Manuela DeOliveira

Manuela has served the community 918 hours through her senior year at Immaculata High School. The 41 different events include shopping for the senior citizens and going to Appalachia, West Virginia Wayne County work camp Christmas Mission. She has been to West Virginia on five different occasions three times during the summer to fix homes and two times to bring Christmas to the children. She plans to continue to go to West Virginia.

In addition, Manuela has given her time to Urban Plunge, a 30-hour weekend in Camden, NJ. She also participates in Justiceworx, a camp for volunteering in Trenton. She has served on the Joseph Conrad as a sailing assistant at Mystic Museum and seaport, Mystic, CT. Here she aided the counselors and worked closely with the children as a guide, waking them up in the morning, participating in daily activities with them, putting them to bed at night and even at times staying up with them the whole night because someone was feeling ill.

Manuela has also served by helping the senior citizens at the Senior Center in Gillette, NJ and donated her hair to Locks of Love. She does not focus on one area of volunteering but has broadened her horizons by working with so many different people: the homeless, elderly, handicapped, mentally challenged, poor and children. All of her experiences have given her an opportunity to learn.

Manuela has learned what it truly it means to be a leader through serving. When she works at the Seaport, she takes on responsibilities and care of the children. When she serves the elderly or handicapped, Manuela has to make sure everyone is safe and enjoying their time.