I can’t believe there are only five more days until we leave for Tennessee! I’m really excited to work with the Cherokee community there and to learn more about their culture. I think it will be eye-opening to work in a community where there aren’t even streetlights on the roads. I’ve never been immersed in a culture before; I’m as excited to learn about their ways of life as I am to work in the senior center, childcare center, and different forests. Although I’ve done a lot of service before, I think this will be a great way to learn the difference between going in and “fixing” a community and working with a community as partners. We have a really strong and enthusiastic team (not to mention an awesome team leader) and I can’t wait to meet the students from University of South Florida and Colorado State! I think this trip will be a meaningful way to learn about a social issue and group that are often overlooked.
Role Reversal
Yesterday was our second day at God’s Love. Our task for the day was van deliveries and everyone was really excited for the personal interactions. When we got to God’s Love, Stephen (the employee that oversees van deliveries) informed us that only nine of us were needed for van deliveries, so while everyone went out into the city, Kester and I worked in the kitchen. The kitchen experience was different than Tuesday because we knew what we were doing and were kind of seen as the “experts.” New volunteers were asking us questions and at times I found myself annoyed that they didn’t know what they were doing. It made me understand how the usual volunteers felt when we walked into “their” kitchen on Tuesday with no idea how to do anything. Kester and I also met the reigning Miss USA 2011 who volunteers at God’s Love every Wednesday.
Throughout the day we had the rest of the team check in with us and I was excited to hear about their adventures around the city. Anda, Jess and Renee were delivering to different parts of Brooklyn. Sarah and Hannah were in Queens and Lara and Steph were in Manhattan. Overall everyone had a positive experience in their vans. The drivers were really nice and made sure that each Lafayette ASBer was safe.
One thing that everyone seemed to be disappointed with was that the clients didn’t seem grateful for the food they were delivering. The team expected big thank yous, hugs, etc. and instead they mostly received a hand through a door and nothing else. However, some people were overly grateful and even offered food, money, etc. Everyone also was surprised of the conditions that people were living in: whether it be really nice apartments or really run down conditions. The run down buildings made us wonder how people with such serious illness live in terrible conditions.
The biggest thing about yesterday’s service, though, was that everyone stepped out of their comfort zone. None of us are from New York City and something as simple as buzzing into a building was difficult and uncomfortable for some people. However, everyone dealt with these situations. Even in some scary situations, all the deliveries were still made.
<3 ASB NYC
Food, Friends, Babies, ROJA, Hooray
Yesterday, we went to Food and Friends. Food and Friends is a food preparation place that makes and delivers meals to people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Our group split up: some opus worked in the kitchen, others packaged meals, and still others went on delivery route.
Compared to our other volunteer experiences, Food and Friends was a much less personable. We didn’t interact with any actual homeless people. We didn’t even interact with any actual food– everything was already cooked and prepared when we got there; we just put it into bags. It didn’t feel as “good” or as “warm and fuzzy” as it could have, but volunteer work isn’t always about feeling good and fuzzy: it’s about getting work done. We packaged a lot of meals for the terminally ill.
For lunch, we went to a market. There were a lot of babies there.
In the afternoon, we went back to ROJA. It’s funny: I always thought I hated children, but I realized these past few days that I really like them. My girl and I bonded over our similar names. She asked me if I could stay forever and it kind of breaks my heart that I can’t. We did homework, we read some books, we played with dolls. It was great! I learned that little kids really like glitter. All of the little girls were fighting over it; I had to make them “glitter packs” so that they could take some home. In retrospect, that probably wasn’t the greatest idea: glitter is impossible to clean up. Oh well, they were all really excited about it. All in all, it was another exciting day of service.
Thrive DC
God’s Love- Day 1
The social issue for our trip is AIDS/HIV and terminal illness relief and today we were able to learn more about that issue as well as an organization that goes to great lengths to bring relief to the sick. God’s Love We Deliver was founded in 1985 by one woman and toady delivers 4,000 meals a day. We knew that our job today was going to be kitchen work and when we arrived Kate, the volunteer coordinator said, “I hope you like chopping.” I thought she was joking but she was most definitely not. Chopping up vegetables was one of our main tasks for the day. We chopped carrots, 200 pounds of potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and 100 pounds of onions. Some of us also prepared chicken and fish and wrapped 1200 rolls. After our lunch break, we then packaged meals for delivery. The kitchen at God’s Love was extremely organized and almost factory like. The packaging of food was done on assembly line. This made the process very efficient. As Anda commented, “I thought today was amazing to see the number of meals we made.” Jess also said that she was concerned that today we wouldn’t feel like we were helping people because we didn’t see them but that she felt like we did help people because we packaged and prepared so much food.
Tomorrow our experience at God’s Love will be different. Instead of working at “headquarters,” we will be out delivering the meals to different parts of New York and New Jersey. I think the team is more excited for this than they were about kitchen prep. For a lot of the team members, personal interaction and actually seeing the effect our work has on people is very important. As Lara said, she is excited to see the personal
side of the organization.
In comparing the Bowery Mission to God’s Love We Deliver we felt that the two were very different organizations; in their mission and the people they serve and in the way they were organized. God’s Love caters specifically to those with illnesses and they are proud of the fact that they have never turned anyway away who needed a meal. The Bowery Mission provides services to a larger variety of people. Although most team members liked the personal interactions at the Bowery Mission more than the “stiffness” at God’s Love, we understand why God’s Love has to operate more like a “business.” As Kester pointed out, we all witnessed today what it takes for an organization to develop.
During reflection, “If you had the money to give to an organization, what would you choose?” was proposed. A good amount of the team felt that they would give money to the Bowery Mission because it seemed like they needed it more. Others disagreed. I cautioned the team, though, to remember that no organization is “better” or “worse” than another and that they were just different. God’s Love receives a lot of money from corporate and other sponsors and it is amazing to see how many people are passionate about this cause. I hope that whatever the cause, my team and I walk away from this experience with a cause we are passionate about, whether it be the Bowery Mission and the issue of hunger and homelessness, God’s Love and terminal illness relief, or one of the many other organizations and social issues.
<3 ASB NYC
Afternoon delivery
Miles from the aftermath, we spilled our guts to each other. Tales from the hours prior. Lacking rhythm and rhyme we expressed a plunge into the concrete jungle beneath. My heart pounds faster, stomach grows sicker. 8 o’clock. 9 o’clock. The stories continue in an outpour of unsettling perspective. My turn approaches, it was inevitable. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. A deep breath. Begin.
“Whole wheat bread, please.”
The day begins. Chinatown is an interesting set point, if only it appeared on the map our eyes scanned. Moments later… finally! Just blocks away. We walked in a hurried fashion, as if the cold would treat us with more compassion if we agreed to travel in haste. The clock ticks, the restless Sun refuses to wait. We had a mission, a goal. Something bigger than ourselves, bigger than any of us… or so we thought.
“Lettuce, tomato, the works. Just no peppers, the wind burns enough as it is.”
Spare change is a unique subject. As if any human in their right mind consciously separates the contents of their pockets, labeling the “undesirable” metal as “spares.” As we traveled deeper and deeper into the heart of this “town,” we saw more and more people who could use these “spares” more than any of us could. The clock ticks, the restless Sun refuses to wait.
“And a water, please, he would appreciate that, I’m sure.”
We reached our conclusion. Our goal was to feed a man, any man. 6 dollars isn’t a lot of money, but that’s okay. We were in college, we were used to “long periods of financial instability,” if you could call it that. Come to think of it, these periods seemed to last a long time for myself, but anyway…
“Excuse me,” she spoke softly, nudging the man’s shoulder. Disrupting the sleep of a perfect stranger is a delicate act, especially when the sleeper is in the middle of the sidewalk on a busy city street.
No response. The man was a depressing site himself. His long bushy gray beard took the backseat as a distinctive feature, second only to his eyes. They were brown, sunk into his calloused face, half closed, yet conscious.
“Excuse me, sir.” She begins again, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. The man looks to us, surprised as expected, yet subdued as if she was just another talking face.
The clock ticks, the restless Sun refuses to wait.
“Yes?” the man gestures as would I if someone had awoken me from an afternoon nap. “We brought you some food,” she replied in a sweet voice as I handed the man a bag with a sandwich and water.”God Bless You,” the man said as he seemingly went in and out of awareness, “I’ll eat it when I stand up.”
And that’s how it was. As if longing for something more, something outstanding, lasting, we parted ways. Back to the concrete, into the spiritual mouth of the lion, we were led, with knives cutting through our stomachs, and our throats at our knees. I kept looking back as I walked, hoping I would be able to see him stand up and take a bite. Just one bite. Just so I could see the tension in his eyes settle, and the tension in my mind depress. Nothing changed after that. We felt weaker than ever, as if a 5 dollar sandwich, became bite size. It is something we carried with us, however. Something we won’t forget. At that moment we became more mature. 20 was no longer just a number for me. We were the strangers here, we were strange. And the only thing that could change that is…
The clock stops, the restless pain refuses to wait.
Burnt Turkey
Today we volunteered at the Bowery Mission. Throughout the day we were separated into three groups. One group was responsible for kitchen prep, one served the food, and the other did miscellaneous tasks including folding clothes, packing food in the food pantry, and sorting deliveries for storage. The highlight of most of our days was to actually serve the food to the people and the ability to interact with them. Our “highs” for the day included the politeness and gratefulness of the people we served. In the same way, we made sure that we were polite to each of the people. We made sure not to be judgemental because we do not know the specific situation of each person and that these people are inherently the same as we are.
Tomorrow we will be working at God’s Love We Deliver and generally no one knows what to expect. I’m looking forward to seeing how each meal is individually prepared based on that person’s dietary needs. I think it is safe to say that we are all growing closer as a group and are looking forward to working together for the rest of the week.
Happy Martin Luther King Day and National Day of Service!
<3 ASB NYC
Be the Change
I’ve never been so hungry that it keeps me awake at night. Nor have I slept outside in the bleak midwinter. However, a surprisingly large number of people have had these experiences. It can be hard to remember how fortunate we are unless we have a constant reminder of all the benefits we have – or all these benefits that others lack.
My goal for this upcoming community service trip is to take in everything that surrounds me – and to remember it so that at every time I encounter a situation where I can truly give help, I will be able to magnify the lessons I’ve learned. This will continually increase the extent of help that those in need can get. Just as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” I will hope to never stop giving what I can of myself to those who need it.
Be the Change
I’ve never been so hungry that it keeps me awake at night. Nor have I slept outside in the bleak midwinter. However, a surprisingly large number of people have had these experiences. It can be hard to remember how fortunate we are unless we have a constant reminder of all the benefits we have – or all these benefits that others lack.
My goal for this upcoming community service trip is to take in everything that surrounds me – and to remember it so that at every time I encounter a situation where I can truly give help, I will be able to magnify the lessons I’ve learned. This will continually increase the extent of help that those in need can get. Just as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” I will hope to never stop giving what I can of myself to those who need it.
I AM SO EXCITED!!
So as its the day before we leave on our DC adventure, i am very excited to see how this experience is going to play out. The only other ASB trip i have been on is to the Dominican Republic and i am excited to experience the differences ad similarities that DC holds. I haven’t been to DC since i was younger and while i am excited to explore and see the sights one expects to see when visiting the city i am most excited to work with CSM and meet those who live and work in the area. i think that is one of the most amazing things that this experience offers, engaging in and with the community and those that live there. i think that hunger and homelessness is an issue that is often over looked. we often think about these issues as ones that plague people who live abroad and don’t pay enough attention to the people who need our help in our own country. I am also exited that we are working with a group like CSM, after being educated about their goals and the work they do i believe the ASB goals match up with theirs and i am glad we have them to open us up to their contacts and a city they are very familiar with. there may be people and experiences we would not have if we didn’t have the opportunity to work with this organization.