Meet the Leaders for 2019!

Hello family and friends of the D.C. ABST,

Welcome to our blog! We are thrilled to be leading this trip and document everyone's experience through this blog. Our trip is going to be May 12-18th this summer and we have a semester full of preparation ahead of us.

Please continue to check back and follow us these next few months as we explore the topic of hunger and homelessness and work towards gaining a deeper understanding of poverty in the United States.

Today we had our spring ABST leadership training where we learned about comfort zones, the pillars of ABST, facilitation methods, and working as a co-leader team.

Stay tuned for our next post to meet the rest of the team!

Hayley & Sara

Working on goals and outcomes for the trip!

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Tearing Down Walls!

Today, we continued our mission in deepening our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the problems that poverty and inequality bring. Our day began as usual; sleepy-eyed and ready to help the Father McKenna center in any way possible. Our duties included cooking the meal and serving it, cleaning the center, organizing the pantries, and generally trying to make ourselves useful and helpful. While very important, these tasks were not the catalyst in the change that we experienced today; through talking to the many guests at the McKenna center, to those who live on the street, and to those who were willing to share their life with us, we have begun to break down the divide between “us and them.” And we have realized that we are not so different after all. While the magnitude of our problems might be different, it is what we share that makes us one family of brothers and sisters. From the infections laughter, to the stories of our homes, to our losses of our loved ones, or to the si...

Our first day

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

Gannon ABST Washington, DC

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