A Letter from the Editor
A Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers,
Each day, hundreds of students donate their free time to help others. These volunteers engage in work in a variety of places, including hospitals, homeless shelters, and even gardens. Volunteers contribute in a multitude of different ways and in effect help their community. However, the reason why students volunteer is debatable.
Some students volunteer because they wish to make a difference in somebody’s life. Others, on the other hand, volunteer so that they can impress colleges. The latter believe that volunteering is no longer an activity that students wish to do, but one that students feel obligated to do.
In this edition of the Youth Workshop, we explore the minds of several student volunteers. They reveal their experiences with and opinions about volunteering. Hopefully, these articles will aid those who are considering becoming a volunteer and expose different ways of thinking about volunteering.
Either way, no matter how volunteering is seen, perhaps the only thing that really matters is that volunteering does help. As Hellen Keller once said, “So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.”
Sincerely,
Lily Xia
Editor in Chief
Youth Workshop
A special thanks to my staff for helping out with this issue. Even though all of you are so busy with everything else that you need to do, you still made time to write your articles and sent them in on time. That’s quite an accomplishment! I also owe a great big thank you to my assistant edito r for helping me find enough writers. Thank you all for making this edition of CCCA the best one yet!
An Unexpected Surprise at the Health Care Center
By Christine Liu
When I first wondered about where I should volunteer, a couple of choices went through my head, including the local library, the Hillcrest Senior Center, and of course the oh-so obvious Los Robles Hospital. But after determining from which place I could take away the best experience, I immediately decided on the senior center. From television shows and movies, I believed that I would be helping nice, wise seniors with whom I could play an arousing round of checkers or just talk about the philosophy of life. I thought that it would be a nice, quaint place where all the seniors could sweetly fight over BINGO. Now don’t get me wrong, I did indeed meet many seniors who were sweet and kind, and the health care center was excellent, but I did not understand the reality of a senior center. Oh silly me, how could I have been so na?v e about such an obvious truth (actually, why don’t we just blame the media for warping my mind).
I never really gave much thought as to why this sort of institution existed. Instead, I just illogically and childishly believed that it was just a place where seniors could live and make many friends and participate in fun activities. But as I became more conscious of the senior center’s environment, I became aware that such a center existed because the adult children could not take care
of their parents anymore, usually because the children did not have the resources at home to fully care for them.
When I entered the center on my first day
of volunteer work, the first thing that hit me was
the pungent smells of the medicine, cleaning
liquids, and frankly, the scent of old people.
Next, I noticed that each patient was in a
wheelchair. Finally, it hit me that the experience
I had imagined was clearly impossible,
especially since most of the seniors were too
frail or confused to share the wisdom and their
nostalgias of the past with me. I became reluctant to go back to such a depressing place, a place that I had such big expectations for but that created a heavy burden on my shoulders every time I walked into the building, reminding me of the imminent aging that no soul can escape. I wondered how the staff members could stand to be in this kind of an environment working every day, but like soldiers pushing on, they do.
I have often wished that I somehow had gotten a wondrous epiphany out of my volunteer work. For instance, I wish that I had come to the revelation that I was doing great deeds for the elderly or come to the realization that I was helping out a generation that holds so much invaluable experience and knowledge since they were the ones who experienced so many decades of events. But, to no avail, the eerie presence of sickness and old age overcomes all. However, I have learned a simple lesson—I will do everything in my power to avoid sending my parents to a senior center.
A Dream that Turned into Reality
By Jane Liu
It began as a dream. There I was, battling off poverty by raking in thousands of dollars for broken families all across the globe. I imagined lemonade stand franchising, door-to-door chocolate bar selling, and instrumental quarte ts on the side of a street…the list went on and on. The dream began in the eighth grade. That was the year my English teacher assigned us a group community service project, in which I spent countless nights ruining batches of watery lemon bars for bake sales. It was sometime amidst the cookie selling that I began to care about the needy and all of these fantasies ensued.
It was a wonderful dream I had, yet altogether too idealistic. In the end, I never got around to doing any of the fundraisers. I told my conscience many excuses as to why my vision was not becoming a reality. I don’t have the time or the resources to pull it through. No one’s helping me organize the fundraisers. My schedule is too busy. I have to study. I lived day by day this way. As I look back, I regret to say that what little motive I did have was impure and meant for my own personal gain.
In the past, I had generally pictured community service as another item to write on college applications in the future. Yes, I had some concern regarding the issues of the poverty stricken and the helpless, but I definitely held more concern for getting into some prestigious Ivy League. The order of my priorities probably had something to do with why I never possessed the incentive to raise money for the homeless.
Fortunately, a glorious event came during the
end of my freshman year that served as a
breakthrough in my non-existent volunteering career.
The youth group at my church planned a trip to a
homeless shelter for us. I was extremely excited to
finally do something about my laziness, which I
feared might slowly mutate into apathy in the future,
so of course I signed up. It changed my entire outlook
on life.
Around thirty or forty of us arrived at the
Ventura County Rescue Mission on a Sunday afternoon. We were immediately put to work chopping, peeling, serving, and washing. Since we were preparing food for around 200 people, it took a lot of teamwork and collaboration to pull this all off. It wasn’t hard because there were so many of us. This gave those of us who were finished with our work time to actually sit with the homeless people as well as rehab residents and talk to them. My friend and I mustered the courage to sit with a variety of people and ask them questions about their lives. We made small talk and found that those we talked with were sociable, warm people.
We learned amazing testimonies from each person we spoke to: where they came from, how they came to be where they were today, and how they are improving their lifestyles. I was surprised to learn how grateful they were to us for helping out at the shelter and taking the time to talk to them. More than once my friend and I were told, “You two are angels.” I cannot describe the feeling of being called an angel by someone living in such painful circumstances. I can say, however, that from my monthly trips to the rescue mission, I have found helping the needy to be both an intimate and humbling experience. It has taught me true compassion and sympathy.
The Simple Joys of Life
By Linda Peng
I once read the quote, “I like kids and I like old people just fine, it’s the people in the middle that I’m not sure about.” Although I can’t completely agree with this quote, being someone in the “middle” myself, I’ve definitely experienced the joys of working with senior citizens. This past summer, I volunteered every Wednesday morning at the Los Robles Hospital’s East Campus. I greeted people, mostly seniors, and asked them to sign in
as they entered the hospital. Most of these patients
were people going in for cardiac rehabilitation after
having a major surgery. As I greeted each person,
some would tell me an interesting story or two
about their life as a high school student. One
elderly man even told me that he took the SAT
when he was forty years old! Of course, it has
changed a lot since then, but it is still fascinating to
learn about America many years ago.
These senior citizens have shown me how to appreciate life. When life is drawing to a close, they want to cherish every moment of every day, which is something that most of us teenagers take for granted. I see in their eyes an extra twinkle of appreciation for everything, even something as simple as a smile. Only by volunteering have I truly learned to value every minute and every moment of life.
One of my fellow volunteers, Marion, a senior citizen, told me
that days seem to go by quicker and quicker. Now that she is
retired, she loves volunteering at the hospital and at different
elementary schools. What a great way to spend the golden
years of your life! Volunteering truly gives me a sense of joy
that my own accomplishments cannot. Knowing that I have
brightened just one person’s day and contributed slightly to
this world, I leave the hospital feeling happy, content, and
inspired.
These senior citizens have shown me the remarkable variety of unique people that can exist in the world, or even in just one local hospital. Each person I greet has a different personality, from sarcastically humorous to genuinely kind. One special patient once wore a shirt with the slogan, “I’m not 70, I’m 50, with 20 years of experience.” This almost made me
laugh out loud. The sense of humor and the sincerity of each person is
refreshing, especially in a world where I hardly see people truly
enjoying and appreciating the little gifts in life. Dave, an elderly security
guard, greets every person with heartfelt enthusiasm, never failing to
remember each individual’s name and earnestly caring about how each
person is doing. I hardly see this kind of caring kindness in the young
generation of today, but working with these remarkable seniors has
shown me a new view on life, in which everything should be appreciated
and enjoyed.
At the end of the summer during my last morning shift, Gretchen, a long-term patient, handed me a couple of flowers that she had picked on her morning walk outside. I smiled to myself as I left them sitting on the volunteer desk for others to enjoy, so that maybe they too, would remember to appreciate the small but wonderful joys of life.
The Fun of Volunteering
By Hans Weidman
When people think about volunteering, they often think about people serving food at shelters for the homeless, cleaning floors at the local hospital or washing dishes at nursing homes. Of course those are all prime examples of volunteering, but it doesn’t really sum up the true meaning and value of volunteering.
Many teens that help out at hospitals and nursing homes are
forced into “volunteering” by their parents. Either that, or they are
attempting to gain credit for community service so that they seem like
caring students when they apply for college. The truth is, volunteering
really shouldn’t be that way. The definition of “volunteering” is “to
perform or offer to perform a service of one's own free will.” This
means that everyone should help others out because they feel the need
to, not because they were forced to go. Besides, volunteering benefits
people in ways nothing else ever can.
Volunteering teaches people lessons in life. Staying at home,
watching television, and sleeping probably don’t teach very much.
While working among people who have had their world collapse around them and have gone through more than is imaginable, one can start to appreciate life more and come to
a new sense of reality about what the world is really like. In many cases,
volunteering can teach lessons in an easier way and help avoid finding something out
the hard way. For example, once when I was mopping up the floor at a homeless
shelter, I realized I had been standing wherever I had just finished cleaning a spot,
and the dirt from my shoes left muddy shoe marks all over the floor I had just cleaned. I would rather have found that out then instead of before a large meeting where I would be responsible for making the floor look clean!
Volunteering gives one a sense of worth as well.
Knowing that someone benefited from your help is a very heart-
warming feeling. Feeling needed by someone who doesn’t even
know you is very special too. How many times have you sat
down and wondered what would make your life worthwhile?
After coming home from a hard day of helping others, many
people will find that there is a whole new aspect to life they
didn’t even know was there. Everyone wants to make some
impact on his or her environment, whether it is family, school,
community, or even country. What could impact people more
than actually getting involved in their lives and helping them see
themselves differently or helping them through a crisis?
Volunteering involves a passion for what you are working on and for helping others. When you feel passionate about something, it completely changes the situation no matter what the conditions are. Most people would never believe that washing dishes and scrubbing floors is actually enjoyable. The truth is, once everyone is together doing the work because they genuinely want to help others, volunteering becomes an incredibly exciting activity. After returning from my first time helping out at a homeless shelter, I was ready to go back every week! If going home and sleeping is the only objective of the day, everything is going to be dull, miserable and slow.
Most importantly, volunteer for something that is your
strength or that you really enjoy doing. Join something that you
can really feel involved in and involve others in as well.
Volunteering isn’t a chore. Volunteering should be exciting and
thrilling, almost akin to a hobby. Imagine what the world would
be like if no one wanted to help others out? The world would, in
a very real sense, completely collapse! That is why volunteers
are so important. There are no requirements for being a
volunteer, no classes that need to be taken. All it takes is a heart
that is willing to help improve the lives of others; that is the real
fun of volunteering.
Interaction with Others at the Gardens of the World
By Nini Xie
What is a better way to spend your mornings than strolling peacefully through different gardens from various parts of the world and breathing in the fragrant air of blossoming flowers? As a Junior Docent, I have the privilege of doing this every Sunday at the Gardens of the World.
The Gardens of the World features five different
gardens representing Japan, Italy, France, England, and the
California Missions. As stated in their brochures, the
Gardens were created with the purpose of “bringing the
beauty of the world to the Conejo Valley.” Not only do they
succeed in doing so, but they also serve as an oasis from a
busy, modern life. The time I spend at the Gardens is also a
moment for me to put my own life aside and to interact with
others and focus on their lives.
I have been a Junior Docent at the Gardens of the World for more than a year now and I enjoy every minute that I spend there. As a volunteer, I greet visitors, answer questions, and assist in giving tours. The Gardens of the World allow me to talk to and get to know people in my community. I remember a particular instance of how a simple greeting to a visitor led to an interesting conversation about his childhood in his native country of Central America. Whenever I help out a visitor at the
Gardens, I feel as if I am helping the community in my own way. I remember the
times when language barriers prevented some visitors from communicating with
the senior docents. During moments like these, I quickly grasp the opportunity to
speak to the visitors in their native tongue, whether it is Chinese or Spanish. At
the Gardens I learn to appreciate and embrace the different cultures of different people. I take joy in being able to share my knowledge about the different gardens with the visitors and hearing their opinions and feedback. Whenever I give a tour or answer visitors’ questions, I feel as if I made a little contribution to their lives.
The Gardens of the World is also a place for me to interact with young children. It warms my heart every time I see the immense delight in children’s
eyes when I ask them if they want to feed the Koi fish in the Japanese garden. The
sound of the children’s laughter as they w atch and feed the fish is music to my
ears.
The time I spend at the Gardens of the World is an opportunity for me to give back to my community. One of my favorite quotes has always been, “You will find as you look back upon your life, that the moments th at stand out are the moments when you have done things for others.” I know that although my contribution to the lives of others at the Gardens of the World may be small, it will always leave a mark in my heart.
Defeating the Purpose
By Sasha Yan
“It’s so nice of you to volunteer,” a patient tells me while we wait for the elevator on the third floor of the local hospital. At first, I thought, “I’m not doing this because I’m nice.” However, I smiled and told her how rewarding volunteering was. I don’t know i f she picked up the sarcasm or sappiness during our chat about how “nice I was to give back to the community,” but I realized that most people have misconceived notions about student volunteers. Volunteering is misrepresented and in some ways blown out of proportion.
The most popular place for high school students to
volunteer is at their local hospital. In this case, the directors of
volunteering portray the hospital as a place where volunteers
aspiring to be in the medical field can learn and advance their
knowledge of medicine. This is completely ridiculous. The closest
thing to medical experience a volunteer can get is reading the
meal menus while waiting for the elevator and learning what sick
people eat. Volunteers just perform menial tasks that no one else
wants to do that have no moral lesson or medical experience. So
what are volunteers? Well, they’re gophers. That’s right, “go-
fors.” Fetching meal trays, newspapers and paperwork is really all
that they do. What volunteers really do don’t entail anything
heroic or self-sacrificing, contrary to what many believe.
Another horrible truth is that most of the volunteers don’t even want to be there.
In reality, the volunteers are not there to help others; they’re there to help themselves. Colleges and universities like to have well-rounded students; this includes community service because they like to see that the person gives back to others. With colleges getting pickier and pickier, students will try their hardest to stand out and impress the schools. The problem is that everyone volunteers, and because everyone volunteers, you also have to volunteer lest you fall behind and become that one person out of one hundred who doesn’t volunteer. Students develop a sense of obligation to volunteer, which d efeats the purpose of volunteering. Merriam Webster defines volunteering as “offering or bestowing from one’s own choice or consent.” Due to peer pressure and constant parental nagging, volunteering has become a chore that all college bound students must complete.
Students don’t volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts when they already have so much to do. Between band, track, and homework, there’s barely enough time to sleep, much less devote to others. Students make time to volunteer because it h as almost become a requirement. I’m not saying that volunteering is pointless or anything else along that line, but that I couldn’t honestly tell someone that I volunteered to give back to my community. Volunteering has turned students into the worst kinds of philanthropists.
社區服務啟示
By Carol Chou
社區服務有很多性質，可以是枯燥的文
件處理,也可以是真實且另類的人生體驗。兩
年前，經由數學老師的介紹，我得知原來我
們社區有一個免費提供醫療協助的機構叫做
Westminster Free Clinic 。這個團隊，從醫生
到護士，從口譯人員到專業社工，都是不收
分文地替社區中的無保險低收入戶服務。如
此有奉獻精神的一個團隊，讓我迫不及待的
想要成為他們的一員。
經過面試的篩選，大慨有十五到二十個
和我相同年紀的人入選成為Westminster
Free Clinic 的學生義工。緊接著，就是一連
串的訓練課程和實習。診所對學生義工的要
求很嚴格，因為診所沒有經費聘請專業的醫
療助手，學生義工必須代替這個攸關病人權
益的角色。我們要清楚地了解診所的權利範
圍，避免不必要的爭執發生﹔我們要準確地測
量病人的脈搏，呼吸次數，以及其他身體狀
況，以便提供醫生看診時參考﹔在工作時間
內，要保持專業，不可使用手機，也不可提
早離開。種種的要求和訓練給了我們比同年
齡的青少年們早一步成熟以及獨立的機會。 如今我已經在診所服務兩年了。這兩年內我學到了許多醫療常識。我對醫療這個行業有了全新的認知。許多在診所服務的醫生都會跟我們分享他們的人生故事，原來成為一位成功的醫生背後，需要的是努力和愛心。 提早接觸各種行業是幫助釐清自己志向的一個好方法，在診所工作期間，我了解到多種職業的運作，很多職業比如藥劑師，牙醫，律師，營養師，心理醫師都比我想像的艱難許多，也讓我有充分時間提早做好進入社會的心理準備。 當然，這兩年內我所學到的不只是一些基本的醫療常識，更值得我珍惜的是一些我永遠無法在教科書上找到的知識。因為我在診所協助的大部分都是無法承擔醫療保險的病人，這使我認識到美國醫療制度的缺陷﹕越是貧困的人，越無法獲得妥善的醫療資助。我看到人們在逆境中求生存，在最艱難的時刻仍然積極地勇敢面對。如果要尋找讓我學習的對象，我想，能夠在困境中依然保持堅
強的病人是最適合的了!
青少年工作室徵才
對編輯，採訪，寫作有興趣的同學，
請向鄭美芳818-991-7525報名
The “Youth Workshop ” is a special section dedicated to youth only. This section is contributed and edited by young writers, and reflects our younger generation ’s understanding of Chinese culture and history. Those who are interested in contributing to this section by writing up in Chinese and English or by participating in editing are encouraged to apply to Ms. Meifang Jeng, our editor and coach in charge of the “Youth Workshop ”
. Phone: 818-991-7525, Email: meifang_j@https://www.wendangku.net/doc/4715169623.html,.
Variety and Volunteering
By Bob Li
我叫李一鑫，在千橡城上高中十二年級。在美國住了七年多以後，我最常聽得一句就是“you can achieve your dreams if you work hard。(只要努力去做，你就會實現你的夢想。)”沒錯，在美國只要是努力，任何事情都可實現。所以每一個做父母的都會督促他的孩子要認真學習。尤其是亞洲來的父母，非常關注孩子們的成績，就是為了他們能夠上一個好的大學然後有好的生活條件。
但是在美國競爭這麼激烈的情況下，只有好的成績是不夠的，還有一個不可缺的條件就是做義工。現在想要進入一個好的大學，一個基本條件就是義工服務。大學很看重義工服務﹐因為做義工可以幫助增加社會經驗和促進領導能力的成長。作為一個在美國的中國人，我必須更加努力的學習。我天生個性很內向，大部分在學業上的事情對我來說不是特別的難，但是做義工是給我的另一種考驗。因為做義工的時候我必須要經常跟人交往，在我剛一開始做義工的時候我經常會有尷尬的一刻。我經常不知道應該對那些陌生人說什麼，有時候我還會故意不看一個人﹐然後讓別的做義工的人來幫他。但是經過三年多的訓練，參加過各種不同的義工服務，我也不再會成心不理會一個陌生人。我會親自走到一個需要幫助的人面前﹐然後問他需不需要幫忙。
我做的第一個義工就是在千橡城基督教會裡舉辦的兒童童子軍幫忙。我那時是一個九年級的“幼稚兒”﹐只會聽別人給我的命令。每一個星期二的晚上，我的父母就把我送到教會，然後我站在那些比我大一些的高中生旁邊，看著他們領導著許多上小學和中學的孩子們玩遊戲。我的責任就是幫著排列一些桌椅和收拾一些玩具。我心裡想我大概永遠不會像他們一樣叫出口號和控制那些調皮的孩子們。
我又參加了千橡城圖書館的義工活動。這一個比我第一個作的義工要難一些，因為這個工作的責任就是讓小孩參加一個讀書活動。我必須和那些小孩子們的父母交談，告訴他們這個活動的來龍去脈。我開始做的時候，我的經歷和第一個義工的經歷差不多，經常不知道應該幹什麼。但是經過一段時間的訓練，我也就逐漸習慣了，而且不再害怕陌生人。
我最近又找著了一份新的義工活動，這也是我做義工以來最有趣也是最難的一個。我現在在照顧一個五歲大的小男孩。他是一個非常特殊的小孩﹐因為他有孤獨症(Autism)。他的名字叫Micaiah。一個禮拜一次，我會去他的家裡和他在一個房間裡相處兩個小時。我的目的就是改進他和別人交往的能力，我必須在每一方面上盡量鼓勵和支持他。最重要的一點就是我和他說話時，盡量促使他集中在我的眼睛上。這個很重要因為對一個有孤獨症的人來說，說話時看著別人的眼睛是很難的事情。所以﹐我就讓他的注意力盡可能集中在我的眼睛上﹐以促進他恢復正常的可能。在和他相處的兩個小時裡，我必須面帶笑容，甚至要活潑亂跳地表演給他，讓他能夠放鬆。這一個義工聽起來比較難的義工但是就連我這個天生內向的個性都能跳來跳去，任何人都可以做得到。我覺得這一個義工讓我收獲最大，不僅讓我得到了很多有價值的經驗﹐而且讓我有機會來幫助別人。
所以家長們不要每天只是督促孩子們寫作學業，讓他們做一些他們喜歡而且有意義的事情。無論是體育活動或是義工服務，這些都對他們有幫助。每一位家長都希望他們的孩子能夠有個好的未來，所以最好要讓他們建立一個廣泛的基礎。