Following my undergraduate career at Spring Hill College, I spent a year in service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), where I was a Case Manager / Food Pantry Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator at Catholic Charities of Central Texas. Usually when I start to tell people about my position it takes a few minutes for them to process my title, let alone formulate questions about JVC and my job.
Simply put, JVC is an experience I would not trade for anything. Living with my four housemates, while we tackled social services in Austin is absolutely invaluable. And I am proud to say, that we are still all about serving others. Two of us are working on masters degrees in social work, another in
finance and the last two are working for city planning or non-profits.
But what I've recently discovered, is that there is something to being an FJV (former Jesuit Volunteer). Fortunately, for me, I have a dear friend, Emily, who is currently doing her second Jesuit Volunteer year in Portland, Oregon. So this weekend, I headed off to Portland to see her, her community and a college friend of ours, who also, happened to be in town. But what my trip helped to really discover was that part of my life philosophy, isn't being properly acknowledged.
Life is, at its most basic level, about being happy by giving yourself whole to helping others.
After having a mere panic attack believing that I was not making a difference in the world, I remembered my dear friends that missed this morning. Twice a week, I roll of my bed, find the floor and stumble to run group. 5:45 in the morning I begin my warmup and start walking. But I do not just walk with anyone, we have a Boston Marathon runner, a paralegal and a showroom manger at the Dallas World Trade Center. Wait a minute - overall, we sound like a regular run group; but we're better!
We run with people from all walks of life, we have veterans, former bus drivers, a former resident of
Louisiana; all with the drive, the desire and the sense of humor to change that can easily change how the world views it's homeless population. And they are doing just that, as more people hear about Back on My Feet, more people are learning how our homeless populations are not to viewed in worry, but as you would view any other person you meet.
But what may come as a surprise is that Back on my Feet also helps me. During my twice a week walk, I remember what "JV me" would do, believe and voice. Back on My Feet is my weekly retreat into my JV life; but, sadly, this took me over 10 months and a trip to Portland to realize.
In many ways, BoMF is my Dallas community and my space to remind me what's important in life - being someone else's community! I have a feeling that I will view each 5:45 morning just a little differently!
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JVC: Austin 2010 - 2011 Community at Orientation in
August 2010, just outside Houston, Texas.
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finance and the last two are working for city planning or non-profits.
But what I've recently discovered, is that there is something to being an FJV (former Jesuit Volunteer). Fortunately, for me, I have a dear friend, Emily, who is currently doing her second Jesuit Volunteer year in Portland, Oregon. So this weekend, I headed off to Portland to see her, her community and a college friend of ours, who also, happened to be in town. But what my trip helped to really discover was that part of my life philosophy, isn't being properly acknowledged.
Life is, at its most basic level, about being happy by giving yourself whole to helping others.
After having a mere panic attack believing that I was not making a difference in the world, I remembered my dear friends that missed this morning. Twice a week, I roll of my bed, find the floor and stumble to run group. 5:45 in the morning I begin my warmup and start walking. But I do not just walk with anyone, we have a Boston Marathon runner, a paralegal and a showroom manger at the Dallas World Trade Center. Wait a minute - overall, we sound like a regular run group; but we're better!
It does, indeed sound like I have runner's group pride; but it is more than that. I run with Back on My Feet (BoMF), "a national for-purpose 501(c)3 organization that uses running to help those experiencing homelessness change the way they see themselves so they can make real change in their lives that results in employment and independent living," according to the BoMF Website. Sounds easy enough, you volunteer doing what you do already - go for a daily walk or run. But there is so much more to Back on My Feet that that!
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On Veterans Day 2013, the four running teams that make up
the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of Back on My Feet gathered
together to acknowledge our veterans. The above individuals
are all veterans, who now live in Dallas area homeless shelters.
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Louisiana; all with the drive, the desire and the sense of humor to change that can easily change how the world views it's homeless population. And they are doing just that, as more people hear about Back on My Feet, more people are learning how our homeless populations are not to viewed in worry, but as you would view any other person you meet.
But what may come as a surprise is that Back on my Feet also helps me. During my twice a week walk, I remember what "JV me" would do, believe and voice. Back on My Feet is my weekly retreat into my JV life; but, sadly, this took me over 10 months and a trip to Portland to realize.
In many ways, BoMF is my Dallas community and my space to remind me what's important in life - being someone else's community! I have a feeling that I will view each 5:45 morning just a little differently!
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