Melissa Arsenie's Reflections

At the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless, I am responsible for the creation and facilitation of the Life Skills/Life Enrichment program at the shelter, and I therefore am continually working with volunteers to bridge the gap between college students and the homeless in Gettysburg through educational and fun activities. I am also responsible for maintaining a good relationship with the shelter's umbrella agency, South Central Community Action Programs, and my student volunteers. Facilitating reflection after volunteering at the shelter is also a key part of my program, and I work towards establishing an understanding of rural homelessness that goes beyond stereotypes.

My work as one of the PCs for the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College has been the realization of a dream that started for me when I was a Freshman at Gettysburg and my Teacher’s Assistant was working to make the program work on campus. Through the challenges, such as creative fundraising, and the successes, such as a dinner that turns out incredibly with little to no major effort, I have taken great enjoyment in both reducing the food gap in Adams County and encouraging sustainability through the reduction of food waste working with Campus Kitchens.

During my time working with the Adams County Homeless Shelter, I have come to understand the importance of a close and effective partnership. Not only do our Community Partners and their agencies present to us an essential support and reflection network, they also act as our allies in program development and promotion. Working with a Community Partner is challenging and sometimes can be stressful, but the benefits that can be reaped from a working relationship with an adult immersed in the Gettysburg community are great and completely worth the effort of establishing those relationships. I also feel as though these relationships are ideally based on an understanding of the great works that can result from reciprocity. By knowing that I am capable of giving as much to my organization and my Community Partner as he or she is capable of giving to me, the relationship that is built between us is one that is constructive and beneficial, not hierarchical and stagnant.

My learning about the value of community partnerships has not changed significantly over the last year or so, with the exception of one key emphasis: I have come to realize that no significant success can come without several compromises and flexibility. One Campus Kitchen shift can make upwards of 50-60 meals, but it takes far more than just myself and a group of 4 volunteers to make these meals happen. It takes the willingness of the local chefs to package their remaining food and to let us know to pick it up, the willingness of a student or staff member to go pick up the food, another volunteer to weigh and process it, and then more volunteers to actually package and make the meals. The meals are then taken by yet another volunteer who spends their time delivering them. This huge group of volunteers has to be flexible and willing to dedicate their time and energy to making sustainability regarding food a possibility through Campus Kitchens.

For me, my Learning Circle is where all of the work, discussion, and thought that I do at CPS comes together. Not only do I have the opportunity to continually break down stereotypes and my own personal prejudices when I am discussing the issues and struggles associated with poverty, single motherhood, raising children in a gentrifying area, or simply the difficulties associated with finding a “good man,” I also find myself thoroughly enjoying myself and the time that I spend with the incredible women in the Circles of Support Program. While I initially was hesitant about becoming part of the Circles group, it has truly become one of the most influential learning experiences that I have had both during this year and during my time at Gettysburg College. Being able to reach out into the community in a way that builds actual trusting and invested relationships with people that I may have previously dismissed as too unlike myself to know and befriend has made my experience at CPS really resonate with me.

When I say that my Learning Circle is where it “all comes together,” I should actually say that it is where the bulk of my actual learning takes place. I am able to discuss issues of poverty and economic struggle with those women who are actively working against it in an environment that is non-threatening and enjoyable. I am also able to learn more about myself through my growing friendships with the women and their children. I think the Circles initiative is truly unique in this fashion. Through the dissolving of stereotypes and prejudices, we are better able to understand the issues at hand, ourselves, and each other.

In addition to my work as a CPS Program Coordinator, I am invested in many different activities on campus. These clubs and organizations are all quite different, but the energy and effort I put in to each one of them remains the same. Also similar are the challenges and successes that I deal with and celebrate with that are associated with my growing skills as a student leader. Working alongside my peers has always been an enjoyable activity for me, and I have truly benefited from helping guide students through activities and reflections, service, and event planning, and everything in-between. Working at CPS has been the most beneficial task I could possibly have had to help me grow as a leader and an individual. Not only do I manage my program and actively participate with my fellow staff-members and campus volunteers, I am held accountable as an adult and leader for the successes and relative “failures” of my program. Knowing that I am capable of taking care of my Life Skills program at the Homeless Shelter and also recognizing that working with my volunteers is a mutually beneficial experience has truly been an incredible growing and learning experience for me that I look forward to continuing to participate in.

Working as a Program Coordinator has taught me that I should actively invest myself in growing to my full leadership potential. Working towards this potential has led me to critically examine how I work with others, including my fellow staff members and my program volunteers, and to thoroughly consider whether or not my approaches towards service learning and reflection are beneficial to all those involved. I also have come to the realization that I can sometimes benefit even more as a leader by taking the backseat and allowing a volunteer or a visitor to take the lead. Helping others grow as leaders is as beneficial to me as it is to them, and I have tried to make this a highlight of my program.

My work as a CPS PC has continued to enhance my leadership and organizational abilities as a student at Gettysburg College and a temporary resident of the town of Gettysburg, PA simply because it is a constant continuation of several expectations and standards for work that I still adhere to. Organizing the Campus Kitchens project is not very easy, but it is manageable because of the work that I had done organizing the volunteer program at the Homeless Shelter.

I have found that my experiences with personal and professional development have been a long and continuous journey of discovery, frustration, and elation. While I occasionally find myself incredibly angry and frustrated with the apparent lack of progress that my program at the Homeless Shelter is making or not seeing comprehension and understanding in the eyes of a volunteer after trying to explain a certain social justice issue, the wonderfully accomplished feeling that I am lucky enough to enjoy when I really make a connection with a client or someone outside of my regular social circle is truly rewarding. It is rewarding for me as well to have developed into a competent leader and advocate of social justice. Working towards being a respected member of the CPS staff as well as an able and ready advocate of social justice has been challenging for me, but I am a firm believer that no challenges come without rewards. I have been given the chance to truly make an impact in my home away from home community, and for me, that opportunity has posed endless chances for me to develop professionally and personally as a student and as a human being.

I've adopted a certain mantra associated with both personal and professional development and my own personal learning. It is “It’s a process.” I have learned that progress in the field of social justice, race relations, socio-economic equality, and migrant issues is a process. You work hard, you encounter obstacles, and sometimes you overcome those obstacles. However, more often than not, you find yourself facing obstacles that our society has established as foundations. These obstacles, such as racism, a widening gap between social classes, or a refusal to humanely and compassionately address the migrant issue in America require creative thinking, dedication, and sheer numbers and willpower to overcome. But I take solace I knowing that I am not alone in this process of progress. I think that’s the most important thing that I’ve come to embrace during my time working towards social justice. Learning, advocacy, and understanding are all processes that I am continuously involved in, and I hope to encourage and support others in joining me on the journey.