Today was our third day together, but our first day of service. And what a day it was! We woke up to a beautiful covering of snow on the ground that turned Chicago into the most glorious winter wonderland. After such a warm winter, this was a welcome sight (for me, at least).
After breakfast, we headed to our service project of the day. Today we served at Chicago Dream Mission, which serves the homeless and particularly women who are a victim of sex trafficking in the area. Part of the girls were able to paint the walls in a new (thrift) store front that will provide a place of work for the women staying in Chicago Dream Mission facilities. Macon and Seamus got to knock down an interior wall in the back room of the future store.
While at first it was hard to imagine how the work we were doing would be helpful, when we spoke with Marisol, one of the workers for Chicago Dream Mission, she explained how the programs work and how our efforts would benefit the women as they began their new start.
Marisol’s explanation of the three phase program to rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking really hit home with me during reflection as I realized how our earlier painting could be seen as a metaphor. When we painted, we were just covering up what had been painted on the walls before. We didn’t strip down to the dry wall, we didn’t put a primer on the walls, we just painted. We covered it up. Some take this approach to rehabilitation. They gloss over it and ignore it. However, the Chicago Dream Mission does not take this approach. Their rehabilitation program consists of multiple months-long phases to truly give the individuals they help a new start. By explaining how our efforts would help women in what is sometimes their first real job, I was able to see how we were helping to play a part in the eventual rehabilitation process.
This evening we played tourist and took in Millennium Park, a Chicago classic. The most special moment for me was when one of our trip attendees, Susy, made her first snow angel EVER.
Keep following along to hear about the rest of our adventures!
-Alyssa Rockers