Over this past year, I have witnessed a lot of change in my life and in those who are close to me. Some change for the better and some change not so much. I realized that all throughout high school and my life leading up to college, I have been involved in community service. This year at Samford I have had a couple of opportunities, small yet impactful, to serve the community but not enough to fill my serving heart. Therefore, I have not been as happy as I was during the past years when I was serving with Becca’s Closet, The Foundation For Hospital Art and my youth group.

All three of these organizations are unique and have a special place in my heart.

Years ago, I joined a soccer team which leads me to the Foundation For Hospital Art. My coach at the time, Scott Feight, is the executive director of the Foundation for Hospital Art. Their mission is “to give comfort and hope to those who suffer in hospitals by providing artwork at no cost to hospitals.” One reason that I love this organization is because they help locally and internationally. They host “paint fests” for companies, teams, schools and many other groups year round while they deliver murals to hospitals so that the patients have something beautiful to look at. Starting in July, Foundation for Hospital Art is hosting a 50-day event, "Paintfest America," to reach the families, patients and staff of cancer facilities in every state of America. I am proud to say that I have volunteered with FFHA over the years and look forward to seeing what they have to give to the community in the future.

For more information http://www.hospitalart.org

If you told me five years ago that I would have spent the majority of my junior and senior years of high school in a store full of dresses helping girls find the perfect dress for a school dance, I would have laughed. That is not the way I ever pictured spending my free time. Looking back, I would not trade my volunteer hours with Becca’s Closet for anything else. Kennesaw Mountain High School had a great connection with Becca’s Closet, and it was just what I needed in my life. Becca’s Closet is a non-profit organization that provides formal dresses for high school girls who, under dire financial circumstances, aren't able to buy one on their own. Homecoming and prom season wouldn't have been the same without Becca’s Closet. Although Becca’s Closet was primarily local, I knew there was a greater impact being made.

To donate dresses or get involved: http://www.beccascloset.org/about/#

I have been out of the country twice with the youth group at Marietta First Baptist Church. I will be the first person to jump at the chance to go to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize or Haiti. You name the place and I will buy my plane ticket. But when I think back to my trips where I knew the Lord was doing amazing things, I sit here and wish I could do even more. I wish I could move there and serve for more than a week, for years even. Those relationships built off of love, trust and simple fun could turn into something you couldn't even imagine. I hope the children and people I met remember me but, more importantly, I hope they are continuing to grow with the Lord each and every day.

Last but not least, I believe that there is a need for service in the United States of America. We have veterans who are living on the streets. We have homeless men and women who are trying to go back to work. We have students who aren’t being taught properly and many more areas that could be helped here at home. From personal experience, I know that other countries need our help too. I won’t say that they need our help more because I think people from third world countries have a better understanding of the worth of a dollar and also the love the Lord has for us when they have close to nothing. All they have is the love from the Lord and they embrace it in such a beautiful way that I envy. I know all of this because of a tradition at my church. Every summer, students from Marietta First Baptist Church participate in a week-long service event called Missions Marietta. This past week, over 50 students took a week out of their summer to connect with homeowners around the community and serve. There were projects as small as yard work for elderly church members to building a new roof for a homeowner in Marietta. Students work long, hot days in order to finish projects within five days. This one week has become one of my favorite weeks of the summer, and I encourage any middle school or high school student to participate.

Click here to see the video from this year.

Whether you are serving locally or across the globe, community service and mission work will change your life.