Volunteer Stories

Finding Joy in Each Day

I start my day at 7:30AM with my routine of tidying my bed, listening to music, and chatting with Savannah and Cristo as we prepare our lunches. Then, I hop into my service-provided twelve passenger van and head over to Catholic Charities Emergency Services (also known as the “Intake Center”) in the heart of downtown…


The Beauty of Chaos

I wake up in the morning, and then I get ready and prepare my bag for CYO with my planner, lunch, and other materials that I will need for the day. I finally head out to my service site and take Savannah along for her day too! Once at CYO, we go to our respective…


A Day as a Sandwich

If my day is compared to a sandwich, prayer time would be my bread. When I get up and when I lie down, meditations help me offer the day to God and reflect on my actions. The 25-minute walking distance between the volunteer house and the volunteer site never feels that long because I would…


Support and Grace

My day begins by getting ready and, on the days I wake up in time, going to Daily Mass. Otherwise, I do the readings on my own while I eat breakfast. After breakfast, Matt gives me a ride to my service site, Assumption Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, on the way to his service site,…


Planting the Seed

My interest in a year of service was planted in the spring of my junior year when recruiters for a post graduate service program visited UCLA’s Catholic Center and joined us for our Thursday student dinner. As I listened to the recruiters share their experiences serving the poor and living in a simple, faith-grounded home,…


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