Alexis Lawless

Day of Service

September 8, 2012

Circle K

I attended the Stockton Day of Service on Saturday, September 8, 2012. It was my first time actually doing community service at Stockton. I stayed with Circle K at the campus center. I really wanted to go off campus somewhere, but in the end I found it was very worthwhile doing what I did on campus with Circle K.

While I was there, one of the things I did was make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Salvation Army. I’ve never made so many sandwiches before! It was sticky and got all over the place, but in the midst of spreading that jelly, I realized why I was doing this certain task. I was preparing food for people, although it was so much more than just that. I was feeding the people in this world who are hungry and some days have nothing to eat at all. That thought was so satisfying to me and actually made me a little emotional. I know I’d feel very appreciative if students took their time on a Saturday afternoon to make me a meal if I was in need of one.

Another activity I did on this day was write letters to children who were, for lack of a better word, “sick” or “challenged” in some way. As hard as it was, we weren’t allowed to write things like “Get better soon!” or “Keep looking towards a brighter tomorrow.” Instead, we were asked to write about things they enjoyed (we were given a list for each child), and from that form a letter that would just put a smile on their faces for a couple minutes. Again, if I was a child with a disability, I know something like this would make my day. We weren’t showing sympathy or giving a helping hand; we were simply being friendly and treating them as our equal. I think this was a very good idea for Circle K to do, and while reading the children’s stories made me heartbroken, they showed me how lucky I truly am, and how strong these young people are.

Circle K is a very special group and I’m glad I was a apart of it on this day. I was so glad that I actually decided to join the club after this event. I’ve gone to two meetings so far and I can’t wait to start doing more service in my community! There’s something about community service like this that really touches my heart. Helping others less fortunate than me is probably the most rewarding thing I could do with my life. I will definitely do another Stockton Day of Service. I might even join a different group to learn about what they do to help others. All in all, I learned that the littlest things can help your community, ranging from feeding the hunger to writing a friendly card to a strong kid living a life most of us couldn’t even dream of.