Bonjour à Tous!!
Last time I wrote I talked about the fact that I would be switching positions from someone who gives out food to those in need, to someone who collects the food dropped off at Serve the City's building. This has been a bit of a challenge because I now have to take and understand directions in french (which are said very fast) as well as interact even more with the workers who do not speak any English! I was a bit nervous about this because I always doubt my French skills, and I was worried once they found that I was slower at communicating, they wouldn’t really interact with me. This is actually not the case at all! As everyone in the packing department has been very welcoming and even when I haven’t been able to exactly convey my thoughts they have been quick to meet me half way. It’s been great to understand why people decided to work with this organization and the highlights and struggles of the job.
I suppose so far the accomplishments I am most proud of besides helping people in need, are the fact that I can definitely say I have been all around Paris and off the beating path! I’ve seen parts of Paris that I didn’t even think about going to before and I feel like that’s a major pro of volunteering in a new city. I am also proud of how far my french has come since volunteering here, a result of having to speak it on a daily basis. I still report to the volunteer supervisor so my responsibilities have not really changed but people know me now so I can kind of do my own thing.
I have been having an amazing time volunteering with Serve the City Paris, and it’s a bit hard for me to believe that in a little over a month I’ll be on a flight back home to the states! The people I have met, have already impacted my life in the best way and I hope the little work that I partake in has helped lessen the load that this amazing organization undertakes.