Community service is so much more than getting hours signed for school on a sheet of paper. I always feel good when I choose to help others, whether it is completing a special community service project or baking someone a batch of homemade cookies. There are so many ways to give back, and I believe that you should try to do as much as you can to help others out. I incorporate this value in my interactions with my family, peers, and community every day.

In the past, I have taken part in many meaningful community service activities through the Milford Young Women's Club, a volunteer organization. We have visited nursing homes, cooked meals at shelters, planned environmental projects, and much more. However, one of my favorite ways to give back is through a community service project I started myself two years ago. I call it Cristina's Cookies, Cards, and Cocoa. This upcoming holiday season will be the third consecutive year I have been hosting a holiday card making party. My friends and I make hundreds of greeting cards to send to elderly people residing in nursing homes. So far, I have sent over five hundred cards and plan to grow the project every year. We write out heartfelt messages, decorate cheery envelopes, and last year began to add small gifts to the cards, such as paper snowflakes or small craft ornaments. While working, we also enjoy lots of homemade cookies and drink hot cocoa to elevate the festive spirit. The event is always fun, and while working together, we accomplish so much. I was inspired to begin this project when my great-grandmother was placed in a nursing home at ninety-eight years old. While visiting her, it was so upsetting to see the countless other lonely residents. Especially around the holiday season, these fragile people often do not have any visitors. Although it does not seem like much to us, a simple card can brighten someone's day. I have sent the cards to her former nursing home in Massachusetts, as well as to the local nursing home in my hometown where I do service work with the Milford Young Women's Club.

Developing your own community service project makes the work so much more meaningful and ignites a passion within to make a difference. Whether the impact is global or local, every step counts. If we all did something small everyday for someone, the world would be a much happier, kinder, place. Through community service and giving back, I am doing my small part to make a difference. As Ghandi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I am inspiring to live by these words and evoke change one step at a time.