Catholic Charities Changed My Perspective by Brandon

Catholic Charities Changed My Perspective by Brandon - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

Coming from a public middle school and transitioning into a private school like San Joaquin Memorial, where service hours are a requirement, taught me the importance of giving my time to other things that don't have to do with me. Since my freshman year, I began to like doing service hours, I thought that making it a requirement was a good idea because it helped me realize that there are so many families and individuals struggling out there and it gave me the motivation to do food for myself. Later on, I didn't see it as an obligation or something I need too do because it was required, no I did service hours because I enjoyed it, especially at Catholic Charities where I truly felt like I was giving back to the community in a big way because of all the families I would see and build connections with them with how often I saw them over the summer. I always did more than the minimum, it was something I truly enjoyed and it kept me busy. It taught me life lessons and I appreciate the things o learned from serving my community, it genuinely was something special.

My most special memory from Catholic Charities would have to be during the Thanksgiving when we are giving out the turkeys and other food for the families to enjoy around their dinner table. Seeing a lot of Latino/Hispanic families helped me relate to them, and it warmed my heart to help them translate and me speaking Spanish and letting them know that I'm here if they need anything and to enjoy their Thanksgiving together. There were many Hispanic families that were there, one family that stuck out, was a mother, with both her sons. She didn't know any Spanish, so I translated everything she needed to know for the food drive, and helped her get all the things she needed for her family, and helped her carry everything to her car. What impacted me the most, is that it reminded me of my family, because it was just my mom, my brother, and I, so it gave me a sense of innocence remembering my family, and how it was when I was little. It has always given me a joy that I know Spanish to help those Hispanic families that don't, because coming from a Hispanic family and my mom not knowing English that well, it makes me reflect that I hope when my mom ever needs help someone step in for her and help her. Working at Catholic Charities and being able to communicate with the different families that go there for help, was my most memorable memory. It made me have a deeper understanding of the struggle, and it made me appreciate a lot more about the things I have and not worry about the things that I don't have because the things I don't have and want aren't necessarily important, and that's what Catholic Charities made me realize.