Big Dreams

As I stood on the rock and spread my arms out, I felt that I was

on top of the world. The ocean whispered in my ear that I had the power

to change the world. 

     Growing up, I was always guarded from the problems of the world. My mother wanted us to grow up happy. There was always a plate of food on our table and a shelter over our heads. As I started to become a young adult, I began to realize that the world my mother had created for us wasn’t the world everyone around me lived in.  There were people who weren’t as fortunate as me.  There were many people who did not have food on their plate everyday or a roof over their heads. The mask that prevented me from seeing the reality that surrounded me was lifted. I was always too afraid to attempt to create change. I was a small girl and I thought that there was nothing I could do that would make a difference. How could I change the world?

It was in middle school however that I discovered that I could make a difference. I discovered volunteer work. It became my passion to create change no matter how little. From a young age my mother told me that any dream could be accomplished with hard work and dedication so, I began to fight hard for my dream. I had a very naïve dream, changing the world for good. A dream that to this day I am still working on. Many people say that I am a big dreamer and they are right.  If you are going to dream you might as well dream big.  At first, I wanted to write this blog about just my work at the Soup Kitchen and Pantry but the more I thought about what I wanted to say, the more I realized that I had more to share with you than my volunteer service at this place. I have volunteered in many places and from every place I have learned many important life lessons. I have embarked in a journey. Volunteering for me has become a way of learning more about the world, people, and myself. My passion for volunteer work even has lead me to become a Passion for Action Scholar. Being a volunteer, I learned takes commitment, passion, dedication, hard work and strength. So I invite you to embark on my journey.  Please join me in changing the world for good. “Juntos tenemos el poder de inspirar cambio (together we have the power to inspire change).”

To learn more about the Passion For Action Scholarship Visit: http://www.wheelock.edu/admissions/financial-aid-undergraduate/scholarships-and-grants/passion-for-action-scholarship-program/psa-scholars

Open Up Your Eyes

St.Luke San Lucas Youth Group volunteers dancing Hallelujah.

How many of us take the time to sit down and enjoy the world around us? The sun shines and the birds sing as the wind blows gently on our faces but we do not see it. How many of us take the time to see the problems that surround us? We all live busy lives and many times ignore the beauty of Earth and the problems that do not seem to harm us. My name is Jacqueline Orellana but everyone calls me Jacky. I am a sophomore at Wheelock College studying communications and performing arts.  I am guilty of many times ignoring the world around me. I am caught up in my own world and many times I fail to see the reality. I once walked around trying to avoid any problems that weren’t mine. Why? You may ask yourselves? The answer is fear. I feared that the problems that were the worlds would cause me to lose my way. The funny thing about me fearing losing my way was that I still had no clue where I was headed. I’m sure that many of us have experienced that feeling of not knowing what path to take. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I discovered that I wanted to be someone that inspired change.

The world needs people who are willing to fight for it. People that aren’t afraid of failing. Failure doesn’t mean that’s it is over. So, I began taking the time to see the world around me. I could see the stars shining brightly and hear the birds singing in what seemed like perfect harmony but I also saw a part of the world that brought me to tears and sadness.
     As I walked down the streets, I started to notice the poverty that many people here in America are living in.In my community of Chelsea, people living below the poverty line numbered 1,582. That is 20.6% of Chelsea’s population. It is when I opened my eyes that I found St. Luke’s San Lucas Soup Kitchen and Pantry. I started to volunteer at this community kitchen and fell in love with the people. The people that volunteer there do it with lots of love. The people that come to the soup kitchen and pantry are all very grateful. For them the Soup Kitchen and Pantry is one of their only means of food and sometimes happiness. The Soup Kitchen and Pantry opened up my eyes to volunteer service. It empowered me. I realized that I had the power to change the world for good.