After a ten hour trip, I arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday at 6:30 AM. I was picked up by Candace, the volunteer coordinator from Community Collaborations International (CCI), who let me know what would be going on. She told me about the cold that had hit Atlanta, and about the fact that, because of the low temperatures, we wouldn’t be able to do much construction or deconstruction work. Instead, many of the projects we would be assigned to would involve working with homeless shelters, after-school centers, the red-cross, and other non-profit organizations. Sounded fine to me!
Around 7 o’clock we arrived at what would be my new home for 11 days -- an old church in an area of Atlanta called the Old 4th Ward. It seemed like a nice little neighborhood with a lot of history. Later, I learned that only two blocks away from the church I stayed in, Martin Luther King spent a large part of his life. Pretty cool, huh?
I picked up my bags out of the back of Candace’s truck and headed inside where a group of about 50 people from George Washington University was having breakfast, together with a small group of students from Wisconsin who had, coincidentally, arrived only seven hours before I did. The group from GWU had already been there for two days.
So I got myself some breakfast (eggs and sausage) and sat down at a table with a group of GW students. They were so welcoming, and I instantly got involved in some interesting conversations about Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. After breakfast Candace let me know that, if I wanted, I could join the Wisconsin group that day and go out to work on some projects. Initially I was kind of hesitant – I’d been awake during my entire trip, was tired, and didn’t know any of the people from this group yet. But after thinking about it I decided, why not?
Candace introduced me to the group I would be working with that day: Ollie, Holly, Adrianna, Seamus, Sean, Fei, Sing, and Ashley. We heard that we would be going to City of Refuge, a center where they basically do EVERYTHING, from handing out clothing, to serving food to homeless people, and offering daycare for kids. So we set out in two mini-vans, and Ollie almost killed us on the way there by deciding, last minute, that he wanted to take an exit. Now, for anyone that has ever tried to make a sharp turn at high speeds with a mini-van, you might know that it’s not the brightest thing to do. Luckily, this mini-van, unlike my previous car, DID keep its wheels on the ground. When we arrived we were brought into the clothing sorting section, where we started out sorting clothing, which turned out to be more fun than I could have imagined. Crazy 50’s outfits, the tiniest baby clothes, and sketchy underwear made it into a pretty good time.
After having sorted clothing for a couple hours it was our time to go entertain the kids. Awesome. These kids were so grateful to have someone to play with and had more energy than they (or we for that matter) knew what to do with. We ended up playing twister, playing basketball, doing endless piggyback rides, doing relay races, and so much more. Hugs abound, balls flying everywhere, the craziest dances and songs – it was crazy. I loved it. Without a doubt, this was one of the best days of the trip. It was also a great opportunity to get to know more of the volunteers a bit better, which I gladly did.
After having explained that I was on this trip on my own, and was the only person there from Idaho, the nickname Idaho Mike was kind of inevitable. A couple days down the line it was cut down to just Idaho. Nice…goodbye identity. Anyway, the groups were awesome and I was adopted and taken into the groups within the first day.
That night, just like every night to follow, dinner was followed by catchphrase, card games, phase 10, and tons of talking talking and talking.
The days to follow included working at a furniture bank where we repaired and sorted furniture that would be given to homeless people or people who lost their belongings in the floods; working on a house where we laid pipe in a ditch and then filled the ditch with sand and gravel; a night at Rescue Atlanta where we served food for the homeless; and a day working at Gateway, an amazing center where they help the homeless, drug addicts, people with mental issues, and kids.
During this first week I was amazed to see how much is going on in Atlanta. What surprised me even more was the mentality of the people we worked with. Even though many of these people had little going for them, they stayed positive. I was never approached in a negative way – each and every single one of them, despite how bad they had most likely been treated by society, gave me a chance and enjoyed my presence.
A lot more went on, but at the moment, I’m kind of over typing…all I want say is this trip was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Never have I walked away from a trip with so many great memories, and having achieved as much personal growth. I inspired and was inspired; I admired and was admired; I made others laugh, and laughed so much; I listened, and was listened to; I made new friends and was able to be a friend to new people.
I learned that we can all can make a difference. I learned that each of us has the potential to inspire people, that there are always people who look up to us, and that there are people who we can listen to. I learned this week that there are people who can teach us, that there are people who we can talk to and who share our interests, I learned that there are people who we can admire. I learned this from people who I, most likely, would not have given a chance had I been at home, and I bet many of the others wouldn't have either.
I learned this week that everybody deserves a chance. Every person you meet is someone who may change your life, who may be able to teach you something new. Every person is someone you may be able to help, someone who you may be able to offer new insights.
Give people a chance – they might just surprise you. Actually, chances are they WILL surprise you. Don’t say 'no' too much. Don’t ask why, ask why not. Take a chance. It’s so easy to play it safe and not take a risk, but what’s the loss when you do take that risk? You could find out you don’t like this person or this person may not like you. Who cares? It’s only a small loss, if a loss at all. But when you decide to take the risk, there is so much you can gain. You can find a new friend, a partner, or just another person to talk to on campus. Every chance you take will result in a lesson learned, one way or another.
Take positive risks and don’t get stuck in daily routines or habits. Go out of your way to make someone’s life just a little bit better. Do something without putting too much though into it – unless you're on Safari or working with animals (ask Sigfried and Roy)
Saying goodbye to everybody was tough. While everybody will be going back to campus in a group, I go home alone. But while I might leave without my new group of friends, I’ll always have places to stay on the east coast. I’ll have stories to tell my friends back home. I have lessons that I learned and that I can apply to make new friends back in Idaho. I will come home feeling like a better and more fully developed person. I loved this trip. I loved the people, both the volunteers and the people we were there for, for accepting me, for not judging, for teaching me, for inspiring me, and for being my friends.
You all have something amazing to offer this world – you! You’re all amazing people and you all have the potential to do amazing things. I miss you all. Thank you.
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