Anthony Hunter Community Service Scholarship

Hello, my name is Jalen Turner; I am a senior at Momence Community High School. I am from Kankakee, Illlinois. One of the ways I support my community is that I volunteered to help clean up the trash on the side of the streets. It is relevant to my community because nobody would want to live in a community; that is not being taken care of and that just looks terrible. Another way I help support my community is that I hosted a Mobile Food Pantry for everyone, that needed it. We did not only give out food; I challenged people in my community to bring in toiletry items. It was a long stretch because I did not know if anyone was going to bring supplies in but they did. The way it was relevant to my community; is that I was able to pass out the items to anyone who came and need it. We did not ask anyone about their living situation if they came we distributed it out to them and offered to carry the items to their car if it was too heavy or just because. With the Mobile Food Pantry, it was an honor and a privilege to do something like that. I always knew helping the community was a passion that I had because I do care for others. But during the pantry there was a moment I almost cried, there was a lady that had told me her story when I was helping her. Telling how God blessed I am, and how this helps her and her family. There was a situation about her daughter living in her car, and that she is grateful that we are doing this because she had no way to provide for herself. The time I was helping to clean up my community streets around Kankakee. I was the only teenager there. The rest was a couple of adults helping out with the clean-up. When I was told about it I didn't hesitate to say "Yes" because helping the community is one of the opportunities I love. We made a good look for Kankakee because we were able to show the Mayor everyone that lives or drives through Kankakee that we care about our community, and we care about how it looks. I am hoping that my college studies won't just impact my mission to provide for the community but I am hoping that it will push my passion for it even more. I am hoping that once I enter college, that I will find someone or even a group of people that loves helping the community as I do. So, that we all can brainstorm ideas on how we all can provide to our community as a class, and as one mind; as one people. One of the worse situations are is to have people that don't care about the community, and about keeping it clean and safe. With that being said it is the best part of life when you find a group of people that likes what your during with no hesitation and that would do it non -stop. That is how I think college studies will help me impact and provide for my community. Providing for your community is not a job is something that everyone should try and help do because it is an honor and a Privilege.