Sunday, April 15, 2012

April Blog


Hello There!
I have learned many things about the Salvation Army since I have been volunteering this year.  I had no idea how many great services the Salvation Army has to offer for those in need.  After working at the Food Pantry, I have learned about the lives of homeless or unfortunate families and individuals.  This definitely has been a tough job dealing with the hardships and heartbreaking stories told by those in need.  It is so sad to see an individual person or family say that they used to be the ones volunteering and now they are the ones that qualify to receive food.  This just shows me that at any given time a person or family could be in need.  Sometimes some of the most unexpected things can happen.  The Salvation Army’s mission states:
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
I have learned to be thankful for what I have and to not take things for granted.  I know that sometimes if the smallest things go wrong in my life, I think it is the end of the world, but working in the food pantry has taught me that my life could be much worse if I were in the situations that some of the people are in.  The food pantry has taught me that sometimes doing the smallest things for someone can really impact their life.   
I feel like I learned a lot from this volunteering experience.  I believe that working with those in need will impact me in a positive way.  I believe that there will always be people who are hungry in the Springfield community so volunteering at the food pantry has made me realize the need for help. I will work with underprivileged people everyday, while teaching at a rural school district, so this will help me throughout my entire life.  I have really enjoyed volunteering at the Salvation Army and hope to continue to volunteer with this organization next year.  Throughout my life I plan on volunteering with various organizations to give back to the community.

Stay classy Drury University,
Haleigh Brown


Hello again!
I have learned a lot about the life of a homeless or low income individual. I have learned a lot about these peoples’ lives because I have been working in The Salvation Army Food Pantry. I see tons of families and individuals who come through the Food Pantry once a week to receive the only food that will last them for the rest of the week. Seeing how grateful these individuals and families are makes me realize how blessed I am to have a secure home and an abundant supply of food. I have said before that I was “starving,” but I know that I have never truly been starved like some people have been. The mission of The Salvation Army is:

“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

The mission of The Salvation Army and what the Food Pantry does for the people living in the community are closely connected. The mission is to meet human needs in His name and the Food Pantry does this because they give people food, which is a basic human need.

This issue connects to me personally because I see low income individuals on a daily basis. A lot of these individuals live around campus. It also connects to me personally because I carry a large burden for families and individuals living in these unfortunate conditions. I wish that I could do more to help out these individuals, but I have realized that I do a lot for them whenever I volunteer once a week. Since I have been in college, I have realized how important it is to volunteer. I plan to continue to volunteer for the rest of my life and I plan on showing my own children how rewarding it is to volunteer and give back to the community. I have really enjoyed working with The Salvation Army and I hope that I will be able to volunteer in the Food Pantry next year as well.

Until next time,
Mariah Fulbright


Hey all!

Our blog question for this week is to reflect on what we have learned about the community issue that is tied to the Salvation Army’s mission.  This is something that I have been thinking a lot about lately since we just finished up with our project of the semester.  The Salvation Army’s mission is, “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church.  Its message is based on the Bible.  Its ministry is motivated by the love of God.  Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”  Our year with The Salvation Army has been focused on the the “to meet human needs,” portion of the mission.  I have really been able to see the benefit of the organization by working at the food pantry.  Every week, I am still amazed that people are in such a need for something as simple as a bag of groceries.  The people that are on the receiving end of the food pantry get so much joy from being able to see that they can get a bag full of groceries.  I take the basic necessities of life for granted since I have never had to worry about not having enough food or shelter.  It has been an eye opening experience to see just how many people in Springfield need some of these basic things.  Having this knowledge made our service project so much more rewarding.  In total, we collected 735 items in a little over two weeks for our clothing drive.  This large amount of clothing is going to be so beneficial for the large amount of the population in Springfield that needs simple things like clothes and basic kitchen supplies.  This year has been so rewarding and extremely eye opening to have learned more about The Salvation Army and the services that they provide.

-Erica


Hello again!
Throughout this year I feel that I have truly gained a better understanding about what The Salvation Army does for our community.  I never realized how many people in need there are in the Springfield community until I began volunteering with The Salvation Army.  I especially learned this by working at The Salvation Army’s food pantry.  Weekly, people in need of food come to The Salvation Army seeking this basic need.  I have truly realized how lucky I am.  Sometimes I can be picky about what foods I eat and the people who come to The Salvation Army are thankful for any amount or type of food they are given.  This definitely puts things into perspective for me and makes me realize that I should be thankful for every meal I get.  Sometimes it can be hard to remember to do that. 
Also, in the winter The Salvation Army opens up their doors to anyone who needs a place to get warm on those brutally cold winter days.  I have literally seen their main lobby packed with people.  I never knew not having a warm place to stay was a real issue in Springfield until now.   I take the heat that is provided in my house for granted.  Sometimes I get overly stressed and feel like I have had the worst day ever.  Yet my problems are very simple.  I have a warm house to stay at, plenty of food, a wonderful education, and family and friends who love me.  I am so lucky.  The Salvation Army has inspired me to be a better person and take the initiative to help those in need.
I can take this newfound knowledge and apply it to my everyday life as a Springfield citizen.  I can learn to be more sympathetic to those who stand on street corners asking for money.  I do not know their situation and I can do a better job of not judging them.  Also, I can make sure I donate items such as clothes that I don’t want to The Salvation Army instead of throwing them away or giving them to a friend who does not have money problems.  Lastly, I can be more giving during the holiday season.  When we volunteered at The Salvation Army’s Christmas Shop, I was overwhelmed by the amount of parents who needed help providing gifts for their families during the holidays.  It was definitely my most memorable Salvation Army experience and I am so lucky to have been able to help those people that day.  I want to try to volunteer there every year during this program.  I loved seeing the smiling faces of the parents who were so excited to have presents for their kids. 
Overall, I am very thankful for my Salvation Army experience.  I think it was an eye-opening experience for all of us!

Until Next Time,
Katie