Service Paper

4/28

Just like my blog partner, I too wrote a paper about my experience of service during this year:

My Sophomore Service

This year for my sophomore service hours I had the privilege of going to two great organizations working for great causes. The first organization that I went to was Open Door Mission. Open Door Mission is located in the second ward area and works to help alcoholics get rid of their problem and be normal citizens in society. They also have a school at their facilities to teach the children of these recovering alcoholics. At this mission I did not directly work with the patients, but I did work in the kitchen. The first time I went, I was assigned to make sandwiches for a group of patients going on a field trip. The second day everyone was on the field trip so I cleaned the kitchen and helped organize plates and other items. The second organization I went to was the Houston Food Bank. At the Food Bank I was able to work with a large group, including many of my classmates, to package boxes filled with food. These specific packages were to go out to pregnant women that need food.

I found the most fulfilling time during my service when I was making sandwiches, the conclave was going on and they had just chosen the pope. It was very special that they had chosen a Jesuit pope who took on the name of St. Francis, while I was serving others. This motivated me to work even harder while representing Jesuit, and continue being on my path toward becoming a Man For Others. Not only was the service fulfilling but I think that it truly brought me closer to God by thinking of Jesus, our God, and remembering that he himself was a servant to the people and we must follow his example. Even though the jobs that I was doing were not dealing with the recipients directly, I envisioned those benefiting from my service and got a real sense of satisfaction thinking about the joy that my work will give to them. The service then became something that I truly enjoyed and looked forward to rather than something that was required and had to be done. One of my other favorite moments from the service experience was working alongside my dad, an SJ alum, and my brother, doing the service as a family. Neither of them got any service credit or reward from doing this, but they showed me that we have to stick together and help others as a family. Ultimately working together to serve others helps build our relationships between each other and the family itself. My dad, by his eagerness to help, showed that the SJ motto and attitude of serving others truly sticks for your whole life, and it inspired me to do the same come time I have kids of my own.

At the end of the day, while I was doing service in order to help others, my family and I also got something invaluable form this experience which is the gift of unity, and the gift of gratitude.