Introduction to Trip Leader Hi everyone! My name is Cara Hawks, and I will be co-leading the Bear Breaks trip to Asheville this Spring Break! This is my first Bear Breaks trip, and I am excited to make an impact on the Asheville community with fellow MSU students. Gentrification Gentrification is the transformation of neighborhoods from low to high value. This process … [Read more...] about Asheville: Shaping Health Through Community Programs
Let's Focus in on Community Revitalization "It takes a village to raise a child." A child's zip code shouldn't determine his or her destiny, but today, the neighborhood they are raised in may impact their growth and outcomes in many ways. How can a child focus in school if their core needs are not being met? It is tough to maintain good health, get an education, or reach … [Read more...] about Bringing the Bears Back to the Bayou!
Choices Every single day on this Earth, billions of people make a choice—many of them, actually. Some choices require more effort to make and some can certainly be the spur-of-the-moment type. Some of these choices can be life-altering, too. I'm here to talk about a series of choices I began to make around a year and a half ago that began with my decision to apply to go on a … [Read more...] about Taking a Leap of Faith to Make a Simple Difference
Expanding My Boundaries. At this same time last year, I wasn't educated enough about homelessness. I believed that "It wasn't my problem, it was theirs." After my trip to Chicago, I started viewing this issue from a new perspective. They are a part of our community, and every community they live in; they are people who simply need our support and encouragement. What I learned … [Read more...] about Homelessness From a New Perspective
Introduction to Trip Leader Hello! I’m Ericka, and I’m leading the Chicago Bear Breaks trip! I’m so excited to be a part and lead this trip! Panel Reflection This past week, my fellow trip leaders and I had the chance to listen in on a panel that involved Professor Lyle Foster and Amanda Stadler from Community Partnership of the Ozarks. They were aware of the problem of … [Read more...] about The Fight Against Homelessness and Hunger