Chapman University 5K Run

On October 23, 2010 I volunteered at The Chapman University 5K Run/Walk to benefit charity. The event started at 7 am and we were there at the starting line to cheer on the runners as they began this long and grueling race. After the run started we moved to the finish line where we greeted the runners after they finished the race. When we greeted them we also gave them medals engraved with the logo of the race on it. It was very exciting to see the runners' faces after finishing a long run like this one because they are overcome with a feeling of pride because they finished the race. I really enjoyed this project because it allowed me to meet a bunch of new people and it encouraged me to try and possibly run a marathon one day in the future.

TOPS Soccer

On October 2nd, my friend Celina along with myself went to volunteer with the TOPS Soccer organization. TOPS Soccer is an organization that creates soccer teams for kids with physical or mental disabilities and they need the volunteers to play against these kids. Celina plays on my soccer team with me so we thought this would be a great opportunity to combine a sport we both love with helping others, which is always a good thing. We had a great time playing with these amazing kids and we could tell that we were bringing them so much joy by the smiles on their faces. We plan to continue to do this project a couple of times per year because we found so much enjoyment in it. It was also great for me to be able to have one of my best friends do a volunteer activity with me because it allowed me to not only help the members of my community, but share this experience with someone I care a lot about.

Box Tops 4 Education

Throughout the months of September and October, I worked with my family to collect Box Tops 4 Education from St. Paul's Lutheran School. We cut them out to send to the warehouse and then Box Tops 4 Education sends money to the school to give them credit for buying sponsored food items. This project is very important to me because it has been a part of my life for many years so it holds a special place in my heart. I love doing it because it is a simple task that has a truly great reward for the elementary school.

Early Literacy Program

On August 14, 2010 I volunteered at the Early Literacy Program. While we were there, we collected book donations to give to needy families. This was a very special experience because it was comforting to know that all of the books we collected were going to a good place for families who were really going to use them. Before the books could be sent to these families, they all needed to be cleaned off and repaired if they were broken or falling apart. I was so glad that I could have this experience with my mom because we both love book and helping other people so this was a perfect situation for us.

Orange Public Library

This next project took place over the summer throughout the months of July and August. I worked as a teen volunteer at the Orange Public Library. My job was to help kids sign up for the summer reading program and encourage them to read as much as possible. I also handed out prizes to the kids who came back after reading a certain number of hours required to receive a prize from the library. I worked with the librarians to organize books in the Children's department whenever I had free time during my shift. I love doing this project because it allows me to be in a library all the time, which I love and it helps me become more comfortable with talking to new people. I can't wait to do this project again next year!

Vacation Bible School

I worked as a Crew Leader for Vacation Bible School at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. I have been volunteering for this every summer for a couple of years now. This year the event ran from June 21-June 25. I continue to do this project because I love being around children and I enjoy spreading God's message to the community. These kids participate in arts and crafts, singing new songs, and learning about stories from the Bible. My job in this week was to lead the children around to their different activities and help them understand everything that God has done for us in this world. What I learned from this experience is that I can't wait to become a Lutheran school teacher so that I can spend everyday with children helping them learn wonderful new things. I had a great time working at Vacation Bible School.