Young Activists Reflect

I chose to serve at Glide, Faithful Fools, and SF Food Bank. I decided to experience it a second time because I liked it a lot last year. However, I didn’t feel like I got enough out of it last year and I wanted to see if I could experience new things I hadn’t last year. I wanted to meet new people and observe the people and experiences on the street. I met new volunteers at the faithful fools, new people in the Tenderloin, and went to new places in the TL.

The work we have done for these three days is important. It serves hungry and homeless people. The work that we have done not only benefits people in need but it also benefits us. It provides new experiences and helps us better realize our place in the world.

We are separated from the people in the Tenderloin. We have a barrier related to class between us. We have better education, money, and job opportunities. Wealth will always keep us separated. It is very difficult for people with very little money to change their economic class and rise above their situation. We are still connected because we are all human. We all have somehow shared similar experiences at some point. We all can share something whether it be related to race, gender, sexual preference, or interests.

~ Jay

I chose to serve at Glide, Faithful Fools, and SF Food Bank because I wanted to help people that are in need of food, shelter, and care. It helped me be aware of how lucky I am and how I should be grateful that I have a roof over my head and a hot meal everyday. The work we have been doing for the last three days is important because it helped lots of people. We packaged rice - which went to lots of different schools, churches, and non-profit organizations. I have bonded with people in my challenge week group by talking to them and cooperating with them.

~ Amir

I feel that doing Glide, Faithful Fools and SF Food Bank, will greatly help the less fortunate. One way that I think about it is that doing something that only takes three days will have a great, positive affect on people's lives. Another reason I enjoy working here is because not only do we help the less fortunate, but we also get to spend time with friends. One way I have made new friends was when we were assigned groups in the Faithful Fools street retreat. I wasn't put with anyone I would usually hang out with, but I ended up having a lot of fun, and I to know people in the other grades a bit more.

~ JP

I have helped my community by serving others who are food insecure. I have learned to put my self in other peoples’ shoes at the street retreat. I have also helped package food for those who need it at the food bank.

The work we have done for the past 3 days is important because I was able to interact with people from a different background and I got to serve my community. I felt connected towards the people I served and found that they are really fun to talk to.

I chose to help at Glide, SF food bank and Faithful fools because I wanted to help my community and serve those who need it. I was looking for a new experience and a new challenge and this challenge week really helped me connect with new people and experience things I hadn't experienced before.

~ Fatima

In the past few days, I have been able to observe a community that was much different than the one I am used to. The stereotype of the Tenderloin being a dangerous place had disappeared as I was welcomed into the community. Seeing others who are less fortunate made me reflect on my life and made me think of how I should be grateful of it.

Helping the community had been a great experience as I had been able to give back. Helping people who are homeless and are food insecure made me feel good about myself.

Experiencing this with my friends and peers had been fun. Not only did we help the community, but we also did it together. We cooperated with each other, especially at the Food Bank when we made sure each box of rice were exactly 15 pounds. By the end of the day, I was very tired and felt very sick, but it was worth it. I was able to enjoy myself and be able to say that I have helped my community.  

~ Kharisma

The work we have done these past 3 days is important because we have done a lot of work, and most of that work benefits and helps other people. On the first day, we walked around the Tenderloin, and we got to see what it was like there and we didn't have any help from adults when we were walking around. I think that we all got a little more empathetic for the people who live there and eat art Glide and St. Anthony's. On day 2, we went to a food bank and helped bag 1 pound of rice into each bag. It was really fun - especially my job, scooping rice into bags - and I learned more about how food banks help people who don't have a lot of money. We also walked around San Francisco a little bit and we got to see a bunch of different neighborhoods. Today we are all going to Glide again, but this time we are there to volunteer. This will give us a look into how people are affected by Glide, and how it helps them. We will get to serve people food, and we will also eat some of the food at the soup kitchen. I chose to serve at Glide, Faithful Fools, and SFM Food bank because I like to help people, and these organizations need volunteers to help them help people in need of help. SFM Food bank needs volunteers because they need help getting food like rice and pasta into bags, which they give to families who can't afford that much food. Glide needs volunteers to help serve the food to the homeless, and to help them prepare lots of things. Faithful Fools wants volunteers so that they can get donations, and so that people are more aware of the places where there are people in need (I think). In conclusion, this is why I think the work we have done is important, and why I chose to serve at the places that we have visited.

~ Hana

I think it is very important to help our community with serving and volunteering at places like glide. Also to help the part of the community that maybe we don't experience or are educated about that part of our community like the TL or maybe a soup kitchen or somewhere where lots of people are food insecure. The work we have done for these 3 days is important because we helped lots of people and we got to experience different things like when we went to faithful fools. We got to walk around the TL and see another side of it and get to have a head on day as a regular child in the TL Also we got to make a lot of rice for the S.F food bank and we got to see the process of how the food bank distributes and how they get the food were every they need it to be. Also at glide we get to serve people and children that are food insecure and get them a real healthy meal.

~ Tia

I connected with the Tenderloin community. Many people are friendly and just want to say “Hi.” Doing the street retreat was very mind opening to me because I used to ignore them. But I had many conversations with good people and that helped me understand that they are equal rights same as everybody.

The work I have done for the past three days is important because I got to explore and understand a community that I have never understood before. I also helped package food to be sent to soup kitchens, St. Anthony's, etc. But the most important thing I have done these days is communicating and being a part of the community.

~ Nicholas

I find it imperative to help feed the food insecure and the homeless - since a quarter of SF fits in that category.

What holds us separate what keeps us separated what still connects - It’s the past generation telling us that homeless people are dangerous and what still keeps us connected is that we are all human.

~ Nika

Wednesday I walked the Tenderloin and observed the people who lived there. Then reflected on what we saw and what we thought. On my adventure through the Tenderloin I actually ate at Glide. On Thursday My group and I went to the SFM Food Bank and volunteered. We packaged rice that was going to be delivered to schools, churches and soup kitchens. On Friday we are going to volunteer at glib instead of being a guest. So now we can see both views at glide. The work we've done for these past 3 days is important because we are giving back to the community.

~ Anthony