Blog 1: In the Beginning...

     For my Interpersonal Communications service-learning project, I will be volunteering at Cafe on the Vine, a soup kitchen in Davenport, Iowa. As a Sociology major, I believe this experience will contribute to my future career in communicating with others across different socioeconomic backgrounds and status. I also hope to contribute to this community which I am newly a part of, as well as impact the lives of those I will be communicating with. I will do this not only with the physical volunteering, but with the volunteering of my heart and mind to these people, hopefully connecting with them on an emotional basis. I intend upon not only helping people I meet through this project, but also using the skills I learn during this project to help the people I communicate with in the future, and improving my relationships with them.
     I'm assuming Cafe on the Vine is an oasis of sorts to the people who go there, a releif from their daily struggles of living in poverty. I believe I will see people go through changes when they arrive, and hopefully take those changes with them, at least for a while. My expectation is to see people come to this place with not only a physical hunger, but also an emotional hunger, a desire for communication and understanding, which will also be fed by the volunteers, including me; I hope to see no one leave "hungry." These are not only my expectations, but my assumptions about Cafe on the Vine. I would assume this to be a part of the program of any soup kitchen. I believe there will always be physical and emotional nourishment.
     The people served by Cafe on the Vine are most likely in a situation in which they are feeling hopeless, but accepting help. This is why I believe people going there are seeking more than physical nourishment. Even a short, light-hearted conversation could make all the difference, making them feel less alienated and alone. These people most likely have a very low level of communication skills, as they most likely have very little or no education. I would assume there is a reason they find themselves in the position they are in, and I will meet people from many diverse backgrounds and different paths of life. This is what I am most excited about.
     I love to meet and talk with all kinds of people; I am very interested in their lives and experiences. This goes back to my major, Sociology. I am excited to learn about these people and the roll they play in society. I want to learn about their lives and understand them on a deeper level; hopefully, some day I can share that understanding with others, and continue to use it to communicate with people of different backgrounds and socioeconomic status. I seek to help and unite people, and this is a great opportunity to learn now. To me, this is a great step in the direction of my dreams.