Serving Others...And Yourself

Over the past few Service Saturday weekends, I visited the local Salvation Army and helped prepare and serve food to members of the community.

The Salvation Army of Ithaca is a space for community members to find hope, solace, and faith through religious services and community meals. My most memorable volunteer experiences have resulted from the time I have spent working with the Salvation Army staff. 

Through my time at the Salvation Army, I have not only prepared and served lunch, but have also had the privilege of interacting with the community members, my favorite aspect of working with the organization. I enjoy engaging with members of the community because the experience strengthens my knowledge and bond with Tompkins County and the city of Ithaca. 

I believe it is important to engage with members of the community in order to facilitate communication and discussion about current events and issues. I have learned that through dialogue and interaction with the residents who live in Ithaca, I can shed light to the social and unjust issues currently lingering in the city. 

With my involvement in the Salvation Army, I have seen how the organization is making a difference in the community by providing the necessary resources, such as food, to those in need.

I am preparing lunch with my Service Saturday team to serve to the members of the community

To me, volunteering at the Salvation Army is especially important during the winter season because it allows for me to share the spirit of the holidays with families and residents who do think they have a very joyful holiday. When I volunteered during the month of December, I helped decorate the sanctuary with holiday decorations and then served hot meals. Many of the residents asked for second meals, and with our preparation of an abundance of meals, we served more than one hot meal to each resident. After the experience, I felt proud and relieved to know that I contributed to the holiday celebration for several families. 

The Salvation Army has taught me the need to address the issue of poverty in Ithaca. Not only that, but the organization has provided me with the space to interact and engage with other populations outside of the college campus, which allowed me to grow as an individual learning to venture in the real world. Fortunately, the organization has brought to my attention its goal in becoming a source of strength to various residents of the community. 

I also learned the importance of religion during my time with the organization, as the community members would engage in a short prayer and worship before being served their meals. Observing and participating in the prayer and worship circle, I was able to reflect on my own religious views. 

Faith, I saw, is an important aspect of many lives. Faith provides people, including myself, with a sense of hope during the low points of life. With the Salvation Army's prayers and worship circles prior to serving meals, I was able to sense the importance of faith for everyone in the room, no matter what his/her religious views were. 

I hope to work closer with the Salvation Army in the future; for, the organization teaches me the importance of engaging with community members and helping serve hot meals to those in need of a little extra resources. Through the experience, I have grown to understand another part of the Ithaca and Tompkins County community outside of the college atmosphere.

Group picture after a day's work of giving back

"The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become. The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become. The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become" ~ William Arthur Ward

IC Spreads Awareness to Hunger Action Month

September is Hunger Action Month and there are several ways to bring attention to both hunger and poverty. Many may decide to host month-long fundraisers in collection of donations to local food banks while others may choose to volunteer at a community soup kitchen. Whatever actions you decide to pursue in working to fight poverty and hunger, every donation (whether it's time, money, or campaigns) makes a difference. By teaching others the art of volunteering and giving back to those who are in need, we can work to combat the social issues rooted within our communities.

Below is an excerpt from an article I wrote for The Ithacan about a local radio host who decided to walk 100 miles around Tompkins County in New York in order to raise money for a food bank that works to stop childhood hunger.

Check out the full story at http://theithacan.org.

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In recognition of September as Hunger Action Month, Ithaca College supported Q103.7 radio host Chris Allinger as he stopped by the college Sept. 12 for the last leg of his 100-mile walk around Tompkins County.

Allinger’s walk, called “Walkin’ the Country,” is an annual event he began in order to raise money for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s BackPack Program, which puts food into the backpacks of kids, Allinger said.

“They don’t give kids backpacks; they put food into the backpacks while other kids are at lunch so that nobody knows who gets it,” Allinger said. “And this could be the only food they have in that home for the whole weekend or [during school] holidays.”

For the third year in a row, Allinger said, he walked the county asking for donations from the people he encountered along the way. This year, he said he hopes to have raised more money than last year’s estimated $30,000 total.

“Each year is a little bit different, but it’s been great,” Allinger said. “I asked for $3 from every person I meet, and when we tally up all the money at night, we have fewer dollar bills than we have larger bills. People are generous.”

The college's dining services presented Allinger with a $2,300 check to donate to the BackPack program.

The Invisible Issue That Blindsides Society

Ithaca College presents opportunities that invite its faculty, students, and community to think critically on an important issue, analyzing the specific conflicts and injustices that are situated within our nation. Tonight, I took advantage of a wonderful presentation about the issue of structural poverty in and around Tompkins County and Ithaca, New York. 

The presentation, "How can we eliminate structural poverty?" focused on the local economic, political, and social structure that the speaker believed was too dependent on waste. I believe that our society today wastes incredibly valuable items that some citizens cannot easily obtain. One of the items, for instance, is food. Whether it's a snack or a meal, many people waste the food on their plate. I think people should take more consideration into the food that we eat and waste because somewhere out in the world, whether it's in a third-world country or in a local city, families and individuals struggle for food. Furthermore, by wasting our food, we are throwing away the hard work of farmers and individuals who spend days and months preparing the food. Without their hard labor and time during the harvest season, we, as consumers, would not have such food to indulge in year after year and season after season. 

Throughout the lecture, the speaker also mentioned the public education system and the workforce to contribute greatly to structural poverty. What many people fail to realize about the public education system in America is that it is an opportunity that should not be taken for granted. Be it the area in which they live, the familial situation they come from, or the education system they fall under, some students do not have the chance to pursue a higher education, such as attend college or a university, even if they wish to. Students who are without these education opportunities and are growing up within the poverty bubble possess a limited opportunity to learn as a result of a lack of resources and stability. Therefore, they are at a great disadvantage when it comes to finding jobs and becoming employed. Their lack of ability to enter the workforce make it nearly impossible for poverty-stricken families to obtain an income, resulting in difficulties supporting their families. 

A major problem since the mid-1960s when President Lyndon B. Johnson's declared the "War on Poverty," the issue of poverty continues to linger in our society. It is definitely an issue that must not be ignored, but rather, an issue that citizens should raise awareness to. Today, with the economy in a recession, poverty continues to grow as many families are put on food stamps and children are denied the basic resources that are needed to pull themselves out of poverty. I believe that poverty is a crucial issue that should have society wondering how to help those in need. One way to work to alleviate the great disparity between the middle and lower classes is to feed into the structural poverty system with abundant resources, capital, and goods; hence, we should attempt to balance the advantages and disadvantages between the wealthy and poor so that everyone can have an equal opportunity to pursue an education and enter the workforce. Other ways to lend a helping hand include donating to a homeless shelter, serving meals at a food bank, sponsoring a family/child, and even spreading awareness on the issue. 

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion about the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it" ~ Benjamin Franklin

The Rescue Mission

One of the most eye-opening, incredible experiences I have had during my freshman year at college took place in October 2013, where instead of heading home for Fall Break, I participated in an Alternative Fall Break mission trip through the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. Although I could have lounged around my house for four days doing nothing but watch TV, I decided to travel to Syracuse, New York.

With a small group, I got to volunteer at a local homeless shelter called The Rescue Mission. A program and shelter that works to combat hunger and homelessness, The Rescue Mission hopes to strengthen communities. By providing each individual with food, shelter, and clothing, The Rescue Mission is the impetus to getting people back on their feet.

Me and the volunteer crew

On the drive up to the shelter, we stopped at a local thrift shop, the Thrifty Shopper. Consumers (yes, people like you!) can donate gently used merchandise to the store, which will sell the goods to those in the community. As a volunteer at the Thrifty Shopper, we helped organize clothing and sort used merchandise. Volunteering at Thrifty Shopper, I learned that thrift stores are not all that bad. You know, there are numerous preconceived notions about thrift shops, such as they are stores for the poor and the quality is lacking. But that is not the case; for, customers who come to thrift stores are just like you. I can say that through my volunteer experiences at the Thrifty Shopper, I have met some of the friendliest customers. Everyone who came into the store was not afraid to say "hello" to us --- they were so approachable and conversational. 

Afterwards, we continued our drive to the shelter. Once there, I immediately saw the stereotypes of homeless shelters come to life. The people lacked smiles on their faces, the streets were bare as if they were dark alleyways, and the various areas of the shelter were gated and closed off. One of the first tasks we were assigned to do was sort bags and bags (and bags) of donated clothing, some of which would be used as Christmas gifts during the holidays. Then, we took the sorted clothing and carried them down to a nearby Thrifty Shopper. We worked as sales associates on the third day, helping to organize, sell, and interact with customers.

On the last day, we were offered the opportunity to serve breakfast to the members. Serving food turned out to be a lot of fun. The meals we served disregarded society's preconceived notions of homeless shelters; for, the food was enjoyable. We served foods such as bread, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice. After we finished serving, we got to enjoy the meals for ourselves (yep, the same exact meal we had just served!).

Spending four days at a homeless shelter gave me a new perspective on life. I realized that the members of the shelter were, in fact, hard-working citizens who took a wrong turn on their path to success. The people had incredible stories to tell. Rather than ignoring us and pushing us away during our meal, many allowed us to sit with them and converse with them. One guy told us to "stay in school" and "make our parents proud." That statement got to me. He shared with us the ways he is working to turn his life around, informing us that it is shelters like The Rescue Mission that give people hope. Before leaving, he shot us a smile and thanked us for our efforts. 

I felt touched. All of my stereotypes about homeless shelters, and its members, diminished. The fact that the shelter acts as a stepping stone for its members and the community is absolutely amazing. While serving, the people were incredibly grateful and I am glad that I got the opportunity to enjoy a meal with them. Hearing some of their stories allowed me to reflect on my own life. After living in a homeless shelter, I am extremely blessed with my life. Each day, I think about this mission trip and see the world in more perspectives than one. The clothes that I wear daily, the food that I am blessed to eat, the family and friends that I have beside me, and the daily activities I perform, all allow me to live a cherished life. 

The advice of that man will always stick with me; for, I will continue to work hard to make my parents proud, striving towards my own success, as well as that of those in the community. 

Photo credit: http://donatinsstatic.ebay.com/extend/logos/MF10858.jpg; the last two photos are my own (c)SaraKim