Why service?

"Why service?" appears to be a simple question but everyone's answers are different.  Many want to improve the community, whether it be their own or another human being's.  Others simply have to fulfill service requirements.  Or the volunteer is directly or indirectly involved in the project they work on. For some, service makes them and what they work on better.  It is a win-win situation in the end.  It might be a mixture for some people.  I like to think for myself that it is a mixture.

We have worked at Gordon's Early Childhood School the past few days, and it has been a wonderful experience that everyone has enjoyed immensely.  Honestly, as someone who hasn't been involved in service much before this point, this was probably the first project that really impacted me because the way it has been set up.  We see every step of the process, we see where the materials are sourced, we see the community we are helping, and we also see the actual results.  We also experience the surrounding community.  We pulled up to the hardware store and observed how it was different from what we expected.  We renovated a kitchen at the school in two days.  We were able to play with children from ages 3-6 who may otherwise not get as much attention, and you could really see that they enjoyed our company.  When I had a free moment to spare as there were not many jobs I could do, I would visit the children at aftercare.  I can't tell you how many children I gave piggy back rides, let play with my hair, or pushed on the swing.  They were all begging for my attention and I felt like I was going every which way.  But this is what gets you through the day, seeing how you are really directly impacting the community as this kitchen is incredibly important to them, and our time is valued at the end of the day also. 

Volunteering has impacted me more in the past two days, simply because when we pulled up in our van the first day, I saw this whole class of children smiling and waving from outside the building, looking extremely excited that we were there.  For this project, for me, the answer to "Why service?" is simply, "the children."