Hi. My name is Tom Wingert. I am 21 years old and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am a fan of sports, music and nightlife, and take pride knowing that I somehow manage to balance the demanding life of a City Year Senior Corps Member and a personal life outside of work. Of course, this has required an adjustment in my sleeping schedule, but it works out.
After spending two years in Ohio at the College of Wooster, I decided to take some time off and head out to serve with City Year San Jose / Silicon Valley. During my corps year, I had the opportunity to work as a Care Force Reserve with Care Force in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and enjoyed the work so much that I decided to apply for Team Care Force.
Care Force’s mission strikes a particular chord with me. I believe that the roots of many problems lie in personal self-esteem issues, and that our community service projects can help improve a community’s self-esteem. If people show that they care and are looking out for others, then those receiving the help are more likely to care about themselves. Engaging large amounts of volunteers who may not know the people they are helping is encouraging. It shows that ordinary people are willing to help their fellow citizen, regardless of their backgrounds. The motivational spirit of our volunteers energizes me to tackle any task that comes my way on a service project, no matter how difficult. Sometimes the toughest projects turn out to be the most memorable.
My favorite experience working on Team Care Force came at a project in Winter Haven, Florida, where a variety of different elements did not fall into place as expected, and I was required to be quick on my feet and make the situation work. Since I enjoy troubleshooting on projects, I saw this as an opportunity to do some problem-solving and teach myself some new skills. I had to learn how to drive a Skid-Steer and was faced with the daunting task of moving 400 cubic feet of mulch. Two additional members of Team Care Force were flown in to assist with the project, and although it was stressful at the time, the hard work paid off and the obstacles were overcome. These things do not happen in my normal life, only in my life as a service warrior.
After my year with Team Care Force, I am going back to school at LaSalle University in Philadelphia to finish up my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Graphic Design. Eventually I hope to come back to City Year so I can be a legitimate young professional who wears sweatshirts and fleece vests to work.
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