Chantal: Post Trip Reflections

I can’t believe it has already been a week since we left New York! The trip was amazing! Honestly I didn't expect it to impact me as much as it did. I really loved the different ways we volunteered throughout our stay in NYC. One day we volunteered at a soup kitchen, another day we did random acts of kindness, and the last day we made PB&J sandwiches and handed them out to the homeless people. I really like working one on one with the people in New York. We got to talk to them and interact with them. We were able to hear some of their stories too. I think working directly with the people of New York allowed me to see them as humans with different backgrounds. Before this trip it was easy to lump all homeless people together, but now I see them each as an important individual person.

In fact, the most important thing I learned was probably to see everyone as a person that deserves attention and the right to be treated as a human. I think the people I interacted with taught me this. I loved that this trip allowed us the opportunity to not only serve the homeless but to also serve ordinary people. We handed out flowers to random people and broke down the walls that many people in New York have up. It allowed for a moment of intimacy and human to human contact in this busy world.

I would definitely want my peers to know that the serving does not have to be a super big and difficult thing to do. It can be as simple as buying someone lunch or giving away a flower. I would also want my peers to know that we don’t only have to serve the homeless but we can also serve each other to make the world a better place. I would convince them of these points by showing them the videos and pictures we took. However, I think the best way to prove this to them is to bring them volunteering with me.

I think the influencers of this community include the mayor, major business owners and the ordinary people who live in the community. I would want them to know that little steps in the right direction can make a big difference. I would also want them to change their view of the homeless in society. I think we often think of them as a nuisance, but we should view them as people who have fallen on hard times and need a helping hand.

Overall I had an awesome time serving in NYC and I can’t wait to serve here in Philly!

~Chantal

SUENING: EVERYONE HAS A STORY

            Today I was immensely touched by the story of a man named Winston. Before he walked into the room, Ramona, a friendly worker of the soup kitchen, welcomed him with the warmest hug. He was a weekly guest here at the Manna of Life Ministries. Winston shared with us saying that he started off as an affluent engineer. He was a very knowledgeable man who knew plenty about the industry and how it worked. However, as he grew older, so did the demand for younger engineers. Because of that, Winston lost his job. For a good four years, 50 year-old Winston was jobless. Winston’s mother was a very religious woman and quotes that, “those wrinkles on her face, I caused her those.” Winston shared with us his dark past and all of his unhealthy decisions during those four years. He openly shared these events because all of them led him to where he is today. At the time of his struggles, Ramona insisted that he prayed. So he did. He prayed and he prayed and he became very passionate about prayer. Today he holds a political position in a nearby charter school. Winston recounts, “while I’m not making as much money as before, I am much happier and I wouldn’t change that for the world.” He passes by the ministry every Saturday as a reminder of where he came from and as a sign of his gratitude.

            Another part that touched me was one that actually happened within the first five minutes of our arrival. As we entered, the workers were overfilled with joy. They had no volunteers that day and were praying that just a couple of people would come to help them. Our arrival was a blessing. They received a handful more than they asked for. Upon getting ready and tying our aprons, a man named Irvin asked to take a moment aside for prayer. His strong emotions touched my heart personally and struck me as a reminder of how grateful I should be –for both my struggles and my accomplishments. I would not be the person I am without either. So regardless of what your current situation is and no matter how hard life seems, it is still a part of who you are. It's what makes you, you. It's what makes your story unique. As Ramona frequently said, “God has a plan for you and puts you through situations because he knows you can handle it and he knows you will make it past it.”

14 MARCH 2015 || SUENING, BARBARA 19

Yesterday was our first day of service. Our group helped out at the Caldwell Temple Soup Kitchen. It was a lot of fun and the day went really well. One thing that I really appreciated about the day was the passion of the people running the organization. They worked very hard and only wanted to provide the best service to the people they were feeding. They felt that it was important to treat the people with respect and dignity, which was very cool to see.

~Chantal

On our arrival at the hostel, we were told to walk into the "New York Room", and was definitely blown away by the decor of the place. It is a red room, filled with a variety of photography. We were curious as to what this photography was about, but soon enough, learned that it was taken by a 16 year old and her mother. They are venturing on a 6 month adventure around the world creating a documentary. How cool is that?! They are a family from Toronto, and this picture was actually taken by the girl in her hometown of Toronto. It is called One Billion Rising. The name came from a statistic that 1 in 3 women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime. She was trying to encourage the international movement for women's rights to take awareness against violence. I'm really impressed at her maturity and passion for photography and her ability to capture significant themes in a simple picture.

-Michele

Jessica and Manna

     Today was our first day volunteering. We woke up around 6:45, got ready and took the subway to our destinations. My group went to Manna of Life to help make lunches for people who couldn't afford it. When we got there, the people at the hostel were so thankful we were there. They were short handed and when 17 of us showed up they were absolutely ecstatic. They told us we were "miracles."(: We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and tuna fish sandwiches and then put them into paper bags with juice and some fruit. People young and old came in and got a cup of soup and a lunch bag. It was such a rewarding experience to see the smiles on their faces when they received something as simple as a cup of soup. They would respond with a warm smile and a "thank you" or a "God bless you." A couple of people came in and actually had conversations with us. One man in particular told us how he was working and then got fired because they were hiring newer, younger employees. He started going to Manna of Life every Saturday to get lunch and now he is working for a charter school. He said he never appreciated money and his old job when he had it. Now that he knows what its like to lose everything he appreciates all that he has. He told me he's at work an hour early every morning because his job is important to him. He kept telling us "everyone has a story," and whether its a good or bad story its still our story and we should share it.
      I find it so ironic that these people who dedicate every Saturday to helping people in need, could call us miracles when they are miracles themselves. As soon as we walked through the doors you could tell these people were good-hearted, wonderful people and well, miracle workers. Mirna the Vice President of Manna of Life Ministries was one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met. Talking to her made me feel like the laziest person in the world. She has a family to take care of and a little granddaughter who she loves. She worked until almost midnight the night before and then came in at 6:00 Saturday morning so she could make soup. It was such an amazing experience, that made me think about what I'm doing with my life. Today also made me really appreciate what I have and realize how lucky I actually am.
-Jessica Schell

The most important part of today was realizing that service, regardless of its magnitude, is significant. This piece of knowledge may seem irrelevant in the face of our most important life decisions but it was all but inconsequential to me. Growing up in a community where the relevance of the service was directly linked to its impact left me with the opinion that the small things didn't matter.

Today I learned that affecting people on an individual level in many ways is just as necessary as helping on a massive scale. Seeing the smiles, relieving thanks and seeing them react to the slight improvements in their days has done more for my outlook on philanthropy than years of volunteering has.

The inspiration and passion with which the organizers fundraised and celebrated was amazing.

Kevin Pierre Louis 

Mandy: Everyone is Human

            My day started off with volunteering my time to Manna of Life Ministries.  At first it was just their staff and our group of 20 some volunteers causally chatting and making the sandwiches to give out.  Then, the service really started.  I stayed back at the Manna House to help give out sandwich bags and soup cups to the people who arrived at the house.  Most were from the homeless shelter across the street and knew the Manna Staff personally.  The staff introduced us and the homeless shared their stories.  For instance, this one man actually was not homeless at all and still came.  He was at one point, homeless, after losing his job.  Then after a long and hard job search, he obtained a job in a school and started to provide for himself again.  He still shows up to Manna every Saturday to keep himself grounded and to remind himself of how fortunate he is.

            Hearing his stories and more really made an impact on me.  By listening to these people, I was able to empathize with them and see them as actual humans and not just homeless people.  I could humanize and connect with them.  This service day was unlike any other I have experienced yet.  Usually after volunteering I feel good about myself because I helped out a person and made their day better.  But after this day, I feel accomplished instead of pride.  I feel like just by listening to them actually made a difference in their lives and made them feel better.  I believe by that connecting with the people who need help is more important to their well beings than just providing the necessities to them. 

   -Mandy 

Making Juice

Today, I was a part of the group of 7 people that volunteered in the Caldwell Temple Soup Kitchen. At 10am, after some heartfelt singing before the service, we got to work helping to prepare for when the kitchen would officially open to anyone looking to “dine with dignity”. When diners from all walks of life come in, they are seated at tables and their food is brought to them by volunteers. This concept gives one the opportunity to feel dignified and respected while they eat, and it is much different than traditional soup kitchens where people stand in line to receive a glop of chicken noodle soup. Preparing the meal requires a lot of work – as I found out, much of the food was prepared by a group of church members the night before. I talked with a woman who volunteers there regularly, and she says they average about 250 people served each time the kitchen is open, but it can vary depending on the weather and time of year.

To meet that demand, food has to be prepared in large quantities, and I worked with Marcella today to concoct an 8-gallon vat of juice. The vat was already partially filled with some dark purple grape juice, and we were instructed to add water and some juice mix to it. Once we had about six gallons, we were then instructed to add juices from nearly every fruit of the rainbow: pineapple, apple, peach, cranberry, and orange. Marcella and I were both pretty unsure as to how this potion would turn out – I mixed it with a gigantic ladle in the cauldron-like vat, muttering “double, double, toil and trouble” which made me feel a little mystic  – but, we followed instructions. I ended up filling dozens of cups of juice with the awkwardly-large ladle, and it turned out that the juice didn’t taste half bad.

As people were walking out, they said thank you multiple times, and everyone seemed grateful for what they were given. I saw some people come back for multiple cups of juice, which meant that it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it would. That is what I learned today: having trust in following directions, and that it would all work out. The atmosphere at the soup kitchen was lively and it was good to serve people and help to give them a meal – even if it meant just ladling some juice.  

- Peter 

Monika's Moments: Oh, the Places You'll Go

This was the mural that was in the soup kitchen. It really spoke to me because as members of the community, there is no where to go but up. This is just a bump in the road and there are many things that they can accomplish. Then as college students, we really have our whole lives ahead of us. And yes, right now we all have a specific major and path in mind, but that can all change in an instant. Plans change all the time and we have to let life  guide us because you never know where the journey may take you.

Today I went to the soup kitchen to volunteer. I really liked the style of it. It was restaurant style, meaning that there were waiters that served the community members, rather than it being cafeteria lunch style with a line up and people dumping food on trays. There was a variety of things that the soup kitchen offered, so at least the people got a choice of what they wanted to eat. I personally worked the clothing area. The place had a rack of clothes that people could take. Some people took bags and others took one or two items. My engagement in the community was good. I was able to see that the members really appreciated the services that they received at the soup kitchen. Whenever I volunteer I always feel humbled in some way. For example, I know that if I was in the situation that the members were in, I know I would want someone to be there for me and help me out, especially with food and clothes. The staff was really nice, which makes volunteering more fun and enjoyable. Thus far I have learned that there is a whole world outside of PhilaU, yet we have the same issues everywhere. By this I mean that the same problem of hunger that me tried to solve today is right in our backyards. We need to help our own people in order to conquer the world.

--- Monika

We are Here!

"A" Team 

Last night, after an adventurous Megabus ride and Subway trip, we made it to the beautiful New York City Hostel! The Hostel is so awesome! The lobby greeted us with an awesome neon blue sign and the walls of the Hostel is covered by artwork and photographs. Everything was very clean and the staff was very welcoming and  We got in kinda late, so we took a small tour of the place. ordered pizza, and went over the details of the trip. I think we are all excited for what the next couple of days hold!

Today is the first day that we are going to serve. It is currently 7:00 am, yes in the morning...but we are here to serve others, not ourselves!

Anyway, stay posted for details on our first service day!

Hostelling International- New York

One of the coolest things about our trip is that we have the opportunity to stay in a Hostel. Personally, I have always thought of hostels as being a European thing and I was very surprised to find out that there are many hostels in America. Hostels allow the unique experience of communal living, allowing you to meet and interact with people from all around the world!

We are staying in the #1 Hostel in New York! This hostel is located in a beautiful building on the Upper West Side. The hostel is two blocks away from Central Park and is minutes away from many other New York attractions.

Also, check out this dorm room! It looks so nice! I love the orange walls and colorful pillows. It's going to be a great couple of days!

I'm super excited! Hopefully this stay in a Hostel, will be the first of many for me. We leave tomorrow! Spring break here we come!

Student Diaries: Serving in My Backyard

 

This past summer I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Ghana and Guyana to serve others. Those trips were amazing and I am very grateful for the experiences I had there.

Recently though, I have been learning that I don't need to travel across the world to help those in need. In America, there are many people that are in poverty, homeless, or just in need of a helping hand. I go to school very close to Center City, Philadelphia, and when I walk through the streets of the city, I see many needs.

I want to learn how to serve the people in my area and so this March, actually in 3 days... I am traveling to New York City on a service trip for 5 days. I know, I know... New York isn't the same as Philly, but I think the lessons I learn in New York will be very valuable and applicable to Philly. I am traveling to New York with the Honors Program from my school, Philadelphia University. While in New York, we will be staying in a Hostel and will be serving at the Caldwell Temple Soup Kitchen.

I think the thing I want to learn the most on this trip is how to relate to people that are homeless or might not be in the best situation. I want to hear their stories and see them as real people. I know I often walk by homeless people on the streets of Philly without taking a second look, but that isn't right.

I have so much, and the least I can give is my service and time. Hopefully this trip to New York City will be the start of me serving in my own backyard.

~ Chantal
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