Edith Prado

1. What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
- I'm not much of a person to work in gardens or in the dirt pulling weeds out, but I definitely got the chance to improve those skills. Not only that but I also was able to talk to new people and step outside of my comfort zone.
2. Did this experience change your perspective on your role within the community or environment?
- I think that this experience taught me that volunteering is not always easy work. It's okay for it to be hard work, as it is more rewarding knowing how much load we might've taken off this organization.
3. Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
- I got the chance to work with 4 other people, which ended up being a great experience. We all had a connection with each other in some way. One of the ladies there was actually the mom of a teacher at the school I work at, and it was nice to have that connection there. It definitely made it even more enjoyable because we all got the chance to talk and connect.
4. How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
- This organization helped guide me through what we needed to get done. It was very easy, but they came by offering water every once in a while and even offered us some hats to protect our heads from the sun. It was definitely a great experience.
5. Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
- This did align with my personal values, as serving is a part of who I am. I have been serving since freshman year of high school, and it is definitely something great to value. Helping and giving back to others is very important.

1. What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
-Through this experience, I improved on my people skills. Sometimes it is difficult for me to talk to other people, but this experience helped me get out of my comfort zone.
2. How did your service influence your understanding of social or environmental issues?
- Considering this was a mobile food pantry, I learned a lot about this organization and what they do here. Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to have everything I need. Being able to talk and serve others who may not have the necessities they need was very inspirational. Not everyone has the opportunity to just go buy groceries anytime they want. This mobile food pantry is definitely a safe place for these people to come to.
3. What new connections or relationships did you form during your service?
- While I was there, I met a second-year emerging leader, and we were able to talk and just connect through this service. She was a very sweet person and honestly made this experience better. I felt like I wasn't alone and that was all I could ask for.
4. How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
- When I got there, Mandy was the one guiding us and telling us everything we needed to do. She was very sweet and made me feel very safe. She definitely guided us with so much patience and made sure to check up on us and see how we may need help.
5. Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
- This service did align with my beliefs. I think it is important to serve others as a woman of faith. I enjoyed serving and not because it made me feel good, but I loved seeing the impact that my service made on these people

1. What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
- I attended Catholic Charities and we worked on some gardening. I learned how to pull weeds out and how to clean up a garden in order to start planting again.

2. What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
- I learned that this organization provides food to those who struggle to have a meal during the day. I thought it was something so nice considering the location in which it was in.

3. Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
- I worked with my friend, which made this experience even more enjoyable than it already was. Being able to serve together was a great experience and made it all worth it.

4. How did the organization support or guide you during the service?
- The nice lady who was guiding us was very helpful and made sure we all knew what we were doing. She made sure everyone was good and even gave us a break.

5. What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?
- I think what I would change is that I didn't really want to go because I was very sleepy, but it actually turned out to be very enjoyable. I think next time I would just give it a chance before getting too into my head about it.

1. How did this experience challenge your problem-solving abilities?
- I feel like this experience was pretty easy and not challenging at all. There wasn't much need for problem-solving because all the instructions were fairly clear, and when we needed clarification, we simply asked to ensure we did it correctly.
2. Did this experience change your perspective on your role within the community or environment?
-This experience did change my perspective on my role within the community because I see how much impact I can make, just by volunteering for a few hours. Toys for Tots is such an amazing organization because they make sure no kid misses out on opening gifts on Christmas morning.
3. How might these relationships influence your future involvement?
-These relationships make it easier to get up in the morning and volunteer. Volunteering is always something very enjoyable when you connect with people and build relationships. This is my third year volunteering here, and it felt super nice when I was recognized.
4. How did your service contribute to the mission or goals of the organization?
-My service contributes to the mission and goals of the organization because I am packing up toys and putting them together, ready for families to pick up. My service makes sure that kids who are less fortunate are also able to experience the joy of opening gifts on Christmas morning.
5. What unexpected challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
-Fortunately, there were no challenges that I faced during my time serving here. I enjoyed being there each time, and I felt like I did a great job and my service was appreciated.

1. What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
- I learned how to communicate more. I usually have social anxiety when talking to people, but this experience helped me better communicate with people.
2. What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
- What I learned about the community in which I served was that this organization really cares about those in need. Every kid deserves to open gifts on Christmas Day and this is exactly what Toys for Tots strives for.
3. Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
- I worked with two different people, and it made volunteering more enjoyable since I went alone. I met two great women and had good conversations with them.
4. Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
- I would volunteer here again. This is actually my third year volunteering here and I always enjoy being there.
5. Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
- This service did align with my personal values and beliefs. As a Christian, I believe it is a good thing to serve others because we are called to serve one another.

1. How has this experience influenced your future career or educational goals?
- This organization has influenced my desire to keep volunteering in the future. While I was there, groups from different organizations came to volunteer as a part of their job, and I think I would like to be in an organization that teaches the importance of volunteering.
2. How did your service influence your understanding of social or environmental issues?
- While serving here, it has really made me appreciate everything that I have. I think sometimes I tend to forget all that I have and don't realize that there are people out there who don't have what I have. The reason for this organization is so that kids living in low-income homes can receive gifts on Christmas Day.
3. What new connections or relationships did you form during your service?
- Since this is my third year doing this, the person running it has made me feel welcomed and comfortable.
4. How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
- The person running it always has a set of things that need to be done. She always guides me on what to do and always makes sure I'm doing good while I volunteer.
5. What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?
- I think what I would do is maybe ask to do more hands-on tasks, I get a lot of the sitting tasks, and it can be very repetitive, and I would like a little more exciting task.

1. What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
- I currently work with kids, and while I was serving, I was able to interact with kids and their parents, so it helped me develop more confidence in working with kids.

2. What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
- I learned that this community is full of love. The person running it just leads with love, and it really makes it an enjoyable environment to be in.

3. Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
- I did work individually for most of the time, but I was then told to water the plants, and this really nice lady helped me, and we just got to talking, and it made me enjoy being there more.

4. Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
- I do plan on continuing to volunteer here, as I have already volunteered at this pumpkin patch since my freshman year of high school. This community is a big part of the high school that I went to, and so I was very familiar with everything that I needed to do.

5. Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
- This service did align with my personal values and beliefs because this pumpkin patch was at a church, and as a Christian, I really saw the light in Daniel, the one running it. He is such a kind and insightful person, and I felt really touched by something he said while I was volunteering there.

What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience
- A skill I developed was being able to talk to people. I felt more confident to just talk to them like I knew them.
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
- The community was so welcoming and so kind. They made me feel a lot better about being there. I would say that I enjoyed it.
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your
experience?
- The first day I worked alone, but the second day I was able to work with someone else. It just happened to be someone I went to high school with, so I was able to catch up with them.
How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
- They kept giving me instructions to make sure I knew what I was doing, and I wasn't bored just standing there not doing anything. They were all so nice.
What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?
- I think I wouldn't change anything. I think it was a very good experience that I attended.