*A quick note: Those reading this portion may quickly notice that my religious beliefs are Christian as I have had the opportunity to be raised in a Church community which is an experience that I am grateful for and continue to practice. Many of my volunteer and work experiences stem from this, from volunteering at a Bible camp to missions trips both overseas and local. I want to acknowledge that missions trips have historically been used by some Churches to justify colonization and assimilate people groups. I would also like to acknowledge the history behind what some people have done in the name of the Church and Jesus Christ. I am aware this practice continues with people and churches today. The church is made of broken people and they have done many damaging things in the name of God. I love the Church and its people dearly and I believe it has the potential to do great things and it has established some great things but a darker history exists and breaks my heart too. At this point in my educational walk the ministries I have been a part of do not believe support these intentions and put parameters in place to prevent them. There is still lots of work to be done but it is a start. With that, my volunteer experiences.
I have volunteered in my church’s youth group for five years. I am currently still volunteering there – although we meet online to adhere to COVID regulations. We work with youth from grades six to twelve.
I am also a Sunday School teacher for preschool-age children and I work as a nursey nursery volunteer at my church.
I have worked at a Bible Camp called Dallas Valley Ranch Camp for six years in a row. I have volunteered as a custodian and assistant cook. I have also worked as a cabin leader, archery instructor, nurse’s assistant, assistant program director and program director.
I had the opportunity to volunteer in Saskatoon at a soup kitchen called the Friendship Inn (2017) and Central Haven Special Care Home (2018)
I have done various volunteer works overseas as a church worker in India – my team put on plays in an orphanage and worked with special needs children. My team also did public speaking for the churches there. We put together packages with cotton gauzes for a Leprosy colony and visited some of the villages surrounding Chennai.
The above picture shows us in Saris that we bought in Chennai to show respect to the culture living there. We were wearing them as formal wear to a graduation event.
I did volunteer work in Christchurch, New Zealand. My team worked with an organization that tried to fill up the spaces that the earthquakes have taken down with artwork and community spaces. We worked with an Instagram reporter who does a People of New York type page for the city. We also spent time working in a food bank and delivering food to low-income families.
