Soled Out For Kids by Audrey

Soled Out For Kids by Audrey - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

Community service hasn’t always been a priority of mine throughout my life. To me, video games, television, and my cell phone have been at the top of my to-do list. This is one thing I regret. Yes, I participated in coat drives, food drives, and toy drives, but until last year, I never once thought to actually connect with the people whom I had wished to help.
My high school associated student body decided to participate in the project called “Soled Out For Kids.” The group participating, in this case, my school, fundraises and collects donations to raise money to buy tennis shoes from Walmart, and the new shoes are given to the students of a local school, Wilson Elementary, where many of the young students don’t get new shoes as often as those who are more fortunate. I fell in love with this project, and this year I am the co-chairman of the fundraiser.
I have started a clothing drive through my school to donate to a thrift shop ran by the Lighthouse Rescue Mission, called Colette’s Closet, named after my late Grandmother, who was devoted to the organization. I collected several trash bags filled and packed with teenage clothing from many students, ready to be sent home with people my own age who possibly don’t remember the last time they owned a new t-shirt.
What changed from then to now, was the appreciation I gained for what I have, and a passion for giving to those who don’t have the same. A community is not a community without the people who step up. I strive to be that person. To share such a small, everyday luxury with children; to see their faces when they receive their new pair of shoes, and when they pick out their new outfit priceless.
There are many simple ways to better my community, and I am so inspired to do much more because of the students of Wilson Elementary, and the teenagers living in their family’s car. When I attend college, I plan on joining community outreach groups so I can continue in my newfound passion for service. One of my goals is that by helping others, the opportunity may arise for the giving, community support, and love for others to spread to the hearts of everyone who is touched by it; just like I was.