ASB Reflections

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Why are we here?

We’ve now completed Day 3 of service at Community Servings in Boston. Our schedule has been kept fairly constant each day: wake up and be ready to leave by 8:15 (ok, 8:20), take the T a few stops down to Stony Brook Station, walk two blocks to Community Servings, and then do whatever needs to be done to get delicious and appetizing meals ready to be delivered to the hundreds of terminally ill clients that depend on them.

The other blog posts by my fellow Boston ASBer’s provide a great description of the work that we do while we’re volunteering at Community Servings, so I won’t delve into that aspect of the work in this post. Instead, I want to reflect on some of the things that I expected from this trip, and how it’s been pretty much the exact opposite of those expectations.

When I found out that we were going to be preparing food as our ASB service trip, my initial reaction was along the lines of, Can’t we do that in Easton? While I enjoy giving back to communities and don’t mind preparing food as service, I couldn’t understand why we needed to drive 250 miles in order to do it. Even the fact that the food was going to be delivered specifically to those with terminal illness such as HIV and cancer didn’t help me understand. It wasn’t until we entered Community Servings and Malissa gave us our Volunteer Orientation and Safety Training on our first day that it sunk in. We didn’t come all this way to prepare food. We traveled 284 miles to participate in the amazing operation that is Community Servings. We came to create and package healthy, nutritious, well-planned, meals for those whose medicine cocktails could total thousands of dollars per month, dollars that could therefore not be spent on nutritious food that would provide a potentially life-saving boost their weakened bodies and immune systems.

As mentioned in a previous post, there is a very strict guideline as to how (with hot water and soap for at least twenty seconds) and when (every time your hands come near your face, or you change tasks) to wash your hands. While I’ve read this sanitary information on print outs in bathrooms spanning the world, I never actually felt it necessary to waste twenty of my precious seconds washing my hands. Never, that is, until Malissa informed us that this protocol is in practice in Community Servings because if a disease, even a common cold virus, is passed on to the clients from the food, it could be life-threatening to their weakened bodies. These sanitary practices are strictly enforced at Community Servings not because the management wants us to have super clean hands; they’re enforced because each person working or volunteering there knows what could be at stake (a life) and chooses to hold each other responsible for that.

And this is why I have come to realize that volunteering at Community Servings instead of the local food pantry is worth the time and effort to come all the way to Boston. I’ve never seen a food service program put so much effort, thought, passion, and love into the food that they provide. Although we only have two more days of service with Community Servings, I’m so glad that I’ve gotten the chance to work there so that I could see what service can be, and maybe someday bring that level of dedication to others as well.

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It’s more than volunteering…

Last night the team decided to do a scavenger hunt around Boston which included strange tasks such as planking on a monument,  asking a stranger to buy you milk or my ultimate favorite,  telling a stranger “its nice to finally talk to someone outside of the insane asylum.” This was a fun activity to not only get outside of our comfort zone, but to bond as a team. I remember at the very first meeting we had in the fall, we talked about things such as what your major is or career options, but now that we all know each other on a deeper level, our interactions and conversations are more meaningful.

Even though most of us had a long night, we were eager to start our day. There was another group from Indiana, so for the first part of the morning we were working in the back.  Ricky, Stacy and I were asked to make lasagna. Some of it was for lunch, but the rest was for the individuals they serve. We all carefully made sure we spread the sauce, eggplant, cottage and shreded cheese. We could have done it quickly because the Chef wasn’t paying much attention, but we took our time because presentation is key. My mother tells me that if she made food for my grandmom and it wasn’t presented properly, she would not eat it. So I thought about this. I wanted them to feel happy when they opened their bags with an assorted array of meals and desserts. Yesterday, when Ashley and I were scooping fruit cocktail into containers,  I made sure that every container had a cherry so when the people opened it, it would brighten their day. The rest of the day consisted of cleaning dishes ( thanks Barbara and Ashley) and packaging and storing the food. Fernandez gave us all a slice of cake which made me feel good that he cared about all of us and wanted us to take a break.

After the delicious dinner, we had reflection. As reflectors, Ashley and I thought it was important to ask about the target audience who is receiving the food. We asked “what would you do or how would you react if your roommate was HIV positive?” Answers varied from informing oneself more on HIV/AIDS, feeling uncomfortable or being extremely cautious.  These questions may have been difficult to discuss, but they are important because we have to keep in prospective who we are volunteering for. We cannot just package food and then come back to our Hostel.  That is not enough. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and I am happy that we have all created a safe space where we can discuss these topics because after all what is service without reflection?

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Day Three – Community Servings ASB Boston

How quickly time flies! It is already the middle of the week. This is my third ASB trip, and just like the two previous ones, every day taught me sometime valuable that I will remember for the rest of my life. I absolutely love ASB and one of my favorite parts is seeing the team effort that comes out of all of us. Each trip, no matter what service or what community it is, requires a collaborative effort from the team. I love seeing that process happen and this week I was fortunate enough to see it happen in Community Servings in Boston.

My first day in the kitchen was a crazy one. I’ve never used a knife before and they assigned me to chop carrots. I was terrified of the huge knife I was swinging down on those big carrots. But I conquered my fear by asking lots of questions and seeking feedback on how I was doing by asking my team members. Slowly, I became more comfortable with the big knife and chopping carrots became fun, haha. I worked in the assembly line in the afternoon to prepare about 400 more food trays. I didn’t realize how tiring it is to stand in one line for 4 hours. But no matter what I did, I always worked in a team and things were accomplished quickly. This whole kitchen is a team — without the team, Community Servings would not be able to serve its 850 clients daily.

The level of details that the organization puts into the appearance of each food item that they prepare amazed me. I learned that it’s really important to make the clients feel that they are being cared for and that we’re not just slopping some food into some dirty trays for them. I feel that I’m connecting my emotions to the clients through the amount of sincerity, dedication, and attention that I put into preparing all the food ranging from pies to fruits to cereal to soup. The second day, I had to cut about 50 pies into 8 pieces each. This is only my second day of using a knife, but I wanted to make each slice of pie look really neat and clean. I took my time cutting them and eventually my skin started becoming irritated from all the cutting. My wrists were tired, but I kept going anyways. I wanted each client to enjoy the pie and feel happiness from the deliciousness of this food. I’ve gained that if the clients don’t want to eat the food, then all of our efforts go to waste. Thus, the aesthetics of each detail is really important and crucial. Also, the food they’re receiving is rich in nutrients that is extremely beneficial to their health. It’s not just “rice and beans” because the beans had to be specially protein prepared before they add it to the rice. These food will help the clients absorb the pills better in their digestion systems. But even more importantly, I want the clients to feel that there are people who care about them. They are not alone in this world. In this case, I’m showing them my emotions through the prepared food. I know they are able to feel it through our nutritious and carefully prepared and packaged food.

I closed the lids for about 1200 containers of fruit cocktail and apple sauce this morning. In this process, I’ve learned that Community Servings also caters to charter schools and high schools. This is one of their ways of earning money to buy more food and supplies for Community Servings. Although the food was only for charter schools and high schools, I was still carefully wiping away the sides of the containers and making sure each package was beautifully and neatly prepared. I’ve realized that the lessons, observations, and genuine sincerity of this kitchen really found its roots in me. The clients who have HIV or other chronic diseases really appreciate everything Community Servings has done for them. I feel fortunate to be a small part of process and work together as a team with the kitchen staff and my Lafayette friends on this trip to learn, help, and give back to the Boston Community. I truly look forward to going to Community Servings every day. Wish time would pass by more slowly because I would love to do more for them!

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Day Two with Community Servings

Today was our second day of service with Community Servings! We arrived early today, washed up, and were immediately put to work. While yesterday morning’s task was chopping vegetables, the first part of today was devoted to pies. In an assembly-line style setup, one person would cut a pie, the second would scoop the slices into containers, and a third would seal each individual container.

Although many of the kitchen duties are mechanical enough not to require mental engagement, the pies were an exception: it took a great deal of concentration to make sure that each slice came out looking presentable and not crumbled or dilapidated. As I produced serving after individual serving of pie, I reflected on the other end of our process. Although the appearance of a piece of pie does not affect its taste, the presentation of the meals that we prepare certainly has a psychological effect on the clients who receive them. By taking special care to make sure that each slice is visually appealing, we were making an important impact on Community Servings’ client base. Even though we have not had direct contact with the clients, in this way, I was able to feel connected to them.

Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to meet several of the other volunteers working in the kitchen, including a local priest who comes to the kitchen twice a month and a student completing requirements for a degree in nutrition. These encounters were both interesting in themselves and a refreshing reminder of all that exists outside the college “bubble.” There is a multitude of reasons why people from all backgrounds and walks of life devote themselves to service like that which were are performing at Community Servings, and yet within the realm of the kitchen, we are all on an equal playing field.

After dinner and reflection, most of us headed out to downtown Boston for a scavenger hunt! We split into the two teams and raced to complete tasks including taking photos with monuments, hugging and dancing with strangers, performing in T stations, and even proposing marriage! Overall, we bonded as a group, explored the city, and came to realize how friendly and accepting the people of Boston can be.

The time is already passing so quickly- it’s hard to believe that our service is almost halfway done! I look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

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Boston’s first day of service!

We’ve been in Boston for a few days now, but because we arrived on Saturday evening, today (Monday) was our first day of service! We were all up bright and early–whether that was by choice or not–and scooted our way through the frigid Boston monring cold and a few T-stops to our community partner, Community Servings. Community Servings is a volunteer-run nonprofit in Jamaica Plains that prepares and delivers meals to Bostonians who are chronically ill. Its logo of a steamy soup bowl is painted on the outside of the building.

The kitchen buzzed around us, clearly having been in full swing since dawn, but first things first. We sat around a table and within a half an hour were debriefed by Melissa, the volunteer manager, on enough information to pass any food management certification test out there. Since Community Servings’ recipients generally have extremely compromised immune systems, kitchen protocol and hygiene are of utmost importance. We all fit on hairnets, then washed our hands for the strict 20-seconds (at LEAST), then added on our aprons, then non-latex gloves. We looked fantastic. We also were slowly realizing how critical the use of our hands is. Even pushing your glasses up on your nose or rubbing a tiny itch on your face is cause for a hand wash and glove change, starting at square 1. The journey had begun.

Some of us chopped vegetables while others stirred gigantic pots; some worked in swift assembly lines; some manned the packaging machine. The whole kitchen was a well-oiled machine, the staff and more experienced volunteers directing us kindly–but not in a babying way–around our duties. The radio blasted song after song, and no one missed the opportunities to dance as they worked. Side conversations and duets were constantly popping up all over the kitchen. We were amazed and encouraged by how healthy and tailored to each individual’s medical needs each part of each meal was, and by how much and how genuinely the staff cared for every single product going out to recipients. It was pretty inspiring.

The kitchen staff and volunteers themselves were quite the bunch. We felt more and more welcomed by them by the minute. One woman was there because her husband was in treatment and received Community Servings’ foot packages, so she volunteers most days out of the week. Another volunteer spoke mostly Spanish, but that didn’t stop him from joking around with non-Spanish speakers. There were two girls about our own ages who’d been volunteering for a while. A woman who’d worked there for years danced around with everyone around her with the spunkiest energy I’ve ever seen on anyone, made more impressive by her older age and by how much progress in bagging lunches she was accomplishing at the same time.

By 4 pm, we could feel the day spent on our feet, and the rawness of dozens of washes on our hands (the team calculated that we collectively washed our hands 190 times today, or for 3,800 seconds, the equivalent being just over an hour). The subway ride back to Boston International Hostel was a relief to be able to sit down and a triumph in realizing how well the day had gone, and how much we enjoyed the organization with which we’ll be spending the next week. After a dinner of tacos in the hostel cafeteria, we had a great reflection in a circle of couches, we tossed some thoughtful ideas around about the organization and how we are fitting into it. Solid talk. Also a talk tinged with some slight exhaustion-caused delirium from the long day. We settled down into an evening of doing some work and going for a night stroll around the city, but our ridiculously energy-filled group was all snoring away by just after 11 pm so we can wake up tomorrow and do it all over again, and more.

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First Day!

After yesterday’s very exciting arrival to Newark, I spent all night wondering how prepared I actually was for the job my team had set out to do. Here I was, spending my spring break trying to help those who lost their homes during Sandy by helping with the rebuilding and restructuring of their homes but, the last thing I know about is home improvement and construction. How large of a difference can I make and how much of assistance can I really be? Last night I was ready but anxious and nervous for the start of what I know will be an amazing experience.

As a New Yorker Sandy, although close to home, had no immediate impact on my family directly. I remember being on campus for the storm and thinking that the flooding rains and speedy winds…and the black out…were so powerful, scary, and impeding but could never possibly imagine  the reality of what was occurring on the Jersey Shore. It’s shocking and mind boggling how large of an impact Sandy truly had. Today, almost a year and a half later, the effects are still present as some homes remain abandoned and some businesses are no where near the same. Over 68 billion dollars of damages total , the outcome of Sandy was not something you could anticipate.

Last night, I was nervously anticipating the start of our project but, as I found myself in the mist of a group of more then 25 other volunteers I know we can make a difference. We all know that one week of work cannot possibly recover all the loss experienced along the Jersey Shore but we have hope that we can help make the recovery process that much easier for at least one family.

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Holy Matrimony, Batman!

Our trek began on Saturday, March 15, with our crew anxiously anticipating our experience in Boston. Collectively, we were all excited to make a difference for others during our Spring break and share memories together that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. With Gene Kelly and Aubrey at the wheel, literally, we embarked for Boston just after 11 am. Gene’s car adamantly sang along with Pitch Perfect for the first half of the ride, and naps were inevitable in the last few hours of the drive. Aubrey’s car was far more concerned with their beauty sleep and took full advantage of the spacious amount of leg room offered in their behemoth of a vehicle.  We arrived in Boston around six o’clock, unpacked, and Gene, Aubrey, and Carly went shopping groceries for the week. Once they returned from their grocery shopping fiasco, our wonderful cooking team that consisted of Aubrey, Ashley, and Zach created a wonderful breakfast for dinner. All I can say is, hmmm hmmm hmmm…. (Pancakes and sausage out the wazoo!) With a wonderful travel day behind us, we went to bed, prepared for a fun-filled day to come.

On Sunday, March 16, we all woke up for a nice breakfast provided by the hostel, which featured Belgian waffles and whip cream. Let’s just say it was so good some of us couldn’t fully comprehend how to eat (cough, Carly,…cough). As a group, we decided to brace the elements and all that Boston could throw at us and walk the first half of The Freedom Trail, a trail that covers everything about the history of Boston, from the Puritans, a group characterized by Protestant extremists, to Sam Adams, one of the Founding Fathers and the architect of American Republicanism that provided the framework for modern political culture. Our tour guide, Bryan, an animated Bostonian, regarded for his jokes and catch-phrases (the title of this blog included) who wanted nothing more than to marry Mary Dyer, was an excellent tour guide and certainly knew a lot about the great city of Boston and how it has come to be what it is today. Something that I took away from the tour that really had absolutely nothing to do with the tour itself was the passion and conviction with which Bryan spoke about his beloved hometown.

I don’t want to get deep on anyone here,…well, here you go! Many of us go through the monotony and dissatisfaction of living with something less than a fully authentic life; not wanting to work because it’s something we really don’t want to be doing, or listening to someone else’s conception of how we should lead our lives, etc. There’s an old adage; “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life”. It would be an understatement to say that Bryan LOVED what he does. He is the epitome of a genuinely friendly human being who doesn’t mind what people think about him. At the end of the day, he finds sheer joy from giving historic tours of Boston to people. There is a great sense of humility, self-awareness, and happiness that is derived directly from making choices that confirm that you are where you want to be in life, whether that be a job, relationship, social status, or anything else. It’s funny how such a naive experience like taking a tour can render such monumental and powerful thoughts.

Anyway, the aforementioned is just thoughts that I believe are an integral part of our trip. While this may not be the most luxurious thing to do on our Spring vacation, it is important that we begin each day with a positive attitude and remember that this cause is for something greater than ourselves. This trip is what we make of it, and I know it will be one that I won’t forget!

Truly yours,

Ricky Lanzilotti

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There’s no crying in ASB

…or maybe there is. This is my first ever ASB trip so I don’t really know what to expect. We will be sleeping in Newark, NJ, but spending our days down at the Jersey Shore doing Hurricane Sandy relief. Being from Long Island and now a resident of New Jersey I get very emotional when ever I am reminded of that terrible event, so my goal for the week is to not cry. I know so many families who lost everything during the storm. My husband and I had damage to our house and even thought it was minor it took almost eight months to get things fixed. I can only imagine the kind of things we will see during this week. I have a feeling I won’t be keeping my goal, but that’s ok because my real goal is to help out as much as I can.

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It’s Time!

“Do I need a sleeping bag, maybe… maybe not, blanket should suffice right? Did I pack my charger? NEED to find the charger” It’s been a hectic morning and I have packed and unpacked more times than a normal person does. In an hour or so, I will be travelling with my team to Newark, NJ. I’m very excited to share this experience with other Lafayette students and grateful to have been given this opportunity. Although, I have volunteered in other fields, I have never done anything related to hurricane relief. Hurricane Sandy occurred a year ago, but many locations are still struggling from the storm damage. I hope to learn more about the issues related to natural calamities and its effects in the following years. Recovery is an arduous and long process and I’m thankful to be a small part of this recovery.

– Nirupa,

Still looking for the charger…

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Pre-Trip Blog

We had our pre-service activity on Friday which was actually very relaxing and I think it put me in a bit of a “service state of mind”, which was good after a rigorous exam week. I think I still need to psych myself up for the actual service, because I haven’t done anything like this since last year so maybe that will happen after we finally get to New Jersey.

But I’m excited to go for the actual trip – it’s my first time to Newark (past the airport anyway) and the Shore. One of the things I will probably be looking out for is the cultural dynamics of the effects of the hurricane – how different races and economic classes are dealing with rebuilding. I’m also interested in finding out what preventive measures are being taken for the sites that are being rebuilt.

Overall I hope it will add to the experiences I’ve had in the US so far as an international student who has done service activities in Easton and New York, and give me even more of a representative view of issues in America.

Looking forward to having fun while serving, too!

-Andrea