The Vincentian Service Corps

Its been about one week since I have written last and I could could type forever! This last week I became a part of a bigger organization called the Vincentian Service Corp West. The program I am in has helped me decide what I want to do after college, brought me to California, started to change my thoughts and views, started on me on a path closer to God,  created a great network of contacts and friends in Silicon Valley, and most importantly gave me a new incite to serving the poor. And I have only been a Vincentian for a week!

St. Vincent De Paul was a good man and I can only hope to one day have a mind set like him. During our retreat we learned about the poor and how we can serve them this year. We learned about community and what it means to live simply. We learned about different forms of prayer and we learned about AmeriCorps. We even learned why each of us came out here.

The program is set up all around the US and I am apart of the Vincentian Service Corps West. In this branch there are 2 sites, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The LA house has 10 volunteers and the SF house has 7 volunteers including myself. The house I live in is known as the Pink Palace and I live on a floor with two other guys and the other floors are filled with four women. It seems like my house is excited to be active, the one thing I wanted in a community. :) They are excited to site see, bike, run, camp, hike, and just open to new experiences.

The 2012-2013 VSC West Volunteers

Vincentians live by four pillars: Spirituality, Living Simply, Community,  and Service. I love them all. I want to grow in my spirituality, I love living simply, community brings us closer, and I think service is a moral obligation of humanity. A wise friend once told me that the key to living a Christian life (to him) was based on three things: Friendship, Prayer, and Thankfulness. Since I have heard this, I have been striving to incorporate these in my life to their fullest. With the Vincentians, I think I will be able to take this to a new level.

I am truly blessed and greatful I have taken this opportunity to serve and grow this year.