Corey Snell

The service addressed the need for mental health awareness, education, and community resources. During my volunteer time, I helped prepare materials by cutting out postcards, attaching index cards and paper to stapled documents using paper clips, and sorting coasters into stacks of 250. Although these tasks were primarily organizational, they helped NAMI staff prepare materials for their programs and community activities. This matters because organizations like NAMI rely on educational materials and outreach to spread awareness about mental health and connect people with helpful resources. So by assisting with preparation work, volunteers help staff dedicate more time to supporting individuals and families in the community.


This experience reflects the kind of impact I want to have because it shows that supporting an important cause doesn't always require directly working with the people receiving assistance. Even though my responsibilities involved preparing and organizing materials, I was still contributing to the work NAMI Wood County does to support mental health awareness and education. I want to continue participating in service opportunities that support organizations providing important resources to the community. So one next step I'd like to take is perhaps to volunteer with NAMI again or anything similar along those lines.

The service addressed waste reduction and the proper organization of donated items so they can be reused rather than thrown away. I helped sort donated items from large collection barrels into separate boxes based on their categories, such as kitchen and bathroom supplies. I also swept the floors of the Campus reStore to help keep the space clean and organized. Although I didn't bring items to the front for display this time, sorting donations is still an important part of preparing them for future use. This matters because reusing donated goods helps reduce landfill waste while making useful household items available to members of the university community at no cost.

This experience reflects the kind of impact I want to have because it shows that community service involves contributing wherever help is needed, even when the tasks aren't particularly noticeable. Whether I am sorting donations or cleaning the space, these smaller responsibilities help support the larger goal of making the Campus reStore successful. I want to continue supporting practical initiatives that benefit the community and promote sustainability. One next step I would like to take is to volunteer at yet another Campus reStore event and continue contributing to its donation and reuse efforts.

The service addressed food insecurity and the need to make food accessible to individuals and families in the community. I helped unload food from shopping carts and place it into people's vehicles as they arrived for the food pantry's drive-through distribution. This helped make the distribution process easier and more efficient for those receiving assistance. Food insecurity is an important issue because not everyone has reliable access to enough food, and community food pantries help provide people with necessities they might otherwise struggle to afford. So supporting these efforts helps ensure that people in the community have access to food when they need it.

This experience reflects the kind of impact I want to have because it allowed me to directly help people in my community with an essential need. Even though my responsibility was primarily loading food into vehicles, I was contributing to a larger effort to make food distribution accessible to those who needed it. I want to continue participating in service opportunities where I can make a practical difference in people's lives. So one next step I would like to take is to perhaps volunteer at another food pantry distribution and continue supporting efforts to address food insecurity in the community, or maybe even donate to one myself.

The service addressed waste reduction and the need to make donated items available for reuse within the university community. I helped sort donated items from large collection barrels into separate boxes based on their categories, such as bathroom and kitchen supplies. I also helped organize bath mats in the front area where items are prepared for the Campus reStore. This work helps ensure that donated items are properly sorted and easier for people to find and use. And it matters because keeping usable household items out of landfills reduces waste while giving members of the community access to items they may need at no cost.

This experience reflects the kind of impact I want to have because it demonstrates how contributing through practical, everyday tasks can support a larger community effort. By helping sort donations and organize items for the Campus reStore, I was able to contribute to an initiative that benefits both the environment and the university community. I want to continue participating in service opportunities that have tangible benefits and promote sustainability. One next step I would like to take is to continue volunteering at the Campus reStore event and continue helping with the process of preparing donated items for others to use.

The service addressed waste reduction and the need to make usable items available to others in the university community. I helped organize and fold donated women's clothing and bed sheets, as well as organize the cassette and CD area. By sorting and preparing these items for the Campus reStore, I helped make it easier for people to find and reuse things they need rather than having those items go to waste. So this matters because reusing gently used items reduces unnecessary landfill waste while also providing students and other members of the community with access to useful items at no cost.

This experience reflects the kind of impact I want to have by showing that meaningful contributions don't always have to be on a larger scale. Even relatively simple tasks, such as organizing donations and preparing items for others to use, can support a larger community effort. I want to contribute to initiatives that have practical, lasting benefits for others while also being mindful of environmental sustainability. One next step I would like to take is to participate in another Campus reStore event, maybe even when it's open, so I can be involved in more of the reuse process and see the impact these efforts have on the community.

For my service, I volunteered with the Bowling Green Parks & Recreation Department for their Adult Egg Scramble at the Community Center. My responsibilities included setting up directional cones, scattering the plastic eggs across the fields, operating a rotating climbing wall for attendees before the hunt, and folding tables during clean-up. Seeing so many adults running around in the dark for prize-filled eggs gave me a new perspective on how much the community values accessible, lighthearted recreational events. It was a great way to bring people together, and I look forward to volunteering for more local parks and recreation programs that foster community enjoyment.

I volunteered for the Wood County Chocolate Crawl, where I helped set up merchandise before heading to my station at Call of the Canyon. At this station, I handed out chocolates, stamped participant cards, and explained how attendees needed to circle specific numbers on their cards based on the question at our table. Seeing the number of people walking around downtown Bowling Green really showed me how effective and engaging these community-wide fundraisers can be for the United Way. Handing out the chocolate and seeing everyone having such a great time made me realize that next year, I want to actually participate in the event as an attendee! (This is the same event as the 1 hour entry. Hence why the reflection is the same for both.)

I volunteered for the Wood County Chocolate Crawl, where I helped set up merchandise before heading to my station at Call of the Canyon. At this station, I handed out chocolates, stamped participant cards, and explained how attendees needed to circle specific numbers on their cards based on the question at our table. Seeing the number of people walking around downtown Bowling Green really showed me how effective and engaging these community-wide fundraisers can be for the United Way. Handing out the chocolate and seeing everyone having such a great time made me realize that next year, I want to actually participate in the event as an attendee! (This is the same event as the 1.5 hour entry. Hence why the reflection is the same for both.)

I helped plant new trees near the Kreischer Basketball Courts as part of the Campus Tree Planting event for Earth Month. It was a very hands-on team effort where my group worked together to dig a deep hole, move the tree into the ground, and pack the dirt back in. We hit some difficult parts due to having to deal with hard rocks left over from a former building, but collaborating with the other students made the heavy lifting much more manageable. It felt great to leave a lasting, positive mark on the BGSU campus, and I look forward to participating in more hands-on environmental projects like this in the future.

I volunteered at the Spring Electronic Waste Recycling Drive at the Slater Ice Arena, where I directed traffic, unloaded vehicles, and organized boxes of discarded devices. Handling such a massive amount of old stereos, computers, and obsolete hardware gave me a new perspective on how much technology is thrown away instead of being repaired or reused. It felt rewarding to help the Bowling Green community safely dispose of these materials rather than letting them end up in a landfill. In the future, I plan to continue supporting initiatives that keep harmful e-waste out of our local environment.