My Summit Conclusion

Hey everyone! I cannot believe that we have one and a half weeks left! Honestly, I am sad to be moving out of Summit so soon. If I could describe my experience in one sentence, I would say "This year in Summit park has shown me how blessed I really am". The Summit Park project forced me to go out into the community. While volunteering I realized how lucky I am to have what I do. There are people in the world struggling to find enough food to eat, while I, a college student, live here in an apartment most people in the world would only dream about. I know this may sound extreme, and I am not trying to talk up the Summit apartments. But looking out into a world other than the one I have been fortunate enough to live in, has made me truly grasp exactly how fortunate I am. It has made me honestly want to volunteer. Until recently I have understood how important volunteering is, but considered myself too busy with my life to contribute. Again, I know it sounds extreme, but I have discovered that I really want to spend my life   helping others. People can be very powerful in that way. As I continue my Drury experience, I beleive this lesson will continue to benefit me. Knowing how fortunate I am will continue to make me strive to always make the best of my situation. A saying I have come to love says, "There is always something to be thankful for".

The impact I have made on the community has honestly not been anything big. Through my volunteering, however, I was able to comfort and listen to some children in need of attention and love. Being available to provide a supportive atmosphere for the children at Lighthouse, is something I am sure they benefited from.

If I hadn't lived in Summit I would not have had to experiences that taught me how rewarding it was to volunteer. This project forced me to go into the community, something I don't think I would have made time for otherwise. Looking back at this year, knowing what I do now, I may have tried to find a different organization to volunteer with. The children at Lighthouse are treated well, and I sometimes felt that even though the kids appreciated me there, my time could have been spent making a greater impact.

The advice I would give to future Summit groups is not to treat the volunteering as a task that must be completed. It is very rewarding and can be something enjoyable and relaxing to do. Being as blessed as we are, we should use what we have to help others as much as we can. The Summit park is the perfect place to do this, if you let it be.

Thank you for a wonderful year! I have really felt privileged to have had this experience.
Tiffany