Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Volunteer Oxford

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. "
Mahatma Gandhi 


I love this quote so much. The words are undeniable. I've done a lot of volunteering throughout my life. My mom has always encouraged me to give back to my community and to help others. Even as an adult, I still feel the need to volunteer my services when I can. Service helps you grow and I've really seen myself change over the past 18 years due to volunteering. This brings me to another awesome aspect of going to school at Oxford. I'll admit Oxford has a lot of amazing student groups on campus. Still, one of the largest and most popular "clubs" on campus is Volunteer Oxford

Through Volunteer Oxford students are given volunteer opportunities that seek to enhance our knowledge of society. In addition to that,  while volunteering we're given  a chance to learn more about ourselves. My first time volunteering at Oxford was with my Freshman Seminar class. With the help of VO we took on an "Into the Streets" service project at a local elementary school. We helped run a fall festival that they had in October. I had so much fun interacting with my classmates, students, and parents.

 I went on my latest VO "mission" last Saturday. A group of about 30 students went to Atlanta to help build a house with Habitat For Humanity. Initially, I was a little skeptical that 30 college students would be willing to give up their Saturday and wake up at 7 AM to do manual labor but Oxford didn't disappoint. Both of the vans were packed with eager students.



Once we arrived at the site we did everything. Volunteering with Habitat was so hands-on. We lifted floorboards, hammered nails, and even put up walls. I was in awe as I stood on the street and admired all that we had accomplished. We literally started with a foundation and by the time we were finished the house had a floor, insulation, and all the walls had been put up. Building a house is no small feat but as a group it was possible. By 3:30 PM we were done framing the house and headed back to Oxford.

In retrospect, I'm still a bit sore (building a house is workout) but the experience made it all worthwhile. VO is always posting new events and opportunities; I can't wait for my next chance to volunteer!












'Til Next Time,
Imani

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