Five reasons to go on a service trip
Applications to go on a Christian Service Immersion trip are now open. If you are wondering whether or not to apply, I have made a list of the top five reasons you should consider going on a service trip based on my experience this summer going on the trip to Camden, New Jersey.
1: You help people in need.
Going on a service trip gives you the perfect opportunity to help people who are less fortunate. Service activities including building houses, spending time with kids, working at soup kitchens, and much more. What is special about these service opportunities is that you get the chance to meet people that you would not in your life. During my trip, I met people from many different paths of life and made a connection with them. It is also a special experience to connect with people outside of your own community and realize and celebrate both similarities and differences of these people.
2: It is an eye opening experience.
A service trip is a very unique experience that is hard to find anywhere else. In Camden, I saw a lot of people who were in need but also a lot of people who not only served those in need but dedicated their lives to serving others. Whether or not you are Christian, a service trip will really enrich your life. You will truly appreciate your gifts and blessings.
3: It is a lot of fun.
I truly enjoyed going on my service trip and the different types of things we did. I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of different people and I had fun doing my service. On the trip we even had an afternoon off that my group spent in Philadelphia. My service trip was also full of activities so there was never a dull moment and I was not bored once. The service trip was the most fun week out of my summer.
4: You make new friends.
On your service trip, there is bound to be someone that you don’t know very well or at all. Service trips give you the chance to become friends with people at St. John’s that you would not normally talk to. Other than people at St. John’s, I made friends with people from other schools. During our time in Camden, we were joined by two other Catholic High Schools, St. Joe’s in Buffalo and St. Ignatius in San Francisco. This gave me the opportunity to make friends across the country as well as in our school community.
5: You get your service hours done.
Going on a service trip over the summer counts as doing your service hours for the year ahead. While this is definitely not the most important reason for going on a service trip, it certainly matters. Getting your hours done ahead of time means that you have one thing less to worry about during the year.
