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

Chantal: Flowers and Paper Bags

The biggest thing I learned on this trip is how to serve and love people in everyday life with random acts of kindness. On Sunday, My group bought some flowers and handed them out to strangers. They didn't have to be homeless, which just gave a flower to anyone we thought needed one. People were very receptive and grateful. We were able to brighten someone's day with a small token of kindness.
On Monday, our group as a whole handed out PB&J sandwiches to the homeless. On the bags were kind and encouraging words. It was really fun being able to help make someone's day better with a small simple act.

~Chantal King

Homelessness: Always a Problem

Today we spit up into two, and eventually three groups to help out with two different soup kitchens to serve the community. The morning began with piles and piles of tuna fish and PB&J followed by an assembly line of sandwiches and fruit. From there we split up into two groups to serve the food to the community, essentially an outreach program. Our driver, Jose, was our historian as well as tour guide of the Bronx. He had some very interesting stories, but the one thing that remained consistent was how when he was a kid and before most parts of the lower half of the city, such as the Bronx, Harlem, and East Side were full of drugs, prostitutes, and slums. However, today the only "poor" area that remains is the Bronx, and according to him one day even that will disappear. Yet what always remains consistent is the homeless and need for jobs no matter what district. We saw many unemployed immigrant workers standing underneath overhangs at gas stations just looking for day time work. These people come to America hoping to find jobs in order to send money back home only to be left out in the cold. It's really sad. While the rest of the city may have been cleaned up and dramatically changed since the 1970s, there is still a large homeless problem that needs to be addressed before the parts of the city can really be called "clean".
-Amy