The moment when I feel most alive during service is when I identify a sense of community. Service is about giving opportunities to a community in need, but it inadvertently creates a community among the volunteers. That moment when I can look around at my peers and feel a sense of connection, a sense of family, is when service takes on the feeling of life to me.

          During the latest trip to Paris Barns, I finally felt the family connection when we played Flash. The trip was supposed to help socialize the animals after they had been rescued from less than likely situations. Our first night of the trip we circled up to talk about ourselves and some explanations of what to expect the following day. We began to play a game called Flash where each member asks a question, the whole group answers, and you “flash” if your answer is the same. The game was light and brought everyone’s spirits up, a drastic comparison to the bleak weather forecast for the next day. That was, until Jimmy asked what we’d each write on our tomb stones. It was a much more serious question and it really took some thought. His question brought our conversation into deeper thoughts and more personal territory. A few of our group members hesitated to share, but by the end of the round we were family. We had all acknowledged that we were comfortable enough with each other to share something this personal. It was wonderful to see. The feeling of family transferred to the next day, bringing with it a sense of comfort and acceptance. This acceptance was particularly appreciate the following night. I had an arguement with my boyfriend and wound up missing the reflection session. My group leader Audrey came and found me mid argument. She didn’t say a word, she smile and waved at me, and hugged me later that night. She respected the space I had taken and didn’t pester me about missing a vital part of our retreat. I call that family. She, and everyone else on the trip, made me feel welcome and comfortable. I felt alive.

          I’ve had this same experience every time I’ve found a service project that really impacted me. Some of my most memorable experiences have been in soup pantries. In the Food Bank of New Jersey my youth group volunteered to turned donated lunch meats into sandwiches. About half way through we were getting tired and restless, itching for a new job. To combat this, we began challenging each other. This led to each side of the table racing the other to complete as many sandwiches as possible. By the end of it we had made tons of sandwiches and were hysterically laughing. No one cared that we were all in hair nets, massive plastic gloves, and disposable aprons. Any of our self consciousness was forgotten in those moments of laughter. The same goes for SERVE’s Feeding America trip. In the rush of activity and the height of laughter, all of the distance melted away from between the volunteers, leaving us open and bare to the eyes of others. This openness did not cause ridicule, but rather acceptance and a sense of community.

          Tremendous things happen when you least expect them. In the face of boredom and sadness, came love and acceptance. When confronted with awkward moments and self doubt, we came together to form families in service.