Here is what Cecelia did in her own words:
With everything that has happened this year, we really need to spread the love and that was something that I was pretty adamant about basing my project around. With COVID happening I knew that the old generation was getting hit hard one way or another. I chose to involve my 4-year-old son in making care packages for some residents in the local Guardian Angels seeing that they are very limited to how much interaction they are allowed. I reached out to the Guardian Angels office to get first a go ahead and then a headcount. Initially, they told me there were 115 residents, which was way over my head, so I asked them to reflect with one another and get back to me with a list of residents they think needed some love. A few days later I received an email with a 20 person headcount. I then reached out to my employer Cowboy Jacks (which is located right next door to Guardian Angels) to see if they would donate some coupons to my cause. They with no hesitation said yes. I got things like sugar-free candies, Christmas ornaments, cards, and of course the Cowboy Jacks coupons to put in the bags. My son and I wrote some nice notes on the cards and he helped me decorate each one.
Want to organize a similar activity? Here are tips from Cecelia:
-Create your project on a document that automatically saves as you work on it, I learned that the hard way one minute from submitting. -Reach out to family members, employer, coworkers, friends, classmates, do not be scared to be loud about your activity. Whispers rarely get heard.
-Use your social media account to reach further out than you could with just posters. In this day and age, we are gifted with social media and it can easily be used for the greater good.
-I would suggest starting with just the simple "contact us" number to get you started and most of the time those people will direct you to the right person to help you out.
-Reflect on what "powerful" people you know can help make a bigger difference than you.
-Do not take on too much, find a good medium. In my case instead of doing a package for the whole building, I had the staff come up with people they thought could use the packages seeing they do not see many family or friends often.
-Try to think about something that you can do that you would enjoy. Being able to enjoy the project could really make a difference in your grade. You'd be surprised how much more you'll put into it if it is enjoyable for you.
-Talk to either your professor or classmates if you are feeling stuck. Brainstorming with other people that know what you're supposed to do can be really helpful.
-Do not wait until the last minute to start your project. There is plenty of warning throughout the semester there is no reason for you to wait. It will only stress you out.
