Kenadi Bryant

I served the community of South Memphis/ Soulsville. Cleaning up the trash in the area will benefit everything (people and animals) living in the community. The animals will not suffer by ingesting waste and the people will not be plagued by trash covering their community.

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?
While I have seen littering and trash on the side of the road in my community I have never seen as much as I saw in Soulsville. Every time the people living and working in the community thank us and give their appreciation. This makes me feel as though I am doing something good for the community.

What did you learn about the community or environment you served?
We learned more about the community and Lemoyne Owen College. We picked up around the area and some faculty of the college came out and talked to us. We talked for a while and she invited us to an event on campus.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?
Yes, working with this organization is so rewarding. I am growing to love the community and cannot wait to volunteer there next semester!

My service was environmental and we served the community near LeMoyne Owen College. I believe this service will allow the residents of the community to have a more aesthetically pleasing neighborhood. This will also protect wildlife in the area from ingesting waste that could harm them.

Did you work individually or as part of a team during your service? How did that
impact your experience?
I worked as part of a team and that impacted my experience greatly. If I had worked alone I likely would not have enjoyed my experience. Teamwork made the dream work. We each took turns holding the bags, and filled up 3 and a half bags of garbage!

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?

This service taught me why littering is so bad for communities. I rarely liter however after today I won't ever do it again.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization? Why or why not?

I do plan on volunteering with this organization again! It was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun. The organization was so welcoming and I can tell they were passionate about bettering their community.

Our service benefited the community children by inspiring them and giving them someone to hang out/ play with for the evening.
We served the children in the community by playing with them and interacting while waiting for their parents to pick them up. They were over the moon to see us, and many of us had at least one child attached to our hip.

Did you work individually or as a part of a team during your service? How did that impact your service?
I worked as part of a team! This experience was different than other experiences because my team was made up of my friends. This made it more fun, but more rewarding because we were able to reflect together once we left.

What impact do you think your service had on you?
This service impacted me greatly on this night in particular because it lifted my mood. Being around kids helped bring me out of my slump and they cheered me up and changed my perspective of the day.

Do you plan on continuing to volunteer at this organization? Why or why not?
Yes, I do plan to continue to volunteer here! I loved what we were doing and it was rewarding. I also bonded with some of the kids, and it was really sweet.

How did your service affect the people of the broader community?
We served people who were in the shelter or the rehab center dinner. This gave them a meal so they did not go to bed hungry.
My service was people-facing. We served the homeless population a lot, of whom just got out of the hospital and are on the rehab floor. They were all extremely thankful that we were there.

What skills did you develop or improve during your service?
This time, I developed my skills for working in a fast-paced environment. I have not worked in the food industry in a while, and it tested my skills. The dining room was also a lot busier than it usually is.

Did your service align with your personal values and beliefs?
Yes, this aligns with my beliefs greatly. I believe no one should go without shelter or go to bed on an empty stomach.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization?
This was my 3rd time volunteering at Room in The Inn. I absolutely love it and plan to volunteer there again.

This service benefited the people of the community by providing diapers to families who may struggle to pay for them.

We served the families of Memphis who struggled to afford diapers, formula, or period products because they were so expensive. They were grateful that we were there. A lot of the families have multiple children in diapers and would have to buy multiple different sizes. They acknowledged what a relief it would be not to worry about it.

Did this service align with your beliefs? Yes, it did. Because I am a Child Development major who hopes to work in Child Advocacy one day it is important to me that families have the resources they need to survive.

Did you work individually or as a part of a team during your service? How did that impact your experience?
We worked as a team. This impacted my experience greatly because there we a lot of volunteers who had volunteered before, and there were a lot of ladies who were very encouraging and wanted to hear about my journey.

Do you plan to continue volunteering with this organization?
Absolutely! I enjoyed how I got to face the people I was helping and that I was able to see the change it made.

My service affected the broader community's people positively and ensured they did not go to bed hungry. It was people-facing and we served the homeless population. They were happy that we were there.

What did you learn about the community you served?
I got a mini tour/ history lesson of Room in the Inn this time! I learned that the shelter was once a black-only hospital that was converted into a shelter/rehab for un-homed people.

How did your service contribute to the overall mission or goals of the organization you were working with?
My service contributed to the goals of the organization because I made sure everyone got a plate and had dined sufficiently for the night.

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?
This impact was different than my first. I actually got to interact with the people we were serving because there was a big group there serving. I was able to sit in the dining room, talk to some of the residents, and respond to their needs. It gave me a purpose for being there rather than making the plates and sending them out of the door.

This service benefited the people of the broader community by making sure they were fed before they went to sleep.

My service was people-facing and I served the homeless population. They seemed to appreciate our presence and service.

What impact do you think your service had on you personally?
This impacted me greatly, I had never served at a homeless shelter before. When I walked in I was shocked because it did not look like the typical shelters you saw on TV. I immediately knew this was going to be a life-changing experience.

Who was the person overseeing the service opportunity? What is their position? Were they clear when describing what they needed help with through your service?

Darren, the chef oversaw us during this opportunity. He was extremely clear and gave us good guidance for our first time as volunteers.

How did your service contribute to the overall mission or cause of the organization you were working with?

My service was a great help to the chef because he did not have to work alone. All of the residents were served at least one plate and went to sleep full.