Driving through Austin, it is almost commonplace to see people standing on the side of the street requesting food and items to get them through their day. These are the people we see with dirty clothes, a backpack, and cardboard signs requesting help. It is rather depressing to see so many desperate people wandering our city without places to call home. I thought I knew how hard their lives were. However, I had never had a conversation with them. Nor did I truly know what went on in their daily lives. This is why my trip to the San Marcos homeless shelter was a bit of a shock to me.
For my sophomore English summer project, we were required to attend the San Marcos homeless shelter and volunteer for a set amount of time. I didn’t really know what to expect as I had never been to one and I wanted the experience. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by multiple other volunteers who were setting up for dinner. I was given a job and worked as diligently as possible until dinner. One of the jobs was to sweep and mop the floor of a family 's room who was out for the day. At one point, I opened up the …show more content…
It takes an experience like this to realize that many of us are lucky to have what we have, and because of this, we should use our resources to help those who aren’t so fortunate. My family continues to volunteer at food service for the homeless within Austin, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and I now have a deeper understanding of our work. We also deliver care packages for those on the streets when driving through Austin. Though we had done this prior to my experience at the homeless shelter, I came back to realize that our work truly meant a lot to those out there who need our help for the sake of survival. The opportunity to volunteer at the shelter was much more than just a school project, and I hope that my fellow students got the same experience out of it that I
For my sophomore English summer project, we were required to attend the San Marcos homeless shelter and volunteer for a set amount of time. I didn’t really know what to expect as I had never been to one and I wanted the experience. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by multiple other volunteers who were setting up for dinner. I was given a job and worked as diligently as possible until dinner. One of the jobs was to sweep and mop the floor of a family 's room who was out for the day. At one point, I opened up the …show more content…
It takes an experience like this to realize that many of us are lucky to have what we have, and because of this, we should use our resources to help those who aren’t so fortunate. My family continues to volunteer at food service for the homeless within Austin, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and I now have a deeper understanding of our work. We also deliver care packages for those on the streets when driving through Austin. Though we had done this prior to my experience at the homeless shelter, I came back to realize that our work truly meant a lot to those out there who need our help for the sake of survival. The opportunity to volunteer at the shelter was much more than just a school project, and I hope that my fellow students got the same experience out of it that I