The Bonner Foundation recommends that first year students participate in a community service trip to an area that is culturally distinct from that in which they work. From January 11 to January 16, I led the Bonner Leaders on a service trip in San Juan, Puerto Rico. When one usually thinks about Puerto Rico, the first things that may come to mind are beautiful luxurious beaches with crystal clear blue water and wide expanses of lush, verdant rainforest. Those were certainly the first thing that came to mind when one of my Bonner Leaders suggested that we do our First Year Service Trip in said location. However, our service trip was certainly not your typical Puerto Rico vacation. Of course, we did spend some time on the beach, but we also saw a side of Puerto Rico that most tourists and even some Boricuas (slang for Puerto Rican) have never seen.
Every year, first year Bonner Leaders are encouraged to embark on a community service trip to an area that is culturally distinct from the area surrounding their university. Our first thoughts were Galveston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana where, as you may have guessed, we would have provided hurricane relief in both areas. Volunteering at both locations would be performing charitable work in areas very culturally distinct from Utica, NY, and thus, fulfill the requirements of the Bonner Foundation. However, as rewarding as going to either Texas or Louisiana would have been, it seemed as if every community service trip, both at Hamilton College and around the country went to one of those two locations. We, on the other hand, wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere fresh. "Why not Puerto Rico?", somebody suggested. Why not Puerto Rico? It certainly was culturally distinct from upstate NY, more so than Louisiana and Texas, and it turned out that their were plenty of service opportunities as well.
As soon as we decided to go to Puerto Rico, I contacted Jay Starr, the AmeriCorps VISTA worker at the local Red Cross hoping that she would have some contact with the San Juan Red Cross. As it turned out, she had just met the San Juan Red Cross Director of Youth Services, Minerva Aponte de Reyes, at a conference a few months earlier, after which the two became good friends. So, after a long series of correspondence between Minerva and I, she contacted several different agencies around San Juan and found work for us every single day. Simply stated, without Minerva's assistance, this trip would not have been possible.
Every year, first year Bonner Leaders are encouraged to embark on a community service trip to an area that is culturally distinct from the area surrounding their university. Our first thoughts were Galveston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana where, as you may have guessed, we would have provided hurricane relief in both areas. Volunteering at both locations would be performing charitable work in areas very culturally distinct from Utica, NY, and thus, fulfill the requirements of the Bonner Foundation. However, as rewarding as going to either Texas or Louisiana would have been, it seemed as if every community service trip, both at Hamilton College and around the country went to one of those two locations. We, on the other hand, wanted to go somewhere new, somewhere fresh. "Why not Puerto Rico?", somebody suggested. Why not Puerto Rico? It certainly was culturally distinct from upstate NY, more so than Louisiana and Texas, and it turned out that their were plenty of service opportunities as well.
As soon as we decided to go to Puerto Rico, I contacted Jay Starr, the AmeriCorps VISTA worker at the local Red Cross hoping that she would have some contact with the San Juan Red Cross. As it turned out, she had just met the San Juan Red Cross Director of Youth Services, Minerva Aponte de Reyes, at a conference a few months earlier, after which the two became good friends. So, after a long series of correspondence between Minerva and I, she contacted several different agencies around San Juan and found work for us every single day. Simply stated, without Minerva's assistance, this trip would not have been possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment