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)
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)