By Melody Staicoff Today our group went to serve at Growing Places Indy. This organization strives to bring farming into an urban setting, while also providing organic produce at an extremely reduced cost. They put us right to work dumping compost, planting beds of seeds, and learning about the sustainable practices that they follow. The things that I personally experienced … [Read more...] about Finding the Beauty in Indirect Service
Today was both our first day working with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans as well as my first day ever working with Habitat. I was blown away by how much work and effort goes into these houses! Yesterday we were able to explore the lower ninth ward and New Orleans which allowed us to gain more insight into the history of this city and the people we are here to serve. While … [Read more...] about First Day Building with Habitat in NOLA – Michaela Goldsmith
After a late night exploring Chicago, our Bear Breaks gang met for breakfast and to pack lunch at 7am. After so much time spent on our own concerns, it was time to remember why we came. Our first service event was at New Life's Dream Center. New Life is a church that helps with mostly victims of sex trafficking, but also men seeking a new start and children seeking their … [Read more...] about Sex Trafficking: New Life Dream Center in Chicago
The day started with a powerful tour of the Whitney plantation, then moved onto exploring the lower ninth ward, onto the vibrant French Quarter, then to Louisiana's #1 ice cream shop (according to Reader's Digest (& according to Liz)), and finally walking around the affluent garden district. My experience at the Whitney plantation was intense. Slavery … [Read more...] about Slavery, Hurricanes, & Mardi Gras
This year we will be returning to New Orleans, Louisiana for the fourth year. The week will be filled with opportunities for learning, serving and understanding new perspectives involving ongoing issues. These issues, surrounding community revitalization and culture in this population, have been neglected over the years. We are returning in hopes to advocate for the affected … [Read more...] about Building for Change: New Perspectives in New Orleans