Working to benefit my community has greatly impacted my life. I like to believe that my countless hours volunteering have not only bettered myself, but the underprivileged members of my community as well. Growing up in a single-parent low income household, money was tight. Unfortunately, every Christmas I found myself without any new toys or presents, unlike all of my friends from school. That was until, my father discovered the Eatonton Service League “Adopt a Family” project. A group of kind women from our community had banded together to help children in need for the holidays. My father signed us up, and suddenly I was receiving multiple gifts a year, without putting a strain on my dad. Fast forward to 2022, the Eatonton Service League’s amazing project has greatly expanded. They have begun to take on more families, and in the process have gained support from many businesses, receiving 50x the amount of donations as when they started. Through my internship with a local nonprofit organization, I was able to connect with members of the ESL. As a result, I was asked to volunteer with the unloading, organizing, and distributing of this year’s “Adopt a Family” toy drive. I spent multiple hours a day unloading toy after toy from charitable donors cars. Thousands of toys, hundreds of articles of clothing and shoes, and dozens of bikes were donated to benefit low income families. All of these items needed to be sorted and distributed to individuals before being given to the parents. This project was tons of work, but knowing what it felt like to be one of the kids on the receiving end made it all worth it. The experience gave me a much deeper appreciation for the ladies who work so hard to make it happen, and expanded my empathy towards the parents who had no other option than to sign their children up. The toy drive has only been my most recent experience with volunteering. I began serving my community my freshman year of high school. The Eatonton Elks Lodge hosts a “Veterans Supper” for the members of our local veterans home once a month. This gives the veterans the opportunity for a good meal, as well as socialization. I volunteered monthly, every month until the beginning of covid. The time I spent with these exceptional men and women who fought for our country truly changed me. This service encouraged me to volunteer for other projects, as it gave me a sense of accomplishment. I knew that I was doing something good for the world every time I volunteered for community service. Since then, I have pored my time into countless other service projects. I am the vice president of the Putnam County High School Beta Club, which grants me countless opportunities to serve my community. From school clean up days, to preparing Easter baskets for foster children, every Beta service project I complete makes me a better person. Through my leadership position, I have encouraged my fellow Betas to volunteer with me for the After School Art Program. This program allows primary and elementary aged students from local schools to participate in artistic activities after school. Volunteering for this program instilled a passion in me to teach children, which I may have never discovered. I hope to spend the rest of my life helping others.