We have arrived back in Erie! After a week full of encountering new people and reflecting on our experiences at the Father McKenna Center, we have all returned safely to our home base. Thank you for following along with this blog of our trip. The implementation of our knowledge into our daily lives will not be an easy task, but we are well prepared to take it on. We all have learned so much through our experiences this week and are excited to share and show others what respect for human dignity truly means. Homelessness is an extremely complex problem in our country, and we have all struggled to grasp what the best response on our part should be. At the end of this trip, I have come to affirm that complex problems do not have easy solutions, and that solving huge problems like hunger and homelessness involve more than one person or one ABST group. However, the power of one is still strong and present everywhere- we experienced that through meeting amazing and inspiring individuals th...
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Father McKenna Center and Monument Tours Today we closed up our time at the Father McKenna center. At the end of our time there we got to eat ice cream sandwiches with the staff, courtesy of our good friend and janitor at the center, Jhonny. We reflected on the week and what we had learned about homelessness and about ourselves. After we returned to Holy Redeemer we got time to relax before mass with Father Bava. Once mass finished we went towards the national mall again and got to visit several memorials and monuments including the WW2 memorial, the FDR memorial, the Korean memorial, and the MLK memorial. At the end of the day we came back to reflect on the day and prepare for the trip home. -Liz and Ryan
Day at Capitol Hill! Hey Guys! Today we got the honor and the privilege to go to Capitol Hill to meet with Representative Mike Kelly. He is the representative in Erie where Gannon is. We were able to tell him our experiences so far this week and the stories we have heard. We advocated for policies to help the homeless both here in DC and back home in Erie. He was able to tell us his feelings towards homelessness and poverty and his possible solutions to the issue. We would like to thank Rep. Kelly and his office for giving us the opportunity to talk to us during his busy schedule. We then got an amazing tour of the Capitol building. After that, we all walked to get lunch at District Taco and reflect on our time in the Capitol building. Then we walked to The White House to take a picture with the Gannon flag. After the picture, we all split up and went to different Museums. Being able to enjoy the amazing weather in the nation’s Capitol was a great way to relax during this busy...
Father McKenna Center and Holy Redeemer Peace Meal Today we all went to the Father McKenna Center. We had the honor of taking a tour of the church above the father McKenna Center. We all had different tasks at the center including working in the kitchen, serving breakfast and lunch, and working in the pantry. I had the opportunity to work in the kitchen today with Ellen, Ryan, Hayley, and Father Shawn. We helped to prepare today’s lunch: cheeseburger Wednesday. We also made ratatouille that will be served tomorrow. After the Father McKenna Center we headed back to the Holy Redeemer Church to do a reflection letter for our future selves. After the reflection Hayley, Ryan, Josh, Elena, Mughiara, Liz, and myself all took a walk to Capital Hill. Once returned from our fun walk we all helped with the Holy Redeemer’s peace meal. We all got to interact with many of the other neighbor volunteers and all the individuals who attended the dinner. Today was a very fun ...
Father McKenna Center and National Coalition for the Homeless Hi guys! Each of us had a different task today at Father McKenna Center. Some of us were in charge of the food pantry, serving breakfast and lunch , cleaning, and organizing other material. Today I talked to couple of homeless guys and it was a good experience. I learned sometimes we are too fast at judging but we should not really judge people because we don’t know what’s going on in their life’s and what battle they are fighting with themselves. I personally believe we all need to work on not judging other by how they look and how they dress more like who they are. Today, I served breakfast and lunch and got a chance to interact with homeless individuals which was so cool. Later at the end of the day we took the metro to meet with some other people who were once homeless, and figured out that there are many solutions to this problem. We walked around and got cupcakes and went to union station. At last we had d...
Father McKenna Center Hi everyone! Today was a really great start to the week, which hopefully sets the tone for how the rest of the week will go. We were welcomed in with open arms at the Father McKenna Center bright and early. Each and every one of us did a variety of tasks within the center to prepare for the two meals they serve. Some of us were in charge of the food pantry, where locals could come in and obtain produce, canned foods and other special food products. While others cleaned the bathrooms and showers, or helped the cook in the kitchen prepare the meals. Each task enlightened us with gratitude and fulfillment of the service we were doing. Some of us had the opportunity to engage in conversations with the men and listen to the stories of some of the workers at the center as well. As the week goes on, we hope for more fruitful conversations with the staff and men of the center and to find ways to combat homelessness in our to...
Hello! We are counting down the days to our departure less then a month away now! Things are starting to come together and the excitement is really kicking in. This past weekend a few of us took part in Gannon's annual "Day of Caring" in the Erie community, and we worked in partnership with Our West Bayfront to clean up the grounds of the MLK Center and the area surrounding it. Some of us went up and down the sidewalks collecting trash, and others stayed on cite cleaning up the playground space and raking up the leaves and sticks from the winter season. We found some interesting pieces of garbage throughout the morning including diapers, plastic bags, wrappers, and many many cigarette buds. After our hands on service was complete, we were visited by the Erie News Now film crew and got to speak on behalf of what it meant to be a good neighbor in the Erie community and why we serve. Overall it was a great way to connect with each other and learn about what ways we...
Hello everyone! Welcome to our 2019 Washington D.C. ABST blog! Below we feature our twelve wonderful team members in hopes that people reading our blog can get to know everyone better. Our group is very special in that our entire group is composed of freshman other than our leaders and accompaniers. Mughiara Quadeer Hometown: Lahore, Pakiston Major: Biology Pre-Med Year: Freshman Favorite Quote: "There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limit you place on your own thinking." -Brian Tracy Elizabeth Ketner Hometown: Clarion, PA Major: Pre-Veterinary Year: Freshman Favorite Quote: "We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." -Joseph Campbell Samantha Valaitis Hometown: Eastlake, OH Major: Biology Pre-Med Year: Freshman Quote: "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." -Denis P. Kimboro Joshua Staley Hometown: Carlisle, PA Major: ...
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!
A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face... Friday, May 11th Today was our last day at the Father McKenna Center! Though we are very tired and ready to return home to our own beds, we will miss our FMC friends deeply. I am very glad that the students got a chance to reflect on and write about their experiences with some of the men at the shelter and at the Peace Meal, but I wanted to take a chance to reflect on the relationships we built with other volunteers or staff members. The staff at the shelter arrive early every morning, some as early as 4:45 am to start breakfast. Regular volunteers show up routinely at 7:00 am to start their day by serving and connecting with the men. The staff and volunteers were both so welcoming and friendly. Austin was one of the staff members that I worked most directly with -- he is a Jesuit Volunteer Corps member who manages the FMC food pantry. It was awesome to hear about his experience and compare it to our experiences as an Amer...
Today, May 10th, was a very intriguing and well rounded day, . Usually I help Russel in the Kitchen, but today I was able to serve the men breakfast at the Father McKenna Center. This allowed me to better connect with the men since I am usually behind the scenes whether that be with helping prepare the meals or cleaning the various facilities around the center. Overall, it was a very interesting perspective to see. It was nice to see the men smiling and exuberant whenever I was able to interact with them. Often the simple things allowed them to express this, such as asking the men how their day is going or telling them to have a nice day. After serving at the Father McKenna Center, our group went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of American History by way of the Metro. This was an extremely exciting and strange experience. It was strange in the sense that the Metro was underground and we were able to move at a faster speed because of the lack of traffic. Somethi...
After out daily volunteering with breakfast and midday meal at the Father McKenna Center, we drove to the National Coahiliton of the Homeless (NCH). Here, we met with John and Pam who have both experienced homelessness and are now working with NCH to advocate for the homeless. John started off simply by asking us what some common misconceptions about how a person becomes homeless are. Some responses were that they are lazy or that they do not want to seek help. It is easy for people to believe these misconceptions, and it is difficult to understand the truth of how homelessness occurs until you meet someone who is willing to share their experience with you. John and Pam shared their their stories of how they became homeless, and how they got themselves out of the extreme poverty that they were living in. They shared their insights about the emotional side of how it feels to be homeless, and how their dignity is taken away with each day living on the street. It is very impactful to lear...
Today, we had the opportunity to meet Mike Kelly, U.S Republican for Pennsylvania. This was an eye-opening opportunity where we got to dig deeper into the political aspect of homelessness.Mike Kelly showed an interest in attending an ABST session at Gannon as he was astonished with the work we are doing at the Father McKenna Center. Mike Kelly was extremely open and listened intently to our concerns about what policies are being put into place regarding homelessness. After the meeting, we toured the Longworth House where we saw numerous statues and documents that are vital to our country's roots. These opportunities involved a lot of walking, so our group was extremely hungry, so we headed over to Union Station. We ate at Thunder Grill which was extremely delicious and provided an opportunity for the group to bond. When we were all full and happy, we walked back to the Father McKenna Center under the beautiful sun. In the evening, we volunteered with Peace Meals, which is another o...
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, othe...
Our Eventful First Day Hey everybody! Sunday, we left a little late and had to stop at six atms before we finally got money for the tolls. We were on our way after that. We listened to comedy specials, music, and goats screaming and fainting. We got stuck in traffic for over an hour and arrived a tad bit late. Through the car ride we had a lot of laughs and got to know one another fairly well. Even though we hit traffic it was a blessing in disguise. It was a catalyst for helping us starting to bond better and starting new friendships. When we got their Ned greeted us and gave us a tour of the Father McKenna center. He told us the story of Father McKenna and everything he stood for. - Tommy Tripodis Good evening friends and family, Our first day was very stressful. Besides being way off schedule, we had a jarring experience at Walmart. We were shopping for some of our meals and when we walked in we encountered a man yelling racial slurs. Immediately we removed oursel...
Hello everyone! Welcome to our 2018 Washington D.C. ABST blog! Below we feature our twelve wonderful team members in hopes that people reading our blog can get to know everyone better. Allison Boyer Hometown: Cleveland, OH Major: Nursing Year: Freshman Favorite Quote: "Do small things with great love." Cassie McKernan Hometown: Mars, PA Major: Physician Assistance Year: Freshman Favorite Quote: "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." David Way Hometown: Erie, PA Favorite Quote: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 Kaitlyn Falk Hometown: Major: Nutrition and Human Performance Year: Favorite Quote: "You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing." Katie Hamilton Hometown: Erie, PA Major: Sports and Exercise/ Pre-PT Year: Freshman Fa...