In honor of late HRC Commissioner and disability community advocate, Feda Amality,
who perished in an accidental fire along with her son Muh on September 26, 2020.
The majority of our troop lives in Fremont; so when we received an offer to volunteer for an event organized by the City of Fremont Human Service Department, we jumped at the opportunity. The Disability Resource Festival directs aid and resources towards the needs of the Disabled Community. It serves as an amazing opportunity to promote trust between 1st Responders and the disabled residents of Fremont.
Our job in this event was to take and serve orders from the attendees, as well as provide any extra assistance wherever it was needed. As soon as we arrived, a Human Services Development officer who helped organize the event gave us some general guidelines on how to serve the attendees. Once us Scouts organized ourselves into groups, we prepared our corresponding stations with food, signs, etc. Finally the doors were opened, and in streamed the attendees. The event proceeded quite smoothly; and due to the efforts of the Scouts and the other volunteers, all attendees were thoroughly provided for.
Community service is always rewarding, but this event was special. It was the first time we interacted with the “community” we were helping; the first time we could see the smiles on the customer’s faces when we greeted them or bid them a good day; it was the first time we could see in front of our eyes the impact we were making. And as the icing on the cake, we had a lunch date with the mayor :). One of the most powerful and independent women we had met in our entire lives (other than our moms ofc) talked to us about the importance of being involved in the community. She shared her experiences of being an Asian female politician in a white male-dominated world. It made us feel so grateful to be in a troop with so many strong, like-minded girls, where everyone’s opinion can be voiced and heard.
The Disability Resource Festival was a wonderful way for the city of Fremont to provide for its disabled residents. The lunch duty serviced by our troop was planned and executed well; there were no problems faced by the volunteers or the attendees. This outing highlights the importance of giving back to one’s community and helping those in need. It shows that moderate efforts by volunteers and organizers can lead to huge impacts in the lives of many.
We’d like to end this article with a thanks to all the organizers and volunteers who were a part of this effort. Our troop is endlessly grateful for this opportunity!
Stay amazing :)
Laya and Sabya
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