Service has always played an important role in my life. I can recall countless times that I have been involved in community volunteering. As a younger child, I remember always helping with different ministries and volunteering opportunities with my church as well as with my school. Among other things, we would rake peoples’ yards, shovel snow out of driveways, help in soup kitchens, and clean up parks. When I got into high school, I took the initiative to serve my community in different ways. I started volunteering at a nearby barn to help with the therapeutic lesson program that they had. Community service was — and is — a part of who I am.
Not everyone participates in community service, especially in this busy age; it takes a certain individual to sacrifice their time with no other reward than that of helping other people. I believe service is not only good for the community, those we help, but it is also good for those doing the volunteering. As Kotaku Wamura said, “A person’s most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help others.” Through service, we can learn more about ourselves and the world around us.
Heartland Horse Heroes
Since coming to Longwood University, I have really put a lot of focus on volunteering with Heartland Horse Heroes. In my first week at Longwood, I attended the Honors College retreat, and one part of that was volunteering with Heartland Horse Heroes. Since that day of service, I have not stopped going there. Heartland partners with two local county school groups, Cumberland County Schools and Buckingham County Schools, to help children with special needs. I have been going to Heartland every Friday since coming to Longwood to help with the Buckingham students. Rain or shine those kids are always there and are ready to learn and spend time with the horses. I look forward to seeing their faces each week, as I help them learn to ride the horses. I love seeing their joy when they learn to trot or they throw a ring over a pole and make it. Volunteering with Heartland Horse Heroes is a one-of-a-kind experience, and one that I would not trade for the world.
Glory Reins Ranch
Glory Reins Ranch was the best thing that happened to me in the academic year of 2020-2021. I started volunteering at the Christ-centered ranch at the beginning of February 2021. Glory Reins Ranch (GRR) is a non-profit ministry that Robin and Kevin Warren started in 2010, just outside of Farmville, with a goal to bring healing to hurting people through horses and Jesus. COVID-19 forced them to close down for a time, but they have been able to open back up this year. I have been blessed to be able to help the ranch prepare to open again by helping get the horses back into work, cleaning up the barn, and doing odd jobs around the ranch. While summer is when most of the sessions run and I am not in Farmville during the summer, I have still had countless opportunities to help out on the ranch. GRR has been as much of blessing to me as I have to them. Through the opportunities I have had there, I have been able to use my talents to help a small part of the Farmville community, while also growing as an individual.
Farmers to Families – Community Volunteering
Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, Farmville faced many difficulties, from COVID-19 to extreme weather disasters. One way that people stepped up was to give out boxes of food to those who may have needed it. During one flood in the winter of 2021, a group of people were giving out boxes of food at the train station in downtown Farmville. My roommates and I were there to help give out the boxes. Through my church, I have also been able to help give out boxes of food. My church in Farmville partners with Farmers to Families to give out boxes of donated food every other Saturday. While I was not able to help every Saturday, I did have the opportunity to help a few times. This was a way for me to help out the community when it was in a time of need. I had the ability and time to give when the town of Farmville needed it, and it was a great experience.