Community Service Reflection

Alexys Hebner

Martinez P1

Economics

Community Service Reflection Paper

My project was to volunteer for free, absolutely no payment, for a total of ten hours. I chose to spend this time volunteering at a non-profit animal rescue shelter participating in dog adoption events and working at the kitten shelter cleaning cat cages and syringe-feeding the kittens who hadn’t figured out how to eat on their own/refused to eat because they were sick. I also participated in a dog take in event where they bring in a dozen or so dogs from out of state, get them microchipped and checked by a vet, then put them in foster homes until they are ready to be adopted by a loving family.

The mission for the shelter was to provide animals of all kinds (cats. dogs, chickens, goats, bunnies, ETC) a loving family and good home.

My volunteering at the rescue shelter of taking care of the animals until they could be adopted helped their mission by keeping the animals healthy and safe, and by helping advertise the dogs to families looking for a furry friend to add to their household.

If every teen did even a small amount of community service, then the community would be a little more appreciative of the youth of today. However, if EVERYBODY did a little bit more community service, then society as a whole would be bettered because more people would be helped, and it would keep the youth off the streets. It would also create a more welcoming and accepting society in my opinion. Plus, volunteering teaches people valuable skills, such as compassion, dedication, and selflessness.

If volunteer organizations did not exist, then there would be more paying jobs for people, however, people wouldn’t be able to learn the previously mentioned valuable skills.

I found out about this event from my mother, who told me that that was where we adopted our first kitten. She suggested I ask if I could volunteer there, and they eagerly accepted me for the first dog adoption event. Then, I couldn’t make it to the second adoption event (which would have finished off my hours), so they offered for me to come work at the kitten shelter instead. I agreed, and the very first day of working at the kitten care center, I fell in love with one of the kittens. At no discount or anything, my parents and I adopted the kitten from the shelter, and I continued to volunteer there, even exceeding the hours needed. 

I do plan on continuing to volunteer at the rescue shelter, and have been eagerly accepted to continue. From here on if I do continue to volunteer at the shelter, then I will be able to earn a t-shirt promoting that I volunteer for the shelter. Though not necessary, it would definitely help with the adoption events to separate me from everybody else walking around at the event and promote me as one of the volunteers instead of just another passerby.

I really enjoyed working with the puppies and kittens, and I made a few new friends by volunteering at the kitten shelter on Thursdays and participating in dog adoption events on the weekends. There are also students from NEHS (or something from the school) volunteering there as well, and there is at least one family from the school who is a foster family for the kittens and puppies.