Well, this journey has been a fast one and a positive impact in my life. I learned a lot working for the Hutchinson County Disaster Relief Committee. I was always empathetic and I understand this characteristic will be beneficial to me when I work in my field of Speech Language Pathology. The process of restoring the homes of the fire victims has been a long and frustrating one. Saying that, a lot of light, relief, and joy has been brought to the victims who are being helped through this process. We were not able to help everyone, but in the end I know in my heart that this is okay. The Hutchinson County Disaster Relief Committee helped fund thousands of dollars to people in need of a new septic systems for their homes. Most applicants are unaware the faces of these committee members, but I only hope that they are able to look back and remember their fellow citizens stepping up and influencing their lives in a beautiful way. The process is still continuing to be restored, but my internship has been completed. All those applications, meetings, and long hours of communicating with the victims was worth every bit of my time. Towards the end of my internship, I felt very sad knowing that I must end this experience soon. Not only was I influential to the people I helped along the way, but they influenced me as well for the better.
Those who read my blogs may have noticed that I never put the faces of any of the applicants or committee members. My reasoning is for the sake of their privacy and also the committee members do not do this for attention or an award…but for the sake of helping and restoring their community. These people have truly beautiful hearts and I have been very inspired working with them. I will continue to remember this journey in my life as a motive to continue helping those who need someone in their life to move on from their past. No matter how horrifying, there is a path of light along the way if you truly believe. Although I say farewell with love, my heart will continue to remain within the Fritch community.
I would like to end this farewell by thanking Ogallala Commons for giving an opportunity of a lifetime. I have to be completely honest that there were some challenging moments, but those moments were when I learned the most about true work ethic, and improving the quality of lives for others. I truly want to thank Ogallala Commons, Celebration Family Church staff members, Dwight Kirksey, Hutchinson County Disaster Relief Committee, and Mercedez Hernandez. Without these people in my life, I would have never been able to experience something so beautiful and inspiring in my life. Although I saw goodbye for now, I hope to come back next year for my next journey in life. Thank you once again.
With a lot of love….
Cristina Elizabeth Vargas
