McPherson High School
McPherson, Kansas
Teacher: Robin Long
How I Feel About My Community
By Brittanya Byrd
12th Grade
I have had a great experience in the community by working at a daycare-Kids Come First Childcare for two years now. I go to work there Monday through Friday and I also baby sit for some of the kids that go there if their parents need a babysitter on the weekends. If they don’t have the money to pay me right then I can work with them and wait until they can pay me at a later date Sometimes I don’t charge if I know they are in need and can’t really afford to pay me.
Another way I help out in the community is by helping with fundraisers. I will buy things from kids or family members to help out with what they are raising money for. I enjoy looking at the booklets and the cards that they are selling. At school they sell fundraisers for cheerleading, sports, swimming, prom and other activities; if I have the money then I will try my best to help them out.
I go to church and help out with the choir, nursery and with communion. I help out in the choir by singing in it and helping new people to start learning the songs and the motions. In the nursery I help out if there is a baby or kids that start to get restless. We can take them into the nursery so that they do not disturb the rest of the church during service.
I will also go to school activities if I can, like basketball, football, and sometimes softball. I like going to support my school in the games and have fun with the crowd. We cheer them on to victory and help get them a step closer to state.
I participate in the school talent shows. My friend Tanisha and I danced in the talent shows last year. We didn’t win, but it was still fun…to entertain the community in a positive manner. I volunteer with food drives. I bring in canned goods and fruits to take to people who need it and that cannot afford to buy things for themselves and their kids. I also help with cooking and taking food to people who cannot really do things by themselves.
We go to nursing homes and sing songs to them to hopefully make them feel good. For the ones who have no family to come to see them, we try to show them that people still care about them and even though their family doesn’t come to see them, that other people will and still do care about them. We take food to them and share gifts with them. We will pick a couple of people to buy gifts for and make sure that everyone is covered and has a gift. It does not have to be anything big, just something little that they will like to open and have to show that others care.
I also buy things for some of the kids at the daycare, the ones that can’t really afford things like a coat for the winter to keep their kids warm or an outfit so they don’t have to wear the same ones over and over again [so] people start to realize that they do not really have anything. …If we think it can fit the kids at the daycare, then we donate it and give them things that they really can’t afford. Even if I can go to the Salvation Army and pick up some clothes or toys from there and give it to the kids they would still be thankful for it.
[When] people…give things to me to show me that they care [it] doesn’t have to be expensive or big. The little things are what really count to me. Just a “thank you” note or a “how are you today?”…would be fine.
Some other ways [to] give back to the community are by not littering or throwing cigarette butts out the window. …If people are walking down the street and see something on the ground that should not be there, then they should pick it up and throw it in the trash can closest to them. [People can] help out at a soup kitchen [by] serving food to the homeless and elderly people that can’t get around by themselves. …There are lots of ways that others can give back to the community. These are just a couple ways that I do. It may not be a lot, but every little bit helps.