Final Blog | Kellie Deutsch

Reflecting on this past semester’s Alternative Spring Break Service-Learning class and trip, I am amazed at how much I have learned and grown. Prior to even starting the class, I was hoping that this class would be a venue through which I would be able to serve, learn, and grow. I am pleased to say that I was provided with opportunities to do all three of these things. Before going to Washington D.C., our class time was dedicated to preparing us for the trip. I felt that the class time prior to our takeoff adequately provided us with the knowledge necessary for making the most of our trip. Although our class could only teach us so many facts and lessons through class lectures, group discussions, and reading assignments, I know that the trip would not have been as meaningful and impactful if we had not prepared our hearts and minds beforehand. The time in class made me more open-minded and helped me to stay away from dangerous mindsets like that of thinking of yourself as a “savior.” By this, I mean that I became more aware of the unhealthy mindset of thinking that you are saving people from their sufferings. Having this mindset is not only not true, but it is also damaging to those you are serving. In addition, our time in the classroom allowed me to absorb knowledge about policies, stereotypes, events, and other things that negatively impact those who face poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity. This education played an important role in shaping the way the rest of the class time and trip would go.

The education I was getting in the classroom would not have been fully completed, however, if we would not have had the chance to actually go out, serve, and see and hear from individuals who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity firsthand. Being in Washington D.C. taught me much more than I could have ever learned in a classroom. In addition, I did not think I fully understood the importance of reflection until I came back from the trip. Had I not reflected on my time in Washington D.C., I would not have completely thought through what I saw and heard and processed those things. Reflecting, specifically through taking time to think and write these blog posts, was really helped me grow as an individual. Reflecting also let me brainstorm the ways in which I can apply the concepts that I was learning when I came back home to Wichita.

One of the things that I had learned about in class and then witnessed in Washington D.C. was some of the causes of poverty and homelessness. In class, my eyes were opened to many of the actual reasons poverty exists compared to the stereotypes that imply the causes of poverty. For example, while culture often tells us that homelessness is caused by laziness, I saw that affordable living is far more often a cause of homelessness. Similar to what I learned in class, poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are often due to circumstances that individuals cannot control.

As a result of this course and service trip, I have been able to understand my own privilege better. I take for granted and do not recognize the circumstances and environment that I grew up in, my support system, my financial resources, the education that I am getting, and much more. This course and trip has helped me understand that I have certain things that others do not have, and that is not because of what I have done. Rather, I was born with these privileges. The course and trip also exposed me to the realization that I could at any time become homeless. My circumstances are temporary, and something could easily happen to me that would cause me to be homeless and hungry.

The last thing that I want to say in this final blog post is that my desire to serving, learning, and growing does not stop here. I have served, learned, and grown a lot through this course and service trip, but I also realize that I am doing myself as well as my community a disservice if I stop seeking out opportunities to do these three things. I will continue to serve, research, listen, observe, and reflect.

Post Trip | Kellie Deutsch

Let me start off by saying this: I experienced more than I can write, and I learned and grew more than I can express. Ever since I got back from D.C., people have been asking me how the trip was. It has been hard for me to sort out everything that I experienced while on the trip. I can’t fully put into words everything that I experienced and learned, but I will share some final thoughts and lessons that I learned.

1. Homelessness can happen to anyone. Situations can change and events can occur that may take away the things you thought could never be taken away from you. Maybe a natural disaster. Maybe an injury. Maybe the loss of a job. Maybe a divorce. Maybe the death of a loved one. Homelessness can happen to anyone.
2. People who are homeless and experience food insecurity are human beings with stories. Stereotypes don’t tell their stories. Stereotypes are damaging, so research and actually learn the primary causes of homelessness and food insecurity. While on the trip, I learned that the top cause of homelessness in D.C. is affordable house. Read, listen, and learn!
3. People who are homeless and/or hungry are more similar to us than we realize and more different from us than we always acknowledge. Similarities? They are human. They have hobbies, dreams, families, friends, stories, talents, beliefs, etc. that might be the same as ours. I met a man named Harold at the YSOP service dinner who was also a Christian and who also like the outdoors. We had many other things in common, but I would have never known our similarities had we not talked. Differences? Their sleeping situation might be on a concrete sidewalk with nothing but a thin blanket to shelter them from the cold. They might have been born with different privileges. They may not have the luxuries that we take for granted.
4. The golden rule: treat other as you would like to be treated. Many of the organizations we volunteered at valued dignity. I like to be treated with dignity, so I should treat people who are homeless and food insecure with dignity. This means giving clothes and items that don’t have stains or rips on them. This means giving serving a delicious, nutritious meal rather than a gross, unhealthy one. This means engaging in conversation and being kind. Treat people who are homeless and hungry with dignity.
5. When we want to help, we should ask the people, organizations, and communities we want to serve how we can best help. If we fail ask how we can help, we are assuming we know the problems and solutions. Just because we see a need does not mean that we automatically know what the person, organization, or community most needs. If we simply ask, we can get a better idea of how to serve and help.
6. At the end of the day, it is about love and being kind to one another. Love those who you know. Love those who you don’t know. Love those who are different from you. Love those who are similar to you. Love those who look like they don’t need help. Love those who look like they need help. Above all, love.

This trip was a blast. I enjoyed serving people and organizations, exploring D.C., bonding with the team, and learning more about homelessness and food insecurity. I hope to continue to reflect on this trip and the lessons that I learned. I am motivated to support and serve organizations in Wichita that promote values such as dignity, love, and selflessness through giving my time, talents, and treasures. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve, learn, and grow through the Alternative Spring Break trip and class.

Day Four | Kellie Deutsch

Yesterday, our group went to Noyes Elementary School. We tutored kindergarteners through fifth graders through a reading program called Reading Partners. The volunteer coordinator, an Americorp student, talked about some of the literacy statistics in D.C. and communicated why it is so important that students learn to read and comprehend well at an early age. If the students don’t master reading skills early, then that will negatively affect many other aspects of their education in later stages. I tutored two students during our time there. The first girl I tutored was a fifth grader who was calm, well-behaved, and smart. The second girl I tutored was a kindergartener named Genesis. Genesis entered the room with extreme reluctance to sit down and read with me. I could tell she was going to be a little more difficult than the first girl. I ended up making a compromise with her and sat on the floor to read. Although she had a low attention span and a lot of energy throughout the entire time, I grew to love her. However, working with a kindergartener also made me realize how hard it is to be a teacher without help in the classroom. Teachers in low socioeconomic schools have little access to help in their classrooms, which in turn makes it hard for them to individually cater to students. This hurts students’ chances to succeed and thrive in their education. After working with the Reading Partners program, I learned how vital it is that kids receive an education that offers opportunities to read, learn, and be motivated. I was happy I could learn more about these education issues and help as a tutor with the Reading Partners program.

Currently, though, I am sitting in the St. Louis airport waiting to board the plane for Wichita. This has had an awesome trip, and I am sad to leave. I have loved not only serving but also learning about homelessness and food insecurity. I didn’t realize how little I knew until we started discussing the causes of both on this trip with the people we met and the YSOP staff. I feel as though I still need to learn a lot more about homelessness and food insecurity though. That is something I hope to do when I get back. In addition to serving and learning, I have also loved getting to know my ASB team members more. I knew them before, but I feel that I know them a lot better now. I enjoyed all the different personalities, interests, and insights that each person contributed.

Day Three | Kellie Deutsch

This morning we went to Age-In-Place. This organization provides free home maintenance for eligible elderly individuals. The volunteer coordinator said that their program focuses on preventing homelessness. She explained that D.C. has certain requirements to maintain residence, so if an older person is not capable of maintaining their house and doing things like mowing the lawn, then they will be fined $500 and will continue to be fined until they are forced to move out. Therefore, Age-In-Place provides services for older people to help them avoid being evicted and becoming homeless. The plan was to go to an older woman’s house and get a lot of chores done, but there was a miscommunication so when we got there, we only had a small handful of tasks to do. I was a bit disappointed that we couldn’t be more helpful and clean more, but the little we did still made a difference. In addition, I was grateful that I got to hear about the services that they offer since they are so unique. 

We also got the opportunity to visit the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture today because a few brave souls in our group woke up at 6:30am to get us all tickets. I was extremely grateful for them doing that because I had been wanting to go so badly. This Smithsonian better educated me on African American history and slavery. We spent 3.5 hours in there, and I enjoyed it all! It was extremely informative. I felt as though I could have spent an entire week in there and barely get through all the information and displays.
Then, after the museum, dinner, and a reflection time, a couple of us went to the MLK, FDR, and Jefferson monuments! It was a little cold outside, but I still had a fun time exploring the city, enjoying the monuments, and hanging out with the group. 

Day 2 | Kellie Deutsch

We left the Church of Epiphany this morning and headed to our service site for the morning/afternoon, Food & Friends, an organization that makes and delivers nutritionally-balanced, tasty meals to their clients’ homes. Their services include 11 different meal plans for people who have certain nutritional needs due to different illnesses. We packed bags with meals according to people’s special diets. I enjoyed working there because the staff was so friendly, and they had a great system of organization. One thing that I realized while bagging the meals was that our group had mostly been doing indirect service–service that meets the needs of a large community but doesn’t involve face-to-face contact with the individuals being served. I love direct service work because I love to listen, learn, and engage with the individuals who are receiving the services. I was craving to hear stories and see the direct impacts on people. However, I realized that both indirect and direct service is equally important. Direct service offers engagement and is more glorified while indirect deals with the more “behind-the-scenes work.”

By 4:15 everyone returned to the church and began cooking supper for our YSOP service meal. I appreciated that YSOP organized the meal with intentions to provide our guests with a sense of community and a home-cooked meal. I personally felt as though it was a night with my family. Our team and guests came together, playing games, laughing a lot, talking a lot, and eating a lot.

Harold was a man who came and sat down next to Shayla and I. He greeted us with a wide smile and was quick to ask the two of us a question. “What is your capacity to receive?” I was confused and asked him to explain his question. He revealed that people alone can naturally only do, learn, and receive so much. “BUT,” he explained, “with faith in Jesus Christ, our capacity is unlimited.” He shared multiple Bible verses with me, and our conversation was guided by both of our Christian faiths as well as his testimony. I was inspired by his love for Jesus and eagerness to share God’s love and gift of salvation. Moreover, I realized how beautiful it is that people from all different walks of life and parts of the country can engage in fellowship. I believe I received a lot more from him than he did from me tonight. Based on our conversation topics on faith, politics, hobbies, and all things in between, he taught a few lessons. One of them was that people can’t understand people who live with different circumstances unless they talk to them and listen to them. (He was specifically talking about politicians crafting policies for homeless people when the politicians don’t take measures to get to know individuals who are homeless and listen to their needs and concerns.)
Later, the YSOP staff and our team gathered to reflect, a key component of service-learning. A YSOP staff asked us to go around the circle and say one word that describes our experience tonight. Many members of our group used the words connected and inspired. I felt this was true for me, too.

Day One | Kellie Deutsch

Our Monday started off bright and early, waking up at 6:30am and having an activity and eating breakfast at 7:30am. Our activity included a discussion over food insecurity and homelessness led by the YSOP leaders/staff. I was blown away when the YSOP leaders stated that the average age of homeless people in Washington D.C. is 8 years old. Yes, you read that correctly–8. This fact hit home and allowed me to understand that family homelessness is an unfortunate reality here. It also reminded me that a large majority of people in poverty are born with circumstances they cannot control.

After the thought-provoking discussion and introduction led by the YSOP staff, our team split up into two groups and traveled to our different service sites. My group and I took the metro to get to A Wider Circle, which is a nonprofit organization that provides furniture and home items for people who are transitioning out of homelessness. In addition, they provide professional work force training and professional attire. Two major things stuck out to me while working with this organization. First, they do not have a maximum number of professional clothing attire items that people can take. Rather, they have a required minimum of 5 items because they want them to have several clean outfits to wear for interviews/work. I believe this goes along with the second thing that stood out to me–the organization’s focus on dignity. A Wider Circle will not give out items that are not in good condition. While I was sorting through donations in their warehouse, the volunteer coordinator told me, “If you wouldn’t give an item to a friend or family member due to its bad condition, then we won’t give it away here.” I thought this spoke a lot of the organization. They care for the people who come to them and emphasize maintaining dignity in everything they provide. I really enjoyed learning about this organization and helping them sort through and relocate their donations.

Following serving at A Wider Circle, we met back up with the rest of the group at YSOP’s building, and our home for the week, and we got the chance to listen to our speaker, Marvin Turner, who is the Director of the Department for Housing and Urban Development. It was an honor to hear and learn from him!

For the last portion of the day, we ate supper at District Taco and then went sight seeing! We went to a coffee shop and saw the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument.

I’ve had an awesome first day, and I can’t wait for the adventures to come tomorrow!

P.S. For those Fitbit geeks out there, I (and probably everyone else) walked a little over 28,000 steps today. That is over 12.5 miles! We might be waking up a little sore and tired tomorrow!

It’s Time | Kellie Deutsch

The time has come. My bags are packed, I have my coffee in hand, and we will be meeting in the airport in about an hour. We will land in D.C. in less than 9 hours. I am feeling excited and anxious. I am excited to embark on this service-learning trip with a fun group who has proven to provide thoughtful and challenging discussions in class while being able to be silly and have fun. I have valued our time in class, learning about hunger and homelessness, and I have come to realize how important it is to take time to learn, prepare, and reflect before going on service trips. I am anxious about the unexpected though. I have gone on Spring Break service trips for the past four years with my church’s high school youth group, but this trip will have a different focus, consist of a different group of individuals, and provide different lessons to be learned.

Last night, I spent some time reflecting and praying. In doing this, I was able to prepare my mind and heart for this coming week. Through this trip, I hope to be humbled. I hope to be open to individuals and their stories. I hope to be changed. I hope to learn what it means to serve.One thing that I made sure to acknowledge while reflecting is that I am not going to Washington D.C. to save the world. Having the mindset of “saving” people who are hungry and homeless is damaging to others as well as myself. Rather, I am prepared to serve others in the small ways, and I am expecting to learn mountains from the individuals I have the privilege of meeting.

When I applied to go on this trip, I wrote in my application, “I desire to serve, learn, and grow.” This still holds true. I hope to serve full-heartedly with compassion and humility. I hope to learn as much as possible about hunger and homelessness in our five days in D.C., but I also hope to learn more about myself and the privileges that I have. I hope to grow as an individual and come back to Wichita with a better vision of how I can serve my community.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Kellie Deutsch

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me to be bold, stand against injustices, and advocate for love and equality. He changed the world by sharing his dream of love, compassion, justice, faith, and freedom, and I hope to do so, too.

Is reflection important to service learning? | Kellie Deutsch

I believe that reflection is crucial to service learning because it helps us critically think about our experiences and examine our emotional reactions to the class material and service work. It helps us build a deeper meaning from what we learn, see, and do. In addition, reflection helps us to build a deeper understanding of ourselves, others, and society as a whole.

From my past experiences, I have definitely found reflection to play a key part in making service work more impactful and memorable. When I have participated in service work in the past and have not reflected, the work that I did felt a little meaningless and I did not learn much from my experiences. For example, a couple of the Fridays last semester, I volunteered at the Kansas Food Bank in Wichita. I enjoyed my time there, but I did not reflect. Thinking about my time at the Food Bank now, I cannot remember any valuable lessons learned or new understandings of myself or other individuals. I simply remember signing up, showing up, and packing lunch bags for a couple of hours. However, if I think back to the times I spent on service trips with my church youth group over the spring breaks during my four years of high school, I distinctly remember how much I learned and how meaningful the service work that I participated in was. We reflected before the trip, during the trip, and after the trip, and I believe that the time I spent reflecting contributed to allowing me to experience, meaningful and impactful service, learning, and personal growth.
While I think service work is important regardless of whether or not students reflect, I think that people who set aside time to reflect get more out of their experiences than those who do not. Partaking in reflection makes us better servants, better citizens, and better people in general. As I look forward to serving in Washington D.C., I realize that the team, as a whole, and I, individually, will need to set aside time to reflect in order to truly engage in service and learning. I expect this will look differently for all of us, but I believe our reflections will help shape us into better versions of ourselves. I am excited to see how this Alternative Spring Break class and trip will change me and help me grow!