By: Emma Drace
Community is always important. As a community we should include all types of people: working class, white collar, teachers, preachers, the wealthy, and the homeless. Asheville is a community that welcomes all types of people even when they may be different. This community sees the needs and fills them to the best of their ability. On each day, I tried to reflect on one takeaway from each service project. The first and second day we worked with cleaning the community and helping Asheville understand what healthy eating is like.
Today we worked with Haywood Street Congregation, a meal for the homeless. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this meal or even what I would be feeling after serving for the day. As we stepped into the church I was overwhelmed by pieces of art on the walls. As I walked down the stairs to a room filled with people, I knew it might be a hard day of work. I was paired up with a nice lady to help serve the people. There were four shifts and at the end of the day the volunteers would feed more than 500 people.
I loved getting to sit down with these people and hear about their lives. I take my life for granted sometimes and hearing these life stories really opened my eyes for how blessed I am. There were about 12 tables full of people in need. Each shift new people would come in to have a warm cooked meal. I sat down with some people to hear how their day was going and they would pour their life out. They just wanted someone to talk to, someone who would listen.
After the last shift I reflected on how I could take this back to the Springfield community. I talked to our group and we discussed how the awareness of homelessness and the resources they have is never brought to light. We throw around stereotypical words for people who are homeless and never really think about what they have gone through. After this Bear Breaks Trip I want to bring awareness of homelessness to Springfield. It is hard being a college students, and not having enough time to start one of these congregate meals but spreading the word is the start of a change. Throughout this trip we have said that we are the generation to change the world, and now I believe it because I understand what a need is and I know where to start… with words.