Students spend spring break serving others in Garden City, Kansas
- PHOTOS -
OMAHA, Neb. – Several College of Saint Mary (CSM) students chose to spend their spring break in the service of others. Jessica Jenson, Meera Cao, Kaley Casey, and Julia Javier-Lopez traveled south to Garden City, Kansas, for a weeklong trip of ministry and service.
The four CSM students were led by Carla Gerriets, director of campus ministry, under the direction of Saint Christopher Journeys, an educational travel company focusing on justice through a Catholic lens. During their weeklong stay in Garden City, the students served meals at a soup kitchen, assisted with cultural and youth ministry at several churches and faith organizations, and visited local museums and wildlife areas.
“This trip had a huge impact on the students,” said Gerriets.
During two of the days, the group volunteered at Emmaus House, a homeless shelter, food pantry, and soup kitchen. They served food, organized the stock pile rooms, and delivered meals to the homebound. For the majority of the students, this service work had the most impact.
“The most meaningful experience I had was delivering food boxes to people limited to their homes,” said Meera Cao, a freshman biology major. “I learned about other people’s experiences and how they continue to survive no matter their living conditions.”
Julia Javier-Lopez, a first-year student majoring in biology, echoed that statement. “One day, we went to the house of an elderly Mexican man. I had to hold my tears during the story he told about how he was renting the house he used to own. It made me think of how blessed I am and how we shouldn’t focus on what we don’t have, but on what we do have.”
Two of the other days were spent in service at Catholic Charities. The group assisted with ESL classes, provided childcare, and met with representatives of different immigrant communities. The students also visited ethnic African and Asian markets and toured a local mosque.
“It was a very humbling experience to see all the different cultures and hear other people’s life stories,” said Kailey Casey, a freshman who is majoring in biology.
The group used several of their evenings as opportunities to be involved with youth ministry at several local churches. They had a dinner with other college students and also gave a presentation to high school students about how to keep one’s faith in college.
Throughout the week, the students also toured local attractions and learned about the history of the area. They took a tour of the Sandsage Bison Range Wildlife Area and a feedlot and visited the Finney County History Museum, the Santa Fe Trail tracks, the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, and the St. Fidelis Basilica in Victoria.
Overall, the trip impressed upon the students the importance of compassionate service and treating all people with dignity, which are all a part of the mission of College of Saint Mary.
“This trip gave me a whole new perspective,” said Javier-Lopez. “It taught me that misfortune doesn’t discriminate, to keep going even when things get bad, to help others, and to never judge someone.”
Casey shared a similar sentiment. “This trip showed me that I should always be appreciative of what I have in my life because it can always be taken away in an instant. I would encourage other young people to participate in service trips like this one.”
