On September 10th, I attended the 8th Annual Day of Service, which was my first service
project at Stockton. It was an eye-opening experience that made me realize how financially
fortunate I really am. The group I had the opportunity of working with was Stockton’s very own Circle K, which is a volunteer service club. There were many things I could have done, like write letters to terminally ill children or soldiers, make hangers for seniors at a nursing home, make blankets for sick babies with parents that do not have the means to provide their infants with blankets, or make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for homeless people at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. I regret that I didn’t have the chance to participate in all activities, but I did enjoy making a blanket for a baby girl and a whole stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It doesn’t sound like much, but I was happy to help out in any way that I could. Every little bit counts. The biggest challenge for me was cutting the most even pieces of fabric I could for the baby blanket and using a sewing machine. I had never used a sewing machine before, and I was scared I would mess up, but I did the best I could, and it wasn’t half bad. I may have only made one blanket, but that’s one more blanket than there would have been had I not tried at all. For those few hours I served I couldn’t help but think how lucky I am to come from a family that could provide for me, a family that didn’t rely on a place like the Rescue Mission for every meal. A sense of guilt overcame me and I questioned how I could be blessed enough to be born into such a privileged family. Nevertheless, I learned to appreciate what I have and to not take anything for granted. I’m excited to contribute more during my time here at Stockton.