By Karen Dyer, vice president for advancement and strategic initiatives
“Just seeing that people could be happy, made me happy,” shared Hunter Reed, a freshman nursing major from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, who traded in his spring break to give back – serving others in need in Nashville, Tennessee.
The SMWC Alternative Spring Break Trip, an annual event where students spend their break living out the College’s mission of service and social responsibility, had been on the schedule for months when Nashville was hit with a devastating tornado just days before the group was set to leave.
Preparations had been made. The schedule was set. Students were packed. And now, the trip was more important than ever.
Josh Winters, SMWC’s campus minister and trip leader, said the group was prepared and although they did not know exactly what to expect, they knew that this was where they needed to be.
“The whole experience during our week in Nashville made me grateful,” said Reed, who had no idea what to expect as this was his first trip. “It made me grateful for what I have, because you never know when all that might get taken away. You never know what can happen tomorrow or even in the next few minutes.”
Although the damage from the tornado was extensive when they toured the city, seeing its effect on the people of Nashville left an impact on the students as they served throughout the week.
The group spent long hours at the Community Resource Center taking in tornado relief donations and loading trailers. Woods students also served hundreds of meals throughout the week to people with food insecurities as part of several organizations: Room in the Inn, People Loving Nashville, the Nashville Rescue Center and Catholic Charities Loaves and Fishes.
“It was the first meal served after the tornado happened,” said Jessica Moore, senior psychology major, as she reflected on what was gained from the experience. “Just allowing myself to be in the midst of this and not try to be a fixer… just for them to sit in a quiet place, a safe place, because so many of them just lost their homes – that meant a lot.”
Winters said the trip is significant for a number of reasons, but most of all, to provide students with perspective. “It’s important for their personal development, their leadership skills and to help shape their world view… they begin to realize not everyone is like them,” he added.
SMWC Alumni Director Sarah Mahady ’05 worked with alumni in the area to help find locations for the group to serve, for which Winters is very grateful. Alumna Penny Arney ‘17 helped to coordinate visits for the group to learn about the resilience of survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking at Thistle Farms and of the Project 615 t-shirt company’s mission to partner with charities to support the community philanthropically. They also spent time visiting with Alzheimer’s residents at Winfield at the Heritage daycare center.
Kierstin Seim, a sophomore theology major, said that she spent time talking with individuals at the various organizations including those who work with AmeriCorps.
“The trip gave me a chance to see what type of career I could go into because I’m looking into the non-profit field,” said Seim.
“More than anything, the group enjoyed spending time together,” said Winters. “They visited a few local sites like the Parthenon and downtown coffee shops and Ben and Jerry’s, but mostly, they enjoyed their time together.” “We got along as a group really well. We would spend time together in the evenings, playing games and debriefing from the day and reflecting. The students’ willingness to be open and share their experiences with each other helped to form community,” said Winters. “Looking back, this trip was one of the last things the students got to do together before COVID-19… it truly was a meaningful experience.”
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