Volunteering is really important to me because I enjoy helping others. I have participated in various community service projects such as volunteering with the Make A Wish Foundation of Michigan “Wish A Mile Bicycle Tour” and the Dearborn Public Libraries Summer Reading Program. Below I have briefly described some of the various volunteer experiences I have had.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan - I was a “wish hero”, meaning I was paired up with riders who had signed up to ride 300 miles for the Wish-A-Mile bike tour. They rode for 3 days, 100 miles each day. The riders had my picture, and asked various people and businesses to donate money to Make-A-Wish so they could grant wishes for kids with life-threatening illnesses. They had my picture because I had a wish granted when I was little, and the riders used it as an example of child they would be helping. I was also at the finish line to cheer them on as they finished the tour.

Snow Branch Library - I volunteered with this past summer during their summer reading program for preschool-middle school aged children. The participants received a bag containing a bookmark, information about our other programs and a bingo sheet. The kids had to read different books from the categories on the “bingo board” and try to get bingos. My job was to give them the info, explain the program, and when they came back after reading a book, stamp their “bingo board”. After getting a bingo I also gave them their prize. I helped the children become excited about reading by encouraging them to get their prizes by reading the various types of books.