Zoe McWell, Engaged Citizen Corps Member

With being in the Engaged Citizen Corps and being paired with the non-profit Impact Community Action Partnership, I’ve gained first-hand experience with service learning. Through these experiences, along with taking the Toxic Charity First-Year Seminar class, I have gained new knowledge about the world of charity and how to make it beneficial for both parties. I have gained new insights that I had never thought about previously. 

While working at Impact I have learned how much people value and appreciate the work the staff at Impact does for the community. Although I felt like my work wasn’t making a huge difference, I realized the small things do have an impact on the community. Impact specializes in energy assistance as well as operating a food pantry. I focus on the newsletter, entering information into the computer, and helping at the food pantry. While working with Impact I have seen the Des Moines community and have learned more about the people that are in the Drake community and that not everyone is experiencing the Drake neighborhood like me.

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Something I have learned since working at Impact is that you don’t have to be upfront and hands-on working with the people in need. Like I stated before I have been working on the newsletter. Although it is not hands-on working with people, it is still important because it is informing the people who need to know what is happening at Impact as well as other non-profits. With a newsletter, we can spread the word about what is going on at Impact to the people that need our services and volunteers. When I am in the food pantry, it is more hands-on and I get to see and interact with the people who come for food. How I know that what we do at Impact is positive is reflected through the feedback cards that I enter. Much of the feedback we receive is super positive and it demonstrates just how much of an impact Impact makes on the community of Des Moines.

When I got paired with Impact I had no clue what to expect. It was a whole new experience I wasn’t used to, being from a privileged upbringing. It made me check my privilege and realize that there are people who can’t and don’t have the things I do. Being part of the ECC has connected me to an eye-opening experience with the people who I have always aimed to help in life. Working with Impact has made a huge impact on my life by allowing me to work and help people like I plan to do in life. Because of my service learning, I have realized how much I as a person can do to serve those who need it the most and how much I can do even behind the scenes. 

I have learned so much since being a part of this program. I have been able to have a first-hand experience that I can bring with me into my major of psychology. I plan to be a clinical psychologist who will be helping those who need mental help. Witnessing first-hand how mental illness plays a part in the people who go through the food pantry of Impact has given me a better reason to pursue my career as a psychologist.