Read the next essay by Michelle Aziz and think of what her circle of friends might look like.

   I have always asked myself why people volunteer. Now that I am a volunteer I know the reasons. Volunteering at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center is an excellent experience. I'm a volunteer at the Pharmacy Department in the hospital. I work there as a pharmacy clerk. This is very beneficial to my future life. I gain new skills interacting with people. It takes stress out of my way, because when I am at home I tend to take on problems. For that, I feel happy to give myself to the ones who are in need of help. Other reasons why I enjoy volunteering are I learn about myself and it is challenging. There are also possibilities that I may get a well paying job with benefits.
   At my work site my supervisor teaches me almost everything that a clerk should know. If I do anything wrong she corrects me at the same time; which I appreciate very much. There in the Pharmacy, I answer the phones and relay messages. I input and output information in the computer: mostly memos, letters, and reports. This is my most enjoyable time. As for the monthly report-- my supervisor and I work together on that. In addition, I sort out department mail and give it to the people, make purchase orders, xerox and fax. I also file twice every month.
   The workers at the Pharmacy Department show gratitude towards me and appreciate what I do for them. I enjoy working as a volunteer.

   Michelle feels good about her volunteer experience, but volunteers aren't always made to feel welcome. The next essay paints a very different point of view.

   During my four months in the hospital I've had some good and bad experiences. My worst experience was an unforgettable one. I was reporting for work and was not wearing my ID. I was going to hang my coat up in the nurse's room. A nurse came to me. She was from another side of the floor. She came to me and asked what I was doing there. I told her putting away my coat. Then she asked me a few more questions. Then she realized that I was working on the floor. After apologizing to me we spoke about what had happened. She explained that she'd thought I was a thief.
   One: she's black and I did not expect that answer from her. And, two: why did she think I was a thief. Why didn't she think I was lost or I am new? Was it because I am black? If it was a white person would she have done the same thing? Is the first thing that comes to mind when you see a black person that they're a thief?

   What do you hear the last author saying? How would you have reacted if this had been your experience?

   Write your reaction to the volunteer work you are doing. Consider these questions when you write: How can your own service learning experience be improved? How have service learning experiences affected the way you look at your community? What impact do you think you have had on the people or place where you have worked?