And the Journey Continues...

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Written by: Ted Liu / UCI Alternative Break Intern
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There are certain events in your life that you know you will remember forever. My alternative winter break 2007-2008 is one of them. Although it only lasts for a week, it is a week full of service leaning, team bonding, exploring, inspiring, heart warming, reflecting, and joyful feeling.

As a trip coordinator, I was not only a participant but also a facilitator who makes sure things run smoothly so the trip experience gets better every day. As I watched each participant being transformed by the experience, I also observed myself grow as a person. It is exciting to see what we can accomplish as a group, and how we can shape the world as active citizens of the society. We have created a magic experience together, and I know each participant on the trip will go on with their life, no longer the same, and spread the magical experience they experienced.

For our Alternative Winter Break, we accomplished an estimated total of 38 volunteer hours each. We went to Tenderloin, one of the most poverty stricken areas in San Francisco, lived there for a week, and found out that it is not as nearly as corrupted as it is said to be. In fact, at times I even thought people there were friendlier than people elsewhere in the city. When you smile at them, they will smile back; when you say thank you to them, they will say thank you back. A little act of kindness and appreciation goes a long way. At Tenderloin, I was surrounded by so many warm wishes and blessings that sometimes I wondered who is the one that really to be helped. Perhaps we all need help – in different ways. By helping others, we are indirectly helping ourselves.

Besides exploring the area of Tenderloin, the other lesson I learned during the week is that there are many great people out there doing great things to help people with less. And it doesn’t have to be a specific thing because everything counts. It can be preparing/serving meals to the homeless; it can be creating a shelter of love for street kids to find a home away from home; it can be helping alcoholics to stand on their feet again; or it can be using digital arts to help kids in danger of illiteracy to narrate their stories and regain their passion in learning and writing.

From the surface, it seems that volunteering is about giving away our time to help people in need, but when I recall this week’s experience I find that service is a two way street. For every minute I give away, I get so much more back in different forms. The blessings I received; the knowledge I gained; and the friendship I established. This week’s experience gives me a better understating about the society, the people, and myself. And I am always amazed at what I can learn from different people.

Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads. As Sharon, director and founder at Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel, said “volunteering/helping others is like finishing a giant piece of puzzle.” The one who lays down the last puzzle may appear to be the most significant. But in reality, we are all equally important, and each of the pieces we lay down contributes to the final picture. We have lay down so many pieces this week that we know we have made a difference. And our journey will not stop here because we will continue the work in different ways and in the process influence others to do the same.