Gannon ABST Washington, DC

The Group arrived back home to Erie, Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon. This experience was life changing and we want to thank you for all the support and prayers you have given us in making our trip a reality. Also, our apologies for not updating the blog throughout the week, our group had limited Wi-Fi.   –Jen “On our last at the Father McKenna Shelter I didn't want to leave. It hurt to say goodbye to the men I got so close with in such a short amount of time but that is what makes it the best experience I've ever had in my life. I changed so much as a person in so many good ways that any and everyone should experience or go on an ABST at Gannon if they ever have the chance! It's surely worth it! :)” – Leanna 

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...

We begin our journey with high expectations, feelings, and the hope that we make a life long impact. Day One: We began early as we prepared for the day ahead. All eager to help the day moved quickly ranging from services being provided at breakfast, lunch, intake, shower & laundry duty, social hour, and even in the food pantry! As the day continued there were countless moments that impacted us. It is breathtaking what the work of a few can mean in the eyes of many. As we continue to adapt to the environment we are in, we are able to reflect on how we can grow emotionally and spiritually in the days ahead. Proverbs 3:27 says "Do not pass by a man in need, for you may be the hand of God to him." With clear eyes and full hearts we plan to make a difference in the world amongst us; but what we may learn is that we may just be impacted more... Much Love, Leanna & Tiffany

Our day started by us gathering and leaving the Gannon Campus around 10AM this morning.  Most of our day was spent traveling to D.C. with a stop in Breezewood for Lunch. During our ride here our group spend time signing,laughing, and having an overall good time. As we sat and watched as the group was having a good time, it made us happy to see that the group members were forming new friendships amongst each other. We arrived at the Father McKenna, our home for the week early this evening and was provided an overview of the center by one of the staff members, Ned Hogan. Our group is looking forward to beginning our service in the morning. ~Ilya, Jen and the rest of The D.C. Squad

The 2017 D.C. ABST Family  Has Been Gathered From the supporters at home, from all our friends here at Gannon University, to us, the ones going down to Washington D.C., we are all part of the team, the family, that wants to help improve our community and those who are less fortunate. To all our supporters and friends at home or at the university, we have decided to introduce ourselves to this family so that we all can feel closer to together, and get to know each other a little better. Here is the team of students that is going to be going down to our nations capital to serve those who are in need of a helping hand.  Student  Trip  Leaders: Jennifer Hepler Major:  Criminal Justice Hometown:  Vandergrift, PA Your thoughts on the trip (what you are excited, how you feel about it, why you chose it):  I am excited to learn about how to be an advocate for those who experience homelessness. Ilya Kharkovskiy Major: Nursing Home...

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 ...