'18-'19

What Does Community Really Mean?

Community. What does this word really mean? For me, the “Community” tenet of Good Shepherd Volunteers was the most difficult to imagine....

Open Thank You Letter

As I write this blog post, there are exactly 30 days left of my service year with Good Shepherd Volunteers. I am feeling many emotions as...

What I've Lost and What I've Found

I always really liked the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” I elaborated on this a little once...

But Why New Jersey?? A Call to Serve as a GSV During Gap Year Before Medical School

[This post was originally delivered as a speech by Martina Penalosa at the 2019 Good Shepherd Volunteers Spring Benefit] A year,...

Thank You for You

Upon committing to volunteering in Thailand, I knew the language barrier would be a significant challenge I’d face during the year....

Three Good Things

As a Good Shepherd Volunteer at Collier High School, my days are filled with cold mornings, substitute teaching, quiet lunch duties, and...

Our Common Ground

[This post was originally written for and published by the Global Sisters Report on October 31, 2018. See the post in its original form...

Food 4 Less: A Place of Community and a Place of Reckoning

I was introduced to Food 4 Less, a discount grocery store unique to California, on my second day in Los Angeles. I had spent my first...

Apathy Informed Care

The world of social work is a difficult one, and as such reminders to take care of ourselves are everywhere. In my interview process I...

Introducing the 2018-2019 Good Shepherd Volunteers!

We are elated to ring in our 26th year with 11 volunteers placed in California, New Jersey, New York, and Thailand! The Good Shepherd...