Houston 2 - Health (1)


“I have made more friends here than I have in the last 30 years.”
-Les S.

Wow! What a past few days we’ve had! We finally arrived in Houston Saturday afternoon and spent Sunday exploring Houston. From the reunion with some Mizzou Alumni in Herman Park to exploring NASA, Sunday was just the beginning of our adventures.

The Mizzou Houston group has grown closer as friends, but we’ve also expanded our circle to the many wonderful people at Bering Omega. Bering Omega is an agency committed to providing passionate care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Throughout the week, our service will range from work in the dental clinic, day treatment center or the hospice center—otherwise known as Omega House.

Even after the first day, the experience has been nothing short of eye opening.  Upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed at the door. Each worker, volunteer and nurse encompasses the loving and comforting environment Bering Omega provides for its clients. Part of our group spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen and weeding the garden. However, what stood out to us was watching a clip from a documentary called, “One Square Mile: Texas,” which featured an interview of one of their patients who had recently passed. During the interview, he opened up about his family, living with his disease and his experience living at the Omega House. We were able to see how much the Bering Omega Community meant to these patients. Everyone in the house stopped to watch Les and remember the times they shared together. A picture of Les still sits on the mantel, the nurses even had to pull out the tissues to make it through the interview. Through the glimpse we caught of the everyday life at the Omega House, we saw how a strong community can be formed by extending a hand and reaching out to someone in need.

In addition to service at Omega House, we volunteered at the day treatment center with clients as we played games, crafted pottery and shared stories. Finally, students at the dental clinic assisted dentists and assistants with the day-to-day operations and even had the opportunity to shadow oral procedures. Throughout the week, we will be continuing our service at Bering Omega and other non-profits across the Houston area. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @MAB_HTOWN for updates throughout the week.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the update! What a heartfelt experience for the students.

    ReplyDelete