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People Matter

7/17/2015

Gopher Global is officially back in the states! After an eight-hour bus ride, the team arrived safe and sound at its home base in Minneapolis. Every team member agreed that the trip exceeded preconceived expectations and made a crucial step in the growth of Gopher Global. We successfully accomplished our goals to not only serve alongside people in need but also to determine our similarities and differences. Through hours of sometimes-tiresome shifts at both Winnipeg Harvest and Siloam Mission we were able to grapple with the varying hardships endured by the citizens of Winnipeg. Our interactions with members at these organizations allowed us to view people in need with a fresh perspective. Conversing with people experiencing homelessness, working in the kitchen, serving meals to people with disabilities, sorting clothes and stocking food has shaped the ways in which we address the issue of poverty. Our conversations and interactions with individuals at the shelter and food shelf are key examples of how affective change can be made. Serving has taught us how to humble ourselves while putting others’ needs first. The learning component equipped us with tools to create authentic connections amongst the people of Winnipeg.

As we move forward we will prioritize the needs of the individual not only on a global scale but also on a local one. Gopher Global is excited to take the skills that we have learned in Winnipeg and apply them in our community in the Twin Cities. We believe it is important to build support networks with the plethora of diverse groups in our own backyard. Our vision is to use student-athletes as a platform to construct a level of understanding, trust and hope through promotion of overall health and education.

Stay tuned to read about Gopher Global’s local service-learning excavations, civic engagement and it’s mission to build a common world.

Education is the key to understanding! Look below to learn more about how to address poverty, special needs and homelessness in your own community.

http://www.miusa.org/resource/tipsheet/respect (Special needs)

http://nationswell.com/homeless-america-5-things-to-say/ (Homelessness)

http://www.jewishinseattle.org/programs-initiatives/focus-fight/resources/12-ways-fight-poverty (Poverty)

Post by Tess

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We're All Human

7/15/2015

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Today we woke up early and ready to get our service game faces on. We were all excited to volunteer at Winnipeg Harvest for the second time, but very ready to move on from the potato and onion sorting to a different task. Thankfully, our volunteer coordinator Tyler placed us at the rice, pasta, and flour sorting station. Dressed in our hairnets, aprons, and gloves and VERY excited to be working in air conditioning, we got straight to work. For about 2 hours we packaged the different products and stocked them into crates. We all worked together and demonstrated our athleticism (it required a lot of endurance!!), competitive drive and efficiency. Tyler was a bit shocked when we went over and told him that we had finished stocking the massive amounts or rice and pasta within a one-hour span. We had to wait for a little bit until the volunteer crew could find us another task. Peyton decided to entertain us with his musical talents while Ken our bus driver took one for the team and ventured to find us another task. Game changer: Tyler found us some flour to package. After a few rounds of flour, we cleaned up our tables, washed the dishes, and thanked Winnipeg Harvest for hosting us.

The team decided to head downtown and visit the Museum of Human Rights. Apart from serving and participating in outreach activities, Gopher Global emphasizes the importance of learning and education. It was such an amazing and eye opening experience and we did not want to leave.

We learned about the importance of basic human rights and the history and controversy amongst philosophers, political thinkers, great leaders, and activists. We were moved and inspired by stories told from the perspective of real lived experiences. This entire experience reminded us why we give back to our community and the importance of acceptance within society.

Next we continued our service-learning trip at Siloam Mission. We all attended an educational session with Tim one of the staff members. Tim explained how Siloam works and the differences between the two types of poverty. Basic needs include food water and shelter while Broken Hearts are people going through a traumatic experience (loved one pass, overcoming addiction, depression, etc). Tim talked about how to approach these two categories of poverty and what we can do to insert ourselves in this healing process.

Most often than not, human beings have the desire to fix things, and with regards to homelessness a lot of basic needs can be met with explicit donations. Needs like food and water and a place to sleep can all be provided through financial support. Tim really capitalized on the ways in which straight donations can be problematic. A lot of people experiencing homelessness need more than just the basics to get their feet back under them. Siloam Mission has created a support net of transitional housing advisors, career counselors, spiritual healers, doctors, dentists and trainers. These bonds are not formed through fiscal support but rather created through loving and caring attitudes.

In addition to all of the wonderful resources Siloam Mission has to offer, it has an art room just off of the main lobby. This space allows people to express their creativity and gives hope in times of darkness. This provides possibilities for people experiencing homelessness, abuse, depression, and many other types of difficult circumstances. People who come and use the art room can sell their pieces to local businesses or individual buyers. After walking through the entire art room we all agreed that we wanted to buy pretty much every painting there was J.

Today we split up into three separate groups: kitchen, drop-in, and clothing donation sorting. The drop-in was a great experience to interact with people from all walks of life. We were able to form connections and realize that people in difficult and life threatening situations are human beings just like us. The members working in the kitchen had a lot of food to make and serve in a short amount of time. In just 1 hour the kitchen gave out meals to 452 people. Our team worked with other volunteers to make the entire dinner process possible, making us feeling like we were actually contributing to the people in the community.

Millions of clothes come through Siloam’s doors. It is very important that the clothes are clean and in good condition so that people can wear them with dignity. Siloam Mission emphasizes the importance of dignity and respect and how those two values are the main building blocks to the support of their community. The rule for sorting clothes: If you wouldn’t wear it, then it goes into recycling.

After an incredibly impactful day, we hit up a local restaurant to have dinner. The restaurant Stella’s is our favorite so far in Winnipeg. The waiters ended up liking us a little more because we weren’t nearly as loud as last night’s dinner. It was probably because we were all tuckered out from the long day.

We are looking forward to volunteering one last time at Siloam Mission tomorrow. Stay tuned to hear more about our experiences and excursions in Winnipeg!

Post by Tess

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Almost Home

7/15/2015

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Today was Gopher Global’s last day in Canada. We began our day as a group at breakfast before heading over to Siloam Mission for the final time. We were all excited to get the chance to volunteer at another position within Siloam: kitchen, drop-in, or donation sorting. Hopefully by now, almost everyone in the group has had a chance to experience volunteering at all three.

Gopher Global will be on the road until late tonight before returning to Bierman. We are all exhausted from the hard work we have done to leave the community in a better place than when we arrived. We hope that the people we met along our journey feel they gained just as much experience and knowledge from us as we gained from them.

Post by Derek

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Plenty of New Experiences

7/14/2015

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Monday morning Gopher Global woke bright and early to eat a hearty breakfast generously provided by our hotel. We all needed the energy to prepare us for the day ahead, and none of us knew exactly what the day was going to entail. After we finished eating, we quickly loaded the bus to ride over the Siloam Mission.

At Siloam, we were broken up into three different groups to volunteer our time. One group was on kitchen duty, another on donation sorting, and the last at drop-in. Hopefully by the end of the trip, everyone will get a chance to help out in each of the three areas, as all offer new perspectives and opportunities for those involved. The kitchen duty gives volunteers a chance to work as a team in a high-pressure environment to get the food out as efficiently as possible to everyone in need. The drop-in position gives those volunteering an opportunity to interact with people and form a bond with those that we were serving. Lastly, the donation sorting is one of the most important positions at Siloam because of the abundant amounts of donations that they receive. It would not be possible to distribute all of the clothing and items without the help of volunteers.

After spending a couple of hours volunteering our time at Siloam, we were happy to be given an educational tour from one of the staff members, Victoria. We all were very impressed by their facilities, especially the cleanliness and amount of space and resources dedicated to helping people in need. Hannah’s Place Emergency Shelter, on the second floor of Siloam, was perhaps what impressed the most of us. It was extremely spacious and contained 110 beds for people in need of a place to stay every night. It also had lockers to keep personal items safe, and showers and toiletry items for people to wash up in. On the floor above the shelter there was a gym to work out in and even career counseling and other rooms for activities and resources to make positive steps toward goals and developing hope.

After our tour at Siloam, we ate a quick lunch before heading over to Winnipeg Harvest. There we were met by Kelly, a frequent volunteer, to tour their facilities and learn about what we would be doing during our time there. Winnipeg Harvest offered many of the same or similar resources as Siloam, and even offered classes to the less fortunate in areas such as technology and Microsoft Office. We also got a chance to see the new gardens that are used to grow some of the food that is packaged and shipped to neighboring shelters and food shelves. At the completion of the tour, we put on our hairnets, aprons, and gloves to get to work. Our task was to sort through hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of potatoes and onions. Though not the best smelling of tasks, we all knew that it had to be done and would be helping those less fortunate than us.

Once we had finished our work at Winnipeg Harvest, we all were itching to get a good workout in. We all managed to get a sweat going by getting in a good lift or run before getting ready to tour some of the sights. By recommendation, we decided to explore an area of Winnipeg known as The Forks. Once there, we split up into various groups to see the shops and roam around near the river, taking in the beautiful views of the river and buildings on either side. A few of us even rented tandem bikes to get a better view of the city. It was an interesting, yet fun experience.

While exploring one of the shops, a local told a few of us about a spinning restaurant that overlooked the city. How could we pass that up? Even though we knew that dinner was in only a couple of hours, a group of us decided to order desserts at Prairie 360, the spinning restaurant. It was an unforgettable experience that gave us a unique view of the city that we could have never obtained from the ground.

Gopher Global joined together for a late dinner at a nearby restaurant from the hotel before calling it a night. We all had far too much energy left last night after all of the work we had done earlier that day. Luckily, our energy levels continued to remain high going into Tuesday.

In 2014
Siloam estimates that is gave out 35000
pairs of socks.
The clothing room had 14675 visits
averaging 33% women and 67% men.

Last year Siloam Mission hosted
8365 volunteers
including 559 groups.
Volunteers gave 83769 hours
which is the equivalent to
40 full time staff.

"Humanity
If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart, if someone's burden was lighter because you did your part, if you caused a laugh that chased a tear away, if tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, then your day was well spent."

Post by Derek

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We have arrived!

7/12/2015

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Gopher Global arrived safely to Winnipeg after spending about 9 hours on the road. Although everyone continued to snack during the ride, we were all happy to get the chance to consume a nice meal before calling it a night. Thanks to some research by our very own Becca Weiland, we found a great place to kickstart our time in Canada!

Now that Gopher Global is fueled up, the group will be well prepared to lend a helping hand to the community. Tomorrow, the real fun starts! We will be spending about 5 hours of our time between the Siloam Mission and Winnipeg Harvest. Everyone is excited to get the chance to give back and volunteer their time to help those in need.

Post by Derek

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Grand Forks, North Dakota

7/12/2015

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The group is now complete after picking Kaela Anderson up in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Only a few more hours away from our destination! Canada, here we come!

Post by Derek

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Why we are going to Canada

7/12/2015

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It is estimated that each year 235,000 individuals experience homelessness in Canada. The average life expectancy of a person who is homeless is 39. Homelessness is a harsh reality affecting millions of lives across the globe. Poverty, domestic abuse, mental illness and unemployment are just a few causes that throw people out of their homes and onto the streets.

With these harsh statistics in mind, thirteen Gopher student-athletes are traveling to Winnipeg, Canada to serve alongside two local homeless shelters. This Sunday will mark the first time Gopher Global crosses an international border and the team could not be more excited. The team will be serving in the community and learning about the causes and affects of homelessness. In addition to volunteering, the members look forward to experiencing the local culture and customs of the city.

Siloam Mission and Winnipeg Harvest have invited Gopher Global to join them in their service to the homeless community. Winnipeg Harvest provides healthy meals and programs to vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. Siloam Mission is a faith-based organization that alleviates hardships and provides resources for individuals affected by homelessness. Gopher Global embarks on this incredible experience with hopes to create connections and make a difference in the local community.

Post by Tess

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People Matter

We're All Human

Almost Home

Plenty of New Experiences

We have arrived!

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Why we are going to Canada

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