Dear person (whoever you may be),

Welcome to TALH.
Better yet, welcome to my blog. You may or may not know me, so I’ll introduce myself. My name is Ray, Ashleigh Ray. As I’m writing this letter, I’m a junior in the TALH program and something like a freshman in college.

I've got news for you, Newbie. Community service… I’m sure by now you’ve already gotten the spiel about how every student at TALH has to have a community service project, and he/she has to record two service hours every week. Sounds like no big deal, right? Well, it depends on how you look at it.

Spindletop

            My service project during my first semester at TALH was at the Spindletop Boomtown Museum about a mile away from the Lamar campus. If you come straight from the dorms, it is approximately a ten-minute walk to the front doors of Spindletop. For this specific service project, your job is to clean: sweep, dust, wipe, etc. Although the job may not be the most exciting, it’s the most convenient (especially when you don’t have a car), and can be pretty fun if you go with the right people.

            A friend of mine named Amber, a fellow junior, was in the same boat I was. Neither of us had a car. Neither of us could get a ride anywhere else. Spindletop was our best (only) option so we tried to make the most out of it. To pass the time while cleaning, we played music. For the most part, this music playing also involved singing along (even dancing on Amber’s part). After our two-hour commitment, we’d visit the C-store and grab some food, pizza if we were hungry, ice cream or popsicles if we weren’t. (If you don’t know what the “C-store” is, ask a senior to take you there immediately.)

How Amber Dances

            To be honest, your service project is what you make it. There are a number of service opportunities available in Beaumont. Nonetheless, the project you commit to might not be the most “fun.” Your mission, if you choose to accept it, will be to make it fun (or at least enjoyable) for the two hours you’re there. I’d advise you to try and get to know the people you're working with, be it your fellow TALH volunteer or the employees you see every time you visit and are working just as hard as (probably harder than) you. I went to Spindletop and gained a friend and a new perspective on cleanliness. Who knows what you’ll gain from your experience?

            In this letter, I’d also like to remind you that the service you do is not about having fun. It’s not about you at all actually. It’s about the wonderful people who are in need of your help, probably more than you know. Your community service is making a change in someone’s life, be the difference grand or miniscule. They’ll appreciate everything you do, and that alone should be the reason you serve. Not because you have to and not because it’s fun, but because it’s helping out someone who’d otherwise be lacking.

            Please remember, all the seniors are there for you. If there’s something you desperately want to do, ask someone who’s interested in the same project. Any questions you have, just ask. As a matter of fact, while I'm on this subject, go ahead and make friends with the TALH peeps. I've met some of the best people while at TALH, and believe me, they aren't as scary as they may seem. Sure they may seem a little weird at first, but you'll soon figure out that their weird meshes perfectly with your weird. Don't miss out on an opportunity to make friends while you serve (or while otherwise unoccupied). People are pretty awesome sometimes (and TALH students are awesome all of the time).

            As a lasting thought, I hope your first year at TALH is great, and I hope your service project experiences surpass mine.

Love,

Ashleigh