A total of 56 students volunteered for Social Work 200. The students volunteered in a wide variety of areas that included the Ross Center, Muncie Habitat, YWCA, Muncie Mission, Motivate Our Minds, Cure Hunger, Lifestream Inc, Boys and Girls Clubs, and many more. Each student was required to volunteer a total of 18 hours, but many of them put in additional time. Many students completed their volunteer hours doing virtual placements as well. From creating videos for isolated residents to mentoring youth—all this, while in a pandemic.

Taylor West volunteered at Bethel Pointe. She created original paintings based on what the residents shared with her during their meeting times. For example, Mr. Thomas loved fishing and shared many stories about the things he caught over his lifetime. The painting that Taylor created for him was a fish being caught by a man on a fishing boat. Taylor met with a total of 12 residents and created a one-of-a-kind piece of art for each of them.

“This volunteer experience has definitely helped me to grow and learn so much,” Taylor said. “My family has told me that I have been touching the lives of these residents, but in reality, I think they have touched my life just as much, if not more, than what I did.”

Brooke Krebs volunteered as a troop leader for Girl Scouts. Brooke was a Girl Scout as a young girl, and when she saw this opportunity on GivePulse, she knew she wanted to give it a try. Being a troop leader is a large undertaking. Weekly meetings, working through the curriculum, and cookie sales keep this volunteer on her toes.

“This volunteer experience has been something that will shape me for the rest of my life,” Brooke said. “I learned more about myself during this experience than I ever have. I learned how much I can put on my plate at one time. I learned how to juggle my job, my school, my troop, and self-care. Most importantly, I learned how to be more patient with young children.”