Maria Gonzales

1.) My direct service benefits the broader community by helping and supporting the Botanic Garden to continue with their events and sales they have since they are non profit. It is creating a sense of community in the city of Memphis and encourage others to continue supporting places like this in the city to create a better environment.
2.) I served the Botanic Garden of Memphis. My service benefits Memphians that enjoy visiting the garden and contributing to it; also, it benefits the natural environment and animals within the garden to have a clean and safe place.
3.) Some skills I developed during my service was customer service. I talked to different people and interacted with them. I had to be charismatic and kind to provide a pleasant experience at the Botanic Garden.
4.) I learned that the Botanic Garden has both a fall and spring sale with different kinds of plants for both inside and outside; I also learned what is a "flat" in gardening.
5.) I worked along side with another volunteer which was in high school. We were only three years apart but it had been a long time since I had to work with a high school student; This impacted my experience because she would ask questions about college and I felt good helping her with her questions.

My direct service benefits member of the broader community by helping maintain an easy and quick process of getting their vaccines and record all in one place. I served mainly Hispanic families in this event. They were relieved and satisfied that there was people that spoke Spanish to help answer questions.I helped facilitate the process for families to get their vaccines, interpret, and helped them know about resources offered in Memphis by guiding them to the tables where organizations were giving out flyers and goodies.
I do plan on volunteering with this organization because I want people who do not have the resources or know of to get the help they need.
This opportunity impacted me personally in a way where I am continuing on growing with my empathy and communication which I will definitely need as a future nurse.
I learned that the Hispanic community tend to be scared to ask for help because they do not know how to ask for help or in fear of receiving discrimination but when they see people that are there for help there is a change of attitude in them and feel more comfortable.

I helped weed in the forest/wood area.

I cleaned trash around the street/community of Memphis Rox.

I helped translate, explain paper work and helped as needed in this event for Hispanics that don’t know English.

Helped translate forms, distribute food and help organize and unpack food items.

I helped inbox food items and organize them so they could be ready to give out. I was also given a table to give out a certain food item to cars.

I cleaned at Greenway. We picked up trash like bottles and tires. We all had trash bags and green trash pickers.

I cleaned different garden beds by weeding and removing sawdust.

I helped out cleaning and taking out weeds near where there was a lot of trees that Saturday and luckily it was sunny and not as cold as previous days!