I volunteered during all four years of high school. I love volunteering. It is a part of who I am. During the summer I saw the opportunity to volunteer for a week before I started college.
Before I started living there, I thought this would be a great way to get to know my community. I loved going to the different sites and seeing all the different ways Newport and the surrounding towns help the community, between helping animals in Rhode Island, growing a community garden for everyone to enjoy, helping kids in need, and many other things. After that week there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a service advocate. I did not know what community partner I wanted to volunteer with, but I knew I would love whichever I decided on. That is precisely what happened.
I started at the Salvation Army and have loved every minute of it. I go every Friday from 1:30 – 5:30 and help make the meal, serve it, get to know the community, and help clean up the kitchen. 
I do everything from cutting onions, peppers, and meat, stirring the sauce, hand washing the pots and pans, running the front table, writing down people’s names, serving the food, and much much more. Every Friday I look forward to hopping on the trolley and helping out at my community’s local soup kitchen.
