At some point, each of us reaches that perennial crossroads. I approached such an intersection at 29 after earning a master’s degree in history. Should I look for a job or go into a doctoral program right away? A year of community service seemed to be an excellent opportunity to sort out my options and reach a decision while helping others in need. There were other programs, such as Americorps, but the C.C.S.C. appealed to me the most because of my Christian faith.
If you apply to the C.C.S.C., you will be asked to choose a “heart” match among the list of available placements, one that you believe closely fits your talents and desires in performing community service. Wise advice, but don’t be afraid to choose a position that will challenge you to develop some personal abilities and even reveal latent ones. It is our duty to aid those in need to the best of our ability, and our privilege to grow on multiple levels in the process of dispensing charity and advocating justice. During the 2009-2010 service year, I am helping refugees in the Buffalo area apply for green cards and bring over their relatives in the Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Assistance Program. While the job’s specific duties do not match any of my previous professional or academic experiences, I am nonetheless already growing in my ability to communicate with people and in my compassion for those who are adjusting to a new and hopefully much better life in our country.
A logical question is where my faith fits in with a position whose duties require me to help many refugees who are of a variety of faiths, especially Muslims and Buddhists. Christ’s call to service for the poor, for the stranger, and anyone else in need is not qualified by such personal characteristics, reflective of his Father’s unconditional love. In humility, I hope to serve as an example of the Christian spirit of charity and justice that the C.C.S.C. implements through its programs.