Helping with Hands and Hearts

By Sarah Crawford and Jenna Kane, Interns at UPP@NCSU

Edited by Erin Holloway, Student Life Coordinator

As the leaves change in the crisp, fall air, Americans all around the country prepare for the sequence of holidays leading up to the New Year. Although Halloween is definitely more commercialized and is then quickly eclipsed by Christmas hype, Thanksgiving is another important tradition that UPP students should understand. Part of the American spirit is the idea of giving back to the community and being thankful. To introduce our students to this concept and prepare them for the Thanksgiving event next month, UPP partnered with the Point Church. On October 15th and 22nd, UPP students volunteered at the Point Church’s locations in Apex and Cary to serve underprivileged local families. These churches provide food, clothes and other necessities to people in need every Saturday. Volunteers from the church and other areas of the community sort and distribute donated items including food, clothing and household goods.

Before the event, it was important for students to understand the different factors that cause and affect poverty in the United States. In GLC class and advising, students learned and discussed ideas such as immigration, accessibility, disabilities and other trauma that could prevent people from providing enough for their family. For many students, it was the first time they had critically thought about the causes and contributing factors of poverty. 

At the Point Church locations on either weekend, students chose one station to help, such as  greeting visitors and helping them check in, carrying grocery donations to people’s cars, packing grocery bags, preparing and serving hot meals, or organizing clothing donations. Most students kept the same job throughout the entire event, but others floated around and helped wherever they were needed.

“First, I did the greeting, which made me feel like everyone was nice to each other no matter who they were. Then, I helped in taking paper boxes apart and carrying them in trucks in order to recycle them. That was a good way to be environmentally friendly,” said Aurora Yinan Ding. “Also, we were help others find clothes for 7, 8 and 10 year old girls. It will not make them feel embarrassed to wear used clothes. At last, I helped carry groceries for those people who needed help.”

One unique gift that Point Church provided was flower bouquets. These bouquets may seem like a small gift, but they are meant to provide people in need with a luxury and give them hope during their troubled times.

“People in church sent people who needed help flowers. It impressed me,” said Kaia Jiaxin Hou, “They not only help people by giving them clothes they need, but also encourage them by giving flowers. I think people would feel happy and warm to receive the flowers.”

For many of the students, this was their first time volunteering at an event like this.  For others, though, it was not an entirely new experience.

“Volunteering in China is rare because there aren’t a lot of organizations for you to volunteer with, and sometimes volunteering in China is not convenient,” said Bob Dunzhi Zhou. “It’s great volunteering here.”

“I did some volunteer jobs like sending water before, but this is the first time doing something like this,” said George Qirui Dai.  “And my first time being in church.”

Students after helping a visitor with their supplies

The church stopped accepting patrons for the day at about noon. The staff and volunteers were then invited to enjoy the remaining food that they had helped prepare and serve. Students helped clean up the rooms and put the chairs back for church services the next day. 

Volunteering with the Point Church allowed students to become more involved with different people in their community. Our students knew that people in need existed in every country, but this event gave them a chance to see the types of people in need in the United States and the ways in which people try to fulfill those needs.

“It’s meaningful because we help others with meals,” Patrick Yuchen Xie said.

“Helping people and watching their smiles really made me feel happy,” Hou said.