What They Say
What Volunteers Say About Their Teen Service Week Experience
“An indescribable week, that gives you countless experiences to grow, memories and ideas that provide a basis /thoughts to create a deeper and more connected life for yourself while helping others.” Katie A. Level 2
“Teen Service Week is when you learn about yourself and help others in the most peaceful way possible.” Abby C. Level 1
“During TSW I spend a week with other teens, teens just like me that are trying to discover who we are while helping others at the same time. It was unforgettable.” Anonymous
No Place I’d Rather Be
from a Level 2 TSW Volunteer
“Dishes bang on the counter and soap suds fly as twenty some voices join together to belt out the lyrics to Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" as we wash dishes from that night's dinner. This is a common occurrence on Teen Service Week (TSW). Musical dishes after a home cooked meal is just one of the many activities that bring the teens and adults together into one community. The rest of the week is spent going to different service sites around the Chicago area, doing whatever that site needs done.
One of my worksites was the Port, which includes a bread truck that runs through the south side of Chicago giving out sandwiches. My worksite group had spent a day earlier in the week preparing 900 sandwiches to bring to the Port and hand out. When we arrived at the first stop on the truck, our service seemed to be coming full-circle. About twenty children met us at the back of the truck with their hands outstretched. We gave each of them a sandwich and they scurried off to eat what may have been their only meal that day.