Cicely Heard

I thoroughly enjoyed the St. Ann Special Athlete Bowling Day. I got to serve my community and the special athletes today. At the bowling alley, I assisted the athletes with logging their names into the bowling screen and helped navigate through any problems with starting the game. I cheered the athletes on throughout the games, and I was able to serve the athletes and their families pizza, French fries, and beverages. Additionally, I helped pass out medals to the athletes as a prize. It was a pleasure to work with the athletes, see their smiles as they bowled, and serve them. I would definitely attend this event again.

I enjoyed working at the Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry. It was a wonderful experience. I and other volunteers worked to package diapers for those in need and take inventory of period underwear. This was a great experience to positively impact my community by packaging sanitary products for those in need. Also, I had the opportunity to meet new people, bond my peers, and develop my teamworking skills.

5 pm-7 pm
2 hours
Volunteer Hours

Skills and Personal Development
What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
During this event, I learned how to work with others. We had to pass the food items down
the assembly line. Through this assembly line, we formed food boxes.

Understanding and Awareness
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
I learned that our community needs to be supported sometimes. We were making food
boxes to feed our community. We have to do more to support the people around us.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
I did not work individually during this experience. I worked as a team. I had to work with
others in an assembly line to make the food boxes.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
During this experience, the organization helped guide me during my service by assigning
tasks. I was assigned to peanut butter in the boxes, others were assigned to move the
boxes, and some were assigned to break down boxes.

Reflection and Improvement
Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any
conflicts?
My service did align with my personal values and beliefs. I was able to give back to my
community. I believe it is very important to serve and support the community around me.

Skills and Personal Development
What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
I developed my communication skills during this experience. I was able to communicate with the staff who volunteered with me at the A Step Ahead Foundation (ASAF) event. I also communicated with the community.

Understanding and Awareness
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
I learned a lot about the community I served during this experience. I learned that many people are intimidated by talking about family planning, which is what ASAF is all about. They can be shy about talking about contraceptive options.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
During this event, I worked as part of a team. This impacted my experience because my team members and I bonded and talked about things we had in common. We also discussed why we love volunteering with ASAF so much.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
The organization guided me on the different things they were doing at the service event and on the other tables that were there with us. They encouraged me to network by getting to know what people at the other tables did. They also guided me through conversations with people who seemed revered when communicating about what ASAF does.

Reflection and Improvement
Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
This service opportunity aligned greatly with my beliefs. I believe that educating the community about their reproductive options will have a beneficial, compounding effect. It will help the community make more educated and better decisions regarding reproduction and family planning.

Skills and Personal Development
What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
I developed my communication skills during this experience. I was able to communicate with many different people during this A Step Ahead Foundation (ASAF) tabling event. I was able to educate my peers about the services ASAF offers and connect with new people.

Understanding and Awareness
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
I learned a lot about the community I served during this experience. I learned that many of them did know about the ASAF. I also learned about the community’s views on relationships and what they value most in them. It was interesting to hear their thoughts about relationships.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
During this event, I worked as part of a team. This impacted my experience because my team members had different personalities and connected with the community in different ways. They were able to communicate on a personal level when they had experiences similar to those of the community.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
How did the organization support or guide you during your service?
The organization guided me on what to say to the public. They gave me a game to play with people who walked past to hear what they had to say about relationships and to get a good conversation going. Many of the people who attended the table were very responsive.

Reflection and Improvement
Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
This service opportunity aligned greatly with my beliefs. I believe that educating the community about their reproductive options is a good thing. It will help them understand all their options when considering family planning.

Skills and Personal Development
What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
I developed and enhanced my communication skills during this experience. During this experience, not many people came to our table, but I still had the chance to communicate with an A Step Ahead Foundation (ASAF) staff member and a few visitors, as well as with other volunteers. I got to tell them about the services at ASAF, like contraceptive options and the scholarship we offer.

Understanding and Awareness
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
Through this experience, I learned that because there was still ice outside from winter weather, many people did not attend the tabling event. However, those who attended the tabling event that day were people who truly wanted to get information even in snowy weather. I also learned that most visitors were unaware of who ASAF was or what they do. However, it was a good experience to be able to educate the public about their birth control options.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
I worked as a team alongside an ASAF staff member. However, because many people didn't come to the table, we didn't communicate much. However, we did work together to deliver the message about what ASAF does to the few who came to our table.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
How did your service contribute to the mission or goals of the organization?
My service contributed to the organization's mission by reaching and educating my community. An ASAF staff member was able to inform my community about different birth control options to stop unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, we informed women about ASAF's scholarship opportunity for women ages 17 to 35 to help cover tuition costs.


Reflection and Improvement
Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
My service definitely aligned with my values and beliefs. ASAF stands for supporting women and helping them reach their personal and educational goals. As a woman, I deeply value supporting ASAF in any way I can because I can help other women reach their goals.

Skills and Personal Development
How did this experience challenge your problem-solving abilities?
This experience absolutely challenged my problem-solving skills. I worked at the face painting station at this event, and sometimes it was difficult to work with the special needs athlete. They could be a bit busy and move around a lot, making it hard to paint steadily. To maintain the painting's quality on the athletes, I decided it would be best to go with something easy to paint, so I could paint it well even if the athlete was moving.

Understanding and Awareness
How did your service influence your understanding of social or environmental issues?
My service had a great impact on my understanding of social issues. Socially, it seems like people treat people who have disabilities differently in a way that ostracizes them. Being able to serve was something I was excited about because I got to have fun with the athletes who came and have a good time. It was nice to be in a social environment with special needs athletes and see them be treated just like any other person. I feel that outside of events like this, people should always treat people with special needs just like anyone else.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
During this experience, I worked as a team with other students from my school. Working with others positively impacted my experience because we worked together to make sure all the athletes got face paint. Sometimes one of us couldn’t do a certain design, so we would ask a friend to paint it instead. Also, we would share different paints and fill in for one another if someone had to leave. We always helped one another out as a team.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
I absolutely plan to continue volunteering with this organization. This organization hosts this event every year, and I look forward to it. It warms my heart to cheer on the special athletes, serve them, and have a good time.

Reflection and Improvement
What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?
I would only change one thing about my approach to this service opportunity going forward. Next year, I will go to a different booth to maybe serve food or help with the races. I think this would be a good way to experience the different activities they offer and serve in different spots. Also, I would dress in layers because it was really cold!

Skills and Personal Development
What skills did you develop or improve through this service experience?
Through this experience, I further developed my communication skills. During this experience, I had to communicate with an A Step Ahead Foundation (ASAF) staff member and with visitors to our table. I had to communicate with them about the services ASAF offers, such as family planning, women’s health, and education.

Understanding and Awareness
What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
Through this experience, I learned that many members of the community do not know all of their options for parenthood. I also learned that most of the community who visited our table was unaware that ASAF offers a scholarship in addition to information about Planned Parenthood. They didn't even know that the different birth control options ASAF offers to support women are completely free.

Relationships and Teamwork
Did you work individually or as part of a team, and how did that impact your experience?
I worked as a team alongside an ASAF staff member. Working with a staff member made my volunteering experience more enjoyable.  I was able to bond and talk about school and our shared passion for the ASAF.

Organizational Impact and Alignment
How did your service contribute to the mission or goals of the organization?
My service contributed to the organization's mission by reaching and educating hundreds of community members in one day. An ASAF staff member was able to inform my community about different birth control options to stop unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, we informed women about ASAF's scholarship opportunity for women ages 17 to 35 to help cover tuition costs.

Reflection and Improvement
Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs? If not, how did you handle any conflicts?
My service is completely aligned with my values and beliefs. ASAF stands for supporting women and helping them reach their personal and educational goals. As a woman, I deeply value supporting ASAF in any way I can because I can help other women reach their goals.

How has this experience influenced your future career or educational goals?
This experience has influenced my educational goals because it taught me much about my body and family planning. I can use the information I have learned to help myself make the best choices to reach my goals.

Did this experience change your perspective on your role within the community or
environment?
This experience did change my perspective on my role within my community. It has influenced me to share about the services the A Step Ahead Foundation offers others to help them reach their goals.

What new connections or relationships did you form during your service?
I have formed bonds with the A Step Ahead Foundation staff. These bonds help create a more natural and communal space when sharing about the A Step Ahead Foundation Services with the public.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
I do plan to continue volunteering with the A Step Ahead Foundation. I like their message of helping women reach their goals. As a woman, I would love to join their mission.

What would you change about your approach to this service opportunity in the future?
The only thing I would change about my approach to this service opportunity is to be more confident when talking to the community about A Step Ahead Foundation.