Gannon ABST Washington, DC

As I lay down in my bed that I have dearly missed for the past week, I can't help but to feel guilty and remember all of the men that I encountered this week that did not have this luxury. As I look around my room, I see just some of my blessings that I take for granted each and every day. As I arrived home and was greeted with a hug from my mom, I can't help but want to give every man that I met this week that feeling of endless support and companionship. All things that I thought of as rights, but now am realizing that they truly are privileges. My heart longs for the men, and I truly wish that I had more time to spend with them, and had the opportunity to accompany them through this part of their journey. Although, my part in their journey doesn't need to stop just because I'm not physically with them. There is so much more to be concerned with about homelessness, and although charity is necessary, I am going to focus on getting the social justice that these men dese...

  We started out interviewing the men at 7 in morning. Me and Emily interviewed a gentleman who was from Cuba, he is in the process of getting an ID. We spent about an hour and a half with him. He had very inspirational words to say to us. "Education is the key to freedom, when you have education no one can fool you" - he praised us for pursing an education, in which  he believes that we can eventually change the world.  "Anything you want to accomplish begins today" -he applied this to his situation and expressed these words of advice to us as well. We left the FMC and toured the US Capital building, which was a every different atmosphere then the FMC. On our way to the Capital Building we did another outreach run. Through the experience I was able to gain through the FMC I found that it was easy to connect with the homeless during our outreach runs.  On Friday we walked to Union Station and we ran into a gentleman who recognized us because we had talked to him at ...

To give or not to give, That is the question. Or maybe a better, To live or not to live. Rises the question; What is life? Beautiful, full, whole, and all the like. Life is what you make it. And so if this life is mine, Then this life is mine for creating Mine for reverence. Mine for perseverance. Approached by a homeless man, Mine for benevolence. To give or not to give, Is not the question at all. It is the answer The end result The chance for making someone's day Or the stop of life for you, halt. To live or not to live Is the real question. To do it all right Is the real quest in life. -Josiah Leach

This past week has been a blessing that I am so grateful I had the opportunity to have. Before this trip, homelessness was not something that I recognized, but after spending a week at the Father McKena Center I believe my heart has truly changed. This week has been full of eye opening conversations that have made me realize homelessness can happen to any one of us. These men were extremely open with us about their life stories which I found truly touching. I found them to be a motivation because even in their situations, everyday they walked into the center with big smiles on their faces greeting everyone with bright personalities. The strength of these men is something that will motivate to try and make a difference in this world as I continue on my life journey. -Stacy Joseph

I'm so blessed to have been able to spend a week living and serving the homeless in a shelter in Washington DC this week. Thank you Justine for being an amazing co-leader and role model for our whole group. Thank you to all the beautiful people in this picture because all of you truly have beautiful hearts as well❤️ I'm so grateful for the gifts I've been given in this life, and thank Gannon University for inspiring me to grow in love and compassion through experiences like this one.  -Maggie McKernan 

Bros in the kitchen...😎

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." Back in the beginning of the year, I joined the DC ABST group because it sounded like a good way to get involved with the Center for Social Concerns. I am already a member of OPEN and I have done mission trips in the past, so I felt as if this experience would be similar. As I sit here on  this Thursday night  preparing for tomorrow, I am realizing how wrong I was. This trip has not been the usual mission trip. Because if what I was looking for was something easy, I would not find it in the heart of DC. If I was looking for always feeling comfortable, then I would have to tear that feeling down. If I thought that I could return back to Erie and not have a changed heart, then I would be so wrong. For in a span of a few days, I have been able to feel a shift in my mindset and heart. Facing homelessness right in the face is not easy to do. It takes strength to hear the stories of these men and to realize that w...

Today was an incredibly blessed day for the whole group. I know that I have personally been able to grow so much more comfortable with going up to the men and starting a conversation. After working at the Father McKenna Center in the morning, we walked to a local church for a Peace Meal. This was an amazing experience as we were able to talk to homeless men, women, and children. Josiah provided entertainment with singing and invited guests to sing along with him. The rest of us served food, poured drinks, and washed dishes. For me, I was able to sit down at one point and talk to a man named Tyrone. He told us about his daughter and was very invested in what we had to say,  asking us about our majors and why we were all in DC. This man showed great love for our group and upon leaving, Tyrone said that he hoped to meet us someday, but in a better situation. I know that for me, this day involved lots of great conversations with the men. I can't wait to see what the next two days bring...

Today we went on an outreach run, which was facilitated through the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) here in DC. John Harrison, a member of the NCH speakers' bureau and a friend of Gannon who came to visit and speak on campus during my freshman year, helped us with the outreach run. Through this, we were able to learn how to approach homeless individuals on the street in DC while respecting their human dignity as well as our own. We learned a lot about people as well as what their individual needs might be, and it was awesome to see what a small gesture of kindness, such as saying hello or seeing if an individual or someone they know might need any of the personal care items we were carrying, can do. John also pointed out the benches here in DC: both the bus stop benches and the benches around the street are designed with some sort of bar or structure in the middle that prevents homeless individuals from sleeping on them. (John also mentioned that many benches have been re...

Today was wonderful and blessed day over all, and it all started at 7 am when the Father McKenna Center opened to the men. We got to meet some wonderful men with various backgrounds, stories, and paths of life. Hearing their stories was life changing for me, I would be never guessed what some of these men have gone through or what they have accomplished in their lives. Many of the men are well educated with degrees in various subjects such as history, law, and business. Hearing these stories made me think about what I have in life and that I need to more than ever thankful for what I have and where I'm at today on my path through life because this terrible thing called homelessness can become reality to me, you, and anyone else in this world. Along with serving these wonderful, exciting, interesting men we got to conduct a survey with them to get their feedback on the FMC. After lunch we went out as a group to explore the capital by visiting the Washington memorial, Lincoln memoria...

We immersed ourselves today right away at the FMC! A few members jumped in the food line to serve, others cooked, and everyone else had the opportunity to interview some of the men at the shelter. Many of our members shared heartwarming stories they learned or friends they made. Our experience has been so rewarding thus far. In just one day, we have begun to unravel the complexities of homeless in order to better understand the people we are serving. We look forward to working hard tomorrow! -Maggie McKernan

What a day! Our trip left right on schedule this morning at 10 am and it is now close to midnight as we finally settle in for bed. Our group had the opportunity to explore Georgetown and visit a local Walmart to grocery shop today. We are already becoming more aware of the poverty that exists even in affluent areas like Georgetown. Ned, the Father McKenna Center Volunteer Coordinator met us and showed us the place. He explained their food pantry, clothing donation, hypothermia, and day shelter programs. The group is exhausted, but excited to start our journey tomorrow as we fully immerse ourselves in this eye-opening experience! And it all begins with sleeping on pews tonight....  The DC crew will be ready to rock n'roll tomorrow! Good night. Sweet dreams. -Maggie McKernan

We are on our way to DC! About two hours out now and ready to serve :)