So far my experience with Mercy Volunteer Corps in Pittsburgh has been a good one. My service site is with AJAPO (Acculturation for Justice, Access, and Peace Outreach), a refugee resettlement agency. I do enjoy the work and I feel that it is rewarding. To be honest though, it was a rocky start. Case Management is a lot of work, and it has taken some time to get used to how things work in the Agency. I do feel however, that I am growing more comfortable with this position and as time goes by I will get better and better at it, so I am encouraged.

Outside of that, life in Pittsburgh is nice. My community member and I met up with some volunteers from the Franciscan Volunteer Corps. We all went to the Carnegie Science Center this past weekend, and it was nice to meet some like minded people going through the same experiences. I also have family here in Pittsburgh and that has its perks as well. My aunt likes to host events at her house and this weekend she plans on hosting a game night, so I am excited for that.

That’s all I have for this blog post, I look forward to seeing what this opportunity has in store for me as I continue with this journey.

John Thomas II

Are you interested in volunteering? John’s position is in the social services field. Click here to view all the social services placements that Mercy Volunteer Corps has to offer!