Rebuilding a Community

Rebuilding a Community The motto of the National Beta Club says, “Let us lead by serving others.” Helping others in my community has always played an important role in my life. On April 27th, 2011, various tornadoes swept throughout the county I live in, destroying a large part of my community. Many of my friends and family were effected by the devastating tornadoes, including my uncle and aunt with their three children. I helped to rebuild my community by participating in a community wide clean-up effort. I have made many lasting improvements for my community. One of these improvements included instilling hope in members throughout my community; letting them know that when they need help, our community will always be there for them. This devastating experience has not only helped me make lasting improvements for my community, but has also influenced my development by helping me learn the importance of helping others and the fragility of life. The April 27th tornadoes influenced my development by helping me learn the importance of helping others. Once this tragedy was brought upon my close relatives and friends, my family helped provide a temporary home for them, along with food to eat and water to drink. My friends and family were beginning to get discouraged and lose hope; they thought may never have a place to live, but instilling hope in them was the only thing I could do, I said to them “We’re going to get through this.” The day after the tornadoes my family and I began sorting through what was left of my uncle’s home. I helped move furniture and other appliances along with trying to find what was left of my younger cousins’ wardrobe. My close relatives and friends were upset over losing a majority of their belongings, but this helped me realize materialistic items are replaceable, but the lives of my close relatives and friends are not. My uncle and aunt’s home being destroyed by tornadoes made me realize the fragility of life. While helping my uncle