We're heading back home tomorrow and there are some things I'm definitely not ready for. Once again, I doubt I'll know how to convey to the people back home how much of an impact the trip had on me, and I'll probably speak to some people who will never understand why I feel the way I do. I'll have to do my laundry and watch the entire trip fly past my eyes as I wash dirt and saw dust off of my clothing, remembering the events that put them there. I'll walk into my hallway the first morning of school and be astonished to find that there isn't a line of 5 people waiting to use the bathroom, and I won't have bunk mates to talk to before bed at night. The service learning trips always feel like an eternity, because you would never expect to make so many personal changes or friendships in so little time. Yes, I'm excited to go home to my loving family and tell them all about the trip, but I also can't wait until we go back to school so I can see my second family together again.

- Ally Waxman

Last Day in New Orleans

Coming into this trip, I didn't exactly take this group seriously. I dreaded meetings some days, and others I was excited to socialize with friends who were also in the group.

Today really did hit me hard, though. I went to "Lemonade Parade" (an awesome place for smoothies and lemonade, by the way), and helped install drywall in the ceiling of their basement, which they plan on using part of for a mentally handicapped relative's apartment. In reflections, and just about everywhere else, we always talk about "southern hospitality," but Mike and Lori, the owners, went far beyond that. During our breaks, Mike and Lori served us a total of; 3 gallons of lemonade, 4 or more hot dogs, and free smoothies for all after the day was done. Lori would not stop hugging and thanking us, and all their kind gestures were unnecessary, yet appreciated. After what must have been Lori's eighth thank you, Tyler said something that changed everything for me. Tyler told Lori that we should be thanking her and her husband (who worked pretty hard despite his sickness), because we do receive far more joy from helping them, then they do from knowing someone cares or having their home rebuilt.

I owe a major part of myself to United Saints, the City of New Orleans, all of our wonderful chaperones, and of course, Mr. Kane.

Collin Amadon

As I lay here in my bunk, I'm all too aware that the week is rapidly coming to a close. 

My first reaction was sadness. I didn't (and don't!) want this week to end. There is so much more to do, so many more people to help, and so much that I haven't learned yet. But I guess the funny thing about time is that it will still go on no matter what else you need or want to do. I felt grief because this week is ending, and that the time I've spent working with 48 wonderful people is going to end. My second reaction was fear. I was scared of going home. Having everything that we built up, the relationships and bonds, be shredded the second we step foot back in Massachusetts. That everything will end. 

However,  our reflection  tonight reminded me that it doesn't need to end. But nothing has to go 'back to normal'. Normal is a relative term where we built our comfort zones around. That we can go home and being our experience back with us. Everything that we learn here can be applied into all our lives back at home, and that's a great thing.

And so, my third and final reaction is excitement. I'm excited to go home  and be the person I have become over the year and over this trip. I think it's going to be a wonderful experience. But I still have one more day left, and I tend to make it as hardworking and fantastic as the rest. And while there will be tears shed, there's an important quote that was said tonight that I'll do my best to reflect on in these last couple days. Mr. Kane has said it many times before, and it's all too relevant now. "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." 

Meredith 

Fences

Today I signed up to go to Mrs. Daisy's house for half the day and then move on to a project at Mrs. Jannettes house. However, after we finished at Mrs. Daisys it started pouring and we had to leave. We went back to United saints and started working on a fence for them. While we were working on the fence more and more group starting to come home from the work day. No one hesitated to join in and help us with the fence for even a second. Everyone here is so willing to help and genuinely kind. The fence eventually got finished and all the four square games were resumed  
The fence just served as a reminder to me of this groups compassion. No one here helps because they have to, they really do help because they want to. As we finished painting the fence, a sad song came on the radio and I started thinking about how much I'm going to miss it here. Leaving makes me more sad than anything else and I really don't know who I'm going to be back home. New Orleans has become a piece of me and I'm so grateful to everyone who helped make that possible.

On Wednesday, I volunteered to work at a brand new job site, just a short walk from our apartments. I was excited to begin a new job where as the previous two days I stayed at the same site, and our job was to begin the painting Ms. Jennet's house. It was more than just painting it was all the process that one had to undertake to finally paint. We had scraped, sanded, and set up our ladders, a huge process in its own way. Ms. Jennet was a woman who had given so much back to the city of New Orleans, she is the saint in a city of saints. She manages and maintains a dozen or so community gardens throughout New Orleans, specifically in the lower ninth ward, where she designed and built public gardens in vacant lots, where before Hurricane Katrina shot gun houses stood. Ms. Jennet spends most of her time helping others, that she does not have time to care for her own home, and that is why we we volunteered to paint her 120 year old house, she would rather of spent her time helping others than herself. She was only home for 10 minutes, before she went back to work on another garden, but in that shirt time she really showed her appreciation and her happiness about the work. And also in that short time she unknowingly showed how truly and naturally amazing she is. The world needs more people like Ms. Jennet, who put others before themselves. 

-Tim M.

So today Wednesday the 22nd I was able to work at Mr. Matthew Webbers home, we had the job of siding his house, we took the job and ran of the wood for siding in about an hour. So Twiggy our site manager decided to head to Home Depot to get some more wood for the job at hand. I was gifted enough to be able to drive with Twiggy, just Twiggy and I. This whole trip I have been looking for an experience that made me realize something important, Twiggy gave me that experience. He had come down to NOLA as soon as they let me, and he has tried to leave but only got to Maryland before he could not stand not being here to help. He mentioned to me that he no longer has any contact with his family because he has been away for son long and that now The United Saints is him home and that he loves the people here like his family. It made me think about how much I love every single person on this trip. These people are my family away from home, they make me feel at home here in New Orleans which is really something special. This group of people is my 2nd family, here and when we go back and I hope that we can all stay as close as we are on this trip because I would not like to loose someone that I now consider as close as family.                      

A Day With Mrs. Daisy

Today a group of 5 other students, Trish and my self ventured to Mrs. Daisy's house to finish siding and painting part of the exterior of her house that was riddled by termite damage. Working on ladders, we finished siding the top of their house in a few hours. At the same time a small group finished painting the steps. At around 11 we were generously invited into Mrs. Daisy's to eat lunch that she prepared for us. The food was excellent and her hospitality really reiterated the term "southern hospitality." She told us her Katrina story; How her son so bravely steered his make shift boat (a front door) down river, pulling his family along with Him. The story was sort of NOLA epiphany. I realized the full extent of my presence here. It was amazing talking to Mrs. Daisy and it was evident that every one was changed by her stories. We worked until around 3 and only have a few trim jobs left along with painting the wall we sided, spackled, and sanded.

~David  

reflection

As the middle of the week approaches, I find myself looking back. I look back at my four years of high school, and I remember my freshman year, then my sophomore, and then junior. And suddenly I feel an overwhelming surge of regret. I regret not doing the service program earlier. I regret not being out here helping other people. Tonight's reflection gave me an overwhelming reminder that this service work is something that needs to be done in matter what, and whether or not you enjoy the work you're doing, you do it because you care. Everything that we do, from placing dry wall into a family's home too sorting Mardi Gras beads to be recycled, is important to someone. This reminder humbles me, and reminds me of a quote Mr. Kane said near the beginning of this year. He said "At the end of your experience this year, don't have that thought that you wish you could have done more."

I am so grateful to be here this week and to have this experience with all these wonderful people. I can't wait to see where this week takes me.

Meredith

New day, New experiences

Today I saw what this trip was all about and it really struck me how much I am enjoying this trip. I went to a house owned by a man named Mike, and his wife, and screwed in supports in the basement because the nails in them had rusted out. I used power tools, which I enjoy using and even got to help show other people how to use them. After helping at the house in the morning I went with a group to a food bank called Second Harvest where we sorted food that was being provided to people in need, all over the southern US. I had so much fun working, and really got to bond with my group. I will never forget these times I am having and wish I was here for longer than a week.
-Sam R.

Usually, our nightly reflection circles bring up happy memories or serious realizations in the beginning of the trip. This night in particular was filled with tears. This doesn't mean, however, that this particular reflection was "too much" or negative; It was probably the most powerful and beautiful experience I've had this week so far. It began with an exercise in which every member of the group wrote down something they wish people knew (about themselves, society, their lives etc.), and then they were read aloud anonymously. I was surprised to hear so many confessions of anxiety and uncontrollable sadness, and while at first I was taken back, it came as a relief to know that I wasn't alone. I've never felt so secure in a group of people as I have on this trip, and I should have realized earlier that we can all understand each others problems or at least listen to them. 

Coming back from the trip we always refer to each other as a family, because of the love we share for each other and our work. This year, our family has shared our best times and our worst times and I feel that we are only stronger because of it.

 

Audubon Wildlife Project

Today, a group of us went out to the swamplands of Louisiana to plant trees. First, we searched for invasive tree species that is in part responsible for drying up the swamplands. As we walked through the woods, we found sea shells brought in from Katrina. We learned that the swamplands are important to preserve because they help soften the damage of storms by taking in the water. After lunch, our group and another group there went out deep into the swamps to plant trees. These trees are expected to canopy in around 20-30 years, much faster than the usual 50-60. After planting a few trees each, we were asked to come back and thanked for our work. Most of us wished we could have worked longer because there were more trees to plant and we finished before every other group working at other sites.
My favorite part of the day was when we were given a background on the struggles the state of Louisiana has gone through from a natural perspective. It was interesting because we are used to thinking about the human impacts of Katrina. We learned about how the land in Louisiana is sinking due to the changes in the way the Mississippi River flowed after levies were put in after Katrina. This combined with ocean levels rising means big trouble for the state. Some people have predicted that New Orleans could be an island by 2050. Overall, I really enjoyed this project and I also learned a lot.
- Matt McGinness

As my first work day, four other students and I went to Arc to help sort Mardi Gras bead necklaces.  I have to admit, the first half of our time there (before lunch) was a bit boring.  Things started to really pick up during lunch, when each of us tried a cup of gumbo (it was really good).  In the back of the warehouse, they have a garden to grow a lot of the ingredients that they use to make lunch.  They also have chickens - and, a side note, these chickens were not used for lunch.  When we set back to work afterwards, it was no longer boring, and I started to like the work.  Sam G. and I worked at a station together, and she pointed out something to me that was very interesting.  Not only was Arc recycling Mardi Gras beads to help the environment, but many of their employees had a mental disability or illness.  She commented that if it weren't for Arc, these people would be the ones we see out on the streets holding signs.  This really made me appreciate Arc at a whole new level.  At the end of the day, the employees and volunteers managed to process 2,000 lbs of bead necklaces.  Sam, Laura, Ms. Neilan, and I all bought bead necklaces that they sell for a dollar (most of their necklaces are bought or donated, but these were fancier necklaces that were worth at least a dollar).  It was a really fun experience as well as very educational.\

-Tess B.

At the beginning of this year, I was nervous. I had already been down to New Orleans once and honestly thought that my experience this year would never measure up to all of my amazing experiences last year. I had created such close bonds with everyone in the group last year that I never felt this year. I didn't feel the connection with as many people as I had last year and was nervous that I wouldn't make the same connections. Today I can honestly say that we are now a big family that has already created so many amazing memories. Today, we all stood around Willy Pineda as he ate a dragon fly, cheering him on, but I know that back in September or even last week, that would have never happened. I cannot wait until we get started with our work because I know that these bonds that we have created will only become stronger.

-Kaila Proulx

Day 2

Today, the group visited the Laura Plantation. While there, the group and I experienced and learned about an amazing part of history. We also went into the French Quarter, where everyone had an enjoyable experience. Though the popularity of dragonfly was quite surprising!

More importantly, I just wish to express the amount of happiness and the amount of pride I have in our group. Participating in the culture walk and being able to learn more and completely bond with this group of people has given me the best possible outlook I have on the upcoming week. The bond that has grown over the last two days is stronger than one could ever imagine, and I can honestly express that the work that we will do this week will be fulfilling and productive. It's already going by so fast, and I just don't want it to end.

-Meredith

Day 2

Today was our second day in New Orleans and surprisingly my second day in a row avoiding a sunburn. I can already feel my bond with the people around me growing.  Few months ago I'm not sure I would have been able to ride in a car for five minutes with some people in our group without feeling awkward, but today I felt like every single person in group was happy to be together. Genuine happiness is the greatest thing to see on someone's face and the greatest thing to feel yourself. Today was just the second day here and Im extremely excited to know that the feeling we all have right now will continue to growing spread as the week goes on.
I know that the work we will do this week will make me feel happier than ever.
Carly Dillis

      As I embark on my third and final New Orleans Service trip through North Middlesex, I relate the experiences I look forward to this upcoming week with an experience from a few short weeks ago.
      At the MASC Leadership conference in a workshop with a man named Houston Kraft, students were asked to choose just three words that would describe our life the way we hope to be remembered if today was our last day on Earth. Deciding on these words did not take me long, and I raised my hand immediately.
      "Determination, compassion and integrity." Those three words were shared with the other students in my workshop and forgotten at the end of our time in Hyannis.
      Tonight, at the activity with J.A. I gained a reminder of my words. The three words that I desired to be remembered by came back to me, and tonight I made the conscious decision to put these three words back into my life. Not only here in New Orleans, but when I get home as well.
      I plan to use determination this week to accomplish any task at hand. I will be compassionate of my peers and to the local community that we are working for. And finally, with every inch of my being to understand integrity. Integrity is a complex word, but one which I plan to make into my way of life. Starting this week I will not only act with integrity but recognize it in others.
      My final trip to this wonderful city has already changed me. I came here with a different outlook than ever before, and when I leave I will have the mindset to "keep the NOLA experience in the perspective of everyday life."

M.S.

first reflection down in New Orleans

After what seemed like an endless day of getting in and out of vans traveling around the city we finally got a chance to sit down and reflect upon this trip as a group. The more people shared their thoughts the more I came to conclusions about my own. Perhaps the greatest thing this trip leaves behind each year isn't a restored building or a changed light bulb, but instead the inspiration that is given to those who have forgotten that they are capable of doing great things on their own. New Orleans needs us not to rebuild their city, but to show them that they can. Everyone is capable of doing remarkable things and sometimes they just need to be reminded that they are remarkable too.

Hi, my name is Tyler Libonate. This is my first year of participation in the NOLA Service Lesrning group. I have however taken part in the philly service learning trip as well as being given the opportunity to coordinate the New York service learning trip last year. upon arrival in New Orleans I was shocked to see the present conditions. Although I have been efficiently warned of the conditions prior to embarking on this journey, it hits you even more when you experience them first hand. Due to this we were very excited to begin working. However we experienced an issue when our first event was rained out. Instead of being upset however we decided to spend the day getting to know each other and the city. Although our first day may not have been what it was cracked up to be the way in which we experienced eachother and our surroundings made this trip even more special.

Pre-NOLA Thoughts

            With less than 20 hours until we finally leave for our trip, I am flooded with emotions. I cannot wait to be back in the place that I came to call my home after spending a week there last year. As we get closer to our departure date, I think back to all of the amazing memories that were created last February and cannot wait to experience so many more. Since it has been over a year since our school has traveled down to New Orleans, I can only hope that those that had been affected by the storm are in a much better place. We met so many amazing people that shared their stories with us and I am eager to hear where they are today. I hope that Mr. Ernest George, a man that had to leave Louisiana after the storm, is back living in his home that we tiled and painted last year. I hope that Lieutenant Dan, a paralyzed cat from Animal Rescue New Orleans, has been adopted and is now living with a new family. I hope that the schoolhouse at Houma, a Native American Reservation site, is in better condition than we had seen it last year. Although I understand that the city of New Orleans will be in need of help for many years to come, I hope that the work that we completed in our short week made a difference for at least one individual, whether it be a paralyzed cat or a man that was forced to leave his home after the storm. Each of these individuals has left an impression on me and I cannot wait to return to meet so many more amazing people.

Kaila Proulx

Leaving for NOLA tomorrow!

Tomorrow the group is leaving for NOLA at 9 AM. This is my first year in NM service learning and also my first year going to NOLA. I am very excited because of all the great things I have heard about past trips, and to see all of our hard work from fundraising, coming together. We have lots of great activities planned and the weather looks hot. It is nice to leave the NM community for a change and get out and experience other parts of the world. I hope to help improve peoples lives who were affected by Hurricane Katrina and learn more about myself during the trip. The group has been great this year and I cannot think of a better group to go down to NOLA with.
-Sam R.

Our Father's

Last Friday, I went to Our Father’s House to help make and serve our monthly meal we contribute to this transitional shelter. By now, I have been to Our Father’s House many times so I know what to expect, but surprisingly I am still amazed at what a home cooked meal can mean to somebody. This time, we made Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, which came out great. There was even some left over! Overall, it was a good time with laughter and yummy food. Each time I go, I leave with a better attitude and outlook than when I arrived. It is a very humbling and rewarding experience. I look forward to the next time! 




 -Abby H

Soup-er Bowl

Since we aren't going down to New Orleans until April this year, we decided we had time to add in a couple more fundraisers. The Soup-er Bowl was a fundraiser the group had done a few years ago. Considering holding the event would be fairly simple and low cost, the group agreed to try running it again. Being the soup-fanatic and lover of quality puns that I am, I volunteered to chair the fundraiser. We made numerous phone calls, typed up forms and letters that were mailed out to over 40 restaurants, and sent out emails to parents and faculty. The decorations group worked hard to find the most perfect football-related Patriots vs. Seahawks decorations, the raffle group sold tickets at lunches, the advertisement group made a new and improved eye-catching flyer, the set-up group configured the cafeteria tables and made a sign up sheet for power strips and extension cords, the contest group designed a system for voting and made awards for the champions, and the donations group managed to get plenty of breadsticks and desserts donated from local restaurants.

    

As with all other fundraisers, the night of the Soup-er Bowl came and things were hectic. Last minute we realized a couple of things we had forgotten and had to buy/search for them. Nonetheless, everything came together quite nicely and the rest of the night went off without a hitch. We had a great playlist playing, people were really getting into the competition aspect of it all, and most notably, we were all having fun (weird, right?). While we did not receive any soup donations from restaurants, we did receive a whole lot of support form friends and families who donated 10 soups, 3 chilis, and 2 chowders. Congratulations to Nancy Hynes who was the overall winner with her delicious corn chowder.

Dominique

MLK Day of Service

With this being my second year as a coordinator for the Martin Luther King Day of Service, I went into the event knowing what to expect of the day, yet I am still amazed by the amount of support that we received throughout the day from not only students at North Middlesex, but students from nearby towns and families with young children, hoping to get them involved in service. While I was working on fleece blankets for homeless veterans, I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with a few families from Shirley, MA. I had recognized one of the families from the previous year, but the others that they were with were new faces to me. After talking to them for a few minutes, I learned that last year’s event had such a powerful impact on the couple and their two daughters, who couldn’t have been more than five years old, that they encouraged their neighbors to join them. They told me that participating in the day of service would definitely be a tradition that they will continue for many years into the future, hopefully introducing new friends to the program. As I sat and talked to the couples, I couldn’t help but smile. They told me that they hope that their children are able to participate in something as powerful as the day of service when they get to high school. They were so appreciative that they were able to expose their children to such a great event in a neighboring town. Knowing that this day had such an impact, even if it was only on one family,  made me so proud to be part of such an amazing program.

Kaila

Giving Tree

Recently I was given the opportunity to coordinate the giving tree program at North Middlesex. I worked alongside five other members of service learning so it wasn't hard for me to adjust to the new program. The hardest part for me entering this new program was the feeling of being an inexperienced leader in a new program. I felt this way because prior to becoming a member of giving tree I had coordinated the New York service learning trip and I felt as if I had gained enough leadership experience to coordinate a program such as giving tree. I realized however that giving tree is very different from new York and that I would again have to learn how to coordinate successfully much like I had to do to coordinate New York. 

I also felt pressured to work hard due to the fact that our program affects peoples' lives greatly. Throughout the year we would meet regularly and we would discuss fundraising ideas. Fundraising for this program proved difficult because it is hard to raise money for a holiday event before the holiday season. We however heals many successful events prior to the holiday season and that made me felt somewhat secure. However the amount of money that we would have to raise in order to fulfill our goal always proved to be a challenge. It just so happens that I was one of the financial coordinators so I was given the opportunity to worry about funds the most. When we started to get close to the holiday season the rest of the coordinates and I felt as if we needed to raise more money and fast. We were lucky enough to have a lot of our major events towards the end, like Mr. NM, because they brought in a lot of money.

However we still needed more. Money had proven to be the biggest challenge for us because it seemed hard to come by but it was very necessary. We had applied to sponsorships from local businesses but that only brought in a few hundred and that wasn't nearly enough. I was personally put in charge of contacting a local check company that has donated 1000 dollars to our program annually. I attempted to contact them in November but I was unable to talk to them until the week of sorting day due to some miscommunications. I was able to however secure that thousand dollars for the program and it ended up being very necessary. Acquiring this donation proved to be the most difficult moment of giving tree for me personally. There was a lot of pressure on me to acquire this donation and prior to it, I never attempted to receive a donation of this scale. When I received it I was so relieved along with the rest of the group and I finally felt like I was getting the hang of this new program just in time for sorting day. 

Sorting day was the giving tree's sorting and wrapping day. Being in charge of finances meant that I was also in charge of handling the shopping money. Many consider handling the money on sorting day to be the hardest job and after experiencing it first hand I can see why. I spent my whole day crunching numbers and feeling stressed. I barely took a break but it paid off because I had done the job well. We ended the day with money still left over, which was actually a very big deal because again money was a big deal. Not just my station went well however, the event as a whole was regarded as one of the best sorting days ever. It felt so great to hear that and to see what we were able to accomplish. I felt so empowered because I was able to become a literal Santa and supply children with presents. The knowledge that I gained this year in the program makes me very anxious for the program next year. I can't wait to get that feeling of empowerment back again.
Tyler

Giving Tree over the years

I remember the excitement of Christmas when I was a child so vividly. I would wake up before five o'clock in the morning and ran to wake up my parents. They would reluctantly wake up and go down stairs to make sure everything was in tip top shape while I sat waiting on the top of the stairs. As soon as I got the okay, I sprinted downstairs to see what presents awaited me. I would be expecting many extravagant presents a young child would love. 

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was and am to get most of the things that I want for Christmas and throughout my life. I remember the first time I took a tag from the Giving Tree my freshman year, it was a tag for a five-year-old girl that was asking for socks for Christmas. This tore my heart to pieces. I had been so selfish and materialistic when I was a kid, yet all that this little girl wanted was socks to keep her feet warm. Since that moment, I had wanted to do more with the Giving Tree. 

In my junior year, I jumped on board as a coordinator and continued as a coordinator this year. Not only have I gotten exceedingly better at talking on the phone, but also my eyes have opened wide and have developed an open mind through the work that the Giving Tree does. It always puts a smile on my face to see so many volunteers from our community come and help at Santa's Workshop on our Giving Tree Sorting Day. They are part of a process that make Christmas morning possible for over three hundred children. I still have trouble wrapping my head around this but it is the reality of the world we are living in. It is a wake up call when a small program at a high school in a small town is where families and large organizations turn to for Christmas presents for kids. I am incredibly grateful and humbled by my experiences with the NM Giving Tree. 

Danielle

MLK Day of Service

The idea of MLK Day of Service is to "turn a day off, into a day on" so many of us got together last Monday to serve the community. There were a lot of projects going on that day such as making blankets for homeless shelters, baking dog treats for animal shelters, and sewing reusable feminine hygiene kits; however I chose to go to one of the offsite projects our team had set up.
I took 4 people with me to Wheat (a soup kitchen in Clinton, MA) to clean. They are usually pretty understaffed and never have time to clean so it's always really dirty there. I've been going there with my family for about 6 years and I don't think there's ever been a time when I would describe it as clean.
That being said, it was a really big deal for me to be able to help them get the place clean. I've never had the opportunity to help them in any other way besides cooking and the experience brought a new perspective on their organization as a whole and reminded why I love working there so much. I am extremely thankful for my opportunity to further MLKs legacy and give something back to one of my favorite places.
Carly

Thoughts on Giving Tree

This year was my first year serving as a coordinator as our Giving Tree program, and it has been an eye-opener for me. As a freshman I was given an invitation to go to the annual Sorting Day, and thought that it would be fun, so I went. That day made me believe in this amazing program. I saw so many people who had never met before from all different classes and social groups all there to help others. Nobody was sitting around for the free food, nobody was just hanging out with their friends. Everyone was helping one another and looking for a way to contribute. I remember seeing all of the gifts that we were able to give along with the food baskets and care packages for the elderly, and being shocked. I couldn't believe that something as good as this was happening right at my school. People wanted to do good and support each other, and that spirit is what made me come back and help whenever I could.

In January of 2014, midway through my freshman year, I was asked to help coordinate this program, and was even more surprised as the year went on. We spent most of the Spring, Summer, and Fall fundraising because we knew that we would need around $4000 to $5000 to fulfill all of the requests we needed. I remember my biggest worry was getting enough people to help us, because there were only 8 coordinators (including 2 who had graduated) at the time. However, people had not forgotten about us, in the middle of the Summer, we had around 20 kids step up to help us throw a Lawn Party on the Townsend Common (where we threw a barbecue and provided entertainment for the whole town). When we told people about who we were and what we do, they immediately offered help, be it through monetary donations, donating wrapping paper, or taking a tag once we had them made. This program has taught me that so many people want to do good and want to help, without ever asking for anything in return. I have met and become friends with a lot of amazing people thanks to this organization.

Sometimes, we see things that touch us in one way or another. Well, this year I saw so much that made me happy and sad. A lot of us are very lucky to live the kinds of lives we do. I grew up in South Lowell, where a lot of my friends that I grew up with struggled financially and had difficult times at home. When I moved out to Townsend (a relatively wealthy town compared to the city of Lowell), I thought that everybody had it made. I thought that everyone out here had a North Face jacket and the newest Nike shoes. However, as a coordinator, I saw that so many people around us were struggling. Some people were my classmates, my friends, or people I saw every day. The truth is that tough times affect everyone and that we're not always aware of that. I remember handing off a sled, much like the one I had when I was younger. I remember my dad pulling me as fast as he could down the driveway and watching me fly off into the snow. My favorite part about this organization is that we're not just giving presents, we're creating memories. Just like a tree that drops its seeds, those seeds grow and help other too. My dad grew up in poverty and was a recipient of a program much like ours. Now today, my family and I do our best to give back.

So, if you're considering it, check out this program. Everyone is welcome to help and see what's going on, we'd be very happy to have you.