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July/August 2006 Features

Caring Teens-Reaching out to others

School’s out and summer’s in full swing, leaving the seven hours per day previously dedicated to calculating geometry and memorizing history wide open. While some teenagers lounge at the beach and some work for a little extra cash, others, such as the six featured here, spend their summer days reaching out to communities locally, nationally and even internationally. These students realize the great need for their help. They benefit others while enriching their own lives, experiencing different cultures and learning the value of a worthy cause. We thank them for their openness and dedication, and for sharing their stories with us.

Katie Oswald, 17, senior

Ah-h-h, summer! When I can swim, tan, watch TV and relax—and then swim, tan, watch TV and relax some more. Last spring, as I dreamed of the tranquil days ahead, I realized that an agenda-less summer would quickly bore me.

One day, along with all the college junk mail, I received a brochure called “Beyond the Classroom: Serving Others and Enriching Yourself.” With much experience in various community service projects, I knew this was the perfect way for me to get involved this summer. Throughout high school, my enthusiasm for volunteering has been based on my true enjoyment in serving others and the environment. Thus, I began to search for a comprehensive program that would make me feel I was challenging myself and helping others in a unique and meaningful way.

I spoke to my school advisor about my desire to volunteer in a program somewhere I’d never been, rather than in a local project. She immediately recommended VISIONS, a cross-cultural service-learning program for teenagers. Groups work in a designated community, living among its native people to experience a different culture first-hand.

The VISIONS website provided a list of locations, from Alaska to Montana to Peru. When I clicked on “Montana,” a picture of two dancing Indians, dressed in vibrant tribal attire, took me by surprise. “Indians!” I exclaimed in disbelief. I honestly had no idea that real Indians still existed in the United States. Obviously, I’d learned something new already. After some research about both Indian culture and the Montana VISIONS program, I decided to apply for the July session on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. I was, and still am, a little apprehensive about being so far away from home for an entire month, with people I have not met before. However, VISIONS emphasizes a strong focus on community, so I believe that I will gradually feel more and more comfortable in this new environment.

Service in the Blackfeet community accounts for about sixty percent of the program, with volunteer work every weekday. This mainly consists of construction work on anything from playgrounds to renovating elders’ homes. Luckily, no experience with a hammer or saw is required. There is a variety of other opportunities, such as working with children in summer school or day camps, laying sod and painting.

In VISIONS, cultural learning and discovery are just as essential as community service. I look forward to participating in the Blackfeet rituals, dances, songs and traditions. How often does one get to experience a powwow? I cannot begin to imagine the Sundance or the sacred sweat ceremony, a religious ritual inside a hut with temperatures up to two hundred degrees!

The Blackfeet Indians live simple lives today, not only because of poverty, but also because it is a part of their culture. They place strong emphasis on preserving their cultural identity as they adapt to the modernized world. I cannot wait to feast on traditional Native American dishes, learn Indian beading and hear oral history storytelling from an elder. I believe I will connect with the Native Americans through my interest in the environment. I respect their economical lifestyle and their appreciation of Montana’s natural setting. Rock climbing, horseback riding, rafting and hiking are a few of the ways in which I will live closely with the environment.

Just as I hope to be challenged with rigorous service work that will show me how much I can accomplish, I hope to discover more about myself and my passions through my observations and personal reflections in the midst of the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains.

Fred Myrtle, 17, senior

I recently went on a mission trip to Honduras with the Church of the Holy Spirit in Baton Rouge. It was an amazing life-changing experience. While we were in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, we held a youth retreat for grades six through ten at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. We also sponsored vacation bible schools for grades pre-kindergarten through fifth and for El Hogar, an all-boy orphanage. Then, we helped build a sidewalk around St. Mary’s. The theme for these events was the Jesus JUMP (Just Understand My Plan). Our entire experience was wonderful and fulfilling.

The youth retreat for the older children lasted two full days, and was a great way to get to know everyone. All of the students above the third grade could speak English, so communicating was not a problem. We played a variety of games relating to the theme of the retreat, sang songs, read scripture and met in our groups to reflect. The children had an awesome time, and everyone learned more about themselves and their relationship with Jesus Christ.

The vacation bible school had the same theme and songs as the retreat, but the children were grouped by grade. I was assigned to the second graders. They were all amazing children; a few spoke English. It was a lot of fun getting to know them and helping with their activities. During this time, we started construction on the sidewalk. We mixed cement the Honduran way, learning all of the techniques involved. I helped shovel the rocks and sand, and delivered them to the cement pile. The school was a huge success for the younger children, and they greatly appreciated their new sidewalk.

Our trip to El Hogar was truly an eye-opening experience. The children at the orphanage were wonderful—the only thing they wanted was to be loved. For the most part, they spoke no English. I was surprised to discover that language was hardly a barrier between the volunteers and the children. All I had to do was smile, and I received twenty smiles in return. The children were angels; they were well behaved and loved every minute. During free time, I played soccer, basketball and tag with the kids. Being at El Hogar really made me realize how lucky I am. It also made me feel blessed for having the opportunity to play and work with the children. I grew very close to some of the boys, and leaving them was difficult. They were so sad to see us go, but we promised them that we would return next year—and that we were looking forward to it.

Being in Honduras was the best time of my life. I became much closer to Jesus Christ, and I was given the chance to spread God’s love to the children in Tegucigalpa. I felt so full of God’s love and so refreshed to be helping people. The many amazing people that we met were so appreciative and full of hospitality that it was hard to say good-bye. I will never forget my mission trip in Honduras, and I will never forget the people we touched—and how they touched us in return.

Heather Gonzalez, 17, senior

This is my fourth year volunteering in the Gift Shop at North Oaks Medical Center through the North Oaks Health System Junior Volunteer Program.

Volunteering gives me satisfaction and is rewarding because I am helping others. The people who come into the Gift Shop have many different reasons for being there. When they are happy, I can be glad with them. And when someone seems to be down, I try to be the friendly face that could make him or her smile, at least for a moment. Sometimes it’s hard, but I’ve learned that I can often make a difference just by being there.

I think this program is a very good opportunity for community service for high school students, whether during the summer or the school year. It also lets students explore their interest in a healthcare career or other types of work. Working in the Gift Shop has allowed me to gain retail experience, develop people skills and work in a real business setting. All of this will help me with any future employment.
In so many ways, volunteering has made me a better person.

Rebecca Pearson, 17, senior

For several years, I have volunteered at the Mt. Olive Soup Kitchen in Slidell’s Olde Towne, a non-profit program that offers meals to those in the community. My first visit was organized by my church group as a community project. Together, we traveled across town into a less-familiar area that was filled with shops, homes and landmarks that sparked our curiosity about Slidell’s history. At the soup kitchen, our first duty was to prepare a meal, while the serving duty went to another group. At first, I was disappointed that I would not be serving the food and meeting the people I came to help.

Despite some childish behavior, hardly any time was lost in preparing the food. Eventually, all that was left of our job was to wait for the baking to be done. With a generous amount of time on our hands, we decided to take a quick stroll with our teachers to see some of the local landmarks. I realized that Slidell wasn’t as dull as I once thought, and I was no longer disappointed that I wouldn’t see the patrons of the soup kitchen.

After similar trips, I was delighted to return on any occasion, but a busy schedule prevented me from doing so for months. Later, I suggested to one of my school groups that we volunteer at the kitchen. I was pleased to learn that I would finally meet some of the people that I had cooked for in the past. The kitchen had been moved across the street into a new building because of the hurricane’s damage to the previous location.

At the soup kitchen, my friends and I talked to Mrs. Lydia, who oversees the operation. She told us about some patrons who had come for meals regularly before the hurricane, but now were nowhere to be found. This made our group worry about these strangers’ safety. Our fears soon diminished when other “regulars” arrived and assured us they were safe. I learned quickly that many of the patrons had become good friends and knew of typical places to find each other. As the streets of Slidell had become their homes, their soup kitchen friends had become their family. Seeing how these people cared about the welfare of one another showed me the real value of the soup kitchen.

When I volunteer at the soup kitchen this summer, I will do so because I feel that I am a part of something genuine and good, and not because it is something that others expect of me. The soup kitchen has offered me insight into what it means to be a part of a community more than any other experience could. There, I learned the value of giving to others, the gratitude of receiving when in need, the importance of appreciating life and, most importantly, that family is all around me in the people of Slidell.

Christine Cumming, 17, senior

As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ working in the world to make it a better place. Missionfest is an opportunity for youth to do just that. This summer, I will be part of a group from our area and from all over the country that will meet at St. Timothy United Methodist Church for a week of service and fun. We will help with Vacation Bible School programs and reconstruction across the lake during the daytime. During the evening, we will meet back at St. Timothy’s for dinner, praise and worship, small groups, various activities such as basketball and karaoke, and a Christian concert by Shane and Shane. Youth from out of town will spend the night at either St. Timothy’s or at church members’ houses.

I am very excited to take part in this missionary project and help restore our city. It just gives me such joy to help people in need and to make a difference in their lives. For example, right after the hurricane, I went with our youth group to help clear debris out of people’s yards. Events like this help renew my passion for helping others.

I’m hoping that Missionfest will be a way to inspire people and bring hope to those who feel they have none left. I also hope that Missionfest will show our neighbors in New Orleans that people have not forgotten what happened last fall, and that we still want to help. It’s just so important that we support those who lost so much in New Orleans right now, since it seems that the publicity for the Katrina victims has decreased significantly. Maybe our efforts will inspire even more people to volunteer with this reconstruction. Although we will only have one week of our service with Missionfest, I hope that our acts of service do not end there and that we will be motivated to continue serving others in Christ’s name as we make our ways back to our hometowns and cities.

Lauren Katich, 17, senior

Over the past few years, I have been involved with PRIDE, a drug-free organization with teams all over the world. Our team, the PRIDE Troupe, consists of high school students from St.Tammany and Washington parishes. The more than 150 members all sign a contract promising to be alcohol and drug free while in PRIDE. Everything we do during the year is based on PRIDE’s four pillars: Education, Socials, Community Outreach and Community Service. We educate our troupe members, teaching the facts about drugs and alcohol. Our socials are a time for troupe members to bond and just have fun. We reach out to inspire and have a positive influence on the teenagers in our communities by performing at different junior-high and high schools in St.Tammany and Washington parishes each month. The forty-minute performance includes songs, dances and skits written by the troupe members. We also take time, at least once a month, to do a community service project.

PRIDE also hosts camps called Positive Action and Positive Attitude, which are held at St. Paul’s School in Covington. Positive Attitude is for junior-high students; Positive Action, for those in high school. The camps teach participants leadership, communication, listening and teamwork skills. It also teaches teenagers how to resist peer pressure, drugs, and alcohol. Speakers talk to the campers about the different skills we cover. Each camper is assigned to a small group with an intern—a small-group leader—and a staff person, who is a teacher or youth worker from the area. The campers go to their small groups about three times a day. We have dances, Wednesday night live, and other fun activities for the campers. By the end of the week, most of the campers don’t even want to go home.

Ever since the seventh grade, I have been involved with these camps, an amazing and memorable experience for me. As a camper for three years, I looked up to my intern. I never knew someone could impact my life in so many positive ways in just a couple of days. Then I got the privilege of being an intern. While interning I met some people that I now consider my best friends; they are the kind of people I know will always be there for me.

This will be my second summer interning; there are about forty of us. Being an intern is a lot of work and stress, but by the end of the week, it is totally worth it. Part of my work is planning each small group session. One of my most memorable and favorite small groups is the night when each camper brings a song and an item that is very special to them to share with the group. They open up and begin bonding with each other.

Now, I realize, it is my turn to be my campers’ role model. Knowing that your campers really do look up to you is such an amazing feeling! I could never ask for a better way to spend my summer vacation than to give back to the community and hopefully make a positive difference in somebody’s life.