USF Service Learners: Adam Ross

Adam Ross is a service-learning student in the Management & Organizational Dynamics course at the University of San Francisco.  Service-learning students spend a semester at St. Anthony’s doing service, learning about social issues and connecting their experience with their course work.

St. Anthony Foundation (SAF) provides a premier service to individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds in the San Francisco community.  For the past 2 ½ months, I have had the opportunity to help enhance St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program currently located on Mission street.   Through direct service, I have begun to gather a more thorough understanding of not keeping individuals to a single story and making an effort to gain a greater perspective of people around the city.

One of the most interesting experiences I have had while traveling to St. Anthony Foundation came rather unexpected.  It occurred in mid September when traveling on the Muni (31) headed towards SAF.  As the bus approached the stop, I exited along with a young lady and her child.  As I began walking down the street, the lady stopped me and asked for directions to the St. Anthony Foundation. I explained to her that I was headed the same way and I could take her in that direction. As we began to walk, the woman’s child began to produce one of the largest smiles I had ever seen.  When I asked the kid what he was smiling about, he looked at his mom and asked, “is that the place that makes my stomach stop hurting?”  The young woman began to tell me about how she found out about SAF and the individuals that had recommended her there, both past clients and staff, had become closer to her than her family and therefore, she figured she could trust that things were going to be alright for her and her son.