I have always admired philanthropy, but before this project, I did not know much about it. After doing this project I better understand all of the hard work that people put in every day as philanthropists and members of non profit organizations to make a change in the world. One important thing that I learned on the field trip is that hunger is a huge problem in New Jersey, which is important because in a country where so many people have excess food that their disposal, many more do not; this is an imbalance that needs to change. I also learned after working at the food bank that doing monotonous and simple work like sorting food can make a big difference in people’s lives. I have learned that fundraising is a process that takes a lot of planning and communication, and often requires compromise. I feel that bagging at ShopRite was an effective way to raise money for my fundraiser. If I were working on a fundraiser in the future, I would make sure there was a better communication between me and whatever team I would be working with. I would like to become involved in philanthropical efforts in the future because helping others would be a much more valuable way to spend my time on earth instead of always focusing on myself.

I liked the panel discussions because they offered insight into what it’s like to work for a charity. The discussions were also good because we were able to learn more about the charities we picked in first person, which is much better than just reading a website. I was impressed by how knowledgeable each representative was, and I was surprised how far some people came just to speak to our class. I hope to work with non profits in the future because I think it’s a meaningful profession, and I want to learn more about the different ways a person can work for one. The discussion confirmed that all of the charities chosen were solid because after hearing everyone speak, it was evident that all the represented organizations are successful and legitimate.

I feel like my group made really good choices for the charities we have chosen. For the past few days, we have focused mostly on the New Jersey Food Bank and the Special Olympics. Hunger is a very prevalent problem today around the world, and I think everyone in the class can resonate with the New Jersey Food Bank since it helps people who live so close to here. The Special Olympics is also a great organization for the opportunities it gives to disabled people. My group had a hard time agreeing on which charities to work with and finding common “social passions” but I think everyone ended up happy with our choices. The calls I have made were not difficult because I was able to follow the script we were provided with.

The Brown Paper Bag exercise reminded me of show and tell in elementary school. I was not very excited about it because I don’t like speaking in front of the class, but I liked hearing what other people had to say. What I discovered about myself was that maybe because I like art, I can focus on an art based organization in the future for this class. I think we did this activity to identify the things we are really interested, which will help us choose organization we are passionate about.

During the MAD card exercise, I learned that I am interested in the environment. Two out of the three of the cards I chose were related to the environment. I’m passionate about helping fix environmental issues because I feel that they are extremely relevant today to everyone around the world. I also learned that similarly to me, other people chose issues based on how strongly they felt about them and if they had a connection to them.