Our latest blog post comes from Dominican Volunteer Niki
Klco. Niki serves as a teacher at St. Francis Center, an organization that serves immigrant children and adults in Redwood City California.
Thank you for your service, Nikki!
It is glorious to feel free! I’m telling you this because San Francisco and Redwood City offer freedom. The Bay Area is lovely, but the people here create the freedom. For all of my adult life I have strived for such feelings as celebratory normalcy. To me, this is such that each and every moment is both typical and joyous. I have yearned to know such confidence and independence. I believe deep down I knew I was capable of interacting with the world in this way… for why else would I have strived so hard and with such determination toward it? What I reference is not simply one issue: my anxiety, confidence, self-esteem, but rather myself as a whole. I am a new person. I am uncontrolled by fear. I have taken back my life and found the continual joy that seemed to only be able to be seen before at certain times.
How? Why? A mixture of circumstances and personalities have come together to mold me and strengthen my spirit. I live with a family here. We are non-traditional by most standards as we have 2 Sisters, 2 ladies, and 2 dogs. All of us are equally valuable. We love and serve independently, but also through the vision of community. For with our relationship there is no community. These relationships are what have taught me about myself and allowed me to see the love deeper and remember how it is always around. They have given me the strength to break free. From with whom I live and teach – to whom I coach with – individuals with drive, independence, advocacy, passion, and leadership. I have become one of them. What I’ve always wanted!
Amidst the deep-rooted trials of this world I am motivated to see the can-do. The value shines through every person I meet. WE are humanity. Together- we must function – together. I am not a typically philosophical person. However, the beauty of the past days has enabled me to write in this manner. Nothing that I have experienced stands out specifically, rather life in all forms.
