Good Works Post-Trip

After serving at Good Works, we saw the impact we made on the community and the neighbors. All thirteen of us were able to do a little extra for someone while in Ohio as well as change our own perspective on serving and leadership. Through long work days, cooking and cleaning for 20+ people, no signal in the house (oh no!), and having to entertain ourselves with board games, jokes and competitions, we became a family.

Here is what we were able to accomplish:

· Ella Holly’s bathroom floor was renovated.

· Dave Starlin’s floor and refrigerator were cleaned out. We also gave some love to his dogs!

· Sue Lowry’s back patio was fixed, and her house was cleaned up instead.

· Dale Dalrymple’s trails were repaired and fallen trees were cut down away from the trails.

· Good Works’ living room was worked on, trails cleared up, and ditch was dug to avoid further flooding.

· Friday Night Life was an event where the community members come to have dinner together. We cooked enough food for 150 people and interacted with community members by listening to their amazing stories.

Final Thoughts on our Trip

Our last night, we came together to reflect on the trip. It was valuable dabbling in a little of everything because we got exposure to so many different populations that we didn’t know we would like. We had the opportunity to see so many different environments. We spoke with many homeless people who could feel that we cared, we packed many lunches, sorted many books, helped refugees learn English, and represented Aurora University in Cleveland. We met so many great and inspirational professionals!

We liked looking at the different populations, issues in society and how they affect people differently. Some issues are more advanced than others. We loved hearing about the professional’s backgrounds and why they went into the non-profits. Nick of the Cleveland Leadership Center was so accommodating and organized for us to see all the various things we were interested in. He was clearly invested in us and wanted us to have a good trip. Lastly, a major highlight was being able to get to know other students from Aurora University and bond as a group.

One take away we took is that we often compared the organizations back to what we have to offer in Aurora. Many organizations were new and started off of a spark of an idea. Although they started small, they grew with the help of collaborations with other organizations and the support of the community. We feel inspired to get involved in our own community and the organizations Aurora, IL has to offer.

If you are thinking about going on an alternative trip break, we definitely recommend the Cleveland Leadership Center! You get to connect with the people you are helping, learn about various populations, and make great connections with professionals in fantastic organizations. We also met some other students from across the nation and were able to build friendships with them, too! It was a valuable adventure. We now have had exposure to working on a team, being both behind the scenes and with different populations, and exploring diverse areas that we might not have thought about before. This experience can surprise you. You may discover more about yourself and what you can do!

- Laura, Liz, Naima, Hailey, Victoria, Frankie, Mario, Deon, and Chris

Day 6 - Our Final Day

We had a full day lined up for our young professionals/non-for-profit organization day. Vice president of the Cleveland Leadership Center, Rachel, came to visit us in the morning and spoke to us about non-profit work. She shared her story of how she went from micro work to macro work.

Then, we had lunch with Tom NcNair, Executive Director of Ohio City, Inc. He talked to us about how the Cleveland area is being developed and all the ways his organization is helping make the city better.

Our third stop was with Renee Jones Empowerment Center, which works against human trafficking. Renee gave us a history of how she was inspired to start the organization and we witnessed a bit of their planning meeting. Laura really enjoyed hearing Renee's story and strongly resonated with the mission of the organization. Renee was such an inspirational powerhouse who is doing great things in the community.

We took a quick break to check out Brewnuts and try some delicious donuts, then we headed to a coffee shop that the Hispanic Business Center is renting out to meet with Jason Estremera. He oversees business development within the Hispanic community and gave us insight into how to engage with a community's culture. He impressed on us that it never hurts to try!

Lastly, we walked to Skylight Financial Group and recent Cleveland Leadership Center alumni Andrew gave us an inspirational boost to become involved in civic engagement. It was clear that he was effected by his involvement both at the CLC and the places he has volunteered his time at. We enjoyed meeting him and hearing his story.

We are packing up, cleaning up, and saying goodbye to Cleveland early on Saturday morning.

-Laura, Liz, Mario, Victoria, Hailey, Naima, Deon, Frankie, Chris