Organizations and Volunteer Work

Organization Time Spent There Year Done
Zoo Crew 4 weeks (Summer program) 2014
SOAR 2 years 2014-2016
Camp Blessing 1 term 2017
Welcome Week 1 year 2017
Meals on Wheels 2 years 2014-2016

I sort of jumped straight into volunteering, starting big with Zoo Crew.  Zoo Crew is a program with the Houston Zoo where twelve to seventeen-year-olds volunteer in different aspects of the summer program.  The part that I worked in was with the daycare.  I was with the four and five-year-old’s being a buddy and showing them the zoo.  The program lasted for four weeks of the summer and had the hours of a regular job.  We had to be there by seven-thirty each morning and we left at three each afternoon.

From there, I started getting involved with the SOAR program at K2 Academy of Sports.  This whole department works with special needs children.  At the beginning, I worked with the group classes where, as a volunteer, you get paired one-on-one with a buddy.  From there, I got involved in the monthly Saturday events, first being a one-on-one buddy and evolving into one of the leaders.  Eventually, joined National Honors Society at my high school where I was required to have volunteer hours.  I continued to volunteer at SOAR but saw the demand for helpers, so I brought the opportunity to NHS as a steady volunteer option for the people in NHS to be able to participate going forward.

Throughout both the above mentioned works, I did Meals on Wheels with my family.  It is not something that is done continuously throughout the year, although I’m sure you could.  It is just done on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.  For this, my family would show up early in the morning to the church, and grab our routes and food.  From there we go to each house on the list and gave them their food.  When the list was done, we’d go back to the church and get more until every single routes were completed.  This was just a great way to start the days of giving before going and spending it with the rest of the family.

Welcome Week is something that is done at Baylor University for incoming freshmen once they have moved into the dorms.  As a Welcome Week leader, you get paired with a partner and together help to acclimate students with their new surroundings.  There are several fun events planned for them that show them the different tradition and customs that Baylor has to offer.  It is a weeklong deal that happens the week before classes start.  After one year as a leader, an opportunity opens up to be a Traditions Leader which is a step up from Welcome Week leader.

Finally, there is Camp Blessing.  Camp Blessing is a summer camp for special needs children where they come and stay for a week and have fun.  Each week of the summer is themed for different disabilities.  The week that I went, I was with the older aged group.  That week, I was a one-on-one buddy with an amazing women named Kathy.  I volunteered at this camp specifically because it is almost exactly what I plan to do when I am older and for my career.