When I was growing up, my father always said that you keep what you have by giving it away. I never understood the meaning in this seemingly contradictory statement—how could I keep something of material worth if I physically gave it to someone else? Wouldn’t I be left with nothing?
Fast forward to 2009, the year I began my freshman year in the Honors College at USF. I joined the Honors Council because I thought it would be fun to meet other people who had similar values as myself. Plus, I’d be able to help people and make a difference both in my school and in my community. I attended the general meetings regularly every Monday and it was there that I learned of an upcoming Halloween volunteer event with the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa.
In a nutshell, the Boys and Girls Club provides care for kids who otherwise would be left
on the streets or without any adult supervision. It offers a safe environment and gives kids a sense of belonging that they might not otherwise experience. I did not know what to expect on the day of the actual event, but since it involved working with kids, there was no way I was letting it slide by without me!After signing my name on the list, I began receiving e-mails about upcoming dates to prepare for the event. The volunteer council leaders finalized the budget along with the schedule of activities that would take place on Halloween. It was a bit hectic through e-mails at first because so many people wanted to volunteer and there was only enough room for about 30 volunteers. Although not everyone who signed up was able to volunteer, I was overjoyed by the number of people who were so willing and energetic to give some of their time to make a difference.
In preparation for the event, all the volunteers met in the Honors Lounge on the Wednesday before Halloween. This was where goody-bags for the kids were made, as well as room decorations and props for the skit. We also signed up for the different activity stations.
On the day of the event, everyone arrived wearing costumes to set-up before the kids arrived. All the chairs had to be stacked, the tables moved to their proper station, the stage decorated for the skit, and balloons scattered everywhere. By the time all 25 kids walked in the door, the room had been completely transformed!
Anticipation, excitement, and happiness colored the faces of every single child as they walked through the door. Activity stations included a football toss, door hanger decorating, mummy wrap, pumpkin coloring, and tons of dancing. Who knew kids could break it down like that? I was in charge of the football toss (which happened to be the most popular station). I found it so rewarding to see how happy the children were when they scored. Every child made it in at least once. At one point, one of the boys even said to the other, “Be careful, you don’t want to hit the lady!” That was so cute and it made my day.
A costume contest and an improvised skit on how to safely trick-or-treat spanned the rest of the Halloween festivities. First place for the girls went to a cute girl dressed as Tinker bell; for the boys, a muscular Superman stole the show.
Overall,
it was a very rewarding experience. By the time 2:00 came around and the event came to a close, a chorus of “I don’t wanna leave!” could be heard all around the room. It felt so good to know that the kids had an excellent time while also taking away a valuable lesson about trick-or-treating and safety. Even though this event did not raise $10,000 to help cure cancer, it was still an act of giving—and even small steps make quite a difference.My dad always says that you keep what you have by giving it away. As a young girl, the meaning of that phrase completely evaded me. After volunteering, however, I realized that the truest, most fulfilling aspects in life come from valuing relationships between other human beings. Material possessions come and go, but one’s spirit—well, that’s with them everywhere, all the time, and for life! Through volunteering, valuing relationships between other human beings, and being selfless, you strengthen and make joyous the one certain thing you will always have in life—yourself.
