Serving Others...And Yourself

Over the past few Service Saturday weekends, I visited the local Salvation Army and helped prepare and serve food to members of the community.

The Salvation Army of Ithaca is a space for community members to find hope, solace, and faith through religious services and community meals. My most memorable volunteer experiences have resulted from the time I have spent working with the Salvation Army staff. 

Through my time at the Salvation Army, I have not only prepared and served lunch, but have also had the privilege of interacting with the community members, my favorite aspect of working with the organization. I enjoy engaging with members of the community because the experience strengthens my knowledge and bond with Tompkins County and the city of Ithaca. 

I believe it is important to engage with members of the community in order to facilitate communication and discussion about current events and issues. I have learned that through dialogue and interaction with the residents who live in Ithaca, I can shed light to the social and unjust issues currently lingering in the city. 

With my involvement in the Salvation Army, I have seen how the organization is making a difference in the community by providing the necessary resources, such as food, to those in need.

I am preparing lunch with my Service Saturday team to serve to the members of the community

To me, volunteering at the Salvation Army is especially important during the winter season because it allows for me to share the spirit of the holidays with families and residents who do think they have a very joyful holiday. When I volunteered during the month of December, I helped decorate the sanctuary with holiday decorations and then served hot meals. Many of the residents asked for second meals, and with our preparation of an abundance of meals, we served more than one hot meal to each resident. After the experience, I felt proud and relieved to know that I contributed to the holiday celebration for several families. 

The Salvation Army has taught me the need to address the issue of poverty in Ithaca. Not only that, but the organization has provided me with the space to interact and engage with other populations outside of the college campus, which allowed me to grow as an individual learning to venture in the real world. Fortunately, the organization has brought to my attention its goal in becoming a source of strength to various residents of the community. 

I also learned the importance of religion during my time with the organization, as the community members would engage in a short prayer and worship before being served their meals. Observing and participating in the prayer and worship circle, I was able to reflect on my own religious views. 

Faith, I saw, is an important aspect of many lives. Faith provides people, including myself, with a sense of hope during the low points of life. With the Salvation Army's prayers and worship circles prior to serving meals, I was able to sense the importance of faith for everyone in the room, no matter what his/her religious views were. 

I hope to work closer with the Salvation Army in the future; for, the organization teaches me the importance of engaging with community members and helping serve hot meals to those in need of a little extra resources. Through the experience, I have grown to understand another part of the Ithaca and Tompkins County community outside of the college atmosphere.

Group picture after a day's work of giving back

"The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become. The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become. The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become" ~ William Arthur Ward