AWB13: SERVING in the Hills (L.A.) - Boys & Girls Club/ Saint Anne's Private School

Sunday, January 13, 2013 at approximately 12:20pm (pacific time) was the first time that many of us stepped foot in the Golden State, or the west coast in general. The clear skies and palm trees misled us as we stumbled upon record low temperatures in Los Angeles. The ride from the LAX to our hostel in Hollywood allowed us to get a tour of various neighborhoods in L.A., showing us the difference a few blocks could make from one area to another. I quietly soaked up my surroundings barely grasping that I was now 2,448 miles from home. It was surprising how it transitioned from what appeared to be a nice area on one block to an area of lower income on another block so quickly.

 Painting at JAMS

 

Our first day of service led us to Santa Monica on Monday. We spent our morning at the Boys and Girls Club of John Adams Middle School (JAMS). We toured the facility before being assigned our task of the day - outdoor painting. Although many of us never painted before, we did an amazing job with the patio. We were as good as the professionals. After our paint job, we made a brief stop at the Santa Monica Beach before heading over to our second site of the day - Saint Anne's private school. Saint Anne's private school serves grades K-8 and the after school program is run by the Boys and Girls Club. Our task of the day was to help the students with their homework and assist them throughout their after school activities. We spoke to them about living on the east coast, being college students and even played teatherball and hide and go seek. I spoke with two girls in the 6th grade, one that wanted to be a fashion designer and the other a pediatrician. It was amazing to hear their goals and dreams. The highlight of the day was meeting the triplets. Originally, many of us felt that our presence did not have much of an impact on the children. However, we were proven wrong on Wednesday when we visited Saint Anne's for a second time.

 

On Wednesday before returning to Saint Anne's, we visited Venice Beach and cleaned the main facility of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica. When we walked onto the school yard of Saint Anne's, the students ran up to us screaming our names and were happy that we came back. It was such a good feeling to know that they looked forward to our visit. Unfortunately, the triplets were not there on our second day but we connected with many of the other students as well. I spent my entire visit with two 5th grade girls. They were so precious. I was caught off guard by one of the girls mentioning that she is adopted and was formerly in foster care. As a result of how happy they seemed, it did not occur to me that some of these children were living in a non-traditional setting. It was a reminder that everyone has a story and you would never be able to tell what someone has been through just by looking at them. I was impressed by her ability to still be happy and wear a smile on her face each day despite what she has experienced. It made me more appreciative of my life and everything that I have. The lesson that I learned from Saint Anne's was that you can not take everything at face value. What you see is not always reality but is often times a facade. Just because someone constantly smiles does not mean their life is perfect and does not necessarily mean they are happy. Assuming that someone has no problems is a mistake that many people make and is also a reason why many people do not get the help that they need. You will never know someone's story unless you ask.

Santa Monica Beach
 

-Tracey Hobbs