Leo Kim Day 5.

Today, everyone worked on the same thing and packed and bagged donuts, pastries and muffins. Then, after we were done with pastries, we went on and packed fruits like apples and squash. SOS did not give us much to do so we just waited for more bags to come. Because the day was slow, I had a lot of opportunities to think about and reflect about this year. We were the group whose ideas did not pass. At first, it seemed like we wouldn’t be able to bond but as time passed I was able to see the friendship strengthen and new friendship form, and also bond with the people working there. I loved being able to see where my efforts and passion was going to and I hope that we will be able to carry on our hard work in the future as well.

Leo Kim day 4.

On our service learning day, I didn’t do my usual job of packing. Instead, I was able to work in the office with robbe and ford. We first learned how to cut paper into right sizes, how to use automatic staplers and what to do once we had all the parts prepared. We spent the whole time cutting, stapling, and grouping all the multi colored papers. As time passed, we all learned how to do work faster and specialize so that each person does one job. While doing this, we were able to have conversations and learn a lot about each other and become closer friends. I'm very excited to have our next service learning day and participate in more bonding with my classmates and connecting with those in need.

Conner Ascher: Day 5

Today was our last day working at SOS. And it was one of the hardest. There was no office work to be done today so everyone was working in the kitchen. We started by packaging cake and doughnuts and then we spent the rest of the time packaging tomatoes, potatoes, and apples. It has been a good year working at SOS and now its coming to an end. Now the only thing left for us to do is to prepare for the presentation on March 30th.

FORD HANOUR'S AWESOME BLOG DAY 5

Today, I started off by bagging donuts and pastries into bags containing 3 pastries. Next, We moved on to bagging apples and other produce. It was somewhat of a slow day due to the fact that SOS did not have too much food for us to work with. While waiting for more produce to arrive, I realized how much our Service Learning group has bonded. At the beginning of the year, our group was somewhat disconnected because our original Service Learning plans had fallen apar; however, by the end of this year, I felt like I had grown much closer with the 7 other people at SOS. Overall, I loved being able to see where my hard work was going, rather than doing work and not seeing where it goes.

Final Service Learning Post Allison Blanning

Today was my group's final day of service learning. When we first arrived at the shelter, the other volunteers told us that they didn't have a lot of work for us to do. This quickly changed, as shipments of donated foods kept pouring in. For the first time, we had the entire group working on the same project at the same time. We created an assembly line that helped get the food packaged more quickly. Some people ripped bags that the food would eventually go into, some kept the food boxes restocked, and others delivered the food to the distribution room. We got a huge amount of work done in a relatively short span of time. The work quickly grew to be exhausting because we would think that we had done everything that there was to do when more food was delivered and needed to be sorted and packaged. The other volunteer groups that volunteer at the same time as us had left and we were still working, up until our usual time of 12:30. Although the work packaging food was rewarding, I personally wish that I could have spent my last service learning filling specific orders for families and giving them out to the needy. When I worked at the front lines,  I could see the tangible effect my work was having on other people's lives. Overall, I think our service learning group has learned a lot through our hard work at SOS. We have seen that our brief volunteering jobs that happen only once a month can really make a difference in the lives of struggling Orange County residents.

Robbe Simon Reflections Day 5

Today, I helped SOS out with office work rather than sorting or packing groceries. The day began as usual when we left Sage at 8:30 and proceeded to the SOS facility. Once there, I was asked to work in the office alongside Ford Hanour and Leo Kim. Our work consisted of cutting out small, rectangular pieces of paper, folding them in half, and stapling the ends together. The pieces of paper were to be used for clients to write their names and sign up for aid. Although the work seemed monotonous and I wanted to actually interact with the clients more, I was still helping SOS, and was therefore content with the job. However, it was the slow day, and the staff members of SOS kept running out of jobs to give us. I was slightly surpirsed at the lack of planning on the part of SOS, who usually supplied us with work that was much more time consuming. I was later informed that the economically diffcult times detered many clients who did not have the means of traveling to SOS. Therefore, although it was not the most difficult day of work, I was still able to reflect on the conditions critically on the conditions of the SOS clients.

Nickie Shojaee day 4

This time at Share Our Selves I, again, opted to work in the back bagging various fruits, vegetables, and breads. This last time we went there it was not as busy as it usually is and so there was not as much work to be done. None the less, we still got through sorting out onions, potatoes, breads, oranges, etc. and put them into small bags that were ready for the others to put them into the other larger backs and hand them out. Afterwards, since we finished the bagging early we went into a different part of SOS and helped make copies for the flyers that people took and also the flyers on each of the desks. Even though this seems like a simple task, I realized that by helping supply the copies of each of the flyers we were almost making sure the people that needed the information on each of the different flyers were in fact getting the information that could very well alter their lives. This showed me yet another example of how SOS helps people and how we are in fact doing a lot to help as well.

Nickie Shojaee day 3

At our third visit we spent most of our time bagging different breads, fruits and vegetables together to be put into larger bags to be given out to the people that came in. This was a nice and different experience than the previous time we were at SOS because the first time we put the foods in the bigger bags and saw the people that would come in and get the food and it was a bit of a more personal level, but this time, we were able to kind of see the behind the scene things that take place. This was a nice job I thought because we constantly kept busy and it felt like we got a lot done, we even had to start packaging clothes because we had finessed all the foods. I liked doing the behind the scenes work with SOS because I felt really productive and by feeling so productive it felt like more people would be benefitting. Also, it put into perspective how hard everyone there works, whether or not you are working up front or in the back doing paper work, packing food, or giving the food out.

Allison Blanning Reflection for Day 5

Today was another productive service learning day. As usual, I started out with my classmates packaging donated food into smaller containers that could be given directly to those in need. We packed oranges, some very large potatoes, onions, and cucumbers. We quickly developed an efficient assembly line that involved packaging the food, ripping new bags, and transporting the repackaged food into another crate. After working at that station for a while, Claudette and I worked in the front of the warehouse packaging food for specific people who filled out forms. We read the forms and then filled the order based on the number of people who needed food and what kind of living situation the person was in. Then, we went to the microphone and called out a number that corresponded to a ticket each person received upon entering. The best part of service learning for me is the moment when the person that you have filled the food order form comes up and receives their food. The majority of the people are extremely grateful for any food they can get, as shown through a humble smile or a firm thank you. It is so rewarding to see the direct effects of my volunteering and hard work on people in my local community.

Ford Hanour's Acute Amazing Awesome Service Learning Blog Day 4

Hello All,

Today's work made me realize that Share Our Selves is not simply about giving people free food. They provide services to people, services people cannot receive anywhere else. My good friend, Conner, and I worked in the office making copies of flyers for one of the head office workers. Next, we moved onto cutting, folding, stapling, and rubber banding small pieces of paper used for a raffle to decide who will get to see an office representative. Today, was nice because it was a change of pace from working in the kitchen. 

P.S. See you all bright and early tomorrow morning!

-Ford Hanour 

Ford Hanour's Amazingly Awesome Service Learning Blog Day 3

Today, I began by putting all my effort into packing a handful of green beans into plastic bags. This reminded of my last visit in which I contributed by packing fish sticks into small plastic bags. For the second half of my visit at Share Our Selves, I harnessed my energy into packing bags of food for those in need. This made me feel all good inside because I was able to see my work directly help those who are in need. Overall, I felt very rewarded because I knew that my work was not a waste of time.

Conner Ascher Service Learning: Day 4

On our previous visit to share ourselves I was packaging and distributing food in the front room, which I liked very much. But today I worked in the office with Ford. This was my first time working in the office, and it was very different from the working in the front room. We made copies, and we also cut out paper and stapled the edges for a lottery drawing. It seemed like busy work, but I realized that the job was important because share ourselves could not possibly work with everyone, on each day. And that job being done was a lot more important than we thought. After we finished we went and helped Maddie, Robbe, Nickie, and Leo package apples and cucumbers. It was a long day but, we were able to accomplish a lot more than we thought we could have.

Conner Ascher Service Learning Day:3

Today I packed food in bags and distributed them to the people in need. This was my first time working in the ditribution area, and along with knowing that I made a difference firsthand to these people. I also was able to meet some other volunteers who helped me work in the ditribution area. Their experience and knowledge helped me not only feel that I was doing my job correctly, but that what I was doing had more meaning to the community around S.O.S. than just giving out food.

Claudette Vaught - Day 4 Reflection

On our previous service learning day first, we packaged pastries and donuts. This activity wasn't very exciting however I enjoyed bonding with my classmates. Next we bagged oranges and cucumbers and like the previous job we were assigned, I didn't find this very engaging but I felt like we had a real bonding experience with my classmates. Lastly, Allison and I worked with other volunteers on filling the requests of those in need this was my favorite part, as it was on our service learning day 3. I really like making a connectuion with the people who are reciving the food we package and seeing our good work be put to use. I'm very excited to have our next service learning day and participate in more bonding with my classmates and connecting with those in need.

Allison Blanning Reflection 4

I started today's service learning with duties that I have done during the past several visits; I helped unpack and repack donated food into new containers that would eventually be handed out directly to those who applied for food and other supplies. After a few minutes of stumbling, my fellow classmates and I eventually created an efficient system that relied on teamwork to get the job done: one person would rip bags off the roll for us to us, on person would package the food into these bags, and then someone would place the packaged food into a box that would be moved into the other room for distribution. After a few hours of this, Claudette and I were moved into the room that packaged food for specific families that were in need of food and supplies. Those in need fill out slips of paper with information regarding the number of people they need food for and their living situation. We filled the orders according to these papers and then called out the person's number on the PA system so they could pick up their food. It is one thing to be packaging food for people in the back room and have no interaction with them; it is quite another to actually interact with the people that you have helped. Reactions to the food give outs are mixed: some are shy and embarrassed to have to ask for food from strangers, some are angry with the handouts we give them and want different food, but most are extremely grateful and thank us profusely. After filling orders from the request forms, I realized that this was my favorite job to be doing at SOS because you get to interact directly with the people you are helping and allows you to see tangible proof that your hard work is in fact helping someone.

Robbe Simon Reflection Day 4

Today I had little interaction with the clients we were serving, but it was still a day full of hard work. Our day today began by packing bread and pastries into bags of four, varying the different breads that we put into each bag. We then moved to packing rice, and even cucumbers. At one point we were packing cucumbers and oranges into bags together, which seemed like a pretty odd combination. Some of the other students helped staple and cut stationary while we were packing foods. Although the work seemed tedious at times, I never felt upset or bored because I knew I somebody had to do this work. I was helping clients just as much as someone who was actually getting to pack groceries and meet them face-to-face. We took a short break from the food packing and proceeded to sort clothing that had been donated into groupings by age and gender. The clothes varied from poorly maintained to brand-new and seemingly clean. I enjoyed this particular task because it showed just how much people were donating to Share Ourselves. The overwhelming number of bags made our work more difficult, but it pleased me just the same. For the remainder of our day, we went back to packing cucumbers and oranges. When we finally boarded the bus to go back to Sage, my back was aching and my hands were sore. However, the day's work had made me feel refreshed because I experienced something new today, regardless of its difficulty. I hope next time I will be able to meet the clients face to face again because I truely relish those interactions.

Day 3-Maddie

At todays service learning, we mainly packaged fruits and vegetables to be given to those in need of food for the week. Even though I was handing food out this week, I was able to see how our work was being used to help the community. I am really enjoying working at SOS and being able to see how all of our work is helping our communities.