Call to Action

Being a Bonner Leader, I not only have to participate a Call to Action site but also take a group of volunteers and lead the site. I was chosen to lead First-Step for Families because it is my Bonner site. My group was supposed to paint at First-Step for Families but a couple of days before it was announced to me that we would just be cleaning. I was able to get some of my teammates from Tennis to join in on the Action. In total, there was about eight volunteers that signed up for First-Step. Unfortunately we didn’t paint, but we were split into two groups: one inside to clean the common area and an outside group to sort through toys and donations. My small group helped clean out some old, unsafe, unsanitary (moldy) toys stored outside. We were extremely efficient that we finished before the group inside. There are two common rooms upstairs so while the inside group was working in one common area, my group worked on the second room cleaning the couches and tables. It honestly didn’t feel like working with the community at first-step because the front desk workers didn’t know we were coming. There was really no work that needed to be done. What we did was busy work. There were more than enough volunteers that we finished about 2 hours ahead of schedule. I remember last year how fun Call to Action was, and I really wanted to share that experience with the volunteers this year. For the student leader site reflection in the Dorothy Stang Center, I explained to Diana the situation of not actually being needed and that we should direct our energy to sites that need our help. I know for Maple Street it is just a barbeque with the Shelter and the clients, but at least they are sharing a meal with their community, there is involvement. I know the difference of making an impact by just being presence. I worked the Maple Street Halloween talent show and it was fun even though I wasn’t really doing anything. I was building community. At First-Step, it seemed as though our presence was a disturbance. The reason we didn’t paint was because they didn’t need anything to be painted, and they didn’t even have paint. I think this was also lack of communication between NDNU and First-Step.  I remember clearly standing there asking the front desk worker where she wanted us to weed (an assignment she made up right on the spot), and her reply being “I don’t know just anywhere, I just made it up to give you work.” I really want next year to be a better experience for my volunteers. Next year I would also like to work outside with nature such as Water Dog Park and ridding the area of invasive species. It was hard work but fun.