My service learning experienced this spring semester at Pace University, for Peace and Justice Studies (class) consisted of volunteering 21 hours to Habitat for Humanity. Twenty-one hours at the Habitat for Humanity store location in New Rochelle, New York. My volunteer work start on March 25 th and end April 22 nd. Throughout this experienced I learned a lot about the Westchester community and the satisfaction that one feels after servicing their community

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. We build with people in need regardless of race or religion. We welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds. Habitats works consist of building sustainable, energy-efficient and healthy housing when ever possible. They work to build simple, decent, and affordable housing to low-income families around the world. However, there reason that habitat builds. Habitat for Humanity builds because nearly 2 billion people around the world live in slum housing and over 100 million are homeless. Habitat for Humanity is needed to help eliminate poverty by providing simple, decent shelter to those in need. Especially after wars, or even natural disaster that leave many people homeless or displaced, Habitat works to provide shelter for these people in such critical times.

Habitat for Humanity works seven days a week giving back to the community; whether it’s building at construction sites or selling donated goods at their storefronts. Of course Habitat has people that work for the organization, but they can always use volunteers is the saying of Jim Killoran; the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity in New Rochelle, New York. My volunteer work helped to further assist Habitat in all their objectives of supplying and organizing the storefront on Main St of New Rochelle. My work just gave them another helping hand in their goal to help serve the community.

The Friday’s I volunteered at Habitat for Humanity consist of driving half an hour to New Rochelle from Pleasantville, working 5 to 6 hours volunteering, and then driving back. There were days I strictly help unloading and packing the Habitat for Humanity vans with donated good. And there were days I helped organize and do deliveries from the shop. The first day I worked for five community service hours; I worked from 11 am until 4 pm. That day’s service work consisted of myself and two of the Habitat workers going on a trip to New York City to pick up towels from the Buckingham Hotel. I helped pack the truck with about 12 garbage bags full of clean white towels. Then we returned to the Habitat store and we unloaded the truck. Packing away the towels in the store, where they will be sold during the week. For the rest of my service hours, I was helping to move around packages in the Habitat store. I basically just helped the shopkeeper with anything that she needed to be done in the store. The second day, I worked for five community service hours. I worked from noon to 5 pm. The service work consisted of working along side Jim Killoran’s and his son Danny. I helped pick up furniture from numerous houses and load it into the Habitat truck. It was nice to see people giving away some valuable items they are no longer using back to the community. People donated their couches or desk and were more than happy to contribute to Habitat. I learned that the Habitat for Humanity has grown so popular that often there are time where people are put on a waiting list for pick of their donates. The third day I worked for five community service hours with Habitat for Humanity; I worked from 12 pm until 5 pm. That day I was working along side of Mary (she runs the Habitat store), in the store and working with Danny (He does delivery and pick ups). However, for most of the day I was working with Danny. I helped move furniture from the Habitat truck to the homes and to the Habitat storage garage in Mt. Vernon. The lady who had bought the furniture had Danny and I carry a desk up 3 flights of stairs. She was very grateful for our help. I also helped Mary in the store for a few hours. Just moving things around and helping people carry their newly bought items to their vehicles. And on my last day of service work, I strictly worked in the Habitat store. I did a bunch of things from make deliveries to customers down the block to reorganizing the shop. I had worked from 11:30 am until 5:30 pm. It was kind of sad leaving Habitat for now, but I think one day I will return to do some more community service.

The End Furthermore, my volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity really opened my eyes to the good feeling received from doing community service. I learned a lot from being around the people that work at Habitat for Humanity. That was one of my goals going into service learning; to try and pick up any additional knowledge possible. I learned how to better deal with people and to become a stronger multi-tasker. Overall the feeling one gets from helping someone you know has dealt with a lot of adversity in life is in describable. I just recommend working with Habitat of Humanity to anyone. I have already told my friends on campus and back home about my experiences. Hopefully they will have a similar experience. In conclusion I want to end this with something I learned from the executive director Jim Killoran of Habitat. Jim once told me, “to never take anything in life for granted”. These words have inspired me to be grateful for everyday I have on this earth, and to try and give back to the people around me.