From Left to Right: Erin, Alec, Brian, Brad, Drake, Jada, Sylvia, Justin, Hannah, Samantha, Allie, Shelia, and Georgi
On October 5th a team of 13 individuals embarked on a mission. Our mission was simple: As UT Volunteers, we are on a mission to live out out message of service in the real world through collaboration with local outreach programs. We strive to familiarize ourselves with the socioeconomic divides that permeate our society in hope of alleviating inequality and spreading the message of service.To make this our goals was simple, but to attain all of these things was much more difficult.
We departed from Knoxville at 7a.m. Thursday morning and set out for Birmingham, Alabama. Our arrival was a whirlwind of grocery shopping, unpacking, and getting to know one another. Our first service site was Firehouse Ministries. We prepared and served the 4:00 meal for the residents and members of the community who wanted a free meal. Our team learned about direct service and the importance of working together as a team. We also discussed the importance of organizations that provide transitional housing for the homeless.
Friday morning started bright and early. We partnered with Greater Birmingham Ministries to assist with voter registration at a local hospital. This was a great partnership. They took the time to discuss with us the importance of voter registration, and the history of voting in Birmingham. Members of our team split of and covered different areas of the hospital, and encouraged those who were not previously registered, to register. In reflection that night we talked about why it was important to vote. We also discussed the fact that the same hospital we were working at had lost some funding following the previous election.
Friday afternoon we partnered with Disabled American Veterans. On site they had a storage area filled with personal mementos from members of their organization. We spent our time organizing and cleaning the unit to make it more accessible. In reflection we talked about why more isn't done to assist our veterans. We talked about how our country doesn't like to talk about war, especially the aftermath of war.
We partnered with Red Mountain Park all day Saturday to help them in several different projects. Red Mountain Park aspires to bridge the communities on either side of the mountain. For so long the mountain has been a divide, but their mission is to bring communities together. They aspire to let every voice be heard and represented. For the first half of the morning we worked with clearing an area of an invasive species. The idea is to restore the forest to its natural state to encourage the habitation of native species. In the afternoon our team worked on a sensory trail. the trail is designed for individuals with disabilities. Once it is completed their will be multiple components that stimulate ones senses. Our team helped with developing the trail itself. The labor was intense, but the work we managed to compete in just a few hours was inspiring.
We hope to continue to serve the Knoxville Community and show others love and support wherever we go.
All our love,
Magic 205
