Camden Immersion Reflections-June 2003

STUDENT REFLECTIONS FROM CAMDEN IMMERSION 2003

Robert  Kocher ‘04

            The experience of living in Camden is a life changing event. This service trip teaches a person how to be a man for others and to God. This week has began to show me who I am and what I can do in life.

            Driving the streets, I saw house that were uncared for, burned and vandalized. Many were condemned and boarded up. Working at New Vision, a day care center for the homeless, I organized clothing, served lunch, prepared a garden and most importantly listened to the needy.

            Going to Robins Nest, a home for teenage girls, I landscaped many garden and interacted with many administers of the wonderful facility.

At the Heart of Camden, I emptied our clothes, cabinets and toys from burned out homes which were left abandoned for over a year.

As we crossed the city in our van, I witnessed drug deals, prostitution, gangsters, homeless and most importantly God. Everywhere across the front of buildings were Biblical quotes of love and compassion.

Camden is a struggling city. From those who have lived in the city for decades, I have been told that at one time is was a prosperous place. This place now is overrun with economic depression. People walk the streets not knowing when they will eat next or spend the next night. Some do not even know where they are. The lives of many have been ruined, but in each person’s eyes there is a glimmer of light, of love and of hope.

I have learned many life lessons from this journey. I have learned how consequences can be drastic from decisions made. I have learned not to judge others by their appearance. Every person is precious…we as humans must keep reminding ourselves of that.

Camden is a small city in a large world. Poverty, murder, hunger stalk every person on earth. Peace and Justice can be achieved…can’t it? Yes, it can but only if each one of us work toward it.

The harsh reality can cause me to turn my back or face it. These scenes are put in my head forever and I will never forget Camden, New Jersey.

Kevin Sommers ‘05

We will never know the benefits that our actions had on the people of Camden. We will only know that our intensions were good and that we tried our best.

            I believe that our trip to Camden was much more than just a service trip. It was a personal exploration for all the people present. The trip gave us an opportunity to explore our thoughts while helping our peers.

            In my personal experience, the events which I experienced, open my heart and eyes to the “less fortunate.” These “less fortunate” people as many call them were able to show us that having less does not mean that they are unhappy. Rather, I discovered that many of them had found Jesus and were very content with their lives.

            I was given a different perspective on life and I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow person.

Matt Kubus ‘04

            Words cannot describe how the city of Camden and its people have affected me during the week of my immersion.  I am confident that what they have taught me will remain in my mind and conscience for as long as I have memories of my life-changing experience in that city secluded in South Jersey. 

            I came to Camden with an open mind, hoping to help the city in whatever trivial way possible.  In other words, I was prepared to face the fact that my picking up of trash in a field would not stop the tremendous poverty in Camden, nor would it relieve the crime that plagues the city and the people.  However, when one sees thousands of abandoned homes, drug corners, prostitutes, and disease, it can be overwhelming, even life altering. 

            During my week in Camden, I learned more than I could learn in any classroom or in front of any box with an antenna on it.  My perspective on social justice in the world has greatly changed; questions in my mind about why I am so blessed with a life without poverty and why the people of Camden are not have risen; and, greater appreciations for what I own have developed.

            One of the most integral and remarkable parts of the Camden immersion is not the work that is performed at the service sites, but rather, it is the nightly reflection between the students of Canisius.  Hearing everyone’s perceptions of poverty and social justice and the challenges that each person is having on the immersion is awe-inspiring.  I truly know that each and every person, under the remarkable guidance of Mr. Ahrens, has changed for the better and will continue to fight for justice in the spirit of Canisius and Camden.  Thank you RA, SM, AD, BK, MP, DC, CB, TO, JF, and KS.  

Theo Ossei-Anto ‘05

            This year's trip to Camden, New Jersey was far from what I had expected it to be. There was less poverty than I had expected, better living conditions than I had imagined, and more work than I had dreamed of. However, it is the end result that is important and Camden truly helped to better me as a person.

            If I said that the trip to Camden was perfect—a completely sacred six days of bliss—I would be lying. In fact, I was faced with more than a couple challenges during the week. Working through these challenges, however, was as much part of the retreat as the work sites were. I knew that in order to better myself as well as get the full effect of the retreat, I would have to push myself and make it through the tough times. However, I didn’t have to do it alone. The people I made the retreat with were unbelievable in their willingness to help me through my struggles and get the most out of the experience. For example, one night during one of our nightly discussions, I confessed to the other Canisius students that I was not really getting anything out of the retreat. I felt like my being in Camden was not making any difference in the town, or in myself for that matter. After about five minutes of venting my feelings in a flurry of nearly incoherent thoughts, I looked around the room and realized that an amazing thing was happening. I could see everyone deep in thought trying to figure out how they could help me with my problem. No one was looking down on me because of my feelings. If anything, they looked even more inviting and welcoming than before. They told me how to look for Jesus in the eyes of those people who we help in Camden and how when I see the best in the people it is God shining through them to me. My entire outlook on the trip was completely changed during this one meeting and the rest of the retreat was made much more meaningful.

I cannot fully express the influence that Camden had on me without speaking of Stephanie. Stephanie is a young lady who was with us during the week as a leader. She has realized that she has a vocation to religious life and is now looking for the religious order that suits her best. Stephanie’s love of life and love for God inspired me in ways I never thought were possible. She was always willing to talk and share her insight on life, religion, and poverty. One day during lunchtime, I talked to her about the how we, the people of America, could help fight social injustice and end world poverty. I told Stephanie that I felt like all week the leaders had been telling me that the only way to help solve poverty was to sell all my things and give it to the poor. I didn’t feel this was a practical way of going about the problem. Stephanie, after listening attentively to my argument for several minutes, then explained to me that for each person, the call to help the poor is different. For some it may be to sell all their possessions, and for others it may mean to write a letter to their congressman about a bill that will severely hurt the poor. If everybody does their part, we will be on our way to solving world hunger. Stephanie also explained to me that in the world today, the poor have no chance of rising up or bettering themselves because politicians generally work to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. As Christians, we must look at the world the way Jesus would see it and not the way a politician might. This talk blew me away. I feel that during this week, Stephanie nearly single-handedly inspired me to work for the poor. I cannot put into words how much she meant tome.

One last thing I simply have to mention about the service trip to Camden is the children in the nursery school. They were so small and so cute that I couldn’t stop smiling. I could truly see the love of Jesus in their eyes as they read each other stories, played with one another, and shared their toys. As soon as I walked into the room, they started talking to me and asking me questions. They invited me to play with them and eat with them and even gave me a hug at the end of the day. Those children—Augusta, Mary, Enrique, Carmen, Hector, Genesis, Jeremy, Melanie, Luis, Jasmine, Daniel, Donasia, Freddy, Ephrain, and Trinity—really showed that Camden does have a chance because this generation understands that it is by being kind that people can grow together. The children taught me so much and I’m so happy to have been able to be a part of their lives. I know they are destined for great things.

In all, the service trip to Camden was an enlightening experience. I got to help some of the people in the United States who need the help the most. At the same time, however, I bettered myself in ways I had never imagined possible. I think Michael Postles, one of the seniors at CHS who made the retreat, put it best when he said, “We came thinking that we were going to change Camden, but somewhere along the way we realized that Camden had changed us.” Powerful words about a powerful experience. 

Michael Postles ‘04

            What have I done for Camden? What has Camden done for me? Was this service trip for use to serve Camden or for Camden to serve us? I will always wonder if what Camden has done for me can be repaid. For the effects of this trip I think will be everlasting. Did I really make a difference to Tommy or Branden, two people I spent some precious time with? Working in the burned out house in North Camden, did that make a difference?

            Through my tasks here, I have learned many things about myself. Many of these things that I have learned I have not liked. To learn that I have realized and admitted these faults I believe is a large step.

            Through my experiences I began to see that I was very judgmental of others. For example, Scott Martin and I worked with some McQuaid students on a burnt house. I thought that the McQuaid students would “slack off” and not work. However, as I quickly found out, they diligently got to work and never stopped all day. I was wrong about my preconceptions.

Also, working in a soup kitchen and was able to meet with some of the residents of the shelter. I realized these men were just like me. No matter what their appearance was, each person was just trying to make it through life day by day.

            I came to Camden to change it. On Emmaus and Kairos I learned about the things that I liked about myself. On this immersion, I learned those things I do not like about myself. The young men who served with me helped me to deal in the future overcoming my shortcomings as a human being and I thank each person for that.

Chris Barrett ‘05

Camden

There is a faith that people show

I may never know that

There is a strength that seems to glow

I would like to have that

Though poor these heads are high

I have never seen that

There is a love that only grows

I can barely believe that

If I stayed in Buffalo

It is possible I would never know

Just how deep faith can go

Anonymous

            When I ask myself why I came to Camden I still cannot answer that question. When I signed up, I had no idea of what to expect. Now I know what occurs, but my question still goes on unanswered.

            The reason my question goes unanswered is because I really do not know if I was changed as a person. I hope when I get home and have some time to think about this, I will realize some things about myself. I expect that one day or night, I will be eating or something and instead of wasting the food, I will remember the people who did not have enough to eat in Camden.

            The people of Camden are very happy and appreciate everything that they have. At first as I worked with them, I was scared of their presence. I quickly overcame these feelings when I interacted with them and realized they had the same feelings and emotions that I had.

            One more observation that I would like to note was the overwhelming amount of food at the New Jersey Food Bank. I was amazing to see the generosity of people in the fight to make sure that each and every American has a nutritious diet…especially the children.


 

Anthony DiMichele ‘04

            The underlying theme behind the service trips to Camden is “change.” Although the word “change’ has a negative connotation sometimes, the change which I talk about is very positive. I have witnessed changes in communities after we have finished our jobs. I have witnessed some of the effects of change in the citizens of Camden who are striving to make their lives better. I have witnessed social and religious changes in my peers. Most importantly however, I have witnessed a change in myself both mentally in how I perceive the world and physically as I have offered my service to the people of Camden.

Darcy Connors ‘05

            In the last six days I have experienced people and conditions that I have not had to face in Buffalo. I can honestly say that I was a bit hesitant to interact with the poor and homeless in the city of Camden.

            When I first arrived, I had little faith in God. The first day of work all I did was pick weeds. It seemed pointless at the time, but I felt in the end all of my work made a difference in peoples lives. On the second day, I had the privilege of working at the nursery school. The children of the school were so pure and untainted by the evil in the world. These observations made me to look at myself and realize that I needed to change some of my own opinions about the world.

            I am glad that I came on this immersion because I had the opportunity to see what the world is really like. It is a travesty that people are not treated as equals. Something needs to change in this world. Justice needs to be present in each and every person’s heart.


 

Anonymous

Dear Lord,

            We are here today to speak of our knowledge and experience over the past six days. We came here not knowing how deep our ignorance was rooted. We came with aspirations and dream-like mirages, but none of us knew what to expect.

            Our first day was a culture shock to us. Some pulverized abandoned house, while others toiled with weeds from sunrise to sunset. Yet after the day’s affirmation of feeling surfaced from our souls and hearts.

            During the second day, the unity of the group became stronger. Some sorted through mounds of can goods from Spam to Aunt Annie’s Pretzels. Others served food to the needy and homeless while others labored with the good hearted children.

            The third day all came together again to work in this wonderful new spirit of giving. Stephanie contributed with her magnanimous attitude and perspective.

            Looking over the extraordinary week which has now drawn near, let us pray that you bless us and continue to encourage us to look at ourselves instead of focusing on the weaknesses of others.

            Amen.