A Holy Week to Remember

Sharon Comini's Mission to New York City

I have been volunteering with United Campus Ministry at Penn College for a little over a year now, and it was my privilege once again to serve the homeless with this special group of young adults.  We spent four days in New York City and worked in churches, soup kitchens, food pantries and even an elementary school. It was a week of hard work and service, but a week that was well worth it!

On Saturday, we traveled to New Jersey and participated in the service at Zion Lutheran Church. The students did an excellent job of reading Matthew’s account of Christ’s Passion. At St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church where we stayed we were part of a Palm Sunday parade, complete with a donkey and man portraying Jesus. The congregation heard a scripture reading on the outside steps of the church. The children rang bells while the adults waved palm branches.  The entire congregation of about 250 people marched around the block with Jesus and the gentle donkey leading the way. It was a very memorable experience for everyone who participated in it.

The physically demanding work started on Monday. One group went to a church to help prepare and serve lunch for the homeless. This was no regular soup kitchen. A chef from the Marriott Marquise Restaurant used his talents to prepare a five star meal for these people. Many of the students were culinary students at the college and were able to work alongside the chef. It was also our job to serve the meal to everyone in courses. The people who were there for lunch were very grateful for the excellent meal and the service that was provided with a smile. Another group worked in a food pantry, stocking items for the people shopping there. What struck me the most was that it was not a hand out. The people had to earn points in order for them to purchase what they wanted. It gave them a sense of dignity to have the opportunity to do their own shopping.

On Tuesday, one group went to the food bank, where they sorted, taped and cleaned up discarded packages from local grocery stores. It was a process that took most of the day. The other group had an opportunity to work with children at an elementary school in Brooklyn. One of the Penn College students had gone to school there, and she wanted to do something for her school. It turned out that this year was their 100th anniversary, so the college students made a large tree banner and worked with the kids to paint 100 handprints on it to celebrate this special time. The art teacher in me just loved this project, and we all came home with green paint under our nails and the memory of all the children’s smiles.

Although going through the process of raising their own funds and traveling to New York City to serve was an amazing way for the students to spend their spring break, they also realized that service can happen right in their own backyard, in many different ways. There is the Shepherd of the Street Ministry, St. Anthony’s Center, Journey House, and Providence House, just to name a few. These ministries all need willing volunteers to make a difference in the community. How can you serve in your own backyard? No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. What can you do to make a difference?

Your servant in Christ,

Sharon