Elaine Tang

Service has pushed me to understand how important it is to look out for your neighbors in as many ways as possible. Throughout my service experience, I have been able to work with a variety of nonprofits targeting different issues in the Charlotte community. I especially connected with the staff of Loaves and Fishes and would volunteer as much as I could. My favorite part to help with was delivering the food we packaged to our neighbor’s houses and speaking with them about their struggles with food insecurity. To me, the difference between a good community member and a great community member is taking the step to form relationships with the community members we are serving. Repeatedly going to these people’s homes and seeing the impact we make as volunteers as their food insecurity situations improve make me understand why volunteering is more than just gaining hours for any award — it is learning to genuinely care for all of your neighbors, and extending your hand to help.