I’ve always been one to volunteer in the community, trying to help as many people as I can. I balance my organizations, activities, school work, and community service all at once. In order to graduate, you need twenty community service hours which I have succeeded by the ninth grade. I volunteer not to have it look good on my transcripts, but because I love helping others. I have a passion to make others feel good no matter how hard life can be at times.
Last year I attended with Hospice of Palm Beach County in a program called Camp SeaStar. It’s a bereavement camp for children who had a loved one in the service or one that is currently in the Hospice services. The focus of the camp is to act as a support system. They learn new ways to cope with change, to recognize and validate their feelings, to identify safe ways of grief expression, and to realize that having fun is still a part of life. The two nights, three day camp is held in the Everglades. When I got there, I checked in and was assigned a cabin with six children in between the ages of five to seven years old. There were a few teenage leaders in each cabin with an adult as well. Before we met the children, we had information on each child so we knew a little about them. We got three blue t-shirts to wear and a hat while the children got yellow t-shirts and yellow hats so they knew who the camp leaders were. The Hospice Mentees told us that we were never to bring up anything about their loved ones unless they did first. I felt important when one did talk to me about it though. I showed support and care for the hard times they were going through. We, the camp leaders, took care of them by tucking them in at night, helping them get ready for the day, helping them shower, and with anything else they needed assistance in. I remember being in the cabin with the youngest ones and we took them to the cafeteria for each meal. I was assigned the “bathroom lady” so during the wee hours of the night, I took whoever woke me up to use the bathroom because they needed to take a camp counselor before leaving the cabin unsupervised. Everyday, the counselors did activities that helped with team building and self-esteem. This encourages the kids to share their stories with others. It helps to have people your age around that can relate to what you’re going through. While the kids were at grief session, the camp leaders had down time. This was when we could relax or get together with the other leaders and play games or just socialize. Most of us either hung out with the counselors or took naps because of waking up early. After session was over, we got to take the kids to go swimming, canoeing, play games, and/or crafts. It took their minds off of any sadness that was consuming it. This helped them realize that they can still have fun even at the hardest times. The second night we were there, we went to an island where we had a bon fire. The camp leaders and kids had gotten together and had smores’. We sung, danced, and socialized. It was a relaxing night, especially for the camp leaders because we spent many hours taking care of the children. Seeing how much fun the kids had put a smile on my face for the simple fact that they enjoyed that moment. On the last day of camp, each cabin got together to decorate it as a contest. I remember my group did under the sea and the adult leader had brought a huge Spongebob, which the kids loved, and we used that as part of the decorations. I loved helping them decorate, taking them to use the restrooms, helping them shower, taking them to the lunch room, and everything else. It really did show me that helping others, especially in hard times, is a great feeling. Later that day, before the children’s parents came to pick them up, they sat in a huge circle playing music with every different kind of instrument. The News came that day and later that night, there was a special on Camp Seastar.
I’m a graduating senior who is now patient with others, sweet, kind, generous, and loving. This camp helped me become all those things. I now know that helping others is something I want to pursue as a future career. Not only was this a great opportunity for the children, but it showed me what I have a passion for. I’m planning on going to college into the education field to become a teacher or a guidance counselor for an Elementary School. In order to do just that, I must be able to understand their psychological and emotional needs which the camp strongly helped me with. Seeing how happy the kids were when they were coping with change really did inspire me. I love kids and I feel that I work well with them. While being at Camp Seastar, I communicated with the children at their level while understanding their feelings. This showed me that even after being tired and apathetic from taking care of the children; I still had a calling to serve others which is a great inspiration source. All this made me realize how much more I liked kids, especially when you feel needed to them. This camp was all about the kids and we, the camp leaders, did everything we could to make sure they had a great experience. Camp SeaStar not only helped the children with celebrating life, but it helped me come to realization of what I really what in life; to help others. In the words of Johnnetta B. Cole, “The ultimate expression of generosity is not in giving of what you have, but in giving of who you are.”
