Jesse A. Schroeder: Service Project

Showing posts with label Service Project. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Happy to Serve

"The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." - Albert Schweitzer

This quote was a cornerstone for my presentation on Leadership for Service at the HOBY Ohio South Conference this past weekend. And I feel like this quote describes my life right now. I spent four full days with HOBY, putting in time and energy to empower the student leaders of today who will, of course, be the future leaders of tomorrow. As soon as I came home, Kellye and I continued to work hard on preparations for our trip to Guatemala that is taking place in only a few weeks. My life has recently become a rapid sequence of meeting folks around town, making connections, collecting supplies, and organizing service events and projects.

And I love it.

It is exciting to connect with people for a cause greater than ourselves. It is inspiring to see the work that is being done around the world in efforts to make a difference in people's lives. (For an amazing example, check out Flying Horse Farms). It is humbling when people give us donations to take to Guatemala. It is encouraging to hear stories of projects and activities that other people are doing. We begin to network, connect, encourage, share, challenge, and continue to serve together.

Happiness is elusive - even in the wealthiest and most blessed country in the world. But I agree with Schweitzer - if you seek and find what it really means to serve, you will find happiness.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Please Help: Collecting Fabric

Every year I participate in the HOBY conference - it is a high energy youth conference. I went as a sophomore in high school, and have returned almost every year since (yeah, 12 years!)

This year at the Ohio South conference, we will be joining with Project Linus and Flying Horse Farms to undertake a grand service project. The goal is to cut and prepare the fabric for 500 blankets to be made, and eventually given to children with serious illnesses. Our ambassadors will be cutting the fabric into 6x9inch squares, organizing the fabric into "sets" to be made into a blanket, and doing some basic sewing.

So I could really use some help collecting FABRIC!! Our goal of 500 blankets means we need about 1,500 yards of flannel or cotton fabric. It can have patterns or plain, be left over or brand new, whatever it is - we will make it into a special blanket for a child in need.

Please help us in our challenge to collect as much fabric as possible. Contact the people you know who are "quilters" and "sewers" (usually moms and grandmas :) Most people who sew have boxes of leftover "scraps" that we will be able to use. Give them the attached flyer that explains the project. Tell them we need flannel or cotton fabric that we will cut into 6x9inch squares, to be used to make the border for the blanket. You can collect the fabric, or you can contact me, and I will come and get it.

Thank you for your help in this exciting endeavor!