Releases

Colin Storey Murphy is a special projects coordinator at 30th Street Senior Center in San Francisco, California.

When comparing your life in JVC to your previous experiences, what has been the biggest shift or change?

My life in JVC has been a drastically new and different experience. My habits, ranging from how I spend my time and money to how I think, have been consciously altered in an attempt to bring myself closer to the populations I serve and the community in which I live. 

I am very much the same person that I have always been, but as a result of my commitment to JVC I feel that my perception of community, simple living, spirituality, and social justice has been expanded along with my sense of self. At times it seems like I am working a 9-to-5 job just like so many people I know. When I take a step back from my routine, I can see how fruitful my JVC experience has been. I am not just working, I am living simply in a community dedicated to social justice and informed by spirituality, which is pretty much the greatest. I think I have changed most in that I no longer think and act solely for myself. All of my decisions now must be influenced by all of these factors.

Who, if anyone, has had the biggest impact on you as a Jesuit Volunteer?

I would say that my clients have had the biggest impact on me as a JV. Working with seniors has allowed me to see an entirely new side of life. I deal with people who come from a variety of backgrounds, have very different personalities, and who have seen a great deal in their lives. Even though I might be the one teaching them how to use a computer mouse, I learn infinitely more than I could ever teach. They are truly a remarkable group of people, and I am honored to work with them during my year here in San Francisco. 

I also want to give tribute to my JV community and our JVC support people who have become more of a family for me than I thought was possible.

What is one thing you've learned to appreciate as a Jesuit Volunteer?

I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated food more than I do in JVC. Adhering to our strict food budget has become something of an art for us. Deciding what to include in our grocery lists, going to the right grocery stores, getting the right brands, weighing price and quality, all of these factors have made me realize how little money we can spend while maintaining a ealthy diet. 

The most striking aspect of our food situation, however, is that we would probably not be able to survive individually on our monthly food allotments. Only by combining our resources and buying food communally are we able to live on the amount that we are given, which I believe can be taken as a lesson and applied to other areas of life. 

As human beings we need the support of a community; no one can make it entirely on their own.