To start off, my name is Diamond Mills and I am a Program Coordinator for SVS. I am a sophomore and this is my first year ever being a PC! I was one of the committee members who contributed to Make A Difference Day. When my group first started having meetings, I did not expect it to be such a big deal. I did not think I would have to actually be one of the people in charge of the event. Once I found out that I would be leading about 30 students to the site I was so nervous and ready to back out. After multiple pep talks from a lot of my peers, I knew that i had a duty to fulfill. Unfortunately, I was not able to experience the feeling of me leading such a big group to the site because I was a little late, but the best part about that day was me showing up anyway to help my peers make a difference!! The experience was not as scary as I thought. I wish i could have been there a little longer, but I feel every little bit counts! All the volunteers were friendly and did an excellent job painting scraping and priming the fence at St. Mary's church and school. I really hope we did make a difference because this experience made a difference for me!
This PC did a great job engaging others around her and is beginning to get a feel for what it means to be a student leader with SVS.
This PC used her problem solving skills to ensure a fulfilling day with the seniors.My name is Jilly and I am a PC for Great Achievers where I normally work with children. This Saturday I had a whole new experience for Make A Difference Day, a national day of service. My committee planned three sites to send out volunteers, two nursing homes (to celebrate Fall) and a church (for fence scraping and painting). I decided to go to a nursing home to experience spending time with and brightening the day of the older generations. When we arrived, my volunteers and I felt a little lost and out of place, but soon we were in the groove of things. We painted pumpkins, made sparkly name signs for the residents doors, and even played cards. The residents had us laughing with all the stories they told us and the side comments they made. My volunteers did a wonderful job engaging the residents. But then the action died down and we still had an hour left. I did not know how we were going to continue to stay busy. A staff member directed us to do one-on-one visits with some of the residents that don't get many visitors. This kept us busy for another hour, and it really helped the volunteers see just how much of a difference they could make by just spending time and caring about another person. I know we all made a difference that day.
Student Voluntary Services had a successful Make A Difference Day and want to extend our gratitude to the amazing volunteers who made it all possible. The sites were incredibly pleased with our hard work and dedication.
Stay tuned to the SVS database for the follow up day at St. Mary's on 11/10/12.
