A Letter from the Editor.docx
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A Letter from the Editor.docx
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ALetterfromtheEditor
ALetterfromtheEditor
DearReaders,
Eachday,hundredsofstudentsdonatetheirfreetimetohelpothers.Thesevolunteersengageinworkinavarietyofplaces,includinghospitals,homelessshelters,andevengardens.Volunteerscontributeinamultitudeofdifferentwaysandineffecthelptheircommunity.However,thereasonwhystudentsvolunteerisdebatable.
Somestudentsvolunteerbecausetheywishtomakeadifferenceinsomebody’slife.Others,ontheotherhand,volunteersothattheycanimpresscolleges.Thelatterbelievethatvolunteeringisnolongeranactivitythatstudentswishtodo,butonethatstudentsfeelobligatedtodo.
InthiseditionoftheYouthWorkshop,weexplorethemindsofseveralstudentvolunteers.Theyrevealtheirexperienceswithandopinionsaboutvolunteering.Hopefully,thesearticleswillaidthosewhoareconsideringbecomingavolunteerandexposedifferentwaysofthinkingaboutvolunteering.
Eitherway,nomatterhowvolunteeringisseen,perhapstheonlythingthatreallymattersisthatvolunteeringdoeshelp.AsHellenKelleroncesaid,“Solongasyoucansweetenanother’spain,lifeisnotinvain.”
Sincerely,
LilyXia
EditorinChief
YouthWorkshop
AssistantEditor:
RosaDeng
StaffWriters:
CarolChouBobLi
ChristineLiuJaneLiu
LindaPengHansWeidman
NiniXieSashaYan
Aspecialthankstomystaffforhelpingoutwiththisissue.Eventhoughallofyouaresobusywitheverythingelsethatyouneedtodo,youstillmadetimetowriteyourarticlesandsenttheminontime.That’squiteanaccomplishment!
Ialsooweagreatbigthankyoutomyassistanteditorforhelpingmefindenoughwriters.ThankyouallformakingthiseditionofCCCAthebestoneyet!
AnUnexpectedSurpriseattheHealthCareCenter
ByChristineLiu
WhenIfirstwonderedaboutwhereIshouldvolunteer,acoupleofchoiceswentthroughmyhead,includingthelocallibrary,theHillcrestSeniorCenter,andofcoursetheoh-soobviousLosRoblesHospital.ButafterdeterminingfromwhichplaceIcouldtakeawaythebestexperience,Iimmediatelydecidedontheseniorcenter.Fromtelevisionshowsandmovies,IbelievedthatIwouldbehelpingnice,wiseseniorswithwhomIcouldplayanarousingroundofcheckersorjusttalkaboutthephilosophyoflife.Ithoughtthatitwouldbeanice,quaintplacewherealltheseniorscouldsweetlyfightoverBINGO.Nowdon’tgetmewrong,Ididindeedmeetmanyseniorswhoweresweetandkind,andthehealthcarecenterwasexcellent,butIdidnotunderstandtherealityofaseniorcenter.Ohsillyme,howcouldIhavebeensonaïveaboutsuchanobvioustruth(actually,whydon’twejustblamethemediaforwarpingmymind).
Ineverreallygavemuchthoughtastowhythissortofinstitutionexisted.Instead,Ijustillogicallyandchildishlybelievedthatitwasjustaplacewhereseniorscouldliveandmakemanyfriendsandparticipateinfunactivities.ButasIbecamemoreconsciousoftheseniorcenter’senvironment,Ibecameawarethatsuchacenterexistedbecausetheadultchildrencouldnottakecareoftheirparentsanymore,usuallybecausethechildrendidnothavetheresourcesathometofullycareforthem.
WhenIenteredthecenteronmyfirstdayofvolunteerwork,thefirstthingthathitmewasthepungentsmellsofthemedicine,cleaningliquids,andfrankly,thescentofoldpeople.Next,Inoticedthateachpatientwasinawheelchair.Finally,ithitmethattheexperienceIhadimaginedwasclearlyimpossible,especiallysincemostoftheseniorsweretoofrailorconfusedtosharethewisdomandtheirnostalgiasofthepastwithme.Ibecamereluctanttogobacktosuchadepressingplace,aplacethatIhadsuchbigexpectationsforbutthatcreatedaheavyburdenonmyshoulderseverytimeIwalkedintothebuilding,remindingmeoftheimminentagingthatnosoulcanescape.Iwonderedhowthestaffmemberscouldstandtobeinthiskindofanenvironmentworkingeveryday,butlikesoldierspushingon,theydo.
IhaveoftenwishedthatIsomehowhadgottenawondrousepiphanyoutofmyvolunteerwork.Forinstance,IwishthatIhadcometotherevelationthatIwasdoinggreatdeedsfortheelderlyorcometotherealizationthatIwashelpingoutagenerationthatholdssomuchinvaluableexperienceandknowledgesincetheyweretheoneswhoexperiencedsomanydecadesofevents.But,tonoavail,theeeriepresenceofsicknessandoldageovercomesall.However,Ihavelearnedasimplelesson—Iwilldoeverythinginmypowertoavoidsendingmyparentstoaseniorcenter.
ADreamthatTurnedintoReality
ByJaneLiu
Itbeganasadream.ThereIwas,battlingoffpovertybyrakinginthousandsofdollarsforbrokenfamiliesallacrosstheglobe.Iimaginedlemonadestandfranchising,door-to-doorchocolatebarselling,andinstrumentalquartetsonthesideofastreet…thelistwentonandon.Thedreambeganintheeighthgrade.ThatwastheyearmyEnglishteacherassignedusagroupcommunityserviceproject,inwhichIspentcountlessnightsruiningbatchesofwaterylemonbarsforbakesales.ItwassometimeamidstthecookiesellingthatIbegantocareabouttheneedyandallofthesefantasiesensued.
ItwasawonderfuldreamIhad,yetaltogethertooidealistic.Intheend,Inevergotaroundtodoinganyofthefundraisers.Itoldmyconsciencemanyexcusesastowhymyvisionwasnotbecomingareality.Idon’thavethetimeortheresourcestopullitthrough.Noone’shelpingmeorganizethefundraisers.Myscheduleistoobusy.Ihavetostudy.Iliveddaybydaythisway.AsIlookback,IregrettosaythatwhatlittlemotiveIdidhavewasimpureandmeantformyownpersonalgain.
Inthepast,Ihadgenerallypicturedcommunityserviceasanotheritemtowriteoncollegeapplicationsinthefuture.Yes,Ihadsomeconcernregardingtheissuesofthepovertystrickenandthehelpless,butIdefinitelyheldmoreconcernforgettingintosomeprestigiousIvyLeague.TheorderofmyprioritiesprobablyhadsomethingtodowithwhyIneverpossessedtheincentivetoraisemoneyforthehomeless.
Fortunately,agloriouseventcameduringtheendofmyfreshmanyearthatservedasabreakthroughinmynon-existentvolunteeringcareer.Theyouthgroupatmychurchplannedatriptoahomelessshelterforus.Iwasextremelyexcitedtofinallydosomethingaboutmylaziness,whichIfearedmightslowlymutateintoapathyinthefuture,soofcourseIsignedup.Itchangedmyentireoutlookonlife.
AroundthirtyorfortyofusarrivedattheVenturaCountyRescueMissiononaSundayafternoon.Wewereimmediatelyputtoworkchopping,peeling,serving,andwashing.Sincewewerepreparingfoodforaround200people,ittookalotofteamworkandcollaborationtopullthisalloff.Itwasn’thardbecausethereweresomanyofus.Thisgavethoseofuswhowerefinishedwithourworktimetoactuallysitwiththehomelesspeopleaswellasrehabresidentsandtalktothem.MyfriendandImusteredthecouragetositwithavarietyofpeopleandaskthemquestionsabouttheirlives.Wemadesmalltalkandfoundthatthosewetalkedwithweresociable,warmpeople.
Welearnedamazingtestimoniesfromeachpersonwespoketo:
wheretheycamefrom,howtheycametobewheretheyweretoday,andhowtheyareimprovingtheirlifestyles.Iwassurprisedtolearnhowgratefultheyweretousforhelpingoutattheshelterandtakingthetimetotalktothem.MorethanoncemyfriendandIweretold,“Youtwoareangels.”Icannotdescribethefeelingofbeingcalledanangelbysomeonelivinginsuchpainfulcircumstances.Icansay,however,thatfrommymonthlytripstotherescuemission,Ihavefoundhelpingtheneedytobebothanintimateandhumblingexperience.Ithastaughtmetruecompassionandsympathy.
TheSimpleJoysofLife
ByLindaPeng
Ioncereadthequote,“IlikekidsandIlikeoldpeoplejustfine,it’sthepeopleinthemiddlethatI’mnotsureabout.”AlthoughIcan’tcompletelyagreewiththisquote,beingsomeoneinthe“middle”myself,I’vedefinitelyexperiencedthejoysofworkingwithseniorcitizens.Thispastsummer,IvolunteeredeveryWednesdaymorningattheLosRoblesHospital’sEastCampus.Igreetedpeople,mostlyseniors,andaskedthemtosigninastheyenteredthehospital.Mostofthesepatientswerepeoplegoinginforcardiacrehabilitationafterhavingamajorsurgery.AsIgreetedeachperson,somewouldtellmeaninterestingstoryortwoabouttheirlifeasahighschoolstudent.OneelderlymaneventoldmethathetooktheSATwhenhewasfortyyearsold!
Ofcourse,ithaschangedalotsincethen,butitisstillfascinatingtolearnaboutAmericamanyyearsago.
Theseseniorcitizenshaveshownmehowtoappreciatelife.Whenlifeisdrawingtoaclose,theywanttocherisheverymomentofeveryday,whichissomethingthatmostofusteenagerstakeforgranted.Iseeintheireyesanextratwinkleofappreciationforeverything,evensomethingassimpleasasmile.OnlybyvolunteeringhaveItrulylearnedtovalueeveryminuteandeverymomentoflife.Oneofmyfellowvolunteers,Marion,aseniorcitizen,toldmethatdaysseemtogobyquickerandquicker.Nowthatsheisretired,shelovesvolunteeringatthehospitalandatdifferentelementaryschools.Whatagreatwaytospendthegoldenyearsofyourlife!
Volunteeringtrulygivesmeasenseofjoythatmyownaccomplishmentscannot.KnowingthatIhavebrightenedjustoneperson’sdayandcontributedslightlytothisworld,Ileavethehospitalfeelinghappy,content,andinspired.
Theseseniorcitizenshaveshownmetheremarkablevarietyofuniquepeoplethatcanexistintheworld,oreveninju
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