My Experience, The Future

Everyone can learn something from serving the community. I participated in the Walk for Hunger this weekend and it was such a wonderful experience to see how many people came into Boston to walk TWENTY MILES in the hopes of eradicating hunger. Our team here at Lesley personally raised over $1,000 and I can't even imagine how much the whole entire walk raised. Project Bread, who sponsors the walk, gives money to food programs in Massachusetts, giving food to pantries, soup kitchens, food banks and more. I was very happy to see the amount of people who were so passionate about the cause. 20 miles is a whole heck of a long way to walk!

In every type of service I have done, I have grown myself. I have learned to not judge people at a first glance. This comes from the many homeless people I see who are disheveled and unkempt, yet are the sweetest people you will ever talk to. I have learned that simply looking someone in the eyes and saying "have a great night!" is a great act of kindness. I have learned that there is no service too small. I have eliminated the personal stigma I once held for many different populations by falling out of my comfort zone and diving in.

I get to try my hand at something new this summer: I'll be working with Unite Here in Boston, organizing unions and fighting for workers rights. This is another way to help- to change policy, to show support, and to stand in solidarity with people who cannot stand up for themselves. Many of these workers cannot afford to feed their families or pay for healthcare, things which should be given. I am so excited to help people to find their voices, and I am even more excited to work in this field. I know I will gain something from this experience of taking a risk and doing something I've never done before. This counts as service.

People can learn so much from simply volunteering, and I think it's really important to make that known. If only people knew how great it felt to help others, maybe they would do it more often. Next year, we will have a new Director in the Office of Community Service, and she comes from a Service Learning background. I am hoping that she uses everything she knows to try and implement a program like that here at Lesley, because everyone could benefit. There are so many Professors and Staff behind service that I think we could make a big difference in the community.

I think it is clear that I am passionate about service, but how can I spread this passion to others? I really try to put myself out there, and I think that my passion can be contagious. In leading different activities on campus (Alternative Spring Break, REAL Retreat, Day of Service, etc.), I can support new students and help them to be involved in the Office. I think, in the end, all I can do is stay passionate about what I love. Somewhere along the line I will run into someone just as passionate as I am. I have had that moment, and can safely say that Lesley Delivers will be in good hands when I graduate next Spring. I will be passionate about serving my whole life, and will stay open to learning many new things on my journey.

Lesley University Walk for Hunger 2013