Rylee Kopchak

Mrs. Finney
Religion II
April 10, 2016
2016 Service Project
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus teaches, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Through service, we deepen and
strengthen our relationship with Christ by volunteering to help others. No matter how small the
act, service allows us to glorify God and share our Catholic faith. I learned that, by giving our
time and using our God-given gifts, we genuinely make a difference.
In the fall, I volunteered at the EQT Ten Miler along with several other students. Our job
was to manage an aid station and pass out water to the thousands of runners participating in the
race. We arrived at our assigned station early in the morning and set up tables along the side of
the road. Next, we began filling large Gatorade containers with water and sports drink. My task
was to arrange hundreds of cups on the tables and fill them with water, so that we would be
prepared when the large waves of runners passed. I loved cheering on all of the athletes and
encouraging them to keep going. It was amazing how thankful the runners were, even though we
played such a small role in making the race successful. After the race was over, we collapsed the
tables, cleaned up the cups scattered along the street, and loaded the equipment into a truck.
Volunteering at the EQT Ten Miler was an awesome experience and I had a lot of fun with my
cross country teammates and classmates who also helped.
In addition to volunteering at the EQT Ten Miler, I helped at the Catholic Grade School
Cross Country Championship which took place at Coopers Lake Campground. At this event,
approximately fifty local catholic grade school cross country teams competed in a number of
different races. The CWNC cross country team volunteered to help things run smoothly, as
hundreds of grade schoolers running around can get a little chaotic. We were assigned to hand

Rylee Kopchak
Mrs. Finney
Religion II
April 10, 2016
out ribbons at the end of the race to all participants, sell t-shirts, hand out medals and trophies,
and announce the start of races. Along with my mom (the race director), I led the 1,200 athletes,
their parents, and coaches in an opening prayer. My favorite part of the day was handing out
ribbons at the finish line to all of the runners. This was such an enjoyable opportunity because it
reminded me of when I ran grade school cross country and was interesting to transition from a
runner to a volunteer. I also realized the amount of work and dedication that goes into an event
of that size.
My favorite service I performed this year was volunteering at Christmas on Troy Hill.
During the week leading up to Christmas on Troy Hill, I spent my study halls wrapping presents
for each of the kids. I had a great time volunteering with my friends and it was nice to see the
awesome toys each kid would be receiving. I also enjoyed working the arts and crafts station at
Christmas on Troy Hill, where children finger-painted and decorated animals that were present at
Jesus birth. It was rewarding to see that all of the time and hard work we put into Christmas on
Troy Hill made a difference and each kid there was filled with happiness. They were so excited
to make crafts, play games, and win prizes. It made me glad to see the huge smiles on the
childrens faces and it was amazing that we could help make Christmas special for so many
families.
During Lent, I also volunteered at the St. Alphonsus Parish Fish Fry as a waitress and
helped at the dessert and drink stations. As a waitress, I took guests orders and served them
their food and drinks. When I volunteered at the drink station, it was my responsibility to fill up
cups with assorted drinks and have them available for waiters/waitresses to take to their tables. In
addition, at the dessert table, I cut and arranged assorted desserts. I enjoyed volunteering at the

Rylee Kopchak
Mrs. Finney
Religion II
April 10, 2016
St. Alphonsus Fish Fry because I got to see and catch up with old friends and teachers from
grade school. I believe Lent is a great time to volunteer because you sacrifice a little bit of your
time and can offer it up to God, whose son made the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Overall, I learned many lessons from the service I completed this year. I realized that
even the smallest gestures, truly do help others. In addition, I recognized and appreciated the
positive effects that resulted from volunteering in the community. It brought me great happiness,
witnessing all of the joy my actions brought to others. I hope to continue volunteering in the
community and help make more of a difference through serving God and the Church.