J-Teen Detroit 2017 By Daniel Safdeye

Coleman A. Young Elementary School The elementary school really had an impact on me because I saw how much it impacted the kids. Seeing the smiles on their faces’ when we arrived, and the frowns and hugs they gave us when we left made me understand that the work we do is not to make us feel better, but it is to help the people in need. In addition, it made me realize that something so small can make a huge impact.

The NOAH Project It was very uplifting to see how committed and passionate the people from the NOAH project (and Peer Corps) were. This helped me realize that you are still doing service and helping people, even though they are not right in front of you.

Downtown Synagogue In Detroit it is evident that there is not a large Jewish community. However, this does not stop the people at the Downtown Synagogue. It was very inspiring to see how committed these people were to both their religion and their city.

The Thome Rivertown Neighborhood Although community service with senior-citizens can sometimes be hard, helping at this elderly home seemed easier than most due to both the elderly and the workers. While the elderly were very lively and filled with knowledge about Detroit's pastime, making them easy and interesting to talk to, the spirit and care of the workers was very touching.

Breakers Covenant Church International Since I am Jewish and J-Teen is a Jewish organization, I was very skeptical about going to into a Church for prayer and doing service there. However, after watching how lively the service was and seeing how much these people cared about their Church and faith, I realized that your religion does not matter, we all have problems and we all need help.