Service & Justice Trips Archive

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What is Service?

– April 30, 2013Posted in: Service & Justice Trips Reflections

white roseWhat is service?

I found myself thinking this upon my return from my Spring Break “Service” Trip. I kept looking back at my week and tried to determine what services I provided. I never fed the homeless, built a house, or tutored kids.

Did I serve? Yes? Maybe?

Honestly, at first I didn’t know. But then I started thinking about my experiences with my group and the people at our host site, the White Rose Catholic Worker. We shared laughs and knowledge, food-prep and clean up duties, floor space and house work. We were together, we were whole. We listened and spoke with intention. We created a safe space where all of us felt comfortable sharing, opposing, and contradicting scattered thoughts and feelings. We served each other. By becoming vulnerable and open we were able to be honestly present physically, mentally, and emotionally for each other. No one needed food, clothing, or shelter, but we did need love, acceptance, and community. We provided each other with the support that allowed ourselves to be so truly authentic that we could connect with ourselves, and each other, on a deeper level.

I realize now that those actions were my forms of service. Being a supporter and friend is an act of service. Just staying in the room talking to the people on meal-prep or dishes, asking questions about themselves so time could go more quickly and create a more pleasurable environment, is a way of serving them. There might not be a physical reminder of the service I provided, but there is a profound change within the people I interacted with, as well as inside myself, that proves to me how much my presence and openness mattered to this experience.

I learned so much this past week about myself, but I know that would not have been possible without the service of the people around me. Their authenticity and intensity was contagious. I was there to serve them, but in the end I would say they served me much more.

I want to send my gratitude to the coordinators of the trip, my wonderful White Rosers, and all the people I came in contact with in Chicago. Through learning this new definition of service, I have come to the conclusion that I can dedicate my life to the service of others without changing any of my future goals. Service is a mindset and attitude just as much as it is an action. Motivation matters, and I plan to use my motivation to live as a servant of humanity.

Madi Felipe
Class of 2015
Host Site: Chicago, White Rose Catholic Worker

 

The CCSJ blogs are meant to be a place for Creighton students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and friends to reflect on their experiences with programs sponsored by the office or related to its mission. The views expressed in these reflections, and all other blogs found on or linked to from this website, are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of Creighton University, the Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ), or any of the University’s affiliates. The University and the CCSJ are not responsible for the actions, content, accuracy, or opinions expressed in these blogs.

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Kinship – It’s in the Details

– April 18, 2013Posted in: Service & Justice Trips Reflections

Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. tells us a little bit about the meaning of the word kinship. “Kinship – not serving the other, but being one with the other. Jesus was not a ‘man for others’; he was one with them. There is a world of difference in that.”

So we see that kinship is quite the challenge to attain. On our service trips and in life, kinship is the ideal and it is what we should strive for. But how often do we truly experience kinship and oneness with another person? I would say not very often. Once, maybe twice in a week-long service trip if we’re lucky. True kinship may even pass us by if we’re not paying careful attention.

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But it is the very few times where we actually do experience kinship that makes all the difference in life. “God is in the details,” architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, and it is the details that provide the context for our lives. The details, the very times where we are truly one with another person, are what give life meaning. In this way, we are able to experience God by breaking down the barriers of human difference and relating to and being one with another person despite our differences. Or by accomplishing an arduous task with another person. Or in a really good cup of coffee. These instances of kinship are undeniably God and an attempt to explain the feeling we get when we experience this kinship is nothing other than futile.

On my service trip to Detroit, we went to different sites each day, so it was rather difficult to build relationships where we felt like we were truly one with another person. However, there was one instance on one of our first days in Detroit where we were working in a food pantry. We were sorting food and hygiene products into bags and boxes. I was working with another individual who was about my age, but he was working in the food pantry as part of his community service for parole. We had a lot to sort, so we needed to work quickly and efficiently. We didn’t say much and we worked as fast as we could to accomplish this task.

This was the most profound instance of kinship I encountered on my trip. While we didn’t share much about ourselves with each other, we were able to connect on a deeper level without exchanging very many words. The differences in our backgrounds and experiences didn’t matter anymore. We were focused on working together to accomplish a shared task. And from this experience, we were able to easily relate to each other after we finished the job when we otherwise might not have been able to. I would have never thought that I could have experienced being one with another person in such a simple way. From that experience, I learned to look for those rare opportunities where I can share an experience with another person, and I learned to look for God in the details.

Andrew Smith
Class of 2014
Host Site: Detroit, Michigan

 

The CCSJ blogs are meant to be a place for Creighton students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and friends to reflect on their experiences with programs sponsored by the office or related to its mission. The views expressed in these reflections, and all other blogs found on or linked to from this website, are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of Creighton University, the Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ), or any of the University’s affiliates. The University and the CCSJ are not responsible for the actions, content, accuracy, or opinions expressed in these blogs.

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Sam & Louie’s 2013 Fall Break Service and Justice Trip Fundraiser

– April 11, 2013Posted in: Featured Events, Service & Justice Trips

Sam-Louies-Pizza

 Love Sam & Louie’s pizza? Love the CCSJ? Perfect! Stop by Sam & Louie’s all day for some yummy pizza and tell them you want the proceeds from your meal to benefit the CCSJ’s Fall Break Service and Justice Trips program.

What: Sam & Louie’s 2013 FBS&J Trip Fundraiser

Where: Sam & Louie’s Pizza 2418 Cuming St Omaha, NE 68131

When: Thursday, April 18th, 11am-9pm!

 

 

 

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Fall Break Service and Justice Trip Applications Now Available

– April 8, 2013Posted in: Service & Justice Trips, Trip Specific Opportunities

SendingOffGroupsEast St. Louis2

A complete, on-time Fall Break Service & Justice Trips 2013 application will include the following items:
*For a list of important dates, scroll to the bottom of the page

1) Online Application Applications will be available April 1, 2013. They will be accepted until April 9, 2013 . All applications are to the general Fall Break Service & Justice Trips 2013 Program, not for a specific site. We will take into consideration your preferences but offer no placement guarantee. (Host site placement preference is given to returning participants.)

As part of the online application,

You will rank justice issues you are interested in.
You will be completing brief essays.
There is no option to save and return so plan about 35 minutes to complete the entire application.

2) A deposit of $50 is required to hold your spot. The $50 deposit will only be accepted on April 8 or 9. This deposit is required for your application to be considered complete. Payments of cash, check or credit card will be accepted. The cost of the entire trip is $310 for full week and $210 for 5-day Omaha trips, and the remaining balance of your payment is due on September 4, 2013 by 4:30PM.

**Your $50 deposit is refundable until May 10, 2013 should you choose to not participate in the program. If you withdraw your application between May 10- Sept. 6, 2013 up to $150 of the payment may be refunded. Should you choose to not participate in the program after Sept 6, 2013 no portion of the payment is refundable because donations to host sites and other costs have already been awarded by this time.

** There are a limited number of need-based student scholarships. Please fill out the Fall 2013 Scholarship Application as soon as possible. Priority will be given to earlier applications and all applications are due by April 5, 2013 by midnight **

3) Interview Sign-ups. The 3rd and final part of a complete, on-time application is signing up for an interview when you make your deposit in the CCSJ. You will sign up for an interview in the CCSJ after your deposit is paid, on April 8 or 9th between 8AM-4:30PM. (Interviews are held in the CCSJ; no need to dress up.) The 15 minute interviews will be held April 15-19th, 8 am – 9 pm. Please read “In the Service of Life” before coming for your interview as one of the questions will be about this reflection.

4) If you will be under 19 during Fall Break 2013 (October 11-19, 2013), download the “Fall Break Service and Justice Trips Under 19 Release” document. You and a parent or guardian both must sign the document and return it by September 4, 2013. Your parent or guardian can fax it to the CCSJ (402-280-1259).

For More Information Click Here.

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The Power of Loving Words

– April 6, 2013Posted in: Featured Events, Service & Justice Trips Reflections

When you ask most individuals who have been to Chicago to describe their experience, many will tell you about the striking big city with Broadway productions, delicious restaurants, and fabulous shopping. However, this extravagant side of Chicago represents a very small portion of the city.

For my Spring Break Service & Justice Trip, I spent a week with the Daughters of Charity in the Marillac Center on the west side of Chicago. Much like Omaha, the significance of geography is extremely relevant. Those who grew up in the west side did not venture out into the south side of Chicago due to its overwhelming unfamiliarity, which could also be extremely dangerous. Throughout my week at the Marillac Center, I was blessed to witness the tight knit community of all the individuals involved in the social center, and I also had the opportunity to form bonds of my own. During this Spring Break Service & Justice trip, my group and I had the chance to experience a variety of projects and activities that the Marillac Center dedicates its time to.

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At the Marillac Center, the children are taught to address their problems with other people by using their words. I remember listening to a story told by a young boy who said to one of the sisters that, “They don’t do it like we do here at Marillac,” in reference to the children at his elementary school. On the playground, another student pushed him down and he responded by saying, “I don’t like it when you do that.” This bully said, “Oh well,” and pushed him down again. This shows how the Marillac center works to bring community together rather than tear it apart and to use words rather than violence. Throughout the week, I was overwhelmed with joy to see the perseverance, happiness, and love that the participants of Marillac have for each other.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.”

Meeting these beautiful people, you would never know what hardships they have experienced. Every person I met during my week of service was kind, lighthearted, and always had a smile on their face. Each and every one of the people I met will make me think twice before I make a complaint about small issues in my life. The smiles and kindness of all the people I met will forever be engraved in my heart, and I hope that during my week in Chicago, I was able to touch at least one person’s life as much as all the people of Marillac touched mine.

Chelsea Williams
Class of 2014
Host Site: Marillac Center, Chicago

 

The CCSJ blogs are meant to be a place for Creighton students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and friends to reflect on their experiences with programs sponsored by the office or related to its mission. The views expressed in these reflections, and all other blogs found on or linked to from this website, are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of Creighton University, the Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ), or any of the University’s affiliates. The University and the CCSJ are not responsible for the actions, content, accuracy, or opinions expressed in these blogs.

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Vocations and Shingles

– April 5, 2013Posted in: Service & Justice Trips Reflections

When I think about the experiences I had in Stroud, OK during my Spring Break Service & Justice Trip , what separates this trip from any other service experience I had is the people I shared it with, both in the community of Stroud and with my fellow Creighton students.

To be perfectly honest, I was not looking forward to spending a week of my life in a town with a population lower the Creighton’s undergraduate enrollment. But, as I spent more and more time with the locals, I came to realize that Stroud is not a small town, rather, it’s one big family that everyone is eager to welcome us into and invite us to remain in forever.

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Everyone genuinely cares about everyone. Whether it was preparing a meal for those who were working at Habitat for Humanity, working on the site itself, or Pastor Paul driving me from the site to the Church to get a band-aid for my very insignificant cut, everyone in Stroud was looking out for each other.

On the Tuesday we were there, we were all on top of the roof of the house laying shingles. I was on the very edge of roof, cutting and hammering shingles under the watchful eye of Pastor Paul. Out of the blue, Pastor Paul nonchalantly asked me what my vocation was in life. I had been getting a lot of questions like, “Where are you from?”, “What’s your major?”,“What year are you?“, and “Is this your first time in Stroud?”. These were small talk questions, so I was nowhere near prepared for such a deep question from Pastor Paul. I have been struggling with this question for the past few weeks and this was the first time I had a serious conversation with someone about it. I told him that I have had pre-med plans but I was starting to doubt them.

He asked me a simple question, “So, how are you going to figure them out?”

I muttered something about shadowing doctors over the summer, but the real answer was, “I have no idea.” I think he started to realize that this was a sensitive topic for me, and that I was not very enthusiastic about talking about it.

He looked at me and said, “If you want it to happen, it will happen.”

Even though this conversation did not last longer than a few minutes, I will always remember that Pastor Paul, while watching me cut and hammer shingles on top of a house in Stroud, OK, was the one person who made me realize that not only did I need to decide what I was meant to do with my life, but I also needed to have the will to get there.

Over the course of the week, I was pleasantly surprised as to how close I became with all of the members in my service group. From barely even talking on the drive down, to going out to dinner together right when we got back to school, I’m sure we will all admit that we came a long way. Whether it was working together tearing off a roof, playing an intense game of cards or catch phase, snacking on carrots and peanut butter, or talking about our experiences of the day during reflections, I can easily say that my experience in Oklahoma was as great as it was because I shared it with them.

I cherish my friendship with each and every one of them, not only because I had such a wonderful experience with them, but also because each of them had an impact on me in some way. From helping and being patient with me when I was struggling with a task, rocking out to 90’s music in the van, playing a quick game of Uno before dinner, tackling me in football, simply making me smile after a funny comment, or inspiring me to be a coordinator, each person had an impact on me in one way or another and contributed to my wonderful experience in Stroud, OK which I will remember forever. For this, I will always be grateful. #StroudProud

Michelle Baumann
Class of 2015
Major: Psychology
Host Site: Stroud, OK

 

The CCSJ blogs are meant to be a place for Creighton students, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and friends to reflect on their experiences with programs sponsored by the office or related to its mission. The views expressed in these reflections, and all other blogs found on or linked to from this website, are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of Creighton University, the Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ), or any of the University’s affiliates. The University and the CCSJ are not responsible for the actions, content, accuracy, or opinions expressed in these blogs.

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