Project Serve: New York

Spring breaks in the past have been a time for traveling, tanning, and catching up on sleep. What could be better? Apparently spending a week with twenty rambunctious, misbehaved and energetic kindergarteners in the Bronx is the answer; who knew?


With my Project Serve team of ten Pepperdine students, we traveled from warm Malibu to snow-covered New York City to serve with Shiloh Ministries. We called the Sunday school classroom floors of the Manhattan Church of Christ building our home for the week and woke up early every morning to catch the subway to P.S. 30 Wilton Elementary in the Bronx, with authentic New York coffee and bagel in hand. Ryan, from Shiloh Ministries, briefed us a bit on what we were to expect as we assisted the teachers with their students, but many of us did not realize the emotions and circumstances that we would experience.

When I first arrived at Mr. Lopez’s kindergarten class, I was greeted warmly by all and was instantly accepted and integrated into their lives. That week I helped them learn how to write their numbers, letters and do their reading lessons, while also trying to integrate the importance of sharing, speaking kindly to one another and keeping their hands to themselves. The latter seemed to be the most challenging. Throughout the course of my week there, I learned about the various lives these children lead. Many of these seemingly joyful and happy children had social workers who took them to and from school, or parents who were murdered via drive by shooting and even family members in jail. I noticed that multiple students would come to school wearing the same clothes they had worn the previous day, 90% of the students receive federally funded meals and a large majority of the children, in various grades, had been held back a year or more. Fights would break out in the cafeteria and teachers would send troublemakers to the principal’s office or another teacher’s classroom for the entire day, where they would learn nothing. Half of the students’ native tongue is Spanish and many of them had trouble expressing themselves to and communicating with their classmates and teachers. My heart ached as I learned about these children’s lives and what they endure daily. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My perspectives regarding teaching, children and education were changed drastically. It was such a rewarding opportunity to work with these children.


So to all those contemplating what to do with your life this summer, be it an internship at your Dad’s friends’ company, a barista job at your local coffee shop or a cruise to Cozumel, I encourage you to find time to make a difference by serving someone, other than yourself.

But be careful, side affects to serving and giving may include: finding new meaning in your life, reinvigorating your sense of purpose, or experiencing a transformation of your heart.

It’s your call, will you answer it?