With my Project S.E.R.V.E. community members on our spring retreat

So when it came time for me to decide where I wanted to do a year of service after graduation, I knew I wanted to stay in the U.S. but I wanted to diversify my experiences. Therefore, I went searching for a program that lived out Nazareth and Bethlehem Farm’s values in an urban setting. Fortunately, all of Catholic Volunteer Network’s programs abide by these pillars, so they made my search easy.
I applied to several programs and ultimately decided on Catholic Charities Project S.E.R.V.E. in Baltimore, Md. As a Project S.E.R.V.E. volunteer, I lived in intentional community with five other people in downtown Baltimore and we each worked at one of Catholic Charities 80 programs. I served as a caseworker at Sarah’s House, a n emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless families. As a caseworker, I met with families at least once a week and put them in touch with services and resources to help them get back on their feet. Some of these services included; mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, legal assessments, employment placement, medical services, DSS benefits and so much more according to the need of each client.

I was also Family Literacy Coordinator. Family Literacy was a weekly class that provided an opportunity for parents and children to have fun learning together. Many of the parents at Sarah’s House were so wrapped up in getting back on their feet that it was difficult to spend quality time as a family. In the class we read books, did crafts, played games and sang songs according to a theme of the week.

I write about these roles now as though they were second nature to me, but they were not. I was a music major and had no background or experience in social services or teaching. It was a very steep learning curve with many challenges, but I learned more from my experience than I could ever imagine. I gained confidence in my abilities, understanding of how to sustain a simple lifestyle, a deeper relationship with God and five new extended family members otherwise known as my community. These aspects combined to help me discover my true self and vocation to service.