Week 2: Community

I've never had the opportunity to be apart of a community other than my own, small town community. Once I decided to attend Defiance College that all changed. I was thrown into an entirely different environment, which was intimidating at first. However, after spending one semester here in Defiance, I can now say that I am apart of an amazing community, both in the college and the city itself. 

Before I decided to go off to college, "community" was simply the people that lived in the same town as me, but now it has an entirely different meaning. "Community" now means having the same interests and goals as those around you, and having a feeling of fellowship with those around you. In other words, it's like being apart of one big family that's trying to make the city a better place. Although I have only been a part of the Defiance College community for one semester, I feel like I've been here my whole life. This community took me in as their own, and made me feel as if I were at home. 

There are many reasons as to why I think Defiance has a good community. For example, there are many organizations both at the college and throughout the town that put forth their time and efforts to make the city a better place. In the 6 months that I have been here, I, along with many others, have helped pick up litter along the highway, volunteered for the Special Olympics, walked dogs at the humane society, and stuffed backpacks full of food for the poor. These may not seem like huge changes to some people, but by volunteering to do these small activities, we are making this community better one step at a time. Although it seems that I have volunteered for a lot, there are many other organizations that I have not been apart of that also help make our community a kinder place. For example, there's a Goodwill store for those who are low on money, and an organization called "Opp Shop" at the Defiance College that lends out professional clothing for those who cannot afford it. These small gestures help the less fortunate have the opportunity to add to our community by attempting to get a job.
Altogether, by choosing to further my education at Defiance College, I have found out what the true meaning of "community" is. It means joining forces with those around you, and putting your efforts towards helping others and making a city or town a better place to live. By doing these simple things, we can make our towns a nicer, kinder place to live.