Bruin Belles Service Association: Blog

Disneyland and Belles, my two favorite things! I love that a Belles Disneyland trip at the end of Winter Quarter has become somewhat of a tradition now, and I hope it continues for many years to come. It’s such a nice break from impending finals, and seeing as Belles are pretty much Disney princesses anyway (we even share our name with one!), it’s the perfect place to go. From wildly spinning in teacups to watching the fireworks to eating churros, we had so much fun and made so many memories. I especially loved bonding with the new Baby Belles, because what better way to get to know someone than to spend an entire day at Disneyland with them? All in all, it was a magical day filled with so much laughter and fun. Can’t wait for next year! Allison Grenda Distinguished Belle Second Year Bruin Belle

One of the most memorable events I attended this quarter was the Brides Against Breast Cancer Bridal Show. Breast cancer is something that hits close to home, so when this event was offered I immediately jumped at the opportunity to get involved. The event was hosted in Ventura, CA and featured an endless array of new and donated wedding gowns to be purchased by brides. All the proceeds from the event were donated to a wonderful cause, providing care services to cancer patients, caregivers, and families. I had the privilege of helping brides pick out their perfect wedding gown in hopes that they would say “YES to the dress!” It was such a privilege to volunteer with Brides Against Breast Cancer and I am so grateful to be a part of Bruin Belles for allowing me the opportunity to work with such wonderful organizations. Caiti Lew Distinguished Belle Third Year Bruin Belle

Jumping on giant trampolines is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a social activity for a college organization. You might think of going out to dinner or dessert, or maybe even going on a hike, but the chances that trampoline jumping is up there on the list of most common social events is pretty unlikely. Unless, of course, you’re part of Bruin Belles Service Association. While our socials do include the typical (and super fun!) dinner, dessert and hikes, we also have a Belle favorite social at Sky High Trampoline Park. It is basically a huge building with giant trampolines and foam pits inside. Pretty awesome, right? And this past Friday night, that’s where you would have found us. After the stress of exams, we got to let loose by having jumping contests on trampolines, inventing weird dance moves while jumping, and maybe even trying some flips and cool twists (although I was, unfortunately, incapable of such bodily movement). We laughed, definitely got ...

On November 15 th , a few of us went over to the Westside Children’s Center to help in their garden.   They are growing a garden to help the children learn about everything from flowers and vegetables to watering and bee pollination.   The WCC caters to children from about 3 months to 5 years old and allows each age group to spend time in the garden.   Even though you wouldn’t think that a 3 month old would reap any benefits from being in a garden, just being there hearing, seeing, and smelling is so important to his or her development.   After learning a bit about the center and the garden itself, we got to work pulling weeds, transplanting rosemary bushes, and mulching newly planted trees to keep the soil filled with nutrients.   I had never gardened before, but it was a valuable and unique experience where I learned about the immense work that goes into operating a garden and the incredible work the WCC does for the community as a whole. Oli...

Spend time in Bruin Belles Service Association, and you will hear that Meals on Wheels is a “classic Belle event”. Let me tell you why. Since the very beginning, Meals on Wheels has held a special place in my heart. They have a great mission- assisting the elderly by delivering specialty meals that they cannot get themselves. They also have heart- Meals on Wheels is run by amazing people and dedicated volunteers. Since first volunteering fall quarter of my freshman year, I have made an effort to help out every quarter during time at UCLA. I am in awe of how the employees and volunteers work tirelessly for their community. It has been a blessing to meet and get to know the other people who volunteer their time. Many volunteers have driven the routes for years, and still continue to make time weekly to serve Meals on Wheels. I have worked alongside a woman over ninety years old, a retired electrician, and a musician (just to mention a few). Each has spoken into my life, giving me encoura...

As a Distinguished Belle in the Philanthropy office, I spent most of my time during the first few weeks of school talking with prospective Belles during the 2014 Fall Bruin Belles recruitment. The most common question from these possible future Belles was “What is your favorite Belles event?” Each time I was asked this question, the answer came effortlessly. My favorite event is the quarterly dance at the West Los Angeles Veterans’ Hospital. The hospital hosts a Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Spring dance. Belles are given the opportunity to attend the dance and interact with the veterans. This is my favorite event because (aside from absolutely loving to dance), I really enjoy spending time with the veterans and hearing their stories. I am so honored to be able to give my time to those who have given so much to our country. Seeing their smiles as we all dance along to everything from the Jackson 5 to Pitbull is a wonderful reminder of why I love Belles! I cannot wait to attend all t...

Volunteering at the Santa Monica RunFest was the epitome of all the reasons why I love Bruin Belles. The event started super early in the morning (we left at like 5:30!), and took place along the coast of the Santa Monica Beach. The scenery in the early morning was absolutely beautiful and I was able to get a few pictures of the beach before the event started. We were given the responsibility of helping to facilitate the entire event—this included organizing all materials, checking in participants and helping in run errands throughout the run. It was so amazing getting to interact with so many different people, including both runners and the organizers of the event. I even met Howie, the host of Deal or No Deal! He asked me where the start line was for the run, and I was in such great shock, I didn’t know what to say. Instead, I gathered the ability to point toward the starting line (You would think after living 4 years in LA I would get used to being around famous ...

The first thing that the Board Members said, as they stood up in their colorful, coral shirts at Fall Retreat, was, “The best decision I ever made was deciding to come to UCLA. The second best was joining Bruin Belles. Welcome to the family.” At this time, I was a freshman who had only been in school for a little over a month, and this statement was just the thing that I had been waiting to hear from someone since I had started at such a large campus. Since that fateful day, I have taken part in countless philanthropy events on campus and around the Los Angeles area, gone on hikes, and most importantly, eaten A LOT of great food. Bruin Belles has taken me on adventures that a small-town girl like me never would have dreamed of. Being one of the eight freshmen to be apart of Bruin Belles this year, I have only had the pleasure of being apart of this organization for a few months. Not only has Bruin Belles made me feel like apart of the UCLA campus, it has also shown me that the true w...

In my first year as a Bruin Belle, I can truly say that this organization has transformed me more as a leader and a person than any other experience I’ve had. Although I was far from shy when I applied for Belles, I had yet to find my place in the huge, diverse, and slightly intimidating student body at UCLA. Now, with only a few months as a Belle under my belt, I truly feel as though I have gained a family of some of the most passionate, intelligent, and caring girls you can find at UCLA. My fellow Belles inspire me every single day by going above and beyond the amazing philanthropy events we participate in and dedicating even more time to service; whether it’s through a diverse selection of other UCLA clubs, their jobs, or extra volunteering. It is my belief that one of the best ways to improve yourself as a person is to surround yourself with good people who you can look up to, and this is one of the main ways I think Bruin Belles ha...

Press Box! Now that winter quarter is in full swing and UCLA’s football season is officially over, I’m finding that something is missing in my life for two reasons: 1) no football and 2) no Press Box. Press Box is one of my most favorite events of fall quarter because it combines two of my most favorite things: Belles and football. When Belles volunteer with Press Box, our responsibilities include obtaining, copying, and distributing game statistics to the coaches, Rose Bowl officials, and media (which includes newspapers, like the Daily Bruin and LA Times, but also HUGE networks like Fox and ESPN). We’re up in the media room, statistics box, and audio-visual tech rooms, seeing everything firsthand and behind the scenes. Once, we even got to stand at the 30-yard line and watch the end of the game right from the field! It’s a really, really fun and unique experience that I’m glad our Campus Culture office offers year after year. I didn’t really realize how important it was tha...