December 26 – Seva (Service)

How did you serve in 2011? Do you plan to volunteer in 2012?

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In addition to teaching 8th grade English, I am the Community Service Coordinator at my school in Guatemala. In this role, I have been fortunate to connect with some amazing nonprofit work going on in this country at organizations including Long Way Home, which is building parks, a school and a community center in a village called Comalapa, as well as Safe Passage, an educational support center that provides food, love and education to children living in poverty near the garbage dump here in Guatemala City. In 2011, I organized many "Service Saturday" volunteer trips for students, teachers and parents.

I personally got involved with an organization called La Alianza (alliance) which is a safe house for teenagers who have been rescued from human trafficking. Along with another friend, I've gone there once or twice a month since September to teach yoga to the girls. In early December, we threw them a big Christmas party, complete with piñatas, tamales, cake, and donated presents. The girls' spirit is amazing; though they've all been through unimaginable horrors in their young lives, they smile and laugh and hug us and are always so grateful to us.

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"Service is the rent we pay for being on this earth." ~Marian Wright Edelman