Calling and Purpose in Society, CAPS, this is what the fellowship is all about and how we, as individuals, find it within non-profit work. Over the course of the summer we have had some very thought provoking readings and discussions, in particular over Frederick Buechner’s idea that calling lies “where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”. And now as I am wrapping up the final two weeks of this internship I turn back to it. Finding the world’s deep hunger is a very daunting task; in the current state of the world there are many hungers that need our attention. Erie Neighborhood House’s focuses on the hunger involving immigration and supporting the Latinx community and within Erie House, the READS program helps engage students in literacy work over the summer. To some this may seem like we are getting further and further away from the truly deep hunger but in reality this program is helping many families receive support and resources that they need. This theme is at the core of most of the world’s hunger and one could consider those supports and resources the small hungers of the world creating the deep.
As I reflect back, I sometimes struggle to see how the work I did has contributed to this bigger picture, deeper hunger. When I come in everyday and fill up 24 water bottles, make four trips to the copy machine in an hour, and play legos with the students, or the day I had to swap out pencils for pens in 24 compasses I ask myself how this is contributing to making society better. The tasks seem so small and sometimes a little silly but it really does take all these small pieces to make the program run and be successful. On top of these smaller tasks, several lesson planning projects have been given to me. Some take more time than others depending on what resources were already created and if the activities need to be developed from scratch. These lesson plans span from ones being used in the summer program to the comprehension units during the school year. It is work like this that is much easier to relate to the bigger picture of being a part of this program, knowing that it will be used beyond my time with Erie House.
This certainly peaks my deep gladness for helping others. Getting to see the students engage with the lessons I was a part of creating fills me with deep gratitude for where I am in life. When I get to engage with the students especially in Spanish, It is incredibly rewarding to both get the experience of teaching children but also knowing that I am helping them grow their knowledge and become more confident readers and individuals.
As I enter the last two weeks I will carry this quote with me, not to question whether or not I have done enough or found the deepest hunger but, as a reminder that the small hungers and small gladnesses are the meeting points of their deeper counterparts.
Amelia Tandy, Erie Neighborhood House