Entrance to André House.
Overview of the Project ("An explanation of your service hours in a narrative form"):
I have been participating in community service for some time now and I have quite a bit of experience. I started out with my youth group at my church and we have been all over Phoenix. We also have taken mission trips to Tijuana, San Francisco, and New Orleans. I feel that serving others serves yourself more than anything else. You truly do benefit more than the people you are serving. Yes, building a home or presenting a meal is very helpful to the ones in need, but your seeing them and how they react to what you are doing is what it is all about. Being able to see how fortunate you are by how others live can be very insightful, and it puts things into perspective a great deal. You learn to appreciate your life and possessions a lot more, and when hearing the stories of how those less fortunate than us came to be in the position they are in, it reveals just how easily it could have been you. Too often are disheveled people looked down on because of the people looking down on them believing they are better. It is not some one's fault if they are born into a different situation, or a different location. It is not some one's fault if they are not raised properly and then only have a gang or other bad group of people to support them. It is not some one's fault if they lose their job. These are just a few of the circumstances that people face in life that create the struggles that they must deal with.
The start of the line out front, right after they have received their ticket.
Over 50 percent of homeless people are veterans. André House was founded over 25 years ago when it set out to serve the citizens of Phoenix. Every day the service provides meals, clothing, mentor-ship for jobs and housing, and other services such as personal hygiene. Relying completely on volunteers and donations, André House works with other organizations such as St. Mary's Food Bank and St. Vincent De Paul to serve the community. I have been to these three and then some several times, and André House is by far my favorite. I believe that if only everyone could see and do what I have than people could respect what they treasure a lot more. Luckily André House has so many volunteers that it was actually hard for me to plan our trips there to serve, but I am glad of this. Once there we prepared the meal, served it, and cleaned up afterwards. It can be very exhausting but it is worth it. On a different day we came back and instead of serving meals we helped sort clothing, shoes, and other personal care products. With the recent and upcoming whether, a need for warm clothing is desired more and more.
On the way to Phoenix, that's me on the right by the way... ;)
Civic Duty ("A summation on either civic duty or political participation"):
Civic duty is the job an individual has that should be carried out to the world around them (Farflax). Many people do not see civic responsibilities as a duty, but rather an option. Civic duty can consist of anything from speaking out for what is right to helping an elderly women with her groceries; as long as the community is being served than the duty is being carried out (even if that duty is in the form of a grocery bag).
Our first time there, buttering some bread for dinner.
Too many times do citizens lay their responsibilities in the hands of others. Yes, people are often extremely caught up in every day activities, but too much are a majority of those activities made up of mindless tasks (Bargain). It is understandable that everyone already has their own specific jobs and that at some point they must use time for rest and relaxation, but this recuperation does not need to last as long as it does at times. Individuals spend way too many hours of the day complaining about their lives instead of acting on these complaints and changing them. We are not children forever, and so we should not assume everyone around us knows how and what we think. If everyone has the assumption and attitude that someone else can handle a situation or task, than nothing would ever get done. It is up to everyone to act on their ideas and beliefs if they truly believe in them.
Let's try not to knock that table over...
Oh look! Eric down there on the end flirting and serving up some dessert =p
Bibiography
Farlex. "Civic Duty." The Free Dictionary. Thefreedicionary.com, 2003-2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/civic+duty
Citizen, Bargain. 'Is Civic Duty Optional?" American Thinker. Americanthinker.com, 26 Jun. 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/is_civic_duty_optional.html
