Spring Break season!

We are in full-swing with service groups from colleges all over the country coming to serve with us for their spring breaks! Last week, we were blessed to have an energetic, enthusiastic group from Siena College in Loudonville, NY, one of two colleges run by the friars of the Holy Name Province. This week we welcome a group from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire that dove into work with open hearts and minds. With a St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY and Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL to come, followed by high school groups that come throughout the summer, we are grateful for and humbled by the outpouring of help we receive each year.
This year, we are introducing a justice and education aspect to their week of service, providing a larger context within their work exists, examining and addressing the infrastructure that impacts the people we serve. Our hope in doing this is to dispel the many myths that exist regarding homelessness and poverty, one such myth is that only about 10% of the homeless population is made up of the stereotypical homeless person you may imagine, the rest are couch-hopping, living in abandominiums, or in shelters. We also hope to make people aware of the issues so they can implement change upon their return to their college.
These groups bring to us a refreshing perspective of the same people we see day-to-day. Their excitement to serve the poor inspires and renews us in our ministry and revitalizes the face of St. Francis Inn.