Cyndell Marin

Volunteering at the food distribution was a rewarding experience for me. Seeing my community get together to make sure that people across the county have the opportunity to get free food is very heartwarming. During holidays such as easter, it is important to remind ourselves to give back to others in our community as not everyone has the privilege to get food. Being in charge of bagging the food and distributing it to the people highlighted the importance of helping out in every way I can. I would love to continue volunteering for commissioner Eileen Higgins to continue aiding this great cause.

Volunteering at the Sustainapalooza at Wolfson was one of the most fun activities I had participated in. Not only did I get the chance to help but to also give back to my community by donating books and clothes. The Sustainapalooza highlighted the importance sustainability in our community, giving people across the college an opportunity to donate and get something back in exchange. I would love to continue working with Sustainapalooza for future events so that I can continue being part of this energetic and sustainable event.

I had a great experience working for the Cuban Association of Malta. By making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, one can make a big impact in their community, as simple as the task seems. It is easy to forget people who are in need of a home, food, and other basic necessities that we take for granted. That is why I always make sure to help associations that help those in need, whether it is by distributing food or making the food itself.

Seeing the participants, all the way from 11 years-old to people in their seventies participating in the triathlon was a complete shock to me. It demonstrated how durable not only our bodies are, but our mentality. It is not easy putting your body to such an extreme form of physical activity for hours, that is when we must push ourselves mentally, even when our bodies give up. After seeing how hard people of all ages pushed themselves, it motivated me to participate in a triathlon one day in the future. I learned that there is no excuse to complete a task that seems impossible to do; after all, our bodies were made to be moved.

Registering for the 5k walk/run was one of the best choices I could’ve made for changemaker week. At first, I was scared since this was the first marathon I have participated in. During the run, I felt motivated to finish fast as the people there were motivated to run for a great cause, the fight against breast cancer. After finishing the 5k marathon and receiving my medal, I realized how easy it is to help a cause like this by simply running and having some fun!

As this was my first time volunteering at the Salvation Army, I didn’t knew what to expect in regards of work and how the food would be distributed. I first started working in the food pantry, which was a physically challenging task. While moving each box of food, I reminded myself the reason I was here, to help others in my community. When we started distributing all the bags of food and boxes of milk, I was tasked to registers all residents, most of them being senior citizens. It felt rewarding being able to help them, seeing them excited to get their food, and grateful towards us when they left. In some cases, we had to help them take their food outside as the bags and boxes were heavy. After we finished distributing all food supplies, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to volunteer in this cause. The Salvation Army is a perfect example of why we should all volunteer in our community, and remind us that everyone’s efforts matter no matter how small it is.

This food distribution made me acknowledge the importance of helping my community. Bagging each food bag and distributing it to the people who most need it is a rewarding experience. This distribution made me acknowledge how powerful it is to get together as a community to do something as simple as giving food bags to the ones who most need it. Distributing the food bags to the people was a beautiful experience as I got to see in person the impact that I am making in each person’s life. I am grateful that I was giving the opportunity to see this change first hand, because this is more than simply doing volunteering hours, but learning about the impact we can make as a community.