Sophomore Early Childhood Education major Anna Goldstein has always felt a calling towards volunteering.
After going on a week-long mission trip to Haiti last summer, she has decided to go on another one this upcoming summer – but this time for an entire month! I sat down with her to talk about her passion for volunteering, as well as how she’s fundraising for her upcoming trip.
Name: Anna Goldstein
Major: Early Childhood Education
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Class: Sophomore
What first made you interested in mission trips?
“International missions are something I had heard of when I started going to church. I had a little bit of experience with traveling abroad, and I knew that it was important to spread the joy that I’ve gained by having a relationship with God. Haiti in particular was a place that had a need so that’s where I chose for my first mission trip. The home in particular that we were working at had a need as well. I felt that me being presented with the opportunity was me being called to it, and I felt like it was just something I had to do.”
How many mission trips have you been on?
“I have been on one international trip (Haiti), and I have participated in a few local ones as well.”
Where did you go for your first mission trip? What made it so special to you?
“Haiti was my first mission trip. I went there for a week last summer, and now I will be going back for a month this summer. It was really special to spend time worshiping a God that I loved with people who spoke another language. It made something that was personal to me universal. They had gone through more than I had, but we both were experiencing the same joy from the same source, which was really special.”
What are your plans for this trip in particular?
“I will be living with the woman who runs the revhome (the home we are working on while there). I will be her right-hand woman. She’s in charge of a lot of kids, so I’m basically there to do anything she needs me to. That can be cooking meals, taking care of housekeeping, taking people places, or making sure everyone is doing their designated job. I will also probably disciple the older girls and spend time with a lot of the kids there.”
How did you come up with the idea to sell scrunchies to fundraise for the trip?
“I had a bunch of extra small piles of yarn leftover from previous crochet activities. I looked up crochet patterns and found the scrunchie. I thought it was a cute idea and posted it on my Instagram to see how many people would be interested in one, and it turned out to be a lot of orders! I later came up with the idea for the coffee coozies, as I’m a huge coffee drinker and wanted to personalize my drinks.”
What other volunteer programs have you participated in?
“I teach 2nd grade every Sunday at my church, walk dogs at the humane society, and I was a part of Winthrop Ambassadors last year. I am also a small group leader for some high school girls. Most of my volunteer work comes from childcare in one way or another.”
Do you have more plans to volunteer in other programs in the future?
“I definitely plan to continue serving at my church. In the bigger picture, I would love to continue to have long-term experiences in international mission fields (not just in Haiti) where there is a need. I have looked into possibly going to Turkey (in the far future) because I am very passionate about helping others!”
So Collegiettes, if you would like to purchase a scrunchie or coffee coozie from Anna, a link to a google survey to order them is in Anna’s Instagram bio – @anna.onion (they make the PERFECT Christmas gift for friends)!