MAB Weekend - Andrew County (SHP Partnership)

This weekend I got the opportunity to travel to Andrew County with Mizzou Alternative Breaks and the School of Health Professions to do service. It was an incredible experience to say the least. I have never felt so much love and appreciation from people who were complete strangers just days before this. We were able to visit a retiring home and spend time with the most hilarious elderly people. They liked to goof off and tell us jokes and stories. We also were lucky enough to wallpaper a food pantry. Yes, I did mean to put lucky. All of us were forced to break out of our comfort zones and try something new and we were able to do it as a team. The friendships I made on this trip will not stay within this weekend but continue on to be life-long friends. I hope I can come back to this county again and be a part of the great programs they have instilled here.
-Shelby


After weeks of planning, our trip has finally happened…and it was amazing! The church we stayed at, Savannah United Methodist, warmly welcomed us with open arms. Friday night we spent some quality time with local high school students who were looking to have their college questions and concerned answered. We played spoons and hung out with them, which was very entertaining for us. Saturday morning we had the opportunity to speak with a woman about global health in Mozambique. She was so knowledgeable and passionate about improving the health for women and families in Africa that we were all wishing we could spend the whole day with her! After that we went to a rehab facility, which provided us the chance to visit with elderly residents. They were so happy to have people interested in their lives and we were willing to listen. Later we visited a food pantry and ended up wallpapering a room! We were nervous about it at first, but when we were done we decided that we were so good it could be our back-up careers! Later in the evening we helped serve dinner at a 4-H fundraiser. The families running the dinner were so gracious that we took their spots and allowed them some time to sit and relax and enjoy their children’s accomplishments. The whole weekend we felt like we were hanging out with our family and we just knew that all the small things we were doing were making a big impact on this community. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to plan this trip and see the community built between our participants and with our sites!
-Sidney

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