While thousands of area college students headed south for warmer weather and traditional spring break activities, a group of Loyola College students remained in Baltimore to participate in Loyola’s Spring Break Outreach program. This unique alternative spring break program immerses students into human service volunteer opportunities throughout Baltimore. The experience heightens awareness of systemic problems and the need for service and social justice.
“I felt guilty saying that I go to school in Baltimore, but knew very little about the community. An immersion program like Spring Break Outreach has thrown us into working with a population and seeing a part of Baltimore that we probably would not have otherwise been able to experience on our own” said Loyola student, Molly Folger.
Catholic Charities hosted the group of 12 Loyola College volunteers as they took a deeper look at the Baltimore community. Students spent the week visiting several community organizations, including Our Daily Bread Employment Center where they had an opportunity to help serve the daily meal at Our Daily Bread and sit down to have dinner and conversation with the men of Christopher Place Employment Academy.
The Our Daily Bread hot meal program and Christopher Place Employment Academy are programs of Our Daily Bread Employment Center, a comprehensive resource center for people who are poor. The Our Daily Bread hot meal program, serves more than a quarter million meals to the hungry of Baltimore City each year. Christopher Place Employment Academy is an intensive residential program that provides education and training as well as emotional, spiritual, and addiction recovery support to formerly homeless men.
“The men at Christopher Place are genuinely amazing. You would never know the difficulties these men have endured because of their positive attitudes. They emit a greater sense of happiness and hope than most people I have ever met… Key to achieving all we are capable of is a strong support system of friends, family, or a group of dedicated individuals, like those found at Christopher Place. Christopher Place is a home of faith, filled with men everyone should be lucky enough to be inspired by,” reflects Loyola student, Willa Sheridan.