Tag Archives: Service

PIW – Poverty in Waco

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By Emmy Edwards

Creating my schedule at summer orientation was not as easy as I had planned. I had 14 hours, but I wanted to have one more. So, I flipped hastily through the class catalogue to find a one-hour class to add to my schedule. The first class that stuck out to me was “Poverty in Waco,” so I added it to my list. I never would have guessed that this class would become my favorite class at Baylor!

Poverty in Waco is a class that encourages students to serve in the community and focuses on worldwide poverty.  We are required to participate in interesting class discussions, read two engaging and easy books, attend a weekend poverty simulation and serve consistently at an organization of our choice.

Before coming to Waco, I have to admit that I did not know much about poverty. I grew up in a very sheltered environment, and although I volunteered often, I never had to confront the true meaning of poverty. Through this class, I have realized the roots of poverty and how important it is to help the poor, especially by making relationships with them.

Our professor, Jimmy (he lets us call him by his first name), is such a wonderful example of Christian service. Along with his wife Janet, he has created Mission Waco, an incredible organization that assists those in need. Jimmy is extremely intelligent with multiple degrees, and he and Janet have served the poor all over the world—including with Mother Teresa!

He is also the pastor of one of the most FUN churches in all of Waco, Church Under the Bridge.  This church holds a service every Sunday morning under an I-35 overpass.  It welcomes all kinds of people, and many of the homeless of Waco love to attend. It is such a great place to meet lots of fun local people, and it is so joyful to worship among them.

 

The poverty simulation is another program through Mission Waco.  It is a weekend-long event that allows you to experience what it’s like to be poor. I can honestly say that this was one of my best experiences at Baylor so far.  It was very challenging, but it definitely changed my perspective on homelessness and gave me more empathy.  There were many other Baylor students on the poverty simulation, and I absolutely loved getting to know them more.  I made so many great friendships during that weekend!  I love my classmates in Poverty in Waco, and I think that our friendships are deeper and stronger because we went through the poverty simulation together. I am so thankful for them!

One of my very favorite parts this class is the service aspect. I knew I wanted to volunteer while at Baylor, and this class has forced me to be accountable and consistent. I volunteer at Friends for Life at the Adult Daycare, which is a program for special needs adults.  I go twice a week with a friend, and we genuinely love hanging out with the people!  We have played games (musical chairs is a solid favorite), watched fashion shows and connected with some really loving people. They have taught me so much more than I could ever give back to them. They have shown me what it means to have childlike faith, to have joy and to love all the time. There are some funny characters there too, and they never fail to make me laugh like crazy.

I am so thankful for Poverty in Waco!  I cannot believe that the class that I added as an afterthought has introduced me to Waco and to true Christian service. This class has shaped my freshman year and will continue to affect my future at Baylor.  The friendships and lessons of Poverty in Waco have made my Baylor experience so much richer and more meaningful.  I would encourage everyone to take Poverty in Waco!

 

My Brother’s Keeper

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By Charlie Foster

I remember when I was deciding on where to go to college, my friends and I talked about the different cities in which our choices were located.

“Austin sounds great, but it might be too crazy. Boston would be cool, but it would also be way too cold. Waco? Isn’t that kinda sketchy?”

So, let me one of the first to tell you: yes, Waco has its ups and downs. There are some places in town where you may not find a whole lot of college kids roaming around, but some of those are great places to serve and enjoy a great community.

You may be thinking, “Wait, didn’t you just say it might be kinda sketchy?” Yes, I did. But, it’s the people here that matter the most.

I found myself in one of these places last night, as some brothers and I headed downtown to work at My Brother’s Keeper for the evening.

My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) is a temporary homeless shelter where people can stay overnight for up to three nights. Each day typically consists of a long line of people outside, anxiously awaiting to get inside, so they can sleep in a warm bed. Not everyone is admitted due to a limited amount of space, but those who do are given a nice place to sleep for the evening as they prepare for the next day.

My brothers and I went down there to help lead “church time.” Each evening, MBK provides a meal to its residents along with a worship and devotional service. Sometimes church youth or college groups will lead it, while others on the staff of MBK will help with it. This week, a friend’s church was volunteering, and they needed a few extra hands. He reached out to our fraternity, and I decided to go. It was the best and most rewarding decision I made this week.

This post-Homecoming week has been stressful with essays, tests and long nights talking with roommates about life. Serving at MBK gave me a chance to be refueled by the love of Christ through worship and community with people who just needed someone to love them. Hearing each of their stories gave me hope for life and a refocus on my calling here: to serve and love others through and for Jesus.

While I wish that I could have taken pictures at MBK last night, the residents of MBK didn’t want to be pictured, and I completely understand. Please, know that these people are joyful and caring. They thrive on the passion and love of Jesus Christ, despite their circumstances.

And, they’re still like you and me. They still struggle with something in their lives; the only difference is they don’t have a home.

So, when you get down here and travel through “sketchy” Waco, stop and see what you can do to help. Talk to the people around you. Take some time out of your schedule to love on others. It will be just as great for you as it is for the people you’re serving.

Walking in Memphis

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By Laura Teague with additions from Torie Abbott and Ashley Woo

Last weekend for Fall Break, I got to travel with a group of 52 members of Delta Delta Delta to Memphis, Tenn., to visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Tri Delta chapters nationwide chose St. Jude to be our philanthropy in 1999. Since then we have raised millions to help fund this amazing hospital! The children in Memphis usually have heart-breaking illnesses, but through this hard time their family does not have to pay a cent for anything, including medical care, MRIs, housing, food and more. The hospital costs $1.8 million A DAY to run, which is where groups like Tri Delta come in to help!

St. Jude

 

 

 

 

 

I got to share this trip with two familiar faces to the blog – Torie and Ashley! We were all in the same tour group at the hospital, where we learned about what the hospital does for these families and how our partnership has an impact on their daily work. Along with my take of the trip, I also wanted to share Torie and Ashley’s perspectives as well.

Tri Delta

 

Torie said, “Going to St Jude Children Research Hospital with 50 of my sisters was an experience I will never forget. It was an opportunity for each of us to see the true impact of our efforts. They do matter.”

 

AshleyThis trip also meant a lot to Ashley. She said, “Because cancer has played a major role in my family’s life, I was deeply moved during our tour of the St. Jude campus. As we walked down the halls of the hospital, there were so many signs of life. Kids were running down the halls, walls were adorned with colorful drawings and the staff was so welcoming. You could see determination and joy in the children’s faces and the overwhelming peace in each parent’s eyes. St. Jude was a life-changing experience for me. It reminds me of the wonderful opportunity I have of giving back to an organization that has helped so many people. As I mentioned before, cancer has definitely played a prominent role in my life. My dad is a three-time cancer survivor. Times were very tough for our family, and it was sometimes difficult to get through the day. However, one can only imagine going through that treatment at a young age. It is comforting to know that there is a place where sick kids can get cancer treatment free of charge and the where parents can have a peace of mind. All in all, my time at St. Jude Research Hospital was filled with tears, laughter and joy. It reminded me that Christ is the ultimate healer.”

For me, this trip reminded me of what a meaningful partnership we share with women across the nation, united in this one cause. We met a group of seniors from the chapter at Illinois State University while touring, and they are incredible women! It’s humbling to remember that what we do as a chapter is a small part of the bigger picture of Tri Delta’s national contribution. We don’t just raise money to build a building or to have our letters put on the wall. We are giving families and children hope – now and in the future. While at the hospital, we visited the bone marrow center, which our donations helped build. We heard a story about a mom who asked the receptions to convey her gratitude to every Tri Delta who walked through the doors. Her genuine thankfulness brought me to tears.

If you would like to find out more about our partnership with St. Jude or the amazing work the hospital does, feel free to check out stjude.org/tridelta.

Delta