Hey Service-heads,

I’m writing to report that I just finished my pledge with Picture the Change this semester!

I pledged to spend 10 hours this semester volunteering in a completely new way. That meant that none of the typical volunteer work I do would count—I had to find things to do that I never had before! Here’s the breakdown of my pledge progress:

Hour 1: Salvation Army Senior Center Talent Show 2/28

I spent my first hour volunteering at an event put on by the Ambassadors’ own Cassidy Smith. Students from Fresno State’s Honors College showed off their talents for the residents at the Senior Center. I gave a (hopefully funny) speech about children!

Hours 2-6: F.U.S.D. Science Olympiad 4/10

I spent the day judging students from Fresno Unified as they competed in a science competition! It was incredible to see how smart and interested these youngsters are.

Hours 7-8: “Haul of Justice” Service Bike Ride 5/2

This was by far the most “completely new” of any of my service experience. A small group of service-oriented young people set up a superhero bike ride! We all dressed as superheroes and rode around Fresno with the goal of helping anyone in need. We spent most of the morning cleaning up litter at Carey Park behind Fashion Fair! It was a ton of fun and I hope this happens again soon.

Hours 9-10: KVPR Annual Wine-Tasting Event 5/2

This was a great way to celebrate the completion of my pledge! I spent the afternoon bussing plates and glasses at Valley Public Radio’s wine-tasting fundraiser at the gorgeous Lester Estate on the San Joaquin River. It was a really fun way to give back to one of my favorite radio stations.

Final thoughts: I had a total blast finding new and creative ways to help my community. One thing I DID notice though is how much harder it was to complete 10 hours when I was just looking for single events. At the Bulldog Pantry or the Richter Center (where I do most of my volunteer work) I could easily complete 10 hours in a couple of weeks. So if you’re looking to spend a lot of hours volunteering, I completely recommend finding one organization you care about and really commit your time there (rather than waiting for individual events to come up). That being said, I had so much fun completing my pledge, and one-day volunteer commitments are a great way to see what lots of different agencies are doing to help benefit the community!

I hope everyone’s pledge progress is coming along well. When you complete your pledge, don’t forget to send documentation to fresnostateRCA@gmail.com to get entered into a drawing for a totally cool gift basket!

Over and out,

Ambassador Celeste


Advertisement