At the New York Botanical Garden, I was awed at the glorious lilac bush in the hills of daffodils. Hundreds of bees were dancing and humming within the bush, making me feel so small in a world so big. (Courtesy of Maddie Thompson)
Editor s note:
Notes from the Field includes reports from young people volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership with
, the project began in the summer of 2015. This is Celina s final Notes from the Field blog post.
New York In all honesty, I didn t fully believe in diversity, equity and inclusion work before coming into my service year. Throughout my time at university, I didn t think about the demographics of the university s student body or staff. Every day, walking through campus, I saw people of all ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, all united with a coffee in one hand and textbooks in the other. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in the suburbs of Connecticut, and moving to St. John s U
On a walk along the Hudson River in the Palisades Park in New Jersey, I am incredibly grateful for all those who have traveled with me this year. Being a Good Shepherd Volunteer has been quite an adventure! (Courtesy of Celina Kim Chapman)
Editor s note:
Notes from the Field includes reports from young people volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership with Catholic Volunteer Network, the project began in the summer of 2015. This is Maddie s final Notes from the Field blog post.
Wickatunk, New Jersey As I write my final blog post for Global Sisters Report and approach the end of the school year at Collier High School, I reflect on the many stories I have encountered throughout my volunteer year. The Collier community has welcomed me with open arms and gifted me with its stories as I partnered with students individually in tutoring sessions and contributed to a class as an active member of a cohort.
Editor s note:
Notes from the Field includes reports from young people volunteering in ministries of Catholic sisters. A partnership with Catholic Volunteer Network, the project began in the summer of 2015.
New York With Earth Month coming to a close, I thought it would only be appropriate to end weeks of celebrating our environment with a video of how you can continue this momentum of appreciating nature and promoting the care of our planet.
Living in a service year and being environmentally conscious can be difficult, but in my video, I lay out some of the ways that living simply and intentionally have helped me continue my practice of low- to zero-waste living. I show how I save money when I stop and think, and I also point out the ways in which I can still work on my efforts of being more eco-friendly. In the end, I discuss my privileges and talk about how thinking about our planet first is a practice I learned when I was a young girl.
(Unsplash/Meadow Marie)
New York I went home for the Easter holiday and was able to spend a couple hours prepping my garden for the spring and summer. I raked out the dead leaves, tossed the soil with my homemade compost, and hoed the beds to create perfect resting places for my future fruits and veggies. I left all my electronics inside as I soaked in the rays of sun in silence, interrupted only by the songs of the awakening spring birds. My backyard in Connecticut directly looks upon the sunset, and I almost forgot how beautiful the sky becomes every night. (Celina Kim Chapman)
This is me on top of the mountain, about to snowboard on an intermediate slope. I didn t do any black diamonds, but I feel confident that I can try to do one next time. (Provided photo)
New York February was not only a busy month with my position as a Good Shepherd Volunteer. It was also filled with weekend outings, where I spent time with friends and family and took much-needed breaks from the daily lull: wake up, work online, self-care, sleep.
That exact routine isn t bad, but I was beginning to feel stuck. Could it have been the winter blues, or was I getting more and more quarantine- and Zoom-fatigued with each passing day?