During my junior year at Iona Preparatory School, my service experience focused on helping the homeless and those struggling to meet basic needs in my local community. Through school-organized food drives and outreach programs, I worked to support individuals and families facing housing insecurity and food shortages. Seeing people depend on these services made me realize how easily stability can be lost and how essential consistent support is for those in need.

This experience shaped how I understand service and directly influenced my desire to participate in the Iona Prep Mission Peru initiative in the future. While my junior year service addressed homelessness locally, it opened my eyes to similar challenges faced by communities abroad. In Peru, many families struggle with inadequate housing, limited access to education, and insufficient healthcare, conditions that mirror the root causes of homelessness I witnessed at home. Organizations like Mission Peru exist because these needs are ongoing and cannot be met without committed volunteers and sustained resources.

The impact of my service was both personal and formative. It shifted my mindset from simply completing service hours to recognizing service as a responsibility. I learned that meaningful help goes beyond short-term aid and must focus on dignity, education, and long-term improvement. That understanding is what draws me to Mission Peru, where service is centered on empowering communities rather than offering temporary relief.

My junior year service experience did more than serve an immediate need. It clarified the kind of work I want to pursue moving forward. By continuing my commitment through Mission Peru, I hope to build on what I learned locally and help address similar challenges on a broader scale, standing in solidarity with communities striving for stability and opportunity.