Last Friday, I went to Our Father’s House to make and serve a Turkey dinner to members of this transitional home. This was my third or forth time going to Our Father’s and it by far was the most inspirational. Since it was so close to Christmas, one of the random acts our service learning program did was to make small gift bags for each member at Our Father’s House. This is something we do every year but this year, I got to hand deliver them to the members after they finished their meal. It is truly amazing to see what a difference a seemingly insignificant act of kindness can do for someone in need. One of the highlights of my night was delivering gifts to the women upstairs. They were extremely grateful for the presents and were quite complimentary of our turkey. It was in all a very memorable experience and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to dedicate my time to service.
Today, I was helping our Giving Tree program organize and give gifts to the families that came to pick them up. Although hectic, I had one of the most moving experiences. As I was helping a woman bring her children’s gifts to her car, she began to thank me. She told me that since she was a single mother of two and on disability, her children usually only received one present on Christmas if that. The woman began to breakdown in tears because she was so grateful for what we did. I didn’t really know what to say because I was in awe. I was in awe because I never really understood what these gifts and this program meant for people. I knew it effected people’s lives but to witness it face to face was a very clarifying experience.
Abby Haines
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