An Impactful Service Retreat into New Haven

A group of 16 students and three faculty members participated in an overnight service retreat in the New Haven community from April 30 to May 3, volunteering at a number of local nonprofits.

Over the four-day retreat, the students gained first-hand experience with preparing and serving food, building personal care kits, sorting clothing and over 9,000 lbs of food, unloading deliveries, and working in a community garden, among other tasks. Each evening, the students had time to share reflections of their day with the group and bond with each other while playing games and preparing their own meals. Students also participated in a grocery challenge one afternoon, where teams were tasked with shopping for a day's worth of groceries on a budget of $15.

Many thanks to the local organizations the group was able to partner with for this learning intensive: Columbus House, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Dinner for a Dollar, Sunrise Cafe, CT Foodshare, Loaves and Fishes, Havenly, and Ivy Street Garden.

Some students shared reflections on the trip:

“I built new relationships and bonded with people I would've never thought [I would]. To be able to share stories and advice with each other was the greatest thing, seeing how we have so much in common, being able to laugh and enjoy each other's company. I’m so thankful for what I have to say was one of the best trips I've ever been on with a school. I think everyone had a great time.”

“Loaves and Fishes had the biggest impact for me. Being able to meet the people we were serving, and learning their stories and the advice they gave me, sent chills down my spine (in a good way). I did the best I could to help them out, even breaking the rules, because I knew that if I was in their shoes, I would want the same. Seeing them smile made me the happiest person, and it felt amazing to be able to give back to the community.”

“One major takeaway I left with from the trip was that the impact of food insecurity is a lot larger than you would think, and the fight against it needs a lot of help.”

“Loaves and Fishes was the type of work I was expecting the most, but the things that made up the experience were surprising. The people that came in made me realize how big this problem was—seeing kids, some our age, that have to come out and get food. It made me realize that that could be us. It also showed me how everyone who walked through the door is going through something.”

“I really liked the downtime and how we connected with each other, as well as doing service.”