Tori's Reflection

I'm not sure if I can adequately express how life changing the Chicago trip was for our group, but it's worth a try. It was a week of smiles, a week of working together, of service, of leaving your comfort zone, of meeting new people, of change. It was a week where I gained so much insight into the lives of the people of Chicago. Their smiling faces provided so much comfort for me throughout the trip, and ignited an even greater passion in me for helping people than I already possessed.

On my first day of service, I worked at Turkey Chop- a restaurant that operates as a soup kitchen on Mondays. I met a man named Robert; he was blind in one eye, couldn't write (but could read), and was living on the streets because he couldn't find a shelter that would take him. After writing his information down for him at the door, I looked over to where he was standing and he was reading the poster on the wall that Turkey Chop was looking for volunteers. He came back over to me, and kept asking me, "Can I volunteer?", "Am I allowed to volunteer?", "Who can I talk to to volunteer?", "What time would I have to be here?". Despite his personal situation, he wanted so desperately to help the other people in his community that similarly needed help. It was unbelievable to me how great of a desire he had. This amazing man, that I luckily met on the first day, inspired me throughout the week to have that same motivation and drive to help the community. I think this experience set the tone for the week. Triggered in me was this passion for helping people and making people smile that was taken to a new level- one that I had not yet reached prior to this trip.

What the group learned on this mission trip can easily be applied right here in Hartford. We have the ability to help so many people in this community, no matter in how seemingly small of a way, and I am ecstatic to be a member of a congregation that does so. I look forward to being exposed to more opportunities to help, to make people smile, and I look forward to doing so alongside my congregation.