Service Trip to New York City
Friday Feb 6- Saturday 7th
Serve the homeless and enjoy life in NYC
Friday 1pm: Depart New Haven for NYC
4pm: Start Youth Service Opportunities Project as Described Below
Saturday 5pm: You’re free! Go play in NYC. Return to New Haven at your leisure.
Cost to you: $20
Included: Train Ticket, Food, Shelter, Awesomeness
We will be participants in a Youth Service Opportunities Projec.
The project begins with preparing an evening meal for homeless people who sleep in church or synagogue shelters nearby. The shelter guests and students come together for a relaxing dinner and social time. This relatively brief service project gives all students a common experience and begins to break down stereotypes about homeless people. Later in the evening in an orientation session, students meet with a resource person, someone involved in direct service to homeless and hungry people or advocacy. In sharing frontline experiences and reflections, the speaker draws the students into a discussion on the causes of homelessness and hunger, society's response to homelessness, and the students own feelings about these issues.
Part of the YSOP experience involves living in a simple manner. Students sleep in sleeping bags on the floor, eat simple meals and do without showers. Simple living gives the students a greater ability to focus on the service work and its meaning in their lives.
The next day begins with a discussion about volunteering and preparation for serving. Each participant shares what he or she will bring to the service work for the day. We also emphasize measures to assure the safety of all participants. Then the group is divided into smaller teams, each with a mentor. The teams travel on foot or public transportation to service sites in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Students prepare and serve meals at soup kitchens; they help at clothing and furniture banks; they provide recreational activities and companionship to young children; they distribute food and supplies at food pantries; they socialize and bring snacks to people in drop-in centers. YSOP carefully and regularly monitors all worksites to ensure that the sites are organized and safe, that YSOP volunteers are utilized efficiently and that everyone is treated with respect.
Everyone returns to YSOP to share impressions of the day. Each team describes its work and challenges faced. Team members answer questions from the group and make comments. In a final gathering, each person is encouraged to reflect upon and then share with the group their impressions of the YSOP experience. Participants are encouraged to think of ways in which they can connect the YSOP experience to their daily lives.
[Adapted from http://www.ysop.org/overnight.htm]
