Jonathan Pier
11/30/2016
Professor Lenard
Freshmen Blog Assignment Three
The event that I volunteered for was Stockton University’s first annual Rudolph Run, which took place on Saturday, November 19th. This event was sponsored by Stockton University’s honors program students. The run is an annual event for all students that took place in and around freshmen housing. The intent of this event was to raise money in order to help support a local family over the holidays. This involved buying clothing, toys, cards, food, and cards for them. Additionally, the goal was to fundraise for both the honors program and For The Run Of It. The volunteer activities included tabling prior to the run in order to collect donations and help to promote awareness for the run, guiding participants during the run, and even partaking in the race itself. By the end of the event, the Rudolph Run was able to successfully raise $211.37. Despite this not being enough to support an entire family over the holidays, it was sufficient funding to buy a number of toys and board games for the Stockton police department’s Toys for Tots program. The event raised awareness towards those who are not as fortunate over the holiday period and inspired many to do even the slightest thing to help someone in need, while at the same time providing an interactive and fun way for participants to stay in shape and meet new people. Overall, I found Stockton’s first annual Rudolph Run to be a success with loads of potential for the future. Given the opportunity, I would partake in the event again and would even spread the word to my friends having first-hand experience with how enjoyable the event was.

Jonathan Pier

10/24/2016

Professor Lenard

Freshmen Blog Assignment Two

The event that I attended was Stockton’s event to create cards and miniature gifts for homeless children, which took place on September 14th, 2016. The event was a one-time event for freshmen that took place on campus with the intention of providing incoming freshmen with a fun and interactive way to create cards and gifts for homeless children for their birthdays and the upcoming holidays. This event consisted of multiple different activities with the intention of making little knickknacks such as cards and  foam toys. Led by the guidance of volunteering upperclassmen, attendees were allowed to pick which item they wanted to create, and used items such as foam, scissors, stickers, and cardboard paper to create cute and happy-looking presents. This service event was beneficial because it offered students a chance to help and put a smile on the faces of these children, who otherwise would not have had much of a reason to think anybody cared about them, or even enjoy the holidays or their birthday. The event was followed by a dialogue that expanded on the purpose of the event, with students discussing their feelings on how lucky they are to have a roof over their heads in the coming cold months, as well as providing a perspective that made everyone thankful for what they had in life. The event was overall very enjoyable and made me want to spend more time helping homeless children find a reason to smile during a period that I want to be smiling as well.