As part of my transfer orientation/welcome week at American University, I had the privilege of participating in one of welcome week's volunteer experiences. The series of philanthropic activities is meant to act as the beginning of our immersion into Washington DC, not hesitating at the various monuments and tourist points-of-interest. Rather, the goal of such an activity is to start to understand the diversity of peoples, neighborhoods, and cultures that form the real backbone of our nation's capital.
        I volunteered in conjunction with "We Are Family," a small, grassroots organization that reaches out to senior citizens of color in several of DC's troubled neighborhoods—historically infested with crime, drug and alcohol abuse, and other social ills (Additional information can be found here). (I look forward to possibly working with this organization in continued volunteer efforts in Washington DC). The organization conforms nicely with the late Dr. Martin Luther King's message of blending justice and service aimed at egalitarianism, while being aided by religious and moral fervor. With that said, of course the day began at one of several baptist churches scattered around the North Capitol/Shaw neighborhoods of DC, almost directly adjacent to the Capitol Building. I worked along side groups from Georgetown and George Washington Universities, both also located within DC.