Taylor Delgado, a junior from Christopher Newport University, talks about how serving in community sparked a shift in perspective. Read her blog below!
Today we had the incredible opportunity of volunteering with the Salvation Army in Athens. None of us knew what to really expect going into it, but after a warm greeting from Maria and hearing her and her husband’s story, we couldn’t wait to help in whatever way possible. Our specific job today was to begin the transformation of an abandoned house where there was formerly a lot of crime and incredibly unfortunate circumstances.
As we cleared out the building level by level, I began to realize how much this experience not only meant to so many people, but also how symbolic it seemed of my experience as a whole while abroad. Despite the terrible things that had occurred in this building, we were clearing and cleaning it out, transforming it into something better and for the purpose of serving others. Although I have only been abroad in this beautiful place for a couple of days, I have already learned so much about myself, who I want to be, and how I want to really live my life. Today, it made a lot of these feelings even more clear. I want to use this amazing experience and opportunity to grow into someone better, and I want to take the time to really serve others, especially those who need it most, in whatever way possible. I am so thankful for the many experiences I have already had here and I cannot wait to see what else is to come!