[Day 5]
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Blizzards in Colorado aren’t like blizzards in Chicago. We have gusty winds and slush. Colorado has mounds of packing snow that doesn’t know when to quit. The weather changed our plans for Wednesday, but we didn’t let that stop us from trekking through calf-deep snow. Did I mention we packed for sunny 40+ degree weather? Frozen, wet feet was the trend for the second half of the week.
While we waited for Josh to see what we could do to serve without having to dig out the van, we all layered up and barreled through the snow to Colfax Ave. to grab breakfast at Voodoo Doughnut. If you’ve never been, you need to go…like now. Seriously, go! It’s creepy, weird, tastes amazing and comes in a pink box. There’s not much more you can ask for from a doughnut shop.
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Alright, back to the important stuff.
In the afternoon, we ended up walking to the senior shelter down the street where we spent an hour getting to know some of the folks who come in from the street and have lunch and keep warm. I split off with Sammi and we sat and talked to a man named David Beckon. His story was interesting and what we thought, was not really true. Even so, Sammi and I took what Josh had taught us about just giving people the time to just share and we sat and listened to David’s story for an hour. He talked about legal troubles, family and a $100,000 music studio he owned. We could tell some (or maybe all) of his story was stretched, but I wish he owned an expensive music studio. He’d have a job and income for a home and a warm meal and bed. I wish he had the success he talked about. No one deserves to be out on the street. I told myself that every time we went out the door for the next service experience.
That evening, we walked to a house where single moms with difficult backgrounds stayed. Some used to be involved with drugs and others had different stories. The point of these homes is to help the mother’s get back on their feet and start fresh. The ten of us spent a few hours at the house cleaning and cooking dinner for them. I worked with Sammi to cook spaghetti and green beans for their dinner. It felt really good to prepare a meal for someone. These women and children aren’t necessarily homeless, but their lives have been hard. Taking some of the stress of doing everything alone with a child seemed like the very least we could do.
[Day 6]
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Once the flurries stopped and the wind died out, the rest of the week was calm, in regards to the weather. In the morning, the plan was to do something similar to our experience with Charles on Tuesday, but this time we were inviting someone to have breakfast with us at McDonald’s or Burger King. After the harsh weather, it was difficult to find anyone outside that morning. Most were in shelters or wherever they could get warm.
After walking around for some time, we spotted a man helping a woman move her car out of a snow pile. After a minute of questioning whether we could help we made our way across the street and offered our assistance. In a few short minutes we were able to guide the woman’s car out of the snow pile without hitting the car parked behind her. As the woman pulled away, we turned to the man and asked if he had time to join us for breakfast.
None of us had any idea what this man’s background was. Like I said before, we felt like the worst thing to do was assume someone was homeless. He didn’t look homeless, but you don’t know someone’s story until you ask.
His name was Keith. Here’s a little bit about him:
When we met Keith, we didn’t know his story. We sat down for breakfast at Burger King and had no idea we were eating with someone who went to prison. We didn’t know we were sitting with someone who lived in a half-way house. You wouldn’t have known either. To us, he was a kind stranger who helped a woman move her car out of a snow mound for nothing in return. He was the man that told me about the food he liked to cook. He was the man who showed interest in the work we were doing for others.
This was one of the experiences that had a big impact on me and the others because it was the epitome of “not judging a book by its cover.” Keith didn’t look like any of the experiences he said he went through. Those experiences didn’t define him either.
I took a lot away from this trip and one of those things was to not look at someone’s exterior and judge them, whether they were in strips of clothing or a full suit, it didn’t matter. I won’t see people for their exterior anymore. My hope is that I will find myself seeking their story and understanding their mind and heart.
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That afternoon we went to World Vision in Denver, where we packaged donated clothes from Abercrombie and Hollister. They were being shipped to families in other countries in need. We tore boxes open, folded and repackaged the items without the extra trash, like stuffing paper you find in shoes and such. Unlike the U.S. some parts of other countries aren’t able to dispose of garbage the same way we can. I felt a sense of gratefulness through the time we were there and part of me wanted to box everything I have at home and give it away.
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Thursday night, our group opened up about our experiences on the trip and in life. A lot of us broke down. I cried harder than I had cried in a long time.
I knew this trip changed me.
[Day 7]
Friday, March 25, 2016
Friday was our last day in Denver. We woke up around 9:30 a.m. and were on the road to the mountains for one last hike. This hike was obviously very different than Tuesday’s hike at Red Rocks. Snow covered the ground and every other step we were ankle deep in a hole. But boy was it a memorable one!
The sun was shining, I was rocking a Denver t-shirt and still sweating as we hiked at Mount Galbraith Park. It was a rough and somewhat terrifying walk because the path was narrow and man-made, the drop was steep and one wrong move one of us would have tumbled down the side. A few of us were even trying to lift our heads to catch the view while we walked but one little slip and our heads were down staring at our feet again. When the path led to a wide-open area we stopped and took in the view. It was incredible and of course, I had my camera out. If you have Instagram, you can see the mirrored image I took of some of our group on the mountain (@NorthCentralCollege). At one point we were able to get service on our phones, so half of us were Facetiming our families to show them the view too.
Along the path Sam started talking about how the mountain is a great symbol for everything we’ve seen over the week. People struggling to find their way back to the top and the ups and downs of life. She’s right.
It’s physically draining trying to get to the top of a mountain and sometimes it feels like it’s taking forever. It takes work, dedication and heart. So does life.
The people we met throughout are trip fought to get back to a good place and some are still fighting their way through the hardships.
When the ten of us were hiking along the side of the mountain, slipping and sliding in the snow, we each had someone watching our backs and ready to pick us up if we fell. We had support. We had love. We had a family.
Not everyone can say that about their life, which is why I know what we did that week meant something. We offered our compassion, our love, our time, and a listening ear to strangers who just needed someone to help them stand for even the briefest of moments.
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That night we played with children at a park after they got out of school. These children come from struggling families and refugees who sought safety in the United States. You would never know the hardships they’ve gone through by the way they played with their friends and our group. Together we volunteered with an organization called Hope in Our City to give time to these children and show them the goodness in this world.
[Day 8]
Saturday, March 26, 2016
We drove 16 hours home in one day and the entire time I wished I could turn around.
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Throughout the course of this North Central College BREAKAWAY trip, Josh asked us about our highs and lows and about our experiences as a whole. One common phrase I kept using was “We are human.” It sounds obvious, straightforward and maybe even ridiculous, but to me, it’s the foundation of my experience.
We are all human beings and we’re all going through different life experiences. Some of us are financially stable, others can barely afford lunch. Some of us have lost loved ones in our family and others have lost themselves. Some of us have an education and others didn’t make it through grade school. Some of us are ill and others are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some of us are young and others are old.
We are all different, yet we are all the same. I remind myself every day that no matter what someone looks like, what they do or what their life experiences have been, we are the same because we are all human. We have beating hearts pumping blood through our veins. God gave us life and no matter who we are or what our story is, we are human.
So we shouldn’t be afraid of the man on the corner of the street with a sign asking for help. We shouldn’t be afraid of the child running around in rags. We shouldn’t have fear in our hearts when we pass by a homeless shelter. We should have compassion and empathy. We should serve.
I’m not saying I’m perfect at this, but for a long time I have been searching for a way to do good in this world and make the work I do mean something more. Experiencing this service trip as a North Central graduate student and marketing graduate assistant was a privilege and a blessing.
Thank you to Ashley Brackenridge (’16), Casey Greene (M ’16), Terra Johnson (’18), Angie Menefee (’18), Erin Huggins (’19), Sammi Miller (’19), Sam Casey (’16), Tiffani Merwin (’19), and CSM host Josh Frase. I don’t think I would have had the same experience without you guys.