Service

Earth Day at Socrates Sculpture Park April 18th, 2019 (7 hours):

Having visited the park already on a trip for art class, I knew what socrates looked like and had an idea of what to expect as the park has a close relationship with my school. At first, we were split into groups. With our groups, we got garbage bags and collected trash that was found around the park. This helps the park look nice and inviting to the visitors. It also helps small animals and the ecosystem in the park. After this, we took a break and got to see what the park had to offer such as the view onto Manhattan. 

There were little sculptures at the time because an exhibition had just ended. To prepare for an upcoming one, in a large group, we would sow grass seeds. This is because when it rained, the area that we worked on would get very muddy and looked unpleasant. To sow the seeds, first, we collected rocks from the muddy area. Afterwards, we raked and plowed the area. Finally, we threw seeds in an orderly manner. 

I enjoy helping out in parks and I always get that opportunity around Earth Day. This was a very memorable experience because I got to help the environment as well as spend time with friends, acquaintances, and staff from the park and my school. It reminded me a lot of a time where my entire class went to McGoldrick Park in Greenpoint and did similar work to help clean up the park. It was a great day where we got to eat lunch at the park, just as we did at Socrates. 

Junior Council 2018-2019 (25 hours)

Every Wednesday, the Junior Council would meet in a classroom after school. There, we would discuss ways to raise money. The money would go to the senior class for things such as prom and graduation to lower the costs of those events for every senior. It was essentially a brainstorm session. 

An event that often took place in order to raise money were bake sales. For quite a while, these were a weekly occurrence. For these, I would bake blondies or brownies to contribute. Twice, the Junior Council hosted a waffle day. I brought in a waffle iron both times to make the waffles. It was a difficult task as I needed to work quite quickly, but it was worth it in the end. 

Around Thanksgiving, Junior Council hosted a Friendsgiving. It was an event that had food, board games, music, and video games. I sold tickets to the event, which was a form of fundraising. I also brought in garlic bread for the event for people to have as an accompaniment to their savory food. Although it was not the biggest turn out, it was a valuable experience to have to reference for future events.

Helping Hands Committee 2018-2019 (20 hours)

Every Monday after school, as a committee, everyone would meet in a classroom. There, we would mention things that our subcommittees have been doing or are planning on doing. Group by group, everyone would restate their plan for their subcommittees. We would learn about other groups and be aware of the work they are doing to help their cause. Sometimes, as a whole committee, we would collect money or toys for the less privileged.

Having been in Helping Hands for a few years, it had proved to be a great community to be a part of. It informed me about many issues local, national, and global issues. It was great to discover myself and to learn that I very much enjoy helping other people, directly or indirectly. Because of the Helping Hands committee, I think I am very likely to volunteer with others through my life.

Smile Train Subcommittee 2018-2019 (30 hours)

The Smile Train subcommittee was created to help children in need who need surgery to correct their cleft pallets. I heard about the cause in the past and was excited to join the committee along with my friends. On Thursdays after school, we would brainstorm ideas to help earn money for the cause.

Like in many other subcommittees, we had bake sales to raise money. I also helped to sell these goods and brought them in to sell as well.

One big event we had as a subcommittee to raise funds, was the Snow Ball. Snow Ball was a school dance. We sold tickets, made decorations, created a playlist, and sold snacks at the dance. It was a very enjoyable event for us in the subcommittee and people that came to the dance. It taught me a lot about group work and how to think through everything when organizing an event. It makes me excited to work with more groups to create such gatherings.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Subcommittee 2018-2019 (25 hours)

In this subcommittee of Helping Hands, we would meet on Mondays after Helping Hands. We talked about creating a pamphlet to have to share with the community. We would also brainstorm ways to raise awareness about the issue and fundraise for it. Often, we would have bake sales and I would make baked goods to contribute to it, as well as help sell the goods.

This subcommittee was very important for me because I was involved in it with a lot o fly friends. The cause is also close to my heart as my great grandmother has dementia. I am happy to have been able to contribute to a cause that would help her and people like her.