Home Sweet Home

Service to the greater good is a core value of the Caldwell Fellows program. The servant-leadership model has long been its philosophy of leadership. Our alumni host, Jim Arnold ’74 is true to this ideal. Not only is his planning, teaching and leadership for our group an act of considerable service, his schedule for us includes working with him at the organization, where he is a weekly volunteer. Home Sweet Home provides a home to physically handicapped and homeless adult men and women. Founded by a most amazing leader, Norani Abu Bakar, HSH two years ago with literally nothing. Today it provides a home and meaningful work to 14 residents with plans for two new locations and an ever-widening engagement with the community. HSH trains its residents as skilled seamstresses and embroiders to create the shopping bags, bed, dining and specialty items sold to support the home.

Residents are referred to as brothers and sisters and share the care of helping one another meet the challenges created by physical handicap. It’s hard to tell who is staff and who is a resident of HSH, the spirit of community is so very tangible. At HSH our students saw not only a highly effective model of social entrepreneurship and visionary leadership but had yet another experience in how shared work and food is a bridge that transcends language, culture, and differing abilities. We tended the garden together and worked with HSH residents to sort donated clothes for the larger community (and having great fun trying on many of the items, particularly hats). In addition, the folks of HSH patiently guided our hoard of unskilled folks in the fine art of making Chinese dumplings and wrapping sticky rice. The food we prepared together was a closing feast to a most fulfilling day.

As is our practice on these trips, an hour at the end of each day is devoted to group reflection. Tonight’s reflection on the day at HSH was a rich experience in why service-learning is such a powerful avenue for education and human development. More on that to come. Later you will learn about the refection model we are following for this trip and I will share some of the writing they produce as we move through these coming weeks.

Home Sweet Home's Sign

The China Fellows sorting second-hard closed with the

brothers and sisters of Home Sweet Home.