sophomores to complete at least 15 hours of community service and then write a reflection paper on it. The following is said paper:

Service Project Essay

For my sophomore service project, I had the great opportunity to complete most of my hours at the Houston Food Bank, an organization dedicated to feeding the homeless of Houston. I also completed a small part of my project with the SEARCH program, another homeless organization, by making daily hygiene kits.

I have to say, the work done my freshman year for the service project was a lot easier than this year. Instead of senior assisted living work, the Houston Food Bank operates under 4 hour shifts of food preparation. This could mean anything like; chopping onions, serving peas, opening boxes, or making ham and cheese sandwiches. The work was not exactly difficult, but the repetitive nature of it wore you out. It really helped me though to think of it as each individual item I prepared, would be a meal for somebody that probably hasn’t had one in a while. The SEARCH project on the other hand was much more free in the sense of the choice of work. Me and my dad went to target and bought several hygiene supplies we take for granted like toothbrushes, deodorant, nail clippers and other items. We then assembled them all in kits and visited the shelter to drop them off.

I do believe this service project brings me closer to God. One of Jesus’ main messages was to serve those below you. By working to feed and help the homeless this year, I do believe I was able to continue to fulfill His mission for us. To me, someone who is able to continually fulfill this mission is the definition of a man for others. I believe becoming a man for others should be a long term goal for most if not all people. Doing these service projects have just strengthened my view on the values of service. Something that I once viewed as troublesome or more work, I now view as my part in the Christian society. This service project I believe has made it clear that I will continue this Christian responsibility well into my year after Strake Jesuit.

I believe I can speak for my family (who also matched every single one of my hours) when I say that this a great family bonding experience. Helping as a family those who are less fortunate as us, is a great way to strengthen that family’s Christian morals.