Postcards from the Field

Our volunteers know better than anyone what it's like to live and work for a year in service to others, and their stories speak louder than any informational brochure could.

Dear Sarah,

I hope this postcard finds you well. Well its been several months (can you believe it!) since I have been out in LA; the time has flown by! My service site is great. I'm working as an RN at St. Francis Medical Center in South Central and the best way to sum it up is that it has been the education of a lifetime. I love the environment of the Surgical/ Trauma floor and the staff members are all so friendly and welcoming, it feels like I've been here much longer. My housemates are great, each has their own unique personality and we all bring something different to the table, we compliment each other really well. That's the great thing about living in community; they have become my support system and I know these friendships will last a long time. I can't wait to see you over Christmas, take care!

Peace,

Holly

Dear Friends:

I can honestly say Santa Barbara is beautiful! Such wonderful imagery from the colorful mountains, where you can climb and look out and see this massive ocean and views of the city, to the crisp ocean slamming its waves against the cliffs, and the most beautiful sunsets. The campus of St. Vincent' is also very picturesque. Nestled between the mountains and ocean. As you can see my first impressions of Santa Barbara are wonderful.

Peace,

Sally

I decided to do a year of service in VSC because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with my life yet. I had just finished college with a business degree, but wasn't ready to start selling insurance ( not that there's anything wrong with that..). I knew that I wanted to give back and that I enjoy helping people. I decided to start my ministry at the PATHS program to help low income single mothers get back on their feet. I had a certain liking to this program in particular because I could relate to some of the moms and I had friends that were also in similar situations. So far it has been a wonderful experience, and year filled with learning about myself and others.

Love

Allison

"I am having such an amazing time at my service sight and with my community this year. I feel so lucky to be working with such a phenomenal organization like Chrysalis. The staff is incredibly supportive and knowledgeable; I cannot imagine a better place to work for a year of post-graduate service. I am continuously inspired by the way my clients face each day with such courage and determination in spite of seemingly insurmountable barriers. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing that hard work and determination payoff when a client successfully obtains employment.

It is also so nice to have my community to come home to after work and to hang out with on the weekends. I love exploring LA with my housemates, going to the beach, hiking and cooking together and always having four smiling faces to come home to after a long days work."

~Catie

Dear Mom,

My year of service has been great so far! I'm finding my work with the homeless population of LA to be extremely rewarding. I feel like I've really begun to make connections and build relationships with the people I serve. Working in Skid Row has been a great reminder of how blessed I am to have all that I do. My housemates, or "the family" as we have taken to calling each other, is fabulous. I could not have gotten any luckier in terms of housemates. We are all pretty different from each other, but somehow, we all just click. We eat dinner together almost every night and catch each other up on our days. We're always laughing and joking with each other. I feel very blessed to have them in my life, knowing I can always turn to them for support. Hope all is well at home! We'll talk soon!

Love,

Laura

Greetings from Sunny Southern California!

I love celebrating with my community! We're going to the Winter Holiday Festival in Pershing Square, which has all sorts of holiday activities. I feel like we have a great balance between activities and outings and times of rest with our free time. They are such a great support network for this year and we have a ton of fun. It was stressful at first-the transition into simple, community living, the geographic change, orienting myself to my service site and the staff who are there. It is through the challenges and with such a great support system that we grow. I have learned a lot and have met an amazing group of people. I’m very happy here and truly believe that this has been a life changing experience!

~Amos

I was blessed to befriend previous VSC members and get introduced to the organization through them. I saw the fun, joy, and selflessness they had and the strong sense of community and knew I wanted to be a part of it! I knew that service work was best matched with the support of community and it was something I missed in my previous year of service. Any person drawn to a year of service feels something in their heart and being able to express this both on the job while serving others and with people you're living with, is a gift! The position I have at the Wellness center is a joy. The people working at the St. Vincent de Paul Wellness Center are dedicated and there is a freedom there that embraces any ideas that help the people at the center. Those who come to the programs have struggled and are able to open up in way that is really inspiring. I have seen people carrying around so much pain, open up, and feel happy and free by just writing in a journal, or being part of a spiritual talk. I realize not everyday will be easy and not everyday will make a profound difference in someone's life but I know that everyday the work I'm doing is helping people in small ways. And if nothing else, I can be one person that really cared about them for that day.

~Kat

Dear family,

Greetings from sunny Los Angeles! This year has been an amazing experience filled with adventure and excitement, and it is only the beginning. I joined this program to dedicate a year of my life to serve others outside of my comfort zone. It is outside of this comfort zone that has allowed me to grow in my individuality and spirituality while getting to know five individuals on a deeper level. These individuals have provided me with different perspectives which have broadened my outlook on life. Along with building a relationship with my housemates, I have also built a relationship with my co-workers. I have a family within the school and it has made this years’ experience that much more meaningful. Driving past the beautiful palm trees and seeing the mountains in the background is only a piece of the beauty that has filled this year.

(from Meaghan)