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May Blog

Hello There!

I went into the Summit Park Leadership not really knowing what to expect, but as the year has progress I have learned many wonderful things not only about volunteering but also about myself.  I figured it would be hard to fit volunteering into my crazy schedule already, but I would definitely say that volunteering was a time that I cherished.  Every Wednesday, I could go to the Salvation Army to work in the Food Pantry and it would help me get my mind off school for a few hours.  I believe that volunteering this entire year has helped me learn to manage my time better as well as improved my teamwork skills.

Our service project was a campus wide clothing drive.  We raised over 1,000 items to donate to the Salvation Army Thrift Store.  I know as a group we were not expecting this clothing drive to be as successful, but we are so grateful for helping out the Springfield Community.  Many students, faculty, and staff contributed to the amount we raised and we couldn’t have done it without our Drury University Community like atmosphere.

I have definitely changed as both a leader and person through the Summit experience.  I have learned the importance of volunteering and how much it means to those in need.  They really do appreciate all the help and time we give.  Also, I have learned that nonprofit organizations really do appreciate their volunteers.  I have learned to be more thankful for the chances and opportunities that I have in my life.  I know that sometimes I think that my life gets difficult at times, but really my life could be much worse, for example like one of the families that receive free food.  I believe that it is important when groups such as the Summit Park Community come together to benefit those in need.  Working with a group has taught me to separate tasks within the group to get the final job done.  Overall, I believe that Summit was a great experience for me and I am proud of our accomplishments and changes we have made.

Today is the first Wednesday I haven’t volunteered at the Food Pantry in a while and knowing that I am done volunteering there for the school year makes me extremely sad.  I have made many great friends through this wonderful opportunity. I have also learned how important it is to help others in need.  It makes you feel good that you are choosing to help others especially when distributing food. I am so thankful for the great opportunity that I have had to get to spend the entire year volunteering with the Salvation Army.

For one last time, Stay Classy Drury University,

Haleigh Brown

Hello Again!

As the year is coming to an end, I have been realizing more and more how much I look forward to going to The Salvation Army to relieve some stress and to be able to give back to the Springfield Community. I have also realized how much an hour and a half of my day means to Betty (the lady in charge of the food pantry) and the other volunteers in there. When my roommates and I go into the food pantry for a short amount of time, we help them out tremendously and they are very thankful for us. I have volunteered over forty hours over the course of this year and I have impacted numerous lives throughout my time there. Recently, we held a clothing drive that brought in over 1,000 items to donate to The Salvation Army Thrift Store.

This experience has definitely changed me as a person and a leader. I have realized how important it is to give back to the community and I have also become more aware of how lucky I am. I plan on volunteering at The Salvation Army at least a few times next year and I want to continue to volunteer somewhere for the rest of my life. I plan on expressing how important it is to my children and hope that they will want to volunteer as well. This experience has changed me as a leader because even though we worked at a team, we all still had specific jobs that we were in charge of in order to properly prepare for our clothing drive. This took a lot of time and energy from all of us and we had to make several sacrifices for it, but in my opinion, it was all worth it.

Even though living in Summit was a lot of hard work (from the application to volunteering once a week) I really enjoyed it and do not regret applying to live here. I am happy to say that I have been a part of an incredible non-profit organization that helps several individuals living in the Springfield Community. I am going to miss being party of the Summit Leadership Community, but my goal is to not stop volunteering once this year is over. I am thankful for what all I have gained from this experience and what it is taught me.

Thanks for reading!

Mariah Fulbright

Hey All,

While looking back on my experiences while living here in Summit Park, I am amazed at how much my group and I have accomplished.  When we first started this project we had a plan, but I was not sure exactly how much of it would actually be possible for the four of us to complete.  When I compare what we did to what we planned on, I now realize that we went above and beyond on almost every task.  Through our service project we were able to complete over 30 hours each working at the Food Pantry.  I believe that we made the greatest impact on the Salvation Army by working there.  By the end of first semester I realized just how much they relied on us to come and help them.  The four of us were able to make a real connection with Betty, the lady in charge of the food pantry, throughout the year.  We were able to develop a system and be extremely productive for the two hours we were there.  This year we also helped them out with getting organized for their Christmas season.  We were able to help them call volunteers, send out reminders, and volunteer at their opening kick-off.  Our biggest accomplishment would be our clothing drive though.  I think the success of this project was something that none of us expected.  In a little over two weeks we were able to raise 1,207 items to give to the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store! We were able to collect a broad range of items; from formal clothes to toys.  It was a great feeling to see the donation truck full of our items that were going to be put to good use. 

I definitely have developed as a leader and a person throughout this Summit experience.  Most of my leadership skills were developed when organizing the clothing drive.  I had to learn how to better work with people when trying to communicate with the rest of my group and with the people of Salvation Army.  I also had to learn how to be flexible with my time and to work around the times that were convenient for everyone else.  I have also been changed as a person by witnessing first-hand the need of the people of Springfield.  It is different seeing things first-hand rather than just reading and hearing about it.  This was the first time that I had done a long term service project and I feel extremely invested in it.  I was not just volunteering because I had to for Summit, but looked forward to going, and put in extra effort every week.  I feel like I have become a more aware and invested citizen, and also developed as a volunteer.  I am going to miss volunteering at the Salvation Army and planning on still volunteering there this summer and next year.  This year has been an extremely rewarding experience and is one that I will remember and be able to grow from.  Working at the Salvation Army has influenced me more than I can say, and I have been changed because of this experience.  The people working there, my group, and the people receive the benefits of the Army have made a mark on me that I will never forget. 

"I am what I am because of other people and they are what they are because of me being around."

                                                                                                -Author Unknown

Go out and do good Drury University,

Erica

Hello Everyone!

Wow, the end of the year has arrived.  I still cannot believe it.  We have accomplished so much this year with The Salvation Army.  We organized a campus-wide spring cleaning drive at Drury benefiting The Salvation Army.  Through our project, we collected over 800 items that were donated to The Salvation Army.  We were so happy that our project was a success and we feel we benefitted The Salvation Army in a very positive way.

In addition to our big project, we have been helping The Salvation Army organize their food pantry weekly.  Sometimes, they don’t receive many volunteers to help out at the food pantry, so we felt really good about helping Betty (the lady in charge of the food pantry) organize everything.  She was always so grateful for our help!

Throughout my time at The Salvation Army, I have realized many things about myself.  One thing I learned is I am not as grateful as I should be.  I take so many things in my life for granted like having food to eat and a nice house to live in.  There are so many people in the Springfield community that do not have anything.  I am such a fortunate person to be able to live the life I live and especially receive the excellent education I do.  I feel that this has changed me in a positive way.  I want to strive to be less selfish, and donate my time or money to those in need whenever I can.  In addition, I have also learned how much work it takes to run a non-profit organization.  I truly respect those who work for non-profits and I am even considering working for one someday myself.

Well, unfortunately it is time to say goodbye.  I have loved my time with the Summit Park Leadership Community and I feel have learned a lot during this past year.  I would encourage every Drury student to apply to be a Summit Park member.  The real-life experiences I have received through Summit Park and The Salvation Army are irreplaceable and I am so glad I was a part of it!

See you in the fall Drury!

-Katie