My Volunteering experience by: Victoria Buzdas by

Here I am getting ready to go volunteer

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 05:48:21 UTC

I can't begin to tell you how much I have learned and enjoyed volunteering at The Upper Room. I have met some wonderful people, made new friends, found new resources, and so much more. I will continue to volunteer in the future at least one day a week even after this class ends. My self-confidence and communication skills have risen and strengthened. Even though the Upper Room only has volunteers, so they don't hire I was still offered a job from one of the places they directly work with, I met the manager a few days ago and she told me she would hire me when I was ready if I wanted to start working there since my supervisor Karen from the Upper Room gave me a good recommendation. That clearly shows how important this class was. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a lot of new opportunities for my future and career goals. This has been such a great experience!!!

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 05:52:00 UTC

Here is the Upper Room building

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 05:55:04 UTC

This was my first time ever working with food preparation and serving, so I learned a lot of new things!

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 05:59:06 UTC

Here is a view in the back of the kitchen, the brown paper bags are sack lunches that get handed out daily for anyone who wants to take them to go...they include a PB+ jelly sandwich, a fruit, and a few cookies. I helped make these often.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:01:25 UTC

Every guest gets unlimited glasses of milk and apple cider with their meals.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:05:06 UTC

Meals are different from day to day, but they always consist of a hearty main course, a few sides, a salad and a desert. A lot goes into keeping Upper Room running smoothly since we are a commercial kitchen that stays open 365 days a year. It's wonderful that it gives people struggling with food insecurity a place they can truly rely on.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:10:07 UTC

The Upper Room offers various resources to people and even entire families that are in need of a little extra help. A few things they have include Inclement weather shelter, Outreach services, Personal Hygiene services, Recovery services, Veterans programs, Wound/care clinics, and Animal services. They even have a mobile shower unit that comes by for a few hours every Thursday.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:17:43 UTC

Resources like the Upper Room are so important and necessary in every town, it's doing so much good to so many people. Everyone deserves to eat and not feel hungry, no matter if they can afford their next meal or not. The Upper Room offers all meals for 100% free.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:21:39 UTC

The sense of community that Upper Room gives is amazing. My favorite days is when they bring the cornhole board game out front of the building and many of the guests will listen to music and play cornhole matches. It's honestly a great feeling getting to see guests smile and have a chance to forget about all of their worries, even if it's only for a few hours while they get to be carefree and play games. I love seeing people smile, when you know they are dealing with so much. The guests feel safe and get to relax when they are at The Upper Room, for many that is the only place they can rely on and look forward to.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:24:13 UTC

Here is a list naming just some of the great things The Upper Room offers to our guests.

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:38:06 UTC

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:38:26 UTC

vbuzdas — 2024-05-15 06:38:44 UTC