On Saturday, September 7th, a caravan of buses and vans packed full of Stockton students and their supervisors set forth towards Atlantic City. This makeshift crew of volunteers had a plethora of tasks: painting, planting, cleaning, and the like; but they all shared one goal. Helping out those in need. A call was sent out for those ready to commit their time and effort, and that call was answered with gusto. From the opening ceremony to the return home, everyone involved met their assignments with bright eyes and wide smiles.

My group’s assignment was to help paint the top floor of the Atlantic City Police Athletic League’s building. Nothing bad ever came from good ol’ manual labor. What really amazed me was not my companions’ volunteering, or even their work ethic, but the fact that they did not acknowledge what they were doing as a big deal. It was not a task or a service, but just something that people do. Such familiarity being displayed towards community service was heart warming, and raises the hope that some day it will be the norm for society.

I implore and encourage everyone to partake in all future service day events. Not only do they provide help to those who need it most, but they are an excellent opportunity to get out and make a change while meeting new and interesting people. The next event is the ‘Make a Difference Day’ on Saturday, October 26th. It will most certainly be a wonderful experience, and one that should not be missed. Just remember, it is not about recognition, it is about the people in need.

On September 7, 2013, I attended the Stockton Day of Service. When I first heard about it I was a little skeptical and thought to myself, “I’m sure it would be a nice thing to do but it probably is not for me.” Then, as it got closer to September 7th, I realized I should probably sign up and attend even if it is only because all of my friends are doing it. The day I signed up was the last time I had even any hesitation about the Day of Service.

When I first arrived in the Campus Center Event Room on the Day of Service, it all seemed a little hectic and all I wanted to do was find a service project that would interest me for the day. Although it was not my first choice (not to mention I had never heard of it before), I chose a group that would go to the Stanley S. Holmes Community Center in a less developed neighborhood in Atlantic City. Our task for the day was to play games with and hang out with children and teenagers and hopefully get them excited about going back to school. We started the day by decorating the community center with all kinds of back to school decorations and setting up a pizza station and an ice cream sundae bar. Even though we were minutes away from actually starting our service project, I still had no idea what I was supposed to say to these kids to get them excited about school. Then, I met a little girl named Maria. From then on, the whole day changed.

Maria has a hard time in school and in life. She hates school because she is always bullied and she really does not have many friends. Her parents are getting divorced so she harms herself to deal with the emotional stress of it all. Hearing her story and talking to her made me realize how much I have to be thankful for in my life. Also, just spending time with other people in the neighborhood made me see the sense of community everyone there has, even though they are under privileged. I always considered myself a grateful person but once I saw the struggles that Maria and even her neighbors go through every day, I was suddenly made much more aware of the privileges I have every day.

I started out the day skeptical at best about what I would be doing. Even while decorating the center I still was not quite sure about how I would be able to make a difference in how the children viewed going to school. By the end of the day, I realized that it was not so much about helping them as it was about feeling good about myself and the work I had done, however minimal it was. The Stockton Day of Service made me see how lucky I truly am and made me that much more excited to continue doing service projects around school and the community.