By Pascale Ngo

Last week, I volunteered in Philadelphia for five days with the Alternative Spring Break Team (ASPT) through the Office of Student Leadership and Activities (OSLA) with Assistant Director Kimberly Rhyan’s planning. Although the trip was open to all University students, only five went. When I told people that I was going on the trip, many said that they did not hear anything about it. I knew about it because I always go to the OSLA office for club-related things and also saw announcements on the Hofstra Online Portal. The only thing that kept me from wanting to go was the fact that I had to raise $425. Despite that, I wrote fundraising letters and was able to go thanks to the generosity of members of my church, as well as University offices who helped my team with our fundraising. I believe the fundraising aspect of the trip stopped a lot of people from signing up , but I am glad that I went.

We stayed in a building that housed about 30 people. Our group was there with two other groups from Texas. The building included a kitchen, living room, a few couches, along with two showers and two restrooms on each floor.

On our first day, we settled down and took a driving tour of the city. Our host, noted that the school system’s drop-out rate is 50 percent and that 72 percent of the city’s children live in a single-parent household. She also mentioned that there are 7,000 homeless people who live in the streets and in many abandoned buildings in the city. These statistics really stuck with me.

This trip was the ultimate volunteer experience. It was both educational and cross-cultural at the same time. From one end of the spectrum, we packed boxes with food and sorted through toys at a seasonal Salvation Army location. These behind-the-scene acts of volunteering gave us a chance to work together to make a difference in a person’s life. We also went to a nursing home and spoke with elderly people. We went to a facility for people with disabilities and helped with a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. At the other end, we served food to homeless people and gave them hygiene kits (donated via the on-campus drive). Additionally, we also went to two after-school programs where we spent time with the kids.

Each of the different sites challenged me to step out of my comfort zone. Before this trip, to me, volunteering meant things like shelving books at a local library or singing carols at a nursing home. At the nursing home in Philadelphia, all I did was talk to the elderly people. Some of them did not respond, but it was just like talking to my grandmother when she was still alive. She rarely responded, but I could see in her eyes that she knew I was keeping her company. It is easy for a person to feel lonely, especially if they are neglected and ignored.

Volunteering is much more than just giving your time to a group of people. It is knowing that you can make a difference with the simplest gesture. You don’t have to be in another country or state to consider yourself a volunteer; you can be one at home, school or work. The smallest gestures can make a difference in someone’s day.

Pascale Ngo is a junior mathematics/education student. You may e-mail her at pngo1@pride.hofstra.edu.