In our world today, there are people who are more fortunate than others. I learned this as I
was growing up. Every time I see a person on the streets or people who are in need of help, I
always think about what I can do to help the less fortunate and how I can contribute to better my
community. I was able to find an answer once I joined a community service program, called
Police Explorers (I request that you keep this as private as possible because I need to keep a low
profile for being in the program due to safety reasons). Throughout my time in the program, I
have experienced so much and became more involved with our society. Out of all the memories
that I have made with the program, there were two events that really stood out to me the most.
The first event took place back in around Winter of 2020. During this event, other
explorers, the Fontana Police department, and I came together to make a little girl’s day. The
young girl was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer and she had a goal to become a police
officer. Everything was extremely difficult during that time as COVID-19 had shut down
everything. Despite the odds, we were determined to help this girl fulfill her dreams.We brought
out one of our SWAT team vehicles, police cars and motorcycles, and even our K-9 unit. The
officers allowed the girl to ride in the police car and motorcycles and play around with them.
They also showed her how to turn on the lights and sirens from their vehicles. The other
explorers and I worked together to prepare her gifts from the department. We gave her stickers, a
bag, police patch, notepad, and other police-related goodies. The K-9 unit came out and gave
everyone a demonstration on how the dogs are trained and even example scenarios where the
dogs are utilized to catch criminals. Towards the end of the event, we all took a group photo as a
last piece of memory to give to the girl. She was such a sweet and kind person, and I really felt
bad for her because she did not deserve what she was going through. I will never forget the joy
and smile that the girl had at the end of the party. This meant so much to me knowing that
everyone was able to do so much for this little girl through this one event.
The second event took place in around early Spring of 2021. Myself and a few other
explorers collaborated with a church organization so that we can help out the homeless people.
At the start of the event, we gave the homeless resources like new clothes, free food, and a free
haircut. As more and more homeless came in to receive their resources, I was able to talk to
some of them. They told me their stories about the backgrounds that they came from and the
hardships that they had to go through in life. The more stories that I heard, the more I felt
sympathetic for these people. Some of them were greatly impacted by COVID. They lost their
jobs during the pandemic and were not able to find another job. They lost their homes because
they were not able to make any money. There was another story where the person came from a
poor background and wasn’t able to maintain financial stability to the point where he lost his
home. Despite the tragic stories, I was happy that there were organizations and events just like
this one where people dedicated their time to help less fortunate communities and citizens.
Through my experiences in and outside of the Police Explorers program, I gained a lot of
understanding about the difference between the fortunate and the unfortunate. From these two
events, to see people struggling and from listening to their depressing stories, they have filled me
with the determination to help as many people as I possibly can. If you see someone who is in
need, I encourage you to do your best to help them out. Make yourself available for the less
fortunate. Whether you give a dollar to the homeless or make donations to the poor, any little
contribution will help in such a big way. For the fortunate people, all I can say is appreciate and
be grateful for what you have and for the less fortunate people, keep fighting the hard fight and
you are not alone.
When talking the unfortunate, it's important to humanize them. And I'm glad you did because we soon forget that the homeless have emotions and dreams, even though most of us look the other way. We forget that not all hope is lost when someone has cancer and that we should feel sorrow every time we're with them. Reading something like this gives me hope that we as "the next generation" is self-serving and cold, but empathetic and caring.
ReplyDeleteYour post was super moving and a delight to read. I loved how you described your development of empathy and consideration towards others and how you were able to impact the lives of strangers. I think the service we do for others is a vital part of not only being a member of our community, but just as our growth of a society because it teaches us to develop empathy, care for others, and makes us realize to be thankful for all that we have now. I loved reading this, good job!
ReplyDeleteI like the story that you share, I have similar experiences during the pandemic. I also made face shields and donated them to the hospital and I wrote letters to thank the firefighters who put out the wildfire.
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