Nicole Irvin

Corporate Ethics and Social Responsibility

Post-Reflection – Feeding homeless in Pittsburgh

Reflect

-What positive social change occurred through this experience, both to you personally and to the community you
served? For me personally, it was an eye-opening experience. I never realized how many people go hungry every day.
You hear about these issues on the news or reading articles but you never fully understand until you see it with your
own eyes. Living in a small town you are sheltered from these issues but for them it is real life. If I would attend the
event again in the future, I would feel more comfortable. It was also nice to get out and meet some of my fellow
classmates. I feel the community was appreciate for our services that night. They were able to enjoy a hot meal and
hopefully forget about their problems even for an hour.

-How did you embody Catholic Social Teaching? Attending the event in Pittsburgh was an embodiment of Human
Dignity and Community and the Common Good. Servicing the homeless allowed me to show respect and dignity for
human life. Coming together with fellow volunteers gave me the opportunity to work with the community and
promote the common good. Serving the food to the less fortunate enabled me to put the needs of the poor and
vulnerable before mine.

-How did serving connect to the University’s mission, pillars, and history? Serving in Pittsburgh allowed me to
become a productive member of society. I exercised my responsibilities as a human being to help others and show
compassion. Using my knowledge, skills, and talents, I was able to transform the world for the hungry. It made a
difference in their lives, even if it was only one night. It was one night they didn’t go hungry.

-How do you feel now about any anxieties you had prior to this experience? I still feel Pittsburgh can be very
intimidating and to be 100% honest I was nervous walking down the street to the meeting place. I noticed people
across the street next to the bus shelter and it wasn’t until I got closer I realized they were homeless. At one point
some of the people were getting loud and yelling. I did feel uncomfortable, especially only being with two other
people. Once the truck with the food arrived I felt more relaxed. Dr. Jones arrived shortly after with other volunteers.

-What did you enjoy most about serving? The satisfaction of knowing I did make a difference in the lives of many
that night. Also seeing the look on their faces when they realized they were having a turkey dinner. They couldn’t
thank us enough for the delicious food and the donations.

Connect

-What are some various philosophical standpoints that may motivate someone to serve? Did you feel motivated
by a certain one? I feel people could be motivated by Peter Singer’s philosophical standpoints. Through his works the
question he asked was, “what are our moral obligations to strangers?” He felt suffering and death from lack of food,
shelter, and medical care is unacceptable. If an individual can prevent something bad from happening it is wrong not
to do so. Individuals should donate as much as possible to prevent suffering and death. I also feel people may be
influenced by Edith Stein’s work. She expresses empathy as the givenness of the other. She reminds us that we are
not capable of judging one another. People are put on this earth not to judge but to help when we can and to learn
from. I personally was motivated by Peter Singer’s standpoints. He has such a passion for individuals and feels we all
have moral responsibilities to help them.

-Make a specific connection between this experience and the FOE text.
The way FoEs are now practicing the new marketing paradigm can relate to this experience. The new marketing
paradigm embraces love and healing which is accomplished when volunteering. The FOE text states that Love is the
antidote for this dehumanization. When volunteering you are showing the capacity to love and inspiring love. I also
feel there is a connection between being societies. “Being” societies have the others-centered focus and are deeply
vested in high-ground moral values. Materialistic values and behaviors are disappearing from society. People are now
looking for ways to do the greater good for society.

-Make specific connections between this experience and the documentary “I AM”
The documentary “I AM” reminds us that money does not buy happiness. It is in human nature to express sympathy,
love, and compassion. These qualities were expressed in Pittsburgh while helping the homeless. The documentary
explained there is a number one rule in nature that mankind breaks every day. Nothing in nature takes more than it
needs, if it does it is subject to this law and dies off. The term used when something takes more than its share is
cancer. We are all born to be our brothers’ keeper and to love thy neighbor. Even though that night in Pittsburgh
might seem small and insignificant to some, it made a difference to many. We all have the power of one…the power
to change the world.

Gaze

-How will you contribute to transform the world with love, peace, and justice as a professional in your field?
That is a very good question. I am currently an Accounting major so my expertise is in numbers. But at my current job
I work in the administration building but we do hold fund raisers and other events to help the children at the
neighboring school. My heart lies with animals of all kinds. I am a fan of the Eastern Bluebird and have spent a lot of
time constructing nest boxes to help bring back the dwindling populations.

-In what ways will you continue to do community service? Service Saturdays is something I would be interested in
doing. I would be happy to service various organizations such as Animal Friends of Westmoreland, Habitat for
Humanity, or Westmoreland Parks and Recreation.