Reflection

• Reflective Essay – Community Service Project at Second Harvest Center (Charlotte, NC). 

• My community service experience at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, North Carolina, significantly shaped my development as both an educator and a learner. Although I entered the project looking for ways to give back to the community, I left with a far deeper understanding of how issues of food insecurity directly affect my school, my students, and the families I serve. As teachers, we often talk about meeting students’ basic needs before meaningful learning can occur, yet this experience grounded that belief in lived reality. Seeing how hunger, limited resources, and inconsistent access to nutritious food impact children’s ability to focus, regulate emotions, or engage fully in the classroom reinforced my responsibility to advocate beyond the walls of my school. During my service hours, I worked alongside volunteers and staff who were responsible for sorting, categorizing, and packaging food items for distribution to partner agencies across the region. My tasks included assembling family food boxes, organizing donated goods, and preparing materials for distribution to local shelters, schools, and community centers. Each box represented a story—families juggling medical costs, housing instability, or job loss—and I began to recognize how organizations like Second Harvest operate as essential partners in supporting the whole child. By contributing time, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn, I supported their mission to eliminate hunger through education, advocacy, and community engagement. From this experience, I gained a broader understanding of how community partnerships strengthen schools and directly support student learning. I also learned how vital it is for educators to be aware of local resources so we can connect students and families to meaningful support systems. Going forward, I plan to continue advocating for access to food through school-based initiatives, encouraging colleagues to collaborate with community organizations, and integrating service-learning opportunities into my curriculum so students can see themselves as agents of change. This project also influenced my personal and professional growth by highlighting the power of reflective practice, collaboration, and community engagement. It provided evidence of the impact teachers can make outside the classroom while reinforcing the importance of compassion, cultural responsiveness, and relationship-building. Through this work, I strengthened my identity as a teacher-leader—one committed to supporting families, uplifting communities, and continuing a lifelong journey of learning and advocacy. 

Artifacts