June 28, 2013. Yesterday morning we went to San Jose to el comedor which is Spanish for a soup kitchen and met up with a group of young girls that volunteer their time every Saturday morning in el comedor feeding children and elders who have little to no food at home. Many of the little children’s parents are unemployed and are struggling to put food on the table. So el comedor is a place where anyone in the San Jose community can come to eat. The young girls that volunteer their time at this soup kitchen are very inspiring young ladies. When asked why they were volunteering they said that they were aware that there was this issue of people not getting enough food in their community and that even though they didn’t experience this issue at home they felt that it was their responsibility to help out because everyone deserves to be well.
As those young girls leave their impact in the San Jose community, I started to reflect on what our impact in the Dacak and Monte Alto communities would be. Whether it was teaching the kids from Dacak and Monte Alto about disposing of trash properly or teaching them how to wobble, we have left a mark in their communities. We taught them about our culture as they taught us about theirs. We overcame the difficulties of this past week by sticking together and growing as a group. And I hope that the people from Dacak and Monte Alto will remember us for our unity and desire to try new things.
As we spent our last night in these two San Jose communities, we began to realize that we built strong relationships.
Vanessa R., Washington Latin Public Charter School