By: Sydney Schutte
Serving the Haywood Street congregation was incredible. This church has been paving the way for service and has been making strides in their community. Just on the day my group served the restaurant quality lunches, the church was full of people receiving haircuts, picking out new outfits from various donations, and enjoying fellowship around lunch tables. This church was serving as a respite for people recently out of the hospital that needed a safe place to stay off of the streets and they participated in a needle exchange program. As a group, we were able to serve the visitors lunch and sit with them to hear their stories and spend time getting to know them. Listening to the volunteers of the church, they were overjoyed by the work they do and how much they care about the people in their community. I felt the need to express my feelings during this experience and list six things that I took away from serving at the church:
- God works in mysterious ways and sometimes you don’t know why. I felt like there was a reason I was talking to a particular person and that my conversation meant something more. God puts you in places that open your eyes and heart and I truly felt that in my conversations with these people. A local at Haywood saw the “fire in our eyes” as we served the community and inspired me to continue to fuel that fire. He encouraged me to follow my passion for service and continue to make strides in helping others.
- Talking to someone can make their day. Not even that, just being an active listener and letting them know you care about what they’re saying can mean the world to them. I can’t tell you the amount of times I listened to a story to someone that was lacking direction, but definitely had heart backing it up.
- It’s okay to be uncomfortable. Going into Haywood I was scared, didn’t know what to expect, and nervous I couldn’t connect with these people. Instantly, I felt the warm welcome of the place and the people and was able to let my guard down and get to know them. I feel like especially in my last year of college, I have put myself in positions of being uncomfortable. I believe these situations lead to the greatest growth. Applying for this trip was out of my comfort zone, but I couldn’t imagine where I would be without it. I am confident that if you step outside of your box — talk to someone new, reach for a greater goal, or do something uncommon — you will reap the benefits of growth in yourself.
- Sharing is literally caring. It amazes me how generous everyone was, how they didn’t want to seem too needy, and gave whatever they had to someone else that needed it. It was so common at lunch that a person would keep passing the food until everyone had some. No one went without and if they did, then I would guarantee someone went above and beyond to help out.
- Ignore the stereotypes. It’s all too common that we judge people on their appearances or first impressions. I went into Haywood with an open mind and didn’t let looks deter my from who the individuals were. I think that as a society we are quick to judge. We need to get to know people, hear their stories, and understand that they are not a title.
- We can bring what we learned back to our community of Springfield. It’s easy to come back on a high from serving these communities and feel a weight on our shoulder because we are not using what we learn where we actually live. We all have it in us to make a change. Something as little as acknowledging homeless people on the streets, smiling at them, or giving them food/water can really make a difference. We can expand by seeking out local organizations, talking to groups on campus with student engagement about ways to get involved, or reaching out to churches, food banks, or charities that can help you on this journey.
Hopefully my things I learned gave some insight on one service opportunity we did and how we as individuals have the power to make simple changes in our lives that can lead to a huge difference.
It all starts with us.