My First Day At A Homeless Shelter Essay

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I have vivid memories of spending hours at the dinner table with my father discussing Economics. Night after night, he told me stories of how the world revolves around the economy—how the economy not only affects large corporations but people. It took me years to realize that those long conversations with my father weren't just about spending quality time with him; they were instilling me with a very important value: empathy.
I didn't know what to expect when I began to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. The memory of my first day there is as vivid to me as all those conversations with my father. I recall walking through sliding doors and being met with kind, yet weary faces. Men, women and children filled a large room lined with twin beds. Many of them were holding plates of food. I heard laughter. I saw smiles. Within a few minutes of my arrival, I was told that my task at the shelter would be to converse with the residents. This delighted me, for I believed it could be the perfect opportunity to interact with people who came from very different backgrounds than my own.
For the next four months, I met with those same men, women and children that I had seen on my first day at the shelter. I listened to their stories and I shared my …show more content…

It taught me patience and helped me to gain confidence as an individual in a diverse society. It allowed me to develop my listening skills and the ability to understand the feelings of other human beings. I now see empathy, like love, as an essential characteristic to the betterment of our world. I'm proud that I've had the chance to develop this quality, and it excites me to know that the people I'll go on to meet throughout my life will have the opportunity to be heard because I will want to listen. I am passionate about connecting with people and look forward to the many connections I'm sure to make at the University of

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