Volunteering is Rewarding

Volunteering is a fun and rewarding experience! Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and make a difference in the world. Not only is volunteering fun but, it can also help you meet many inspiring people.

The time I was a volunteer at St.Louis Children’s Hospital was a life-changing experience.  I was excited when I found out that if I attended volunteer orientation I could be an official St.Louis Children’s Volunteer. After orientation, I received a volunteer hospital polo and my very own badge. I was eager to help make a difference in the world.

My first day was on a Saturday, and I remember fighting the downtown weekend traffic to make it on time to the hospital. Not only did I have to fight traffic to get there but, it was my first time driving through downtown on my own; which was very nerve-racking. After the drive being very stressful, I was a little nervous  but, the security guard put me right at ease and told me I was assigned to the Patient Playroom. The patient playroom is a place where the patients and their families come in and play with toys and games. I was scared because I had no idea what to do in the playroom until a little girl came in and started to bowl.  It was pure joy that crossed her face every time she got a strike. She was very appreciative of me helping her put the pins up and her smile made me forget all about the traffic I had to fight to get there.

The Patient Playroom was a very fun and exciting room to work in and I met many amazing children and their inspiring parents while volunteering. I am so happy that I was able to be a volunteer at St.Louis Children’s Hospital!

The Truth About Skin Color

After watching the movie, Race: The Power of Illusion, I realized how much emphasis is put on race and cultural background. It has been almost one-hundred and fifty years since slavery was abolished and Americans are still holding onto  racial prejudices.  The movie discusses how some scientist tried to ascribe race to a biological difference and give reasoning to the thought that some races are superior. The idea that one race is superior to another is appalling to  me. I truly believe that everyone is created equal and that everyone should be treated as such.

Race: The Power of Illusion, opened my eyes to what many minorities have to face everyday. Racism ranges from being looked at funny in grocery stores, being passed up for jobs, or even  being beaten up or murdered just because of skin color. Skin color is not a choice and does not give anyone special abilities or superiority. The idea of separating people into groups, Caucasian, Hispanic,  African-American, or any assortment of other races, is just a way of distinguishing people by physical characteristics. The movie in the end reminds the audience that race is just an idea and that we should not attribute any stereotypes to any particular race.

Vitamin Angels

My friend Emily discovered a very interesting charity when we were doing research for a school project. The organization, Vitamin Angels has helped many children worldwide. Vitamin Angels provides vitamins for children who are at-risk for malnutrition. The goal of Vitamin Angels is provide vitamins to all children under five who are considered at-risk for health problems.

It all began with one man asking himself the question, “What do I want to be remembered for?” and after finding inspiration from the 1994 Eathquake in Southern California the Vitamin Angel organization was established.

The vitamin that they specialize in is vitamin A which with only two doses a year can save a child’s life. The amazing thing is that Vitamin Angels can provide the yearly dose of Vitamin A for just $0.25! This charity is cost effective in the fact that they provide the most vitamins for the least amount of money.I find this organization a great way to give back to the world. This Christmas, I plan to donate to this charity under my siblings names instead of giving gifts to my sisters.

If you are interested in donating to this worthy cause,would like to volunteer, or just want to know more about this organization; the website below has all the information that you would need regarding Vitamin Angels.

http://www.vitaminangels.org/home

My Sisters

As the oldest of my mother’s four daughters, I have certain responsibilities to uphold. I help my sisters with their homework, make dinner when my mother is running late at work,  or help run them to the variety of activities that my younger sisters are involved in. This is how I received the nickname , “Mommy Junior,” from my second to youngest sister, Kassidy. I must say that I find it pretty hilarious when my sisters, tauntingly call me “Mommy Junior.” I enjoy the title and am glad that I’m able to help my mother in any way I can.

Through the years of helping my mother, I have come to notice that each of my sisters have very distinct personalities. The second oldest sister, Kasey, is considered the rebel in the family. Kasey, is not afraid to share her opinion and likes to have things her way. On the positive side, Kasey is a very hard-worker and even though she is considered the rebel, she is still very sweet. The next oldest, Kassidy, is the clown of the family. Kassidy is always cracking jokes and telling a funny story.  The youngest of my sisters, Kenzie, is the quiet caring sister. Kenzie is very helpful and sensitive to people’s’ feelings.  She knows how to make someone feel better if they are upset.

I am so blessed to have such wonderful sisters in my life!

Reasons I Love the Holiday Season

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy the emotions that surround the holidays and being able to enjoy the happiness that the holidays bring.

1. Spending time with my loved ones is very important to me. I am so blessed that I am able to spend time with family and friends during the Holiday season. When I get together with my boisterous family we always have a good time.
2. The giving spirit is in the air during the Christmas season. I always enjoy giving to the bell ringers outside the supermarket or volunteering at the Edward Jones Dome Christmas fundraiser.
3. The holiday season brings delicious food into my grandparents’ homes. There are always cookies or brownies in tins ready to be packed in my bag to take back to college.
4. I love all the Christmas decorations that make the houses and businesses sparkle. Also, I love looking at the lights at Our Lady of the Snows which is only fifteen minutes from Edwardsville.
5. I enjoy the Christmas traditions that my family and I celebrate the holidays every year. One example of tradition is that we always have my grandparents come over on Christmas Eve and we exchange presents with them a day early.

The holiday season brings joy to my heart and I am very thankful that I am surrounded by wonderful family and friends to celebrate the holidays with the people I love.

Why am I so Embarassing?

Thanksgiving is a time for spending time with your loved ones and enjoying delicious food. This Thanksgiving I went to my cousin, Angie’s new house. Of course, me being the silly girl I am, I always do something to embarrass myself when we all get together.

All of the family came together and brought their own special dishes. We had salads, turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and an endless supply of desserts. Desserts are my weakness when it comes to food. My eyes became as big as saucers when I walked downstairs to look at the pie table. We  had every kind of pie you could imagine. My cousins had set-up a table just for pies; which had pumpkin, pecan, coconut, key lime, chocolate silk, and sweet potato pies covering the entire table. After moving on from the pie table, I headed toward the dessert table. The dessert table was filled with cookies, brownies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bars, and pudding.

I walked over to admire the beautiful array of desserts.  My favorite second cousin, Markie, saw me eyeing up the desserts. Markie is the prankster in the family and decided it would be hilarious to put an ice-cube down my dress. Markie dropped the ice-cube down my back and I wiggled and squirmed at the icy coldness running down my back. Sadly, my body writhed at the coldness on my skin that I knocked the table of desserts over. My whole family watched as the desserts crashed to the ground. I turned around with my face as red as a tomato to face the audience; simultaneously my family, Markie, and I all bust out laughing. My embarrassing incident was  the talk of the party.