Day 5-Churning Away

Thursday marked a time of where we all started to realize that our time to make an impact in Seattle was almost over. Over time, the team has become more acclimated with the different serving sites, such as YWCA Angeline and Neighborhood House. With this also comes sadness because the group has felt the need to continue to serve, by making it a long-term priority.  As the week has gone on, the team has become only stronger by challenging their respective morals and values.

Volunteering at Neighborhood House was a bittersweet experience. We were excited to finish off our service experience strong but was also aware that many of us would not see these exact kids again. It also did not help that some students were encouraging team members to come back to help the school and attend extracurricular activities that they are involved in.

With the trying circumstances, the team pledged to continue being of help to the students. At this point, most of the team has one or two students that they have built a strong rapport with, so tackling homework turned out to be an easy success. And as a whole, students were more willing to finish their work as soon as possible,knowing the circumstances.

After tutoring, students partook in an Olympics that we helped the faculty set up. Some of the activities were a football toss, cup shuttle run, jump rope contest, etc. This activity highlights our presence in Seola Gardens, as the kids were running, jumping, screaming, and all the more. The kids seemed to be so relieved and free of any sort of possible stress that could have been built up from pressures at school. And by the time we left, students did not want us to leave as they were pledging us to be part of a Henna dye contest, watching them prepare Somali cake, etc.

For the team social activities, we went to the downtown Seattle Underground Tours and also had a ride on the ferry. The Underground Tours provided an 'alternative' perspective to the history of Seattle, as much of this history is disregarded. Walking in underground tunnels, looking at relics, and hearing about history was like being in a history class. Our ferry ride was enjoyable as we trekked to Bainbridge Island, which is a 30 minute ride from downtown. On the way back to Seattle, we were able to see the illuminated skyline front & center, and without fog no less.

As the journey has gone on, the amount of high points in each day has greatly outweighed the low points. It is to the point that many of our members had to really dig for 'low points', even though they were not necessarily low. Having the chance to explore downtown, Pikes Place, and tutor for the last time

were definite high points and low points were very basic, such as being sleep deprived. This is a tribute to the tenacity our team has but also the value that service has on us as a whole.