If you would have told me a year ago that I would be living in NYC doing a year of service, I would not have believed you. Although it would be impossible to even begin and explain this journey so far in words, I hope this blog can do the whole experience justice.
The story of my year of service started way before this year began. I was at a point in my life where I was really struggling to find my purpose physically, mentally, and spiritually. Where I was, was not representative of the person I hoped to become someday.
I remember looking at different year of service programs over the course of a month before finding GSV. I felt like after reading about Good Shepherd, it very much aligned with everything I believed as well. This was confirmed tenfold when I picked up the phone and called Austin, our director. He stayed on the phone with me for an hour and told me all about GSV. Do you know when someone is so enthusiastic and excited about something that it gets you excited? That is how I felt after speaking with him. Even through the process of applying and interviews, Austin and Elsie were constantly present to answer the many, many questions I had, and to reassure me about any of my concerns. I graduated college in 2020 and was blessed with a wonderful job, and even though I knew it was not fulfilling long term, it was not the easiest to leave and move away from everyone I knew. I prayed a lot before accepting my role as a GSV for this year. And even though I was nervous about the experience, every time I prayed, I got an overwhelming feeling that GSV was the right decision for me.
When my new community and I arrived in NYC we were able to spend a week at Collier, where some of the amazing Sisters of the Good Shepherd reside. We were met with such an intense feeling of love and support from all the Sisters and our GSV staff. I think I can speak for my community when I say we all felt immediately that we had make the right decision. I had such a profuse sense of peace and I remember happy crying in my room the first night because I knew without any doubt that this is where I was supposed to be.
After orientation, we were able to settle into our GSV apartment and really bond together as a community. Our community is made up of myself, Kat, and Torren. They are both so incredible and I feel so fortunate that the universe brought us all together. Not only are they both hilarious and fun to be around, but they both have so much character and integrity, it makes me want to be better. I hold them both in such high regard and know that we will all be bonded for life through this journey. When I think of our motto–“Just Love”–I feel it through them.
After settling in, I began work at Family Foster Care in the Bronx. Being immersed in this community has opened my eyes to so much and I am constantly learning more about the community we are serving and the deep-rooted struggles with which they are faced. I have enjoyed not only working with the youth we serve, but also getting the hands-on experience of being able to shadow people from every department at my placement site. Everyone has a different role and a unique perspective. This has allowed me to see many distinct parts of the foster care system and see the “whole picture.”
Retreats are scattered throughout the year as an enjoyable way for us to reconnect and recommit to our tenets. This past weekend, staff and our community support person, Star, hosted our community retreat. The main theme of our retreat was “being known”; “to be loved is to be seen.” We spent time having deep conversations and getting to know each other on a deeper level. We spent time recharging, which was much needed after a busy first couple of months. We were also able to make time for some fun fall activities! We went to a petting zoo and a pumpkin patch, and we were able to spend the night around a fire making smores and chatting. These retreats are something you do not realize how much you need until you are there. It is an amazing time to ground and “stop and smell the flowers.” Life is NYC is non-stop for everyone and can be oversaturating at points, so these retreats allow us to take a step back. I enjoyed our retreat thoroughly and look forward to our other ones this year.
Altogether, I cannot say enough good things about this entire process and our GSV team. Our community has so much support and I am so blessed to be able to call myself a GSV.
Written by:
Cat MacDonald
Washington Heights Community,
2024-2025
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