The Experience Concluded with a sharp pain

My last experience at King's Harvest was one to remember. I was once again going to be working in the kitchen area. However, because I was there before the time they would open I was able to cook and prepare the food before the visitors came and ate. Unfortunately, the utensils they used were old an dull, as I was peeling apples the knife cut my hand. So I quick dabbed it with a towel, and a girl came to help me. Her and I think began to talk with each other about a plethora of different things. Then I began to start to serve the food to the visitors, trying to carefully observing new things and concepts to apply. 

To avoid redundancy I will avoid speaking about the visitors this time, as most of my observations were similar to pervious trips. I think it is also important to also look at the other volunteers we meet while at our places of volunteer. While at King's Harvest I met a few new people, however, there were just a couple more memorable than others; Jan, who criticized my volunteering, in the nicest way possible. In conjunction to Jan I met Amy, who helped me with my finger. Although I don't see these relationships really going anywhere, this meeting of new people went through basic stages of Knapp's relational development model. However, I would say the both were on the initiating stage. Even though the relationships were on the same stage, I think they were on different levels of intensity. While in the initiating stage with Jan, she was very direct yet respectful; I could tell she had a barrier of respect up holding that held back everything she wanted to say. While on the other Amy and I had more of a lax initiating phase with little barriers noticeable as we spoke. I had no problem with either intensities of the initiating stage, but it was interesting to see the difference. 

Throughout my time at King's Harvest I have observed many concepts that we have learned about in the textbook Interplay. I have been able to serve my community and notice the applicability of these concepts, and why it is important to know more about the process in which we communicate. It was interesting seeing how people’s perception of your socioeconomic status can effect their communication with you. There is just too much to put down that I learned about the communication process of learning. The times I had at King's Harvest will be ones I remember and can look back on to improve my communication now and the future. 

Today at King's Harvest I as I arrived at King's Harvest I was informed I would be working in a different place, the food line. I would be serving the visitors food. Which wasn't too difficult, because for the green beans I was serving, I only gave each person 1 scoop if they desired. While serving the food I was able to talk casually to the people in line and ask them about their day. Many were reluctant to share with me; however, some did share, which was very nice. I was disappointed that many of them acted like I was from I different planet. It seems that the people their act as if everyone serving them were rich, which stinks because I can relate in a way to what they are feeling. As a child my mother never had a good job, although I could have lived with my father and he would have provided, I always stayed with my mom; she needed me more. Never the less my father did pay child support but that went to paying the bills. Which in turn made us rely on food stamps, and I can remember as a child waiting to see if my mom’s card went through, or when they changed to ebt cards that it was approved.  

While at King's Harvest today I feel like I did experience some stereotyping, just due to the fact that I was the one helping out, not the one getting help. People assumed that since I was wearing nicer clothes and things of that nature. Also I was talking with another volunteers that I had met named Jan, she was asking why I was there and things of that nature about me. Unfortunately, after telling her I had to do this for a grade she grew upset. She said to me, "Not to upset you but that isn't volunteering if you are doing it for a grade, that is voluentold. It defeats the whole purpose of volunteering, you know?" To tell the truth I agreed with her; although a little disheartening it's true. According to dictionary.com a volunteer is, "A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task". Although this is a service project, it stinks to have the lingering reward of a grade on your mind while serving. However, on another concept I observed today was mindless listening and mindful listening. As I spoke to many of the visitors, many of them dismissed my greeting with mindless listening. I don’t take this to offense though, I assume that many of them think that no one truly does care about how they are; however, I was genuinely concerned. On the other hand some people did use mindful listening when I spoke to them. As I spoke they greeted me with smiles and were happy to talk, hoping that I truly did care; which made the whole day for me; just knowing that someone knows that I do care about them.

            Today was a little bit more difficult than most after hearing someone criticize my volunteering. Instead of using mindless listening on Jan I personally used mindful listening and her opinion struck home with me and I definitely saw the truth in it. Another important thing I learned today was that just because a person wears nice clothes it doesn’t mean that are rich, or vice versa for that matter. Although it didn’t feel to great being stereotyped, it is true that I am better off then them. For future reverence I will take that into consideration, and not to judge people by their clothing choices or outside appearance as much. Only one blog to go, if the next blog proves to be anything like this it will end at the climax, and keep me hungry.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

Today at King's Harvest I as I arrived at King's Harvest I was informed I would be working in a different place, the food line. I would be serving the visitors food. Which wasn't too difficult, because for the green beans I was serving, I only gave each person 1 scoop if they desired. While serving the food I was able to talk casually to the people in line and ask them about their day. Many were reluctant to share with me; however, some did share, which was very nice. I was disappointed that many of them acted like I was from I different planet. It seems that the people their act as if everyone serving them were rich, which stinks because I can relate in a way to what they are feeling. As a child my mother never had a good job, although I could have lived with my father and he would have provided, I always stayed with my mom; she needed me more. Never the less my father did pay child support but that went to paying the bills. Which in turn made us rely on food stamps, and I can remember as a child waiting to see if my mom’s card went through, or when they changed to ebt cards that it was approved.  

While at King's Harvest today I feel like I did experience some stereotyping, just due to the fact that I was the one helping out, not the one getting help. People assumed that since I was wearing nicer clothes and things of that nature. Also I was talking with another volunteers that I had met named Jan, she was asking why I was there and things of that nature about me. Unfortunately, after telling her I had to do this for a grade she grew upset. She said to me, "Not to upset you but that isn't volunteering if you are doing it for a grade, that is voluentold. It defeats the whole purpose of volunteering, you know?" To tell the truth I agreed with her; although a little disheartening it's true. According to dictionary.com a volunteer is, "A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task". Although this is a service project, it stinks to have the lingering reward of a grade on your mind while serving. However, on another concept I observed today was mindless listening and mindful listening. As I spoke to many of the visitors, many of them dismissed my greeting with mindless listening. I don’t take this to offense though, I assume that many of them think that no one truly does care about how they are; however, I was genuinely concerned. On the other hand some people did use mindful listening when I spoke to them. As I spoke they greeted me with smiles and were happy to talk, hoping that I truly did care; which made the whole day for me; just knowing that someone knows that I do care about them.

            Today was a little bit more difficult than most after hearing someone criticize my volunteering. Instead of using mindless listening on Jan I personally used mindful listening and her opinion struck home with me and I definitely saw the truth in it. Another important thing I learned today was that just because a person wears nice clothes it doesn’t mean that are rich, or vice versa for that matter. Although it didn’t feel to great being stereotyped, it is true that I am better off then them. For future reverence I will take that into consideration, and not to judge people by their clothing choices or outside appearance as much. Only one blog to go, if the next blog proves to be anything like this it will end at the climax, and keep me hungry.

A Different Time A Different Job

My next experience at King's Harvest was on Saturday, March 9th. This time I had a good grasp of where to go and who to talk to in order to get a job. This time I was once again sent down to the basement to work, luckily it was a different job. I was able to work to the equivalent of a check out, however it was done backwards. As the people arrived they were required to check in with me before going in a getting items of clothes. Each person is only allotted so many items of clothing to take with them. As I sat up there I greeted them and told them where things were and how many items they could take with them. Unfortunately, I was unable to have meaningful conversations with the people yet again. However, this visit I did experience something completely new. After cleaning and setting up beds for the night I decided to stay later because I had only gone in the afternoon. While people exited the clothing center I would hand them a blanket for the night, although the blanket wasn't that great they were very thankful. I got to wish them a good night, which was nice. 

During this experience I observed high self-monitoring with myself, and the people at King's Harvest. The times I spoke to the people most of them seemed very reserved, and were constantly making sure not to have anyone else know what they were saying; ironically I noticed myself mimicking their behavior. However, there were a couple that were nice and more outgoing, and those were the ones I was able to have brief conversations with. With the quite people I noticed that they were more careful with what they were saying compared to those that were out going. Personally, I was a bit more considerate with what I was saying; usually my language isn't a problem though, so it wasn't a very hard thing to do. 

While at there I was lucky to be able to move to a new job and see some of the people that come there from a different perspective. I was able to see others there and their high-self monitoring. In conjunction with the others self-monitoring I was able to notice my own. It is very interesting to observe how self-monitoring is dynamic, and hopefully this will help me continue to have high-self monitoring with others. 

My First Trip

        

March 2nd was my first time volunteering for my service project. As I arrived that morning I received directions to go downstairs and work in the clothing areas at King's Harvest. After getting downstairs I met the person who was on of the leaders there. He told me that he was a minister at Heritage Bible Chapel, which was interesting because I have been to Heritage before, although I had been to his church before I didn't recognize him. After chatting he told me what I would be doing, I was really glad I was down stairs that day because it was a lot a more relaxed atmosphere down there. My jobs while volunteering was to take boxes of donated clothes and put them according to gender and age. This task was very simple; as I worked I was able to have little conversations with people. Unfortunately, these conversations weren't anything more than surface level. Then, after everyone left from lunch, the other volunteers and myself cleaned up the area and started to set up for that night. After completing the tasks at hand I went home around 1 o'clock. 

One thing I thought was obvious was, most of the people there were not concerned with time. Which I thought was a depressing thing. For myself I never feel like I have enough time in a day. I believe this is what makes people believe they have a purpose; without chronemics* I would feel very disorganized. It is obvious these people there are not concerned with organization though. The reason I feel that the most of the people their didn't put value on chronemics, is because they walked around lackadaisical without aim. This lack of aim proved to make the process of people getting clothes difficult, because only certain amounts of people were aloud in the shop at one time. 

My first experience at King's Harvest was a successful one. After seeing a fraction of these needy people's lives, I have assessed (from the way the majority of them move around and walk) that there isn't a big importance on time and the management of it. However, I don't blame them. I mean really, what is the point for them caring about time when it doesn't really matter, besides the fact they have to go to shelters at certain times. I do think it is sad but in a way I bet it is freeing to not have to care about the thing that determines how long we are around on this earth for. 

   

Chronemics- one of the 8 nonverbal codes; how humans use and structure time.