For most High School students, summertime is a time of rest and relaxation. Not so for Adrian Cho. Adrian is one of those individuals who wanted to have more of a summer experience than a family trip.
Adrian attends Taft Charter High School in Southern California. Since one of Adrian’s older siblings lives in Pacific Grove, he has been coming to town for many summers. It is one of his and his family’s favorite places. Adrian loves Pacific Grove because of the clean and crisp air, cool weather, semi-sunny days, and breathtaking nature!
Adrian’s folks suggested he find a local organization with which to volunteer. After a search on Google and encouragement from his Mom, Adrian figured Meals on Wheels would be a great place to volunteer because as he read – MOWMP was voted The Best Place to Volunteer for two years in a row! But to Adrian, it was much more than that because the ideals and core beliefs on which the organization was founded really intrigued him. The idea of being able to work and provide daily nourishment to someone who was not able to obtain it elsewhere was really compelling to Adrian. Prior to Adrian’s experience with MOW, his understanding of nonprofits was very limited. He perceived them as entities funded by the government, receiving food supplies from food banks, and simply materializing into organizations like MOWMP. However, after volunteering Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 12:30pm, he has learned and realized that it is so much more than just that. All the work that goes on in and out of the kitchen is truly incredible. The preparation that goes into the organization so that they can feed people goes so much deeper than he ever thought.
Adrian not only has deepened his appreciation of nonprofit organizations but it has also sparked an interest to learn more! He not only loves his experiences in the kitchen but has said that his favorite experiences have been the interactions with the people who come in during lunchtime. Being able to connect with and serve them is an amazing feeling that Adrian wishes everyone could feel once in their lifetime!
We will miss Adrian as he heads back to school soon. But we know he will take with him a wealth of experiences and understanding that he will pass on to others
