A single voice addressed the crowd at the Stockton Day of Service announcing, “I need volunteers to go off campus.” Hardly any eyes from the students congregated in the room looked up front as Daniel Tome, the program coordinator for the Office of Service Learning, addressed the room. The Stockton Day of Service was not starting off in the spirit of volunteering as many students waited for someone else to volunteer to venture off campus. The group of students had gathered on September 8th for a day of working with service projects on and off campus organized by the Office of Service Learning. Students were asked to designate interests at registration and then they were supposed to be sorted into service projects that fit those interests. According to the amount of people in the Event Room for Girl Scouts and Circle K, a ton of students had the same interests. It seemed that, although it was a good idea to place students by interest in the different service projects, the even distribution of students among service projects was lacking greatly.
I was among the students designated to stay on campus that volunteered to rush onto a bus at the last minute and be whisked away to some unknown place. I had no clue what service project I was going to be working with until I walked through the doors of the Martin Luther King Jr. School in Atlantic City to be introduced to A.H.E.A.R.T. Ministries. A.H.E.A.R.T Ministries is an organization that helps at risk infants and their families who are in dire situations. The volunteer group I had been haphazardly put in was assisting with the Infant Mortality event where mothers came in with their infants to gather clothes and supplies they desperately needed. With winter looming, we piled onesies and miniature flannels into bags for the mothers to take home. When it was time to board the bus at the end of the day, I did not want to depart.
The Stockton Day of Service, though it had some organization problems in the beginning, turned out to be a success for Stockton students. Enough students braved the blind volunteering for an off campus project and each service project was successfully completed. All of the students who participated learned that taking the initiative to step up in the community leads to pleasant surprises. Some found themselves painting at the Covenant House while also discovering the talents of the people who reside there. Others ventured to the South Shore Thrift Shop, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and other locations for more eye opening experiences. Ultimately, the students who had originally had reservations about going off campus were buzzing with excitement over the new experiences the day had given them.
I am thrilled that I made the decision to step onto a bus and let the driver take me out into the community to help. I was able to unearth a gem of the Atlantic City community I would not have found without the Stockton Day of Service. A.H.E.A.R.T. Ministries is an inspiring group that I hope to volunteer with in the future. As I think back to it, my Day of Service is filled with fond memories of the people I was able to assist and of the strong leaders of A.H.E.A.R.T. Ministries who run the amazing organization. I am looking forward to the next Stockton Day of Service, ready to discover another wonderful service project in the community and learn how Stockton students can make a difference being involved with it.