Community Marketplace
We started off our morning by waking up at 4am so that we could get to Community Church by 5am. When we got there, we split up to do several different jobs: Packing lettuce, filling bags, tying off bags, counting the bags, and stocking the shelves. By doing so, we were able to efficiently make a lot of meals in a short period of time. In total, we made 257 bags of food for anyone who needed them in the community around the church. Inside the bags we included one or two hands of lettuce, two onions or five potatoes, a bag of frozen chicken, and two packs of bread. After this, we cleaned the kitchen and broke down boxes that held the food. When we finished, some people restocked the fridges to help prepare the Community Marketplace for when they make more “dry bags.” Others made hygiene bags that went into the pantry. Both the food bags and the hygiene bags will be handed out to anyone who needs them.
In the early morning, the team was hungry after their 4:45-7:30A service. We decided to grab donuts at Five Daughters Bakery, which had a variety of exotic flavors to choose from, such as King Kong and the Purist. It was a well-deserved stop after the long morning.
Atlanta Mission
The team then volunteered with the Atlanta Mission, the largest, longest running provider in America which provided shelter for over 4,500 women and children last year. The group that served in Restoration House were split within the house into two groups. One group helped to prepare and serve lunch for the residents of the house interacting with them directly. The other group was in the clothing closet sorting, organizing, and replenishing it so that whoever may be in need is able to easily navigate the closet. Restoration House offers classes and life skill lessons called next step to help the residents, ultimately providing not just temporary shelter, but a new beginning for residents and family to get their lives back on track.
The second group walked to My Sister’s House, an long-term stay shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness, where we served lunch to moms and their children. Some of us cut onions, cut potatoes, or made pizzas. The rest of the group served the food. The menu consisted of desserts like cookies, cupcakes, and cake. The second station had sandwich’s like turkey club, Chicken caesar, breakfast sandwiches, and cream puffs. The last station included burgers and hotdogs and they could fully customize their burgers as they would like. After lunch was over we helped the staff clean up the kitchen and we then went back to the break room to take our picture.
Wellspring Living
After lunch, we were on our way to Wellspring Living, a group dedicated to rehabilitating and counseling survivors of sex trafficking. Their mission is to join survivors to disrupt sexual exploitation through housing, healing, and education. The staff shared that they use their time to enlighten young people and adults working in high trafficking areas, such as the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. Sometimes the signs are harder to spot than others, but thanks to Wellspring, the staff is always on the lookout for victims as well as predators. Fortunately, all of the survivors at Wellspring get to experience a new way of life and many are able to discover their passions. For example, one of the residents was invited to Delta through a Wellspring event and was inspired to earn her pilots license afterwards. After everything she had been through, she’s now building a new career and supporting herself and her daughter through Wellspring.
At Wellspring we were able to help with the maintenance of their campus by being split into four groups. One group washed the Wellspring cars outdoors. Another group was asked to trim and beautify the landscaping out front to keep the building looking clean and welcoming for its residents. Indoors, one group built shelves and organized them in the storage closet, while the last group reorganized and rearranged the Wellspring office materials. This was done by taking inventory of the items in the closet and storing items in bins on the shelves. Our opportunity to volunteer at Wellspring helped open our eyes to such an incredible mission and gave us all yet another chance to show the power of giving.
Basura at the Alliance Theatre
At the end of the day, we went to the Alliance Theater and saw the show Basura. This was a new musical in Atlanta that was a true story about finding music in an unfamiliar location. The musical was based on the award-winning documentary film “Landfilling Harmonic.” After a full day of volunteering, we all enjoyed this entertaining musical, and it was wonderful way to relax after our volunteering.
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