Pay it Forward

Saturday, January 3, 2009
For my act of kindness, I'm going to help anonymous people like the elderly, children, and the homeless. Some of my ideas to pay it forward was to help at an old folks home, help at the Children's Hospital, babysit for free, volunteer at a Christmas cheerboard, shovel someone's driveway, do community service, do chores at home without being told, and to donate money, clothes, or toys. I thought about going to the Children's Hospital or Calvary Place. I'm going to pay it forward during the break.

























What I ended up doing was I made cards with Abby, Alyanna, Arielle, Gelli, Sutchai, and Tracy. The cards we made were about paying it forward, explaining what pay it forward is, why we are doing it, and how others can help. We all participated and equally shared the work by thinking, writing, drawing, and coloring. On the front of each card said, "Pay it Forward" and to read before thinking to even throw it out or something similar. If you think about it, do you think you'd read something handmade made by anonymous people in the mail? Would you throw it out without even reading it? I honestly probably wouldn't take the time to read it, but maybe if it said something like, Please read before throwing out." or "Before you even think of throwing this out, please read it." I'd probably read it. We also drew pictures on the front of the cards like flowers, cartoons, and forward symbols like the ones on a VCR. In the inside of the cards basically covered the who, what, when, where, why, and how. We also drew diagrams of just one person paying it forward to three other people, each of the three paying it forward to three other people, and so on. We showed how it can spread quickly to many people and around the world. We also attached a lollipop to each of the cards to show our appreciation to pay it forward. We put the cards into mailboxes of unknown people. I felt that I have done a good deed by spreading the message to others. I also felt like watching someone open their door and read what we had left in their mailbox and how they would react. I think the people whom I have given it to would have probably had a happy feeling reading the card and had a smile on their face wondering who had made the cards. I'm hoping that the people who received the cards actually read it and don't tend on throwing it out.
I hope that they also pay it forward to help us spread the message.Do I think that one person can make a difference? I know someone can make difference, it may not be a huge difference like to stop global warming but everyone counts. Even if that difference is very little, it will continue to grow no matter how small if may be. It is almost like a tree, it'll start out small and it will take time for it to grow, but in the end it is a large beautiful tree, and all the waiting really paid off. I think if you really believe in yourself that you can make a difference in our world and that you never give up, you will make a difference. No matter who you are. Age? Size? Culture? Ethnicity? That all doesn't matter, what matters is what is in you! Every little difference can make a HUGE DIFFERENCE! EVERY PERSON COUNTS!
I also volunteered somewhere for Pay it Forward. I'm not sure if volunteering at an old folks home counts for Pay it Forward because I don't know how they could pay it forward. But I am a regular volunteer at Calvary Place, on Erin St. Lester and I volunteer together with Roldan Sevillano Jr, a casual at Calvary Place. Junior as we call him is the funniest guy ever!




















We learned how to push someone in a wheelchair so that we could transport residents to the Activity Room. In the Activity Room they have exercises where they stretch, have trivia games, BOWLING, concerts and entertainment etc. During the games I would most of the time be a scorekeeper or if someone wanted to go back to their room I would take them.

Lester and I have had some bonding time with residents, one in particular, Louise. She is the nicest lady, we walked with her around the 1st floor and there were only a few moments of silence. We found out that she went to school at Sargent Park! We talked about how nice it was at Calvary Place, she said it was kept very clean and that the nurses and volunteers are very kind.

We've been very familiar to most of the residents attending the activities even though Junior himself can't remember all of their names. Clara is a resident that stands out the most to me, she is so tiny, fast and energetic. Junior one day, decided to play a trick on me! He gave my bag to Clara saying he bought it for her... And he was like, yeah go ahead and look inside! I was like oh my gosh, and I didn't want to take it from her because that would be rude! Then Junior being Junior... takes a picture of Clara and himself, and then Clara figured that it was my bag. That's why she has that look on her face, she was saying that Junior should know better than to take someone else's things! ;P

Since we only helped out for the activities which finished quickly, we'd help them organize things like fixing a new calendar for the new month, which was what I did.















Lester and I have had so much fun volunteering there and are absolutely going to continue volunteering there when we have free time! (:

2 comments:

  1. sayyouknow 8-41 said...

    Hey Carrie,
    You forgot to change the name order. You missed out my name and left yours. "What I ended up doing was I made cards with Abby, Alyanna, Carrie, Gelli, Sutchai, and Tracy."

    January 4, 2009 at 12:54 PM  

  2. kuung 841 said...

    Carrie! :) I love your hair! And nice pictures and your paragraphs were also pleasing to read? LOL, you're very helpful and thoughtful :p Well anyways, good job!

    January 5, 2009 at 11:13 PM  

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