Helllo!!

Planning is in full swing for Ruskin, Florida 2018 

First things first, let's introduce the amazing students who are going to be experiencing this journey..

Rachel Nye- Co-leader 

Major: Physician Assistant

"I am thrilled to be a co-leader and grow through this experience alongside this amazing, courageous group of young women. We are going to be able to see the beauty of the power of human connection and compassion in a way that will change our lives!"

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Rachel Loper- Co-leader

Major: Criminal Justice and Legal Studies

"I can't wait to take on such a powerful co-leadership role through the guidance and support of Gannon. I'm looking forward to learning the importance of self-empowerment and the bonds we will create as a community." 

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Jessica Miller

Major: Physician Assistant 

"I am looking forward to forming relationship with members of the Ruskin Community and my group members!"

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 Anna Buto

Major: Nursing 

"I’m most excited about building meaningful relationships with other women while serving along side my Gannon family." 

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Paige Chabalie

Major: Psychology 

"Looking forward to meeting incredibly strong women who have been through so much but are still pressing on, and being able to listen to those who have suffered experience with sex trafficking in order to try and alleviate their pain."

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Bailey Byrd

Major: Mortuary Science, Minor in Social Work

"I'm super excited to be attending the Ruskin trip. I'm  most to looking forward to reflecting back on everything I learn and being an advocate and educating others on domestic or human trafficking. Its something that happens so often but nobody notices it." 

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Kayleigh Tourt

Major: Physician Assistant

"I’m looking forward to the experience: reaching out in to the community, making meaningful connections with people, and helping in whatever way I can."

 

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Petra Shearer 

Major: English

"I’m most looking forward to serving others on this trip by building relationships and stepping out of my comfort zone."

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-Stay tuned for more!

Picture This

Picture this:

13 girls, ranging in ages from 13-17, with blank mirrors, endless amounts of glitter, paint, glue, and gems. Free range to decorate and create whatever is in their heart. Watching this unfold is an incredible sight, seeing them in all of their glory, enjoying being kids and expressing themselves. Now what you don't realize when watching this is that all 13 of these girls have experienced more than most of us can even imagine; victims of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and violence. These are the types of girls Miracle's Outreach focuses on everyday. 

Today we had the opportunity to work all day with this incredible program with an incredible backstory. They are a shelter for girls under 18 who have been in situations of sexual abuse and trafficking and was founded by Michelle and her husband. He owned a barber shop and started out with one girl, no where to go, staying there at night. This progressed into her and a friend and so on, until they decided they needed to do something. After years of hard work, dedication, and compassion, they now have 5 houses to shelter and nurture these girls. 

Our morning started out at one of these locations with plans to garden at one of the five houses and provide help with whatever needed. We ended up cranking out some plants to spice up the outside of the house, since most of the time there are not hands or funds to accomplish that. We ended up finishing quickly, so we offered to help out with something else. They decided to have us go to another house that is getting prepared to be used soon and spruce up the outside as well! We planted flowers and plants outside to make it feel welcoming to whoever comes through the door. In the midst of our day with Miracle's we had a break and took a trip into downtown Tampa to explore and grab some lunch. 

This evening we did a special program with these 13 girls from Miracle's called the Magic Mirror. It is what I described in the first paragraph, and so much more. This program is done with girls to express their true self, despite what their 'inner critic' (something we all have) might tell them what they can/can't do, what they are/are not. It gives them a chance, no matter what age, race, or background they come from, to express themselves and remember who they truly are. There are no mistakes, no mirror's that are not perfect, and definitely no inner critics. Every time these girls look in the mirror, they can see themselves: every thing they love about themselves, what makes them unique, and special. It is to serve as a constant reminder to stay true to yourself and your true colors. We got to learn about their dreams and hopes that they have, which are similar to any other girls their age. To see these girls get to be fun and silly, acting like they should get to, is just incredible. From an outsiders view, it was just a bunch of young girls, having a great time, sharing laughs and pizza. But once you know who they truly are it is much more beautiful. These girls are survivors, inspirations, and are living proof that no matter what happens, we all have to remember our true selves. It was an experience that we will hold in our hearts and remember forever. We might have given these girls a fun night and important lesson, but I believe they impacted us in more ways then they can ever imagine. 

So much love from FL,

BethAnn 

Help. Hope. Healing.

Hello friends and family!

Another beautiful day in Ruskin, Fl!

This morning, we made our way into Tampa to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay for a morning of education and training. When we arrived, we received a tour of their wonderful facilities from one of their four Victim Advocates named Grace. We were able to tour their Sexual Assault Services which included a family waiting area, examination room, counseling room, and on-site closet filled with brand new clothes for victims. Following the tour, we were educated through a PowerPoint given by a second Victim Advocate named Roxana. During her presentation, Roxana gave an overview of the many services provided by the Crisis Center, as well as defining various power-based violence scenarios and how to identify a victim that may be experiencing a crisis. Our second presentation was given by Isabelle, a third Victim Advocate. Isabelle's presentation was actually a miniature training session taken from the Green Dot Bystander Initiative which encompasses further training on being a bystander and how to respond to situations by "distracting, directing, and delegating". During the training, we were given scenario situations and had to critically think through them in order to find the best way to diffuse the situation. The staff at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay was so welcoming and helpful, and we had a successful morning of learning. Following the presentations, we ate a yummy packed lunch at the picnic tables outside the Crisis Center as we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine! After lunch, we had a short service project to complete for the Crisis Center, which consisted of putting together folders and pamphlet information for volunteers, victims, and secondary victims.

When we arrived back at the Ruskin Campus, we had a few hours to catch some more rays, get some studying in (if necessary), or read a few chapters in a book. We all took advantage of this time to reflect on our morning as we snacked on the patio. Early in the evening, we set out on our second adventure of the day to the Learn to Fish recovery center, which was located in Bradenton. The Learn to Fish recovery center operates around the quote, "give a girl a fish, feed her for a day; teach a girl to fish, feed her for a lifetime". It is a faith-based, non-profit, residential recovery center for women and their children. The center empowers women and supports them in all aspects in order for them to fully recover from a lifetime of abuse and trauma. As usual, the first thing we did was get a tour of their facilities, and met some of the women and their adorable children that were at the home. Over many boxes of Little Caesar's Pizza, we were able to connect and share with the women as we traded stories of our pasts, and what we hoped for in our futures. The women were so encouraging of us and our goals, and we were inspired by their capacity to remain joyful and strong after all they had been through. We got so carried away talking with all of them, that it turned into a later night than we had expected. Overall, we were so grateful to have the chance to talk to the women and hear their stories personally.

We ended our night with a creative reflection time that involved the production of our very first Ruskin ABST scrapbook that we hope will become a tradition for the trips to come!

With love,

Dacey and Rachel

Volunteering at the Spring

Hello friends and family,

Today began with a somewhat lengthy drive to Tampa, eventually arriving at the Spring of Tampa Bay's thrift shore.  The Spring of Tampa Bay provides shelter for abused women and their families as well as outreach services.  The thrift shore is one of the main sources of financial support for the organization, along with funding from United Way, grants, and personal donations.  The thrift store proves to be much more than just a source of money for the Spring, however.  The store provides many necessities for their participants as well, such as furniture, clothes, dishes, and hygiene products.  Many of the donations to the thrift store are given directly to the women and families participating with the organization.  The store also provides as job training for some of the women at the Spring.     

We pulled up to the back dock, cluttered with donations from earlier that morning and populated by employees and volunteers already working hard.  Once inside, we were given a brief tour and introduction to the building (dock, storage, employee area, and store).  Chris, one of the employees in the store, explained to us on the everyday functioning of the store.  Then it was time to get some work done.  Our first task: the restock the racks of the store!  Seems like a pretty easy task, right?  We were astonished to see just how many clothes needed to be stocked!  There were endless moving racks in the storage room full of clothes of all kinds (not really, there were maybe 10 or 11 racks)!  The hard part was not the stocking, but the sorting.  Chris had explained earlier which clothes went on each rack, just like any store would have.  Between the work of our group of nine, we managed to sort through all of the clothes and were onto the next project.  

Our second task: organizing, sorting, and hanging the newly donated clothes!  This proved even more intensive than the first task.  Patricia, a long time volunteer at the dock (where everything is donated and sorted), guided us how to navigate the task.  The group began hanging up clothes that were destined to be on the racks of the store (ironically, they were hung on the exact moving racks that we had just emptied 30 minutes ago).  Once all of the racks were full again, it was time to sort bathing suits. bras, and scarves for the store.  We also, began to clean up in the dock area in order to get the "bad" or unusable clothes bagged up to be picked up by a company.  They receive money for each pound of clothes given to this company, so they are able to make money even if the clothes never see the racks of the actual thrift store.  The clothes are recycled into tactile's to be used and sent to other countries. 

The long process that we went through to sort, organize, and stock the store is a process that the employees and volunteers have to go though everyday in order to keep the store open and functioning properly.  And even though, the day was filled with lots of work and a lot of clothes, it was humbling to see that our group was able to make such a large impact on an organization.  All we did was sort through clothes, but the women at the thrift shop were so thankful for the help!  It was evident that it meant the world to them to receive such help from volunteers.  

After leaving the thrift shop, we were headed to the administrative office of the Spring to learn more about the organization.  We were given a short tour of some of the facilities and were able to sit down and talk with some of the women that work there.  It was very informational for me personally since I am studying Social Work.  It was great to get the opportunity to hear how a non-profit like the Spring works behind the scenes.  It was also very inspirational to learn about all the service, education, and advocacy that the organization provides for the Tampa Bay area.

Then it was back on the road again!  We made it back to the Ruskin campus and got settled back in.  That meant it was time for dinner, or should I say breakfast for dinner!  We fired up the grill and cooked some gluten free pancakes (blueberry and banana added for most), scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon.  It was delicious!

After dinner, we watched a Tedx Talk by a woman named Linda Smith about human trafficking.  It was educational and interesting to hear and lead to a great group discussion and reflection.  

We can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us!

Much love, 

Lydia

A Day of Hard Work

Hello all,

Today, we spent most of our day at the Mary and Martha House in Ruskin.  This organization helps ladies and their families that have been in some kind of crisis (such as domestic abuse or homelessness) by giving them a place to stay, giving them classes for things like budgeting and career development, helping them find permanent housing, and anything and everything else that will help them get acclimated to a new life.  We learned that this organization is very different from other shelters because they emphasize the need for each family to have their own private space and certain accommodations.  They work with each women individually every day to make sure each is getting the specific things that they need.

To help the Mary and Martha House with their mission, we spent the morning gardening and beautifying the main walkway.  This allows the women coming to the Mary and Martha House to be welcomed by something beautiful and feel more comfortable and safe.  With all of us working hard, we were able to do the work very quickly and still had time to spare.  So, after our lunch, which consisted of tasty Cuban sandwiches (a nice Floridian meal!),  we moved on to painting a gazebo.  We gave the gazebo a fresh new coat of paint, and also added a splash of paint to a neighboring lizard (we washed him off and he's okay, though!).

After we cleaned up, we headed over to the Rose Boutique which is owned and run by the Mary and Martha House.  This boutique has so much amazing clothes and shoes, ranging from beautiful wedding dresses to cozy sweaters.  Each member of the group went home with a treasure from the store, knowing that all the money spent will go back to the women at the house.

Then, we came back to the Ruskin campus.  We finished the night up by painting what we call "Magic Mirrors."  The point of these mirrors is to show and portray what our true self is through the colors and decorations we use.  We also plan to share this activity with some girls at one of the organizations we are helping out at later this week.

Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow!

With love,
Lydia and Katie

Feeling edumacated, motivated and moved

Hi family and friends,

Today we started our day off with nearly four and a half hours of educational presentations. These presentations focused on human trafficking in the state of Florida. Representatives from the agencies we are working with this week came in to give an overview of their mission and how they are active regarding the topic. Every speaker was eye-opening, and for the first time, many of us were exposed to the reality of human trafficking on our own soil.

My favorite speaker, Natasha, works for an agency called Redefining Refuge. She works to take in victims of sexual human trafficking up to 18 years. She was FIERCE. She has a safe-house that no common person has the address to and houses up to 4 girls at a time. The girls she takes in have gone through experiences none of us will encounter in a lifetime. She spoke of a call she had received to take in a young girl that had been sexually trafficked and addicted to crack cocaine since the age of 9... she was now 16. She has had girls try to run away, be extremely uncooperative and not even understand that they were victims in a traumatic experience. They don't have many memories of their childhood besides the trafficking lifestyle they had become accustomed to. Furthermore, she is active in law enforcement advocating for the safety of these young girls and all victims. The link to this agency is below.

http://www.redefiningrefuge.org/

We heard a few stories from survivors of human sex trafficking today as well. I could sit and try to recreate the emotions that ran through all of us as they were speaking, but I know it wouldn't compare. I was moved to tears (a task not easily accomplished) by witnessing the new and transformed women speaking in front of me, and imaging the troubled, broken women they once were.

Deputy Jeffery, the County Sheriff, shed light on the labor human trafficking, an side that is not as well known. He spoke about how Mexicans are transported over to the states to work, such as pick tomatoes in a Florida garden. There would be 9-10 of them living in a small trailer, working 4am-4pm 6 days a week and making $1.00 a day. The owners would force them into staying for long periods of time by corrosion, saying they owed him a few thousand dollars and they had to stay until it was worked off. Deputy Jeffery said this labor trafficking is currently happening a few miles down the road from the Gannon Ruskin Campus we are staying at. I remember hearing him say that and thinking, "This is an entirely new form of slavery."

After the heavy topics of the morning, we took a nice sunny lunch break and reflected as a group. All of us were very moved, but also motivated to learn and make a difference in the agencies this week.

THEN we took an afternoon expedition to the white and wonderful beaches of Siesta Keys (s/o Rachel's fam). They have the best sand ever.

Well, time to rest up and prepare for some service work! I'll talk to you tomorrow :)

Much love,
Kat

Our Second Day!

Hi everyone!

Our relaxing Sunday here was such a great start to our week. We began the day by attending mass at a beautiful church, The Prince of Peace. They were very welcoming and even gave a free book to read over Lent! We then went to Hydro Harvest Farms, which was great! We picked fresh strawberries and lettuce (they are delicious!). After picking our fresh produce, we spent some time together grocery shopping. Afterwards, we visited the Manatee Viewing Center, which was a really cool and fun thing to do. We all cooked dinner and enjoyed our meal together! The day concluded with our first reflection, and we all set personal goals for the week. This week is going to be a very different experience, but we all plan to listen and make a difference in the lives of others.

With Love,
Karissa

We made it!

Hello family and friends!

We have arrived safely to the Gannon campus in Ruskin. We are currently getting all settled in and snuggled up on our therapy beds. For dinner we had DELICIOUS tacos-- the perfect meal after a long day of traveling. Tomorrow morning we are going to mass, grocery shopping (yay for food) and possibly the beach! Time to rest our bodies and minds for the week to come. Thanks for being involved in this journey with us!

Much love,
Kat