Community Service Reflection

So, I didn't exactly get the opportunity to sleep outside.....my homeless experience was cancelled. I can't lie and say that I was completely disappointed, but I was upset due to the fact that I had collected money and had done nothing to deserve it. My family was very supportive though, and understood that I still needed to turn in the money, since it was going to a great cause.
Those donations accounted for some of my hours, but the other hours, I needed to make up myself, actually doing something. So, I decided to donate non-perishable food items and clothing items to the pantries and homeless shelters. This is not something new to me-I was actually president of the Student Service Commission in high school. We used to visit poor schools in the area and donate toys, food, and clothes to the children and their families. This was something I hadn't done in a while though and it felt good to give my efforts to the less fortunate.

This really changed my view on my own life too. I realized that had I not had a job at the moment, I would have been much less likely to buy all those food items that I purchased. I now appreciate my job more and recognize that those families without jobs, who need to support more than 1 person, must be completely stressed out and having a really rough time feeling inadequate. My heart goes out to them and I will continue to donate as long as I am able.

Maslow had it right. Wiithout food adn warmth, tehre can basically be no life. Homeless people sadly are not "living". They are surviving, and it's very sad to say it like that. If they had food and money, they would have the strength to look for a job and be a participating member in society. We can give them these basic essentials and support our communities through donating.

I think the hardest part of the homeless experience would have been maintaining a homeless mindset. Sure, we could go lay outside for a few hours but all we'd be thinking about is what we're going to eat in teh morning when this project is over. We'd think about the bed we have to go back to. It would be very difficult to put yourself in homeless shoes and stay there for 12 hours. The best part would be that we'd walk away really appreciating all the things we have.

Everywhere you look, there are homeless people. Some stay in homeless shelters, others wander, and some choose to just live on the street until they are moved along. If they are at every end of the earth, we all need to help in some way. It can't just be in New York or California. The nation needs to join together to help all these people, who either by circumstance or choice, became homeless. Especially in this down economy, we need to pull all our resources together and find a solution to this problem. This won't be an overnight thing though; this will take time. Acting now means saving now. And i do always say, the more the merrier.