Meet Almi Clerkin!

My name is Almitra (Almi) Clerkin and I am one of two accompaniers going to Ruskin Florida for the 2019 Gannon Spring Break.  I am a proud GU graduate with two degrees - a BS in Business Management (1985) and a MA in Health Communication (2017).  When I retired after 25 year on staff from the Erie Playhouse, I wanted to continue to work downtown for an organization that makes an impact in our community, both locally and globally. I had to look no further than my alma mater! I  am fortunate to be on staff, working with 15 awesome people in University Advancement who put our students first.



Speaking of students first, our students are the best and Erika Ramalho and I are joining eight selfless young women to serve children and women who are victims of trafficking and abuse.  These students are putting their needs aside to put others first. I am excited to learn from them and honored to stand side-by-side with them as we help make other lives better.

Introduction to the 2019 Ruskin Team

Hello friends and family,

Mari Lohitai here. It's that time of year again! Here at Gannon's Erie campus, students are emotionally and physically preparing for an amazing ABST experience and we are no different. This year our roster consists of Erika Ramalho and Almi Clerkin as our wonderful accompaniers. Ally Gates and I are the co-leaders of this amazing team.

I would like to introduce myself. I am a junior Public Service and Global Affairs major. I recently declared my Business Administration minor and am working on a French Language minor. I've had a long history with the Alternative Break Service Trip program. I had my first experience as a first year student. I traveled to DC where I learned about hunger and homelessness. The trip had a profound impact on me. I enjoyed learning about the complexities of social issues. The following year I had my first leadership opportunity with the program. I got to go back to DC and curate the experience for new students. I fell in love!

The Ruskin ABST focuses on power-based violence. This includes domestic violence and sex trafficking. I can't wait to educate myself and my team on this terribly important issue.

To keep up with our transformative experience, follow this blog. We will be introducing the rest of our leadership team as well as our students over the next few weeks. From March 3rd to March 8th we will be updating this blog daily with our discoveries.

Thank you so much for your time,
Mari Lohitai

Spring of Tampa Bay

Day 3 of our Ruskin journey, we made our way to the Spring of Tampa thrift store. We did some service and helped them out by sorting through donated clothes. We went through a huge pile that the woman in charge, Connie, told us had been there for a month, and that they haven't had the help to get through the donations. During our time there, we were able to hang clothes up on racks and then transport those clothes to the actual thrift store where we hung them up for customers to buy. As soon as we got the clothes out on the sales floor, people were swarming them to get the deals from the store. It was amazing to see how much this thrift store was helping the community, and it was even better to know that the profits go toward the Spring of Tampa Bay organization, which helps out women and children who are victims of domestic violence. At the end of the day, Connie told us that she hadn't seen the rims of the big bins we were hanging clothes from since October. Even though we felt like we hadn't made a dent, the ladies there were so grateful for our help and expressed that we made a huge impact with our service throughout the day.
Another group of us helped out by sorting makeup. The experience was "very humbling because it's amazing to think about the fact that we have the privilege of buying makeup on our own, and it was cool to think about the fact that someone was going to come into the store and buy eyeliner or foundation and think 'Holy bananas I get to have this', when meanwhile we all have piles of product at home that we don't even always use".
At the very end of the day, we got to do some shopping in the thrift store, and even visit their higher end "vintage" store, which was super cool. Overall, the day was very humbling as we were able to make such an impact, even though we were just hanging clothes and organizing.
When we got back to Ruskin campus, we did a reflection that involved giving compliments to each other and passing around a ball of yarn to see all of the connections we made and how we were all intertwined by our service journey. The group of girls that is on the trip is the best possible group we could imagine, and we're so grateful for who we ended up with!

Empowered Women Breaking Down the Bystander Effect

Hello friends!

We started our day at 9:30 a.m. visiting the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, an organization that’s mission is to care for victims of any kind. We had the opportunity to focus on the sexual assault department and how they help survivors. We met Chantel who is an advocate for victims of sexual assault. She spoke about what the facility consists of and their mission and vision as an organization.

Then she gave us an educational tour of the building. Two areas we found the most impactful were the 211 call center, where dispatchers receive incoming calls for a variety of situations from paying your electric bill to suicide prevention.  We found it powerful how these dispatchers are strong enough not only to hear the calls, but also make an active effort to help. The second area we found to be impactful was the examination room, where rape kits are administered. We had the opportunity to see what a rape kit consists of and were able to get a glimpse of the emotions that the victims might be feeling.

After lunch, we were given a presentation on Green Dot, which is a bystander training program. We started off with a focus group discussing situations of sexual assault, domestic assault, and child abuse from our personal experiences and relating it back to our own community. We discovered that there are three categories of ways to help as a bystander: direct, delegate, and distract. We both felt we could most relate to the concept of distraction. After receiving this presentation, we feel compelled to apply what we learned to create a safer environment at our Erie campus.

We concluded our time with the Crisis Center with some light service by creating packets for direct and secondary victims of assault. Although this may seem like a tedious task, they were very appreciative of our small act of kindness.

To end our day, we came together and reflected as a group. We went through our highs and lows of the day, listened to “Warrior” by Demi Lovato, wrote our reactions to some positive and negative images that relate to the trip, and lastly, listened to a powerful speech given by Halsey at a Women’s March.

We end today feeling empowered.

-Bailey and Petra :)

New Monday, New Week, New Beginnings

Hi everyone!

This morning we started out bright and early at 8:00 am with coffee and doughnuts provided by Sally. Sally is the former president of the Sun City Center Campaign Against Human Trafficking. She brought along a survivor as well as volunteers/professionals from various counties and organizations. The panel was very knowledgeable and brought insight on the topic of human trafficking. We also learned about ways to advocate for victims.

One of our favorite parts was hearing from a survivor who went through the recovery home we visited in the afternoon. Her story was very moving and touched both of our hearts. One of the parts that resonated with both of us is how one mistake can change your life completely even if you don’t know it at the time.

In the afternoon we visited Learn to Fish which is a recovery home based in Sarasota, Florida. Their mission is “To breathe life and hope into women who have been marginalized, demoralized and traumatized as we equipped them for a future of love and prosperity.” Both of us were unsure of how we would react while visiting. However, we were warmly welcomed by the 11 women staying in the in the home. We got the chance to tour their beautiful (very pink) house. After the tour we played Catch Phrase while listening to music. This provided a nice leeway into deeper conversations. As the night progressed the women were willing to open up to us. This was emotional for both of us as we heard their touching stories. Tears were shed when they pulled out pictures of their children. The motivation and strength they have was inspiring to each and every one of us.

                After visiting Learn to Fish, we came back to the Ruskin campus and it was time to reflect. As a group we meditated, drew pictures with our non-dominant hand and used random items around the building to express our feelings. I (Anna) chose a vacuum to represent how I wanted to wipe away the worries and fear that human trafficking victims have. Even though this is a long process every step counts. I (Kayleigh) chose a palm tree. As the day progressed I really believed we grew as individuals. We gathered so much knowledge as well as tools to bring back to the Erie community and our home towns. We are eager to continue our journey for finding a voice for the voiceless. Stay in tune to find out what this week has in store for all of us!

Never stop believing in the possibilities,

Anna and Kayleigh J

Arriving and Thriving

   Hello from sunny Florida!

   Last night we finally settled into our beautiful accommodations here in the Ruskin campus.

   It was a long day of traveling for many of us as we awoke in the wee hours of the morning (3:30 AM) and took two flights to get to Tampa.

   We had quite the adventure grocery shopping for the week as we caught glimpses of the local community here.

   By 10 PM last night, the school was silent as we had all fallen asleep easily.

   This morning was a much more wonderful sight as we awoke to the Florida sun and the beautiful gardens that surrounded the back patio.

   Our group is feeling well rested and excited for the week that lies ahead.

   We attended a local mass this morning and loved seeing the retirement community. There is parking for golf carts all over the place!

   A wonderful lunch of sandwiches and some time set aside to decompress provides us with the time much-needed recooperattion.

   It is amazing how great this community is and how that Florida sun warms us both inside and out.

   We will be heading off soon to see manatees and pick strawberries!

Until then,

XOXO Ruskin

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!"

*****************************************************************************************************

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." 

**************************************************************************************************

Jessica Miller

Major: Physician Assistant 

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

*****************************************************************

 Anna Buto

Major: Nursing 

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

*****************************************************************

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."

*****************************************************************

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." 

******************************************************************************************

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."

 

***********************************************************************************

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."

****************************************************************************************

-Stay tuned for more!