06.16.10
Posted in Uncategorized, AV 2009-10 Domestic at 9:00 am by cschettini
I have had the opportunity this year to serve in two sites: the Saint Vincent de Paul Village in San Diego and Hogar Infantil la Gloria in Tijuana. The Saint Vincent de Paul Village is a center for formerly homeless families and individuals that provides services ranging from health care and education to legal help. The Hogar Infantil la Gloria is an orphanage that provides a home about forty-five children. At the Village, I work in a preschool and do after-school tutoring. In the orphanage, I have done various jobs, but I would say my focus there has also been on tutoring and homework help. The service I do usually makes me reflect on the inadequacy of my actions and can leave me questioning the value of my service and wondering how I can truly help the people I serve. Yet I have seen God in the work that those around me have been doing in their service. Even little things that my co-workers do can make such a huge difference in the lives of the children we work with. The love they show every day reminds me of God’s love and helps me to remember my call to show that love to others.
At the Village, I see God in the love and devotion my boss Jayne shows to the children we tutor. She has an incredible ability to help children enjoy learning and to want to come to tutoring. I am often amazed by the way she can calm a child who is overwhelmed by his homework or refusing to read and coax them into staying on task. In the preschool class I work in, I see God in the way that the teachers calmly deal with the behavioral problems that come up every day and lovingly teach the children.
At the orphanage, my housemate Anne has been giving guitar lessons to the older kids that teaches them a skill they can be proud of builds up strong relationships with them. The visits my other housemates make to the orphanage, sacrificing their Saturdays off and effectively giving themselves a six day work week, have given the children more friends and role models. I see God in the way Brother Fernando, the Augustinian at the site, works with the children, teaching them everything from letters and numbers to religion, and giving them projects that help with their development. Most of all, I think of my bosses, Dan and Jesse, and the way they have become fathers to the children, and shown them the kind of love that God calls us all to give. When I look back at my year, I think of the incredible changes in behavior I have seen in many of the children. Children who once physically attacked the adults who work here now don’t stop hugging us. I know this is because of the home provided by the employees and volunteers here, and I am truly blessed to have been a part of it.
Christopher Schettini
San Diego
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06.09.10
Posted in AV 2009-10 Domestic at 1:48 pm by Erika Esposito
Upon arriving in Lawrence in August I had no idea what to expect. I was both anxious and weary about starting my volunteer year at Bellesini Academy, but I never could have anticipated then how much I would end up loving this place. After spending nine months here, I’ve grown exponentially. I’ve been challenged on a daily basis: by the spontaneity of the students, by needing to be responsible for people other than myself, by coaching soccer/basketball etc… The list goes on and on; however, one lesson that I’ve learned prevails above the rest. My work with the students has made me change the way that I approach my everyday life.
Witnessing the hardships that they have to endure, and seeing their drive to overcome them has influenced me greatly. Each and every one of the students has shown me resilience in some way, and despite it all they continue to pursue a better future for themselves. They radiate joy, and shock me everyday with their jokes as well as their wisdom. To call these students determined would fail to do them real justice, for their long days of study are truly unbelievable. I am perpetually reminded that working hard can make all of the difference in life. They study hard, play hard, work hard, and take advantage of the education that they are able to obtain here. All of the eighth graders this year have been accepted into private Catholic high schools with full scholarships, which just goes to show that there are plenty of benefits for their years of effort.
Humor has been a constant element of my work life, and the optimism that exudes from the students is strong enough to reevaluate any bad mood. I’ve been blessed to be able to observe their strengths, perseverance, and dedication to their studies. By getting to know the students, I have also been privileged enough to learn about Lawrence and the traditions that occur here. They embrace their communities, their families, and their opportunities with open hearts and sharp young minds.
I didn’t learn this all at once, of course, and there were definitely days that were more difficult than others; yet, I have no regrets. I’m not sure how much of an impact I’ve had on the students here, but I can honestly say that they’ve had a major influence on my life. Many of my priorities have been shifted, and I have been able to reevaluate what is important. I’ll be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work here this year as an Augustinian Volunteer, for I have been able to see God through these children each and everyday. The time that I have spent with them has left no doubt in my mind that the students will continue to inspire others as they’ve inspired me.
Erika Esposito
Lawrence AV 2009-2010
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06.01.10
Posted in AV 2009-10 Domestic at 4:26 pm by Alli Lua
“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”
I think Whitney Houston said it best when she said that the children are the future. While I find this statement to be quite obvious and cliché, it is constantly running through my mind as I sit in St. Rita’s Day Care each day.
Every morning I make my ridiculous, yet convenient, commute to work by walking down one flight of stairs. In my travels there could be multiple thoughts racing through my head. I could be thinking about last night’s shenanigans with my community, the frustration I felt yesterday during afterschool when no one would sit down and do their homework, or how much I miss my family. Right before I open the door I take a breath and say to myself…”today is a new day.”
I gently push open the door to the bubble gum pink room and suddenly my spirits are lifted and all of the stresses from yesterday drift away. I am usually greeted with a hug and a sleepy yet hopeful “Hola!” I change the calendar and wait for the rest of the rug rats to arrive. Soon the room will be filled with the smiles and laughter of the little ones. When this kids finally arrive we play, have circle time, eat, and then I take the older children into the computer room. This has been my routine for the past nine months and surprisingly it has not gotten old or boring.
I have always known that I love children and that I was “good” with them, but in all honesty, I had never had to work with them so closely or for such an extended period of time. It was a little unnerving to me that I would be spending most of my AV year hanging out with children 22 years younger than me. Worried that I would not be what these children wanted or needed, I soon found out that the kids at St. Rita’s Day Care were exactly what I needed.
I have grown to not only appreciate these children, but to love them. I jokingly say that they are some of my best friends. I have come to rely on their smiles and laughter to get me through my day and to me that is a friend. I have been able to watch them grow and flourish and I have been present for so many milestones in their lives. I have witnessed them learning how to walk, talk, share, and even learn some English words. I have even been able to see some of my idiosyncrasies they have picked up. Through working with the children I have been able to see the love of God and the beauty still in this world.
Reflecting on the past 9 months it is difficult to say what my single greatest joy at St. Rita’s Day Care was. I can, however, say that there are 30 or so children who have been the joys of my life this year. They have reminded me that there is love in the smallest acts and that a simple smile is all it takes to brighten someone’s day. I think that I was placed in St. Rita’s Day Care so that I could once again appreciate the little things in the world. There have been a lot of people who work with children that who have said that they learned more from their children than what their children learned from them. In my case, I can report that in Day Care we learn from each other, child and adult alike. They have reminded me of what is truly important, like love, generosity, sharing, forgiveness etc. Each and every one of them has touched my life and my heart and I will remember those little faces for years and years to come.
….If they are our future, I am excited to see what we have in store….
Alli Lua
Bronx, NY
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