My ten community hours were done through a few different organizations. All of which I learned many things about the community and how they help “behind the scenes.” One of the organizations I helped out was our local food pantry at Our Lady of Guadalupe. A group of people, including myself, would wait behind Wal-mart to collect the food that couldn’t be sold anymore and then bring it back to the church. At the church, the food is sorted out and put in brown bags for distribution later. In the past I’ve been involved with this organization and I will continue to be apart of it because I believe just a little bit of someone’s time can go a long way if it’s for the good of the city. For the remaining hours, I spent them volunteering for a non profit organization “Teatro de Artes de Juan Seguin.” There, I was involved in their summer art camp for kids ranging from eight to thirteen years old. Spending time with these kids really opened my eyes and made me more aware of the youth in the community. Not too often do we think about the future generation’s culture and also how our current culture is being exposed without filters to them. Now the purpose of these camps aren’t to impose culture on the youth, but rather celebrate an existing culture through means of art. As an architecture student, I have a responsibility to understand the environment and see interconnections within society in order to produce thoughtful designs. This camp brings kids together, it brings parents together, and also people who want to help the community together. In doing so, relationships are made, friendships are made, and these bonds are what strengthen communities as a whole. I will definitely keep volunteering for these organizations in the future.
