July 28, 2017

by: Guest Contributor

Reflections on a Year of Volunteering at UCP

This week’s blog was written by Emma Sikes, our 2016-2017 Jesuit Volunteer.

For the past year, I have been serving as the Jesuit Volunteer (JV) here at UCP—and what a year it has been! The Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) is a service program that works at both the international and national levels. It sends and supports recent college graduates as they live in a co-op setting with other volunteers and explore the Jesuit values of spirituality, community, simple living, and social justice. In practical terms, this means that I live in a house with six other volunteers who all work full-time jobs at non-profit organizations, such as a domestic violence shelter, a drop-in center for the homeless, and a refugee resettlement agency. We receive a small budget from JVC for our living expenses, and share a car, space, food, and responsibilities. We take turns making supper, washing dishes, doing chores, and running weekly “spirituality nights” and “community nights.” These nights help us engage in the Jesuit values by doing activities like yoga, attending local block clubs, or participating in group reflections. We try to make intentional choices of how we spend our time and resources to best reflect our own understanding of the values.  This sometimes leads to great ideas, like our simplicity challenge jar, which encourages us to take shorter showers and spend time reading together. Other times it leads to less productive outcomes, like arguments over the volume of our bagel consumption. Undoubtedly, it has not been an easy year, but it has been a good year.

I was matched with my placement at UCP through a process of mutual discernment that required a series of interviews and agreements, but was ultimately my choice. There is a one-year commitment for JVs in the national program, but you can apply for an additional year if you wish (in fact, my roommate is continuing her service in Montana next year). I had never worked with individuals with disabilities before coming to Cleveland, and now I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. For me I don’t think there is a typical day at UCP; I am always finding new projects and enjoy the flexibility and fast pace. Generally, my day consists of a mix-and-match of two or three activities, including teaching a class (like Health and Safety or Explorers), running an activity (such as swimming, biking, or gardening), and bringing clients out in the community (to the Ronald McDonald House, MedWish, library, or art museum). I have grown and learned in my role, in large part thanks to the support and patience of the wonderful staff and clients at UCP.  I have seen the great diversity, potential, and richness of character of our clients, and have learned by example to promote their wellbeing and autonomy. This doesn’t mean that our clients are infallible or saintly, but they are truly some of the most caring, motivated, and resilient individuals that I have had the pleasure to know. I have loved learning about them—their quirks, likes, and lives—and from them, and watching them grow and engage in the community. Volunteering at UCP, especially long-term, is an endeavor that I would recommend for everyone. It has been an eye-opening experience that has given me insights into myself, into individuals with disabilities, and into the greater community. In fact, I am overjoyed for the next JV, Ellen, to join the UCP family in late August. She is in for an amazing whirlwind of a year!

Community for me isn’t a place, it is a group of people and the environment they foster together. I will be taking the sense of community I found here in Cleveland and especially here at UCP with me as I move back to Boston, and begin medical school next fall. I strive to bring that feeling of compassionate work and care into all aspects of my future life. Thank you for being a part of this life-changing year, UCP.

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