Ashley Roland

Community Service Blog

Date / Hours Type of Service Reflection Paragraph
9/12/06 - 2 Hours Circle K Tutoring I worked with a little girl named Tiyonna, and although she struggles academically, she is a joy to be around! She has a great sense of humor for a 2nd grader!
9/19/06 - 2 Hours Circle K Tutoring I wanted to work with the same little girl, but ended up working with a little boy instead. His name is Deondre and he has a twin and they are very competitive. It was good to help him with his schoolwork, but it was also neat to see his interaction with his brother.
9/26/06 - 2 Hours Circle K Tutoring I worked with the same little boy, Deondre, again. He is really struggling with his math, and his twin brother seems to be great at it, which makes it harder for him. They compare themselves to each other too much and I think that holds both of them back.
10/10/06 - 3 Hours Circle K Tutoring I am still enjoying tutoring. My favorite part now is hanging out with the kids after we finish their homework. Playing card games or board games gives us a chance for getting to know each other in a different way. 
10/17/06 - 3 Hours Circle K Tutoring Today we took them outside and played on the playground for the last half an hour. It was great to see how much the children enjoyed this.  The girls mainly liked to swing, while the boys played football. Eventually the children all mixed and played together. The funny part about this was that at their ages they don't yet know that boys are supposed to be more gentle with girls, so the girls got a little angry. 
10/21/06 - 3 Hours Old Folks Home This was a great change in my community service.It was like going from one extreme to the other. My favorite thing we did with the old folks community was when we gave them stuffed animals and pillows for their rooms. They were so happy to receive even a little something. It was much the same as children's reactions. It is neat to know that my generation is right in the middle of that. It makes me realize how much I have grown up, but reminds me to slow down and enjoy every minute I have. Live in the moment. 
10/24/06 - 3 Hours Circle k Tutoring Once again the children brightened up my day. I always look forward to seeing them on Tuesdays because no matter what, they always have something to smile about. Why aren't we like that as we grow older?
10/31/06 - 3 Hours Circle K Tutoring We had a Halloween party for the kids today and President Greer came and read them a Halloween story about Clifford. The party was a surprise, and my friend Carmen and I really enjoyed putting it all together for the kids. We made them goodie bags and had them color on pumpkins that they got to take home. Their excitement and joy always radiates and ends up filling me with the same.
11/28/06 - 2 Hours Circle k Tutoring I had not been able to go to tutoring for a few weeks and really missed the kids. My work-study is at an Elementary school that some of the tutoring kids go to, and although I see them there, I don't get to interact with them the same. It was really good to be back!

 

      Winter Session: Homeless Shelter     

1/7/07 - 4 Hours Homeless Shelter "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both people, and has broken down the middle wall of separation." Ephesians 2:14 
1/8/07 - 3 Hours Homeless Shelter This to me perfectly describes what the homeless shelter did here at Virginia Wesleyan. There was this barrier separating those labeled "homeless" and those sleeping in warm $31,000 dorm rooms every night. There was a stigma that told us that since our skin color, our income, our status in society, our religious and political affiliations were different, that we were different. If we were all created in God's image, how can we be that different? 
1/9/07 - 11 Hours Homeless Shelter They came to us as  "homeless people", and they left us as friends. They came to us as stereotypes, they left us as family. The wall certainly has been broken down, and I believe that enough lives were changed to prevent it from ever being built up again.
1/10/07 - 10 Hours Homeless Shelter When I think about these people, I am inspired by them. I have been to see them in Portsmouth many times since the shelter ended, and it is unbelievable how grateful they are that someone would come to them. It makes the friendships that we made more real. A lot more real. It makes us family. 
1/11/07 - 3 Hours Homeless Shelter It is hard for me to group my thoughts into night by night, or experience by experience because I spent so much time with these people. They all in some way impacted my week. I wish I could put into words what my heart felt this past week with them, but I am not yet able to do that. 
1/12/07 - 2 Hours Homeless Shelter I was assigned to many positions throughout the week; bathroom duty, serving dinner, passing out mats. I must admit that I did not follow through with those obligations. It was hard for me to be sitting somewhere while I could be interacting with these people. I enjoyed talking to them and being in their company more than anything else I have done here on campus. 
1/13/07 - 10 Hours Homeless Shelter I seemed to have more in common and feel more connected to these people than I have with many people on campus. They are so simple and have such huge hearts. I hope one day to appreciate simple things like they do, and to rely on Jesus as much as they do too. 

Total Winter Session Hours: 43