The following letter was read aloud by FFR Board Member, Jayne Crisp, at the Very Blueberry Breakfast on July 1st.
My name is Zoe Crisp. I am from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and I attend The College of Charleston. My whole life I have wanted a career that devotes itself to helping people. Especially the ones in poverty, and victims of abuse.
I have focused my studies in high school and college upon careers that involve mental health and substance abuse. I was visiting my grandparents over Christmas break from college and my grandmother, Jayne Crisp, invited me to volunteer up in Slater as a part of the Christmas festivities that were being put on there. I have always been fond of centers like this. They offer crucial resources for families, and individuals in great need. I noticed that the Slater center focuses its programs on seniors that are in need which is a very rare occasion. This was very inspiring to me.
The people that I met up at the Slater center were very wholesome and very much enjoyed talking to me, and the same went for me. I enjoyed every minute of this experience. It opened my eyes to a world outside of Charleston and Jackson. Both Charleston and Jackson are tourist bubbles. Being able to see people struggle with everyday needs and being able to help these people made me feel good about myself and I was able to make others in need feel good and get the help that they needed. I am so unbelievably grateful for this experience.
Before I came to Slater to volunteer, I had a strict plan of majoring in political science with hopes of going into Law School. While I still want to pursue that dream, this experience helped me realize that I would like to acquire a career where I can help the people that are most in need physically and mentally. This made me change my major to sociology so I could learn how humans work and what is the most cost effective way to help people. In conclusion, the Slater center is a very important place to me. I learned there that the littlest help possible will make someone with less fortune extremely happy. It also taught me that helping people is exactly what I want to do. I want to make people feel comfortable, happy and loved in the largest way possible.
~Zoe Crisp, 2022