L.O.V.E stands for Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience. Each semester, a group of students travels to a different state or even country to aid the people living there and try to help in anyway they can. This past Spring Break a group of students (including me) traveled to Jamaica and stayed at Jacob’s Ladder, a home under the umbrella of the Mustard Seed Communities. Jacob’s Ladder houses and cares for adults with mental and physical disabilities. Some of these residents have family who visit, and some do not. As a group we traveled and stayed at Jacob’s Ladder for a week. While there we helped out by painting, weeding, and farming. Three of the days while in Jamaica we traveled to Jerusalem, another location that houses adults and children with mental and physical disabilities and children under the age of 18 living with HIV. While at Jerusalem we helped with feeding some of the children who could not feed themselves. The experience was life changing, the memories are priceless, and the people we met will forever be in our hearts. That is why this team, as a whole, is the Campus Celeb for this week.
HC: “There are many LOVE trips to choose from, why Jamaica?”
Kate Reuter: “I was looking for a trip that would pull me way out of my comfort zone and put my life and my petty problems in perspective and I felt that Jamaica would do all of that and more for me, which it did.”
HC: “Bridget, as the leader on this trip, how did you prepare/how did you prepare your team for the trip?”
Bridget Mcquade: “I really didn’t know what to expect going into this trip, but I knew that I had 7 people with me who cared just as much as I did. I wanted to make sure that the 8 of us were going into this trip as a strong team, ready for all of the unexpected. We certainly had a lot of surprises and challenges, but I am incredibly proud of our responses to those challenges.”
HC: “What was the most difficult thing you had to deal with on the trip?”
Caroline O’Connell: “I would say the most difficult part was seeing how the residents lived and wanting to change their lives for the better but knowing that you can only make a small difference in a such a short about of time.”
HC: “Was the trip what you expected? Or were you shocked when you got there?
Chris Pecorini: “The trip was everything I hoped for and more. I expected there to be challenges and to be taken out of my comfort zone.”
HC: “What would you say is the most important thing you took out of this trip?”
Natalie Heinitz: “I think the most important thing I’m taking from this trip is the understanding that life is full of obstacles, and you never know what difficulties someone else is going through. I learned to live in the moment, push aside my hesitations and pursue every moment of this awesome trip, which allowed me to really reflect on my experiences and the people I met, and realize that life is so precious, and always needs to be viewed positively.”
HC: “In your opinion, why should others also experience LOVE Jamaica?”
Krystine Melicio: “LOVE is an unexplainable type of experience. Even though I’ve gone through it, I can’t ever seem to find the right words when trying to tell my story to others. LOVE Jamaica definitely took me out of my comfort zone, challenged me, and inspired me to overall want to be a better person. I highly recommend it for those who are interested in trying an experience in which they are willing to be exposed to a new and unfamiliar culture, learn more about those with special needs and most importantly develop connections with the residents.”
HC: “Tell me about one of the residents you interacted with.”
Tommy Kanganis: “The resident’s name is Wampa. He is nonverbal and absolutely loves dancing in circles. He was one of the happiest and loving residents I came across. He was always wearing a pair of sunglasses that one of the team members leant or gave to him and he was always cruising on the go karts. He always had a smile on his face from ear to ear. Without a doubt he was one of the most influential residents I spent time with because he taught me about being happy with what I have, even though he never spoke a word to me.”