Seahawks that Serve at Willowdale Farm

This past Friday, a few friends and I went to Willowdale Farms to help tend to herbs and vegetables. We assisted with planting, watering, spreading fresh topsoil, and laying out new tarps to support the farm’s growing process. Through this hands-on work, we contributed to maintaining a sustainable environment for fresh produce. Willowdale Farms plays an important role in providing healthy food to underserved communities and families, and it was a rewarding experience to be part of an effort that directly supports those in need.

I attended a service event at Willowdale Farm. Willowdale Farm is a Non-Profit Community Farm located in Wilmington, North Carolina, that produces various crops for food-insecure communities. My group worked with Dolores Williams, who is a volunteer project manager. During my experience volunteering with Willowdale Farm, I planted arugula and cabbage and contributed to garden upkeep. When planting the crops, I had to weed the plot, mix in new fertilizer, dig a hole 4 to 6 inches deep for the plant, and water it. As for the garden upkeep, I replaced the plastic lining on the garden beds and redistributed the fertilizer. This experience gave me a chance to step away from my hectic schedule and be present in what I was doing. This experience also made me realize how much effort goes into producing food and how important organizations like Willowdale Farm are for combating food insecurity. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Willowdale Farms. I felt a personal sense of achievement following my work, because I knew I was helping people in my community who needed it. I also enjoyed the group of people I worked with. We were able to work as a team and finish more work than we set out to accomplish. This experience will lead me to seek out future service opportunities to better my community and give back.

During my community service at Willowdale Farms in Wilmington, North Carolina, I helped plant vegetables that would later be used to provide food for people in need. My main tasks included preparing the soil, planting crops, and working alongside others to maintain the farm. It was hands-on work, and it showed me how much effort goes into growing food that many people rely on.

I noticed that everyone worked together really well, even when the work was tiring. People communicated clearly, divided tasks, and helped each other when needed. When problems came up, like figuring out how to plant efficiently or deal with the heat, the group worked together to find simple solutions and keep moving forward.

This experience connected to my values because I believe in helping others and giving back to the community. It also relates to my interest in business and leadership because I saw how teamwork and organization are important in getting things done effectively.

I learned that Willowdale Farms has a mission to fight food insecurity and support the local community. That made the work feel more meaningful, knowing it directly helps those in need!

On Friday, March 27th, I had the pleasure of volunteering at Willowdale Farms planting vegetables for the community. Willowdale Farms is a non-profit community farm that provides free vegetables to families and other individuals in need of food. It provides a healthier alternative to canned food drives, where the food being provided could be unhealthy, and is more conducive to their message of truly wanting to help people thrive. The main service opportunity the organization offers is the planting, watering, and upkeep of crops in their farm area. I was unable to do every task due to time constraints, but I was able to get quite a lot accomplished.
When I first got there, I was very warmly welcomed by the staff, and the person who was charge of the volunteers was very kind and genuine. She gathered all of the volunteers into a group and explained the different tasks that we were going to assist the farm with. After we completed our position of the work, we were encouraged to help out other volunteers and help in a different area then you were placed. I started out by unweeding a section of cabbage plants using a garden hoe, shaking certain areas of dirt off the weeds, and then placing them in a wheelbarrow. After I completed that task, I went on to water that patch as well as various herbs that needed it. Then I finished off my volunteer time by helping place a weed barrier and rewrite stakes that were labeling the different sections of vegetables.
The environment of this volunteer opportunity was incredibly communicative, with the staff helping us every step of the way. All of the volunteers took their work seriously, and we worked in unity with each other, getting more work done than one could possibly do by themselves. Being sociable and caring, this kind of work greatly aligns with my PathwayU assessment. Collaboration was my leading workplace preference, and it was successfully fulfilled during my community service. One of my biggest goals for my future is to start a nonprofit, and this opportunity gave me a lot of faith in that future endeavor.
Overall, it was a blessing to be able to volunteer at Willowdale Farms because it gave me the chance to do something more for my community, and it gave me the chance to actually make a difference in someone's life. I recently saw a quote that said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions, can transform the world.” Now I understand that I’m just one person, but that's where real change starts, with one person. Then, like a catalyst, the more good you do and the more people who do it, the better the world around you becomes. After this event, in the workforce and in business, I’m going to try to remain as ethically pure and philanthropic as I can. I also hope to attend more volunteer events in the future. The world can be a dark place, but when enough people work together, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.