When people ask me what I want to do, I usually reply with something along the lines of “I have absolutely no freaking idea.” If I could just volunteer all of my time teaching people trauma counseling, building sustainable housing, providing medications, or just doing something that will make other people’s lives better for the long term, I would. But so far I haven’t found a way to do that and earn enough money to survive.
I grew up in an evangelical small town where the only idea of service was presented in the form of missions trips. Keep in mind, I am not a Christian, but many people at my high school went to evangelical churches in the area that hosted mission trips to sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and other low income areas of the world.
I once went to a service with a friend and the pastor bragged about his many trips to China, during which he tried to convert devout Hindus to Christianity. He was proud of the fact that instead of using his wealth to go to China and learn about the culture and religion, he tried to change and disprove other’s beliefs.
Mission trips were almost always started to spread Christianity, the word of the Bible, and “righteousness.” Mission trips were a way to save those who hadn’t yet been saved, because they didn’t know the word of God and the only way to prevent them from going to hell was to encourage them to invite Jesus into their lives.
However, these places already have their own culture and usually their own religion, and a bunch of white people were disrupting their lives to build a school that would fall apart in ten years and to push Christianity on them. So, this is what I grew up with. I had a really bad taste of service work for a long time and I still think these things of many mission trips. There are plenty of people who only help others to help themselves look good in the eyes of whomever they believe. This isn’t all totally to say that mission trips are bad, I just think most of them are poorly executed and driven by the wrong forces.
However, being a student at SXU and being exposed to loving and true service has really changed my life. One of our core values is Service, and as an institution founded by the Sisters of Mercy, I think service galvanizes campus in really powerful ways, just as it has in my life.
My desire to do service work is motivated by the fact that I will be helping others, not by the fact that someone in the sky might like me more for it. Campus Ministry has shown me that doing service is simply helping those who have less than you; acts of service can be small, but still extremely meaningful.
Sometimes, it’s giving $5 to a homeless person you drive past, spending a few hours at a shelter, or sending valentines day cards to children in hospitals (checkout Psychology Club’s Valentine’s Day card event at the Diner).
If you’re aiming for something bigger, Campus Ministry hosts annual spring break service trips to many sites around the U.S.,where they make long-term impacts. They also host an annual trip to the country of Belize the week after graduation. These opportunities are open to all students, but are more expensive. However, service is something everyone can and should be able to do.
That’s why there’s a Service Club on campus! Service Club is truly great, because of the efforts of those involved. They host events, such as the Windows of Love, where people can write encouraging messages on the windows in the hallway by the Diner, and Bread Truck twice a week.
Bread Truck is hosted by Port Ministries and they give out sandwiches to people who may not have money to buy food for lunch or dinner. Just by helping Service Club make PB&J’s, you are changing someone’s day, and potentially their week, month, year, and life. For more information about Service Club and the events they host, check out The Den or email President Isabella Martucci at martucci.i01@mymail.sxu.edu.
SXU has changed how I view a lot of things, but incorporating service into my everyday life has become exponentially more important and something I am probably going to take into my career. Service and volunteering your time is something I feel very passionately towards and SXU has helped me focus that passion into something that changes lives.
Emma Farina
Opinions Columnist