Eager and bubbling with excitement, we travelled more than 5,000 kms to convey one simple statement to the kids of St. Ann’s after-school program: You are important.
Hoping to bring more than service, the goal of the journey was to create a genuine friendship that would outlast the simple actions of a volunteer experience.
It was my first time in the Big Apple and beyond the touristy excitement was a feeling different from other trips I’ve taken. The trip consisted of subway naps, lengthy walks around the city and a whole lot of emotion and discovery. It was a life-changing experience. This was no simple vacation to New York.
It was truly an eye opener. The group spent a few hours each day at St. Ann’s Episcopalian Church. Prior to the trip, students had been forwarding e-mails and speaking with each other via webcam. The initial fellowship was solidified upon meeting for the first time.
It was an exhilarating experience for me and all my peers because of the connection shared with the children. Each of us would pair up with a student for a few hours each day to complete homework and other school assignments. I made it my personal goal to become a mentor to them because that is what they needed. But it wasn’t all work and no play.
We brought the kids to the 9/11 memorial site and the acclaimed Broadway musical Memphis. The trip in itself was an examination of culture and life because of the immersion into the city.
The trip unravelled certain perspectives and altered my views on the education system and my life. It has allowed me to appreciate my younger siblings and, more importantly, has inspired me and my peers to aim for more than simple charity and volunteer work. As young Catholics, we should create a fellowship and show sincerity in our actions, just as Jesus did.
So much of today’s pop culture revolves around the city. It’s crazy to believe that six subway stops away from one of the richest neighbourhoods in America is the poorest. The growing class disparity is incredibly worrisome and I truly have been motivated to spark change, even if it is simply just being a friend to a kid who could use one.
Becoming immersed in the daily lives of these children awakened me to the vivid reality that these kids in the Bronx are facing. Overall, the trip was a huge success, ending in tears of joy and promises of return.
(Roque, 17, is a Grade 12 student at Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School in Coquitlam, B.C.)
Finding fellowship on a Bronx service trip
By Marjorie Roque, Youth Speak NewsWhen you tell people you’re going on a service trip to New York, many question the nature of the trip. The connotation of a service trip can lead one to think of trips to Vietnam or Uganda, working in Third World countries to help the most recognizable poor.
The struggles faced by the people living in the Bronx are often overlooked. But this wasn’t the case when I travelled to New York with classmates from my high school.
Please support The Catholic Register
Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.
For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.
DONATE