Pre-Trip Service with Community Forklift
We had our first day of pre-trip service today! Pre-trip service is a component of AB that allows us to connect the issues we are learning about back to our community here in College Park. For our pre-trip service we volunteered with Community Forklift and TerpService. Community Forklift is a nonprofit that provides recycled and gently-used building materials and appliances at a reduced or free cost for community members in need. We spent our time with them measuring doors: approximately 240 doors were measured, which at $20 each translates to roughly $4800 more doors sold and in turn 3 months of donations. Unfortunately the snow cut our day short, but hopefully the other half of the group that is going on March 7 will get to stay longer. Check out the reflections of our group below.
Reflection questions for the [DR]EAM Team: What was one interesting thing you learned about Community Forklift? How do you think they make a difference in the community? What themes did you see today that you think will connect to our experience in the DR?
Volunteering at Community Forklift was a different experience. I didn't think that I was actually helping people because all I was doing was helping measure doors. It wasn't until the end when I realized I actually did help make an impact. Although the gesture seemed so little, we were told that we made customers' shopping experiences much easier if they needed to find a door, since they would no longer have to guess the door measurements. I thought it was interesting that Community Forklift provides several jobs for people that live nearby. It is good to see that not only is CF providing used building materials for cheap, but they are also providing income for many people.I think a similar theme I saw here will connect with how we will help the community overall in the DR. By going into these communities and helping by making access to their resources as simple as possible is going to be important.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed visiting and volunteering with Community Forklift. I had no idea that a place like CF exists or that they would make such an impact not the community. One thing I learned was just how great the need is for a resource that provides discounted appliances, hardware, and building materials. CF partners with other organizations like Habitat for Humanity and a Wider Circle to make an even greater impact on the community. Moreover, they are able to provide well paying jobs with benefits to over 40 staff members, half of whom live within 5 miles of the warehouse. That is amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhile volunteering I saw that teamwork and innovation is a major theme throughout CF, not just in our volunteer work but also for the staff on a daily basis. We were encouraged to work together to complete our task and to find the best, most efficient way to do it. I could tell that this is how the staff functions as well. The employees of CF are always trying to come up with ways to make the organization better and more useful to its clients. I think that these are themes we will draw on while we are in the DR.
What I learned about Community Forklift that most interested me was how much of a positive impact they have on the environment from doing something as simple as refurbishing and reusing home appliances, furniture, and other home building materials. It was fascinating to learn how many people and organizations use their services and benefit from their work that is done mostly by volunteers! CF makes a difference in the community by providing jobs, workshops, and removing waste that would otherwise pollute our environment. They also do things like donate to families in need or even to local schools and their arts programs when they need furniture or other items. My experience will definitely connect to what we learn in the DR because it was about being innovative and building a sense of community. In the DR we will be working in the schools with the kids to teach them things that they can hopefully pass on to their community and will have a lasting impact after we leave, similar to the kind of impact CF has in its community.
ReplyDeleteAmazing service and reflections! Way to go DREAM team!
ReplyDeleteMy experience at that Community Forklift was great. I never even thought about an activity like that actually working. It just proves that anyone can have any idea on what to do to bring about change, and with the right motivation, it can actually happen. One thing i learned is that i can make an impact in my community. The fact that it was down the street from UMD was great. They make a difference in the community because they provide jobs, discounts and opportunities for members of the surrounding community. Someone that i believe we will see in the DR is the change/difference a group of people can bring. The fact that we were each able to measure about 30 doors each in pairs was incredible.
ReplyDeleteWorking with Community Forklift was an eye-opening experience! I learned a lot about reusing and recycling old materials. Even before we left for the service, I learned that you can cut your energy bill in half just by unplugging machines that are not in use. I also liked that the goal of the warehouse was to help the community and not just to make profit. So, while we are in the Dominican Republic, we can think about how people with very little resources conserve and retain materials. We can incorporate these ideas into our activities with the kids and even teens, and we can also try to work towards conservation during our different service projects!
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting thing that I learned at Community Forklift is that 40% of the space in landfills are items that can be used to renovate a house. Community Forklift is not only interested in protecting the earth, but also the people on it by providing low cost home repair items. The theme that I see us taking from this experience is that it is the little things that can make a big difference. At Community Forklift all we did was put the dimensions of the doors on the side to improve the customer experience. However it is that little improvement that can help sell the door to the community at a low cost and not having to be put into a landfill. In the DR we are only going to be working with a small fraction of the people there, however everything counts. If we can just improve or change for the better the lives of the people we help in the DR that is what matters. It's the idea of volunteering and being an active citizen that we are trying to spread.
ReplyDeleteVolunteering at Community Forklift was great. Community Forklift was different than community services I have participated in. Volunteering here we were indirectly helping others. Our task was to take the measurements and write them on the doors. At first I didn't see how this was benefiting anyone. It was later explained that this made it easier to the people who came to shop at Community Forklift. We split off into pairs and it was estimated that each group measured about 30 doors, (which is a lot). Even though we this was not a hands on experience, it felt great to know that we were able to make someone's shopping experience that much easier and better! This experience is something I and the team can take to Dominican Republic, we have to remember that even the little things can greatly impact someone in the end.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed volunteering at Community Forklift! I liked how they had just about anything and everything for a home, but it was much more affordable for those in need. I also thought it was really cool how they recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity! I think Community Forklift definitely makes a difference in the community by providing the various supplies, materials, and furniture needed for a home at a much cheaper price than any other store. Even though it seemed like we were just measuring doors, we were really helping the community by making it easier for individuals to shop at Community Forklift! I think I will be able to connect this volunteer experience with the work I will do in the Dominican Republic. I think it will help me see how every little action that I do to serve others while volunteering may have a big impact in someone else's life!
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