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First Day of Service

Monday April 7th,

Greetings from the DC!! Today we got orientated for the week and fully immersed ourselves in our service trip. Our group worked together to serve the guests at the shelter and divided up to complete other projects including sorting cans, cleaning bathrooms, and participating in the food pantry. One moment that stuck out to me was when a man named Bernard showered and got a new outfit at FMC. He felt so confident and proud in his new dress shirt and khakis. Bernard continued to introduce himself with a huge smile on his face and even offered us money, twice. It was beautiful to see that someone with less than us was still willing to give whatever he had and was so thankful that he wanted to give back. Moments with the men and other volunteers here bring me hope and a new perspective surrounding homelessness. After one day serving at the Father McKenna Center, I can surely say my heart has been opened and filled with love from my group, staff members at the FMC, other consistent volunteers from DC, and the men we have met.

With Love-


Molly Whaley 

Today we spent a lot of time getting to know the men as well as the workers within the Father McKenna Center. I got the chance to work in the food pantry, which was a truly eye-opening experience. The food pantry is a place for low income households within ward 6 of DC to come and receive groceries twice a month. The people who came to receive the food were so thankful. They were grateful just for our presence which was so heartwarming. I had the easy job at first just helping people through the pantry and being there to help with selecting their groceries. I didn’t really see the amount of time and effort that was put into it until we all spent time adding and organizing the pantry afterwards with new goods. It is crazy the amount of dedication that people within the Father McKenna Center have, they want to help these people. I feel so much more educated on the topic of homelessness and poverty. You can be taught about it through pictures and second-hand stories, but until you actually see the effects first-hand, it is hard to completely grasp what these people encounter in their day to day life. In reflection today, we discussed how much we take for granted in life. It is the little things, like having a place to regularly shower, sleep, feel safe, cook a warm meal, or even just having people that truly care about you that makes all of the difference in life. The people who work here dedicate their life to the cause of helping people pull themselves out of homelessness, and it is a truly inspiring experience.

With Love-

Rachel Ross





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