2. Service Learning 2
Lexi Daman
Civility Project
Roxanne Heimann
16 December 2014
Food Bank
What I did for my volunteer experience was I went and volunteered at the Northeast Iowa
Food bank in Waterloo, Iowa. What we did was we created kind of an assembly line and would
put a bunch of different packaged foods in bags and the tied the bags and stuffed them in boxes.
We also put together these things that were called backpacks for kids which were kind of like the
bags with food in them, but they were more food that would interest children rather than adult
foods while also being healthy for the children. We in total created about ten pallets with about
twelve or so boxes on each pallet containing six bags in each box.
I selected this place to volunteer because it is a place I know already from past
experience. It is a place where I can walk in and practically take control because I already know
what to do. I always volunteer there and have since about sixth grade I love it. It makes me
happy to help families in need of food because it makes me feel like I am giving back to the
community. I am privileged to have food every day, but these families do not get to have three
meals a day they are lucky if they get one so this helps them out a lot. I hear a lot of people
complain about not liking the dining center food anymore, but we should be happy because there
are families who have no food at all and get these bags of food that practically have nothing in
them and they are content with it because they know how to appreciate what they are given and
that is why I chose this place to volunteer.
What I hoped to get out of this volunteer experience was to be grateful for the things that
I am given because there are people out there who have it worse than I do. I hoped to love
3. Service Learning 3
volunteering a lot more by participating in this event. I actually hoped that others not only myself
would get a lot out of this event. I complain a lot about things that are not worth complaining
about like food at my house sometimes I used to complain all the time. I never realized until a
couple years ago how amazing I have it and how amazing it is to come home and have a dinner
ready when others just get a bag with tuna, fruit snacks, juice boxes and chef Boyardee and they
are actually happy to receive those things.
I actually got many things out of doing this volunteer experience. One thing I got out of
this event was what I explained earlier which was being grateful for the things I have because
there are people out there who have nothing at all I am super lucky. I understand now that these
people appreciate the little things we provide them and that is amazing. The most important thing
that I learned now and also in the past volunteering here was some people go there to complete
volunteer hours that may be needed for a class, work, or church credit yes the volunteering was
for this class, but I went there because I wanted to not because I had to. What is the point in
volunteering if you do not want to be there it serves no purpose then. Some John Deere workers
were there with me when I was volunteering and we got there around 4:30 pm and the left by
about 6:00 and I stayed until about 8:30 maybe and I kind of got mad because they obviously to
me did not care at all.
My volunteer experience did not change the way I look at the Food bank other than
wanting to figure out if we can give more. These families are happy to get what they get from the
Food bank, but I want to be able to give them more somehow. They need help and I want them to
get help which I understand may be unrealistic because you cannot always help everyone, but
maybe I can help someone. If I did not like the way the Food bank did things I would not keep
going back to volunteer there I would find another way to volunteer somewhere else. The Food
4. Service Learning 4
bank does great things for people and always has that is the way I look at it. Everyone should
volunteer there because it is an amazing place and is a lot of fun in my opinion.
This volunteer experience has made me look at myself in a negative way. Like I actually
stated before I used to complain all the time about the food that was provided to me at my house.
I view myself now as more appreciative to what is given to me and not complaining. Whenever
my younger sister complains I now give a whole speech to her and she shuts up for the time
being and then complains again so I figure she will learn like I have. I was a terrible person and I
am working on changing that.
My definition of civility was politeness and courtesy with your behavior or a polite action
towards something or someone. My experience at the Food bank added a little bit to the
definition meaning not only is it a polite action towards something or someone, but I also added
a couple words to that definition which is a polite action towards something or someone
willingly and with all your heart and not complaining about it. The part I loved the most about
this volunteer experience was seeing about five younger children in elementary and then three
high school students there volunteering. I like to see that because then I hope they are getting as
much out of it as I am and I think they do when I see them smiling because they seem like they
want to be there.
Overall this volunteer experience I had was awesome and I would not think twice to do it
again since I have done it all these years so why stop now. It teaches you respect, appreciation,
and to be grateful for the things that you do have. I cannot express enough how much I love to
volunteer at the Food bank.
