Steph

It’s hard to believe that today was our last day of service in Camden. It has truly been an eye-opening experience; the people that we have met, the relationships we have formed, and the knowledge we have gained will hopefully carry through with us for the rest of our lives. I don’t think that I am alone in saying that I was a bit uneasy upon my arrival to Camden, after hearing all of the negative comments that people had to say about the city. How many of these people who were so quick to judge a place and its residents had actually taken the time to get to know “those people” that live in Camden? I have heard from many residents of Camden throughout the week that people are very quick to turn a blind eye to Camden and the issues that this area faces. The Romero Center has been really great in providing our ASB team with educational speakers/activities to help open our eyes and get us thinking about what the underlying causes of these issues are. As a nation, we are guilty of allowing inequalities to be perpetuated; we need to do more than just ‘charity.’ Father Bob McDermott, the pastor here at St. Joseph’s in Camden, said something the other night that really stuck with me: “Charity is good, and something that we should all do…but justice is better.” A just nation is something that I wholeheartedly believe we should be (and are) working towards. This trip is one step forward in an effort towards a more just nation; we have become more educated and aware of issues that citizens of our country face on a daily basis and what we can do to improve these situations. Personally, I have become more aware of an issue that I never really thought much about as an ‘issue’ so to speak: loneliness. I have learned that the mere action of being present and a listening ear can really make all of the difference. At Wiley House, a day care center for the elderly and people with disabilities, I approached an older man who was sitting alone at a table and talked to him for a little while. He lived alone at his home, and came to the center just to be around other people and to have something to do. At the end of our conversation, he told me how thankful that I took the time to talk to him. He was so appreciative of what seemed like such a simple act. The elderly are all too often ignored by our society, and often by their families, as well. The loneliness that they must face is a hardship that I can not even imagine. Honestly, I could go on and on about this trip, but our team is getting ready to listen to a speaker in a few minutes so I will restrain myself. ASB Camden has truly been an awesome experience and I can’t wait to get back to Lafayette and tell everyone about it!

-Steph

Hey everyone!
So we had a very busy day yesterday, and were unable to write up a blog post, so I’ll fill you in on some of the highlights of our day. We started off our morning at a site called Food and Friends, where meals/groceries are delivered to people with medical issues, such as HIV/AIDS. Half of our team worked in the kitchen and prepared meals and the other half delivered the meals. I was a part of the delivery team, which basically meant driving around D.C and going to the person’s house and knocking on their door and handing them their food. The people receiving the food were so appreciative of our services, and always said ‘thank you’ and ‘have a nice day.’ We finished our deliveries about an hour early, so while the other half of the team was still in the kitchen, the volunteer coordinator found another job for us (myself, Monica, Giang, Jason) to do…We made condom kits! That was a party….basically these little boxes that contained the items necessary to facilitate safe sex practices. Food and Friends distributes these kits at different events that they hold. We left Food and Friends around noon, and then it was time for lunch. We decided to eat our lunches outside on the steps of the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception because it was absolutely gorgeous outside! After lunch we headed over to the Fishing School to learn about the program that we would be volunteering with for the rest of the week. The Fishing School, as the website states, is “a nationally recognized youth development program…that provides children and families with academic and parental support through two community based centers in Wards 6 and 7 of D.C. The school got its name through the motto that “if you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day…teach him how to fish, and he will feed himself for a lifetime.” It is basically an after school program that helps promote further learning and provides a safe environment for kids. It was actually recently featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition if you want to check it out: www.fishingschool.org. So, after getting oriented at the Fishing School we headed over to an elementary school where the program was actually taking place. We worked with 3rd and 4th grade students, and helped with homework, or any problems that they needed assistance with. After the Fishing School, we were all pretty exhausted…kids are very energetic, as many of you know! So, we then headed over to the Old City Cafe for a delicious Middle Eastern dinner. After that we decided to drive back to the CSM site and have our reflection/dinner, where everyone seemed to have a lot to say in regards to our participation in the after-school program, in regards to social inequities in the education system. Overall, I would say it was a very enlightening/successful day!
-Steph

Author: Steph

“Charity is good…but justice is better.”

“If you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will feed himself for a lifetime.”