Love City in Portland
Yesterday, my students who are juniors ventured out into the depths of our community to serve. I have 56 students partnered with 14 different service agencies. As the service coordinator I made it my mission to visit each service agency and check in with every one of my students. I left my house at 8:00 am and traveled all over our city from St. Matthews, to the Highlands, Beuchel, to Riverport, Portland, the West end, to Old Louisville, and the Rangeland area. It took 7 hours and 65 miles. I met each of the service coordinators and took a moment to check in with my students. Each place has a significant value to our community from FriendsForLife, committed to caring for those with cancer and those who have survived cancer to Dreams with Wings and Harbor House who care for adults who are mentally challenged, to Sacred Heart Home, Nazareth, and South Oaks Senior Living; who care for the elderly of our community, to Animal House who cares for our stray dogs, to Chapel Hill Preschool, Cabbage Patch, Love City, and Junior Achievement; who cater to the needs of our children and teens, to Little Way Pregnancy Resource Center who also cares for not just the teen but their unplanned pregnancies and Uspiritus and St. Joseph’s Children’s Home who care for those children and teens who are in search for stability and love.
Traveling to different areas of Louisville I have never been before opened my eyes to the poverty, need, and pain that is suffered by so many voiceless neighbors. However, meeting the service coordinators brought me joy to witness the passion and love they each give to not just a non-profit but to a mission, a vision they believe in their soul that they can influence and change for the better. It was a day of inspiration. I asked that the service coordinators challenge my students intellectually and emotionally. Our students will spend 36 hours becoming acquainted with an organization. Our students will hopefully form lasting relationships with those they serve and experience true need in the lives of others. This service is a time of awareness and I pray growth.
Please pray for my students that they might change our community one thought, one word, one action, and one change of heart at a time.
