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| Team Care Force Senior Corp Member, Florence Capinding |
My name is Florence Capinding. I am 23 years old and originally from Hemet, CA. In 2009, I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Throughout college I was always particularly interested in Social Psychology classes because they offered me greater knowledge of pressing social issues happening today in society. And it was my classes that taught me the importance of community involvement. Throughout college I developed my belief in the power of community service, and in my time at City Year, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about putting that belief into action through physical service. I joined Team Care Force because I knew it would be an opportunity to utilize my knowledge, my skills, and my passions.
Last year I served at City Year Rhode Island as a corps member for the Young Heroes Team. Being on a small team consisting of 17-24 year olds and trying to run a program for over 100 youth was a very new and challenging experience. The combination of inexperienced workers, and knowledgeable young professionals resulted in diverse and, often times, complicated working styles. The most challenging part of last year was letting others take the reins. By the end of the year though, my team and I had presented the Young Heroes program to 27 different schools; recruited 120 middle school youth; and had managed to plan and facilitate 17 Saturdays dedicated to teaching youth about social problems and then going into their communities to fix those problems through community service. By the end of my corps year I learned that coffee is essential in any office. I learned that co-workers can bring out the best and the worst in you. And I learned that being a good leader sometimes means being a follower. Most of all, I learned that qualities such as patience, commitment, and dedication, are crucial to idealism.
This year I hope to do two things while on Team Care Force. The first thing I want to do is learn from the people and communities we will be working with. I can not think of any other opportunity that will allow me to meet so many people from so many different parts of the country. I want to learn as much as I can about different cultures, beliefs, and practices. The second thing I want to do this year is to teach others the importance of giving back to their community. I truly believe volunteering is contagious. Without a doubt, I believe a small group of people can be a catalyst for change—whether it is by inspiring middle school students to become civic minded individuals or by transforming a neighborhood into a beloved community.
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