Harford House Service
#1
Every Tuesday of my first semester at
Loyola, I stepped off the campus from 630-9pm. I have always been interested in
service and helping others. And not only is Loyola University perfect when it
comes to helping others, but also
developing relationships that could have a lasting impression.
I
was a little uneasy entering the Harford House for the first time. All I knew
was that it was for a group of men who have been either homeless or drug
addicted in the past. This was a place for them to stay until they can get back
on their feet. About thirteen Loyola students drive to the house and have dinner,
converse, play games, in other words, just hang out with the guys. We were told
not to act as though they were different from our friends back home, rather
just new friends. Before I knew
it, I was making connections with these men that I would never forget.
There
is a obvious correlation between the Harford House the poem, ”Mending Wall”,
written by Robert Frost. The “Mending Wall” talks about how there should not be
a wall between the neighbors. There is an unnecessary wall keeping the
neighbors from interacting with each other. The neighbor claims that “good
fences make good neighbors”. How would he know though? It is possible that a
friendship could easily flourish between the narrator and neighbor if given the
chance. Loyola’s service opportunities act as a crane to knock down the wall
between students and those who may be less fortunate.
If
I hadn’t gone to the Harford House, my perception of the men would have never
changed. Even walking through the door, I was guarded…I wasn’t sure what to
expect. Barely ten minutes later, my wall nearly disappeared. The men of the
house were so respectful, interactive and last, but certainly not least,
grateful. They acted as though we were doing the greatest thing in the world by
sitting and having a meal with them. I now know I never have to worry about
setting “the wall between us once again”.
“Accident,
Mass. Ave”, a poem by Jill McDonough, seems to deal with the assumptions made
by people who look at the Harford House from the outside. After the “car
accident” in the poem both women assume they have to freak out on one another.
This is before they even look for the problem, it is just the known thing to
do, “It being Boston, I got out of the car yelling, swearing at this women”.
The women assumed there was an issue between them and their natural instincts
were to act with haste and anger. I feel as though this is common between
students and people we don’t normally accommodate with. It is only after the
person takes a step back and looks at the situation at hand does she realize
nothing has happened, there is no mark, no damage done. The men in the Harford
House have not caused any personal damage to any of us, so why should we treat
them any differently? There is no reason not to go in with an open mind and
give these people a chance, even if they are just strangers at first.
Poet
Frances E. W. Harper writes about an elder lady learning how to read for the
first time in the 1872 poem, “Learning to Read”. At first I found it difficult
to connect this poem to my experience at the Harford House. It wasn’t until I
reached the 33rd line that I realized the tie between the two. The
poem reads, “there is no use trying, Oh! Chloe, you’re too late…so I got a pair
of glasses and got straight to work I went, and never stopped till I could read
the hymns and Testament.” One thing I will never forget from talking to the man
at the house is that no matter how many hardships they have experienced, they
never gave up. They still believe in good and have faith in the world. It is
amazing to know that it is possible to push through regardless of the circumstances.
Chloe, even at 60 years old, managed to learn how to read, proving that nothing
is impossible as long as your set your mind to it.
“The
Service of Faith and Promotion of Justice in Jesuit Higher Education” is an
article that describes exactly what the title is. It discusses the Jesuit
commitment to faith and justice and how “the Lord has patiently been teaching
us to serve the faith that does justice in a more integral way”. The Jesuit
education thrives to educate the whole person in more than just one way. Doing
service is the most efficient way to succeed in our Jesuit values. One passage
in the article hit home to almost every service I’ve participated in, especially
Harford House, it talks about how everyone is a “unique individual, they all
aspire to live life, to use their talents, to support their families and care
for their children and elders, to enjoy peace and security, and to make
tomorrow better.” There is no better way to describe service and the people
involved. We are all there for the same purpose, whether we are the ones doing
the service or receiving the service…everyone benefits in their own way.
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