This may be double-dipping, but it has been a minute since
my last posting…
As I continued to work on my Americorps application for next
year I kept putting off the ‘Motivational Statement’ section. It posed the
question, “Why do you want to serve?” I’ve been asked this question in a
multitude of ways, and I struggled to find my voice. How could I spice up the
generic, mundane, bland answers I usually give?
Because it’s what my parents taught me.
Because
it’s important to the world.
Because I enjoy giving back to community.
Because I enjoy giving back to community.
Because
I like working with like-minded people
Because
I liked the feeling I got after {insert heartwarming story}...
Because
it’s what I learned in Sunday school and Mission Trips
Instead, this time, I hoped to reveal something about my
character, rather than just focus on the fact that serving is something that I
want. In my case, service is not the end goal. These volunteer programs that I
am participating in are not about my experience. They are not about me. They
are about the communities that I am serving in. Sure, I’m learning new skills,
gaining knowledge, and earning a little self- gratification, but that is only a
small portion of service. Mine and everyone else's. Although others may choose
to see the physical labor, the change they’ve made, or the impact that they
have created. I would like to view my years of service as how I am living my
life. I serve because I cannot see another option. It is where I fit, where I
am comfortable. Service should be commonplace. I wonder if that came off as 'motivational'….
"…Service is inherent. It is the foundation by which we should
live our lives. Community should be based on human interaction: a smile, a
handshake, a hug, sharing a meal, building a house, painting a room,
storytelling, sharing experience, and listening. Service is about both doing
and being. Doing the work, making something, and seeing physical results are
important, but service is also about being present in those moments. At times struggle
with the common definition of service. All too often it is viewed as a gift, a
bestowal. Service can also be more self- gratifying then actually helpful. The
easiest forms of service are the bandages that provide quick fixes. Service
should go deeper, towards the root of the problem. I am drawn toward the
Americorps program because I not only want to participate in service, I also
want to participate in and form a place in the community where I am serving. It
may sound naïve, and possibly a little far-fetched, but I believe a bond and
connection can be built and maintained in only a year’s time. Right now, I work
with the Young Adult Volunteer Program through the Presbyterian Church, where
we spend one year living in community and working around our placement sites. After
only five months in Tucson, I already feel connected. Friendships and working
relationships have been formed, as well as an affinity for this place. I work
for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, with the Farmers’ Market
Consignment Coordinator and the Garden Team. Both these positions afford me the
luxury of meeting new people, learning new skills, and connecting with the
greater Tucson area. Each week at the Farmers’ markets I see the familiar faces
of the vendors and customers, I bond with those who buy our produce by asking
how they use certain vegetables, especially the local and native plants. I give
recommendations for how to choose certain produce, if asked. In these quick,
weekly interactions, I have created a mental Rolodex, so the following week I
ask how the recipe turned out or how they enjoyed the duck eggs. With the
garden team I spend time with volunteers and homeowners digging garden beds in
the backyards of Co-op members. We share stories about gardening mishaps,
composting tips, our favorite things to grow and to eat. We talk about heat,
exhaustion, where we are from, our families, our visions about the world,
politics, and even religion. Service is creating connections. My service is
opening my mind, my eyes, my ears, and my heart to others. I focus on working
in tandem with people, learning alongside my community, growing and gaining
experiences as we participate together. An Americorps year would provide me
with another way to experience a community and further my life in service."
