In case the “ministry” aspect of Campus Ministry has ever discouraged you from attending the annual service trip, the organization is much more than just a religious group. Campus Ministry creates opportunities for students to serve the greater community in a judgement-free environment. Through Campus Ministry, Fisher students have the opportunity to  give back to those around them, including making dinners at the Ronald McDonald house and helping at domestic violence shelters. Each year the organization hosts an annual service trip over Spring Break. This year, Campus Ministry headed down to Philadelphia, PA in efforts to alleviate poverty and assist the underserved. 

I had the privilege of going on the Campus Ministry service trip to Cincinnati, OH, last year, and this experience made what started as a horrifying semester into an opportunity to make lifelong friends and do what I love most: community service. On the trip, we woke up early and made breakfast for the homeless. Through this, we got to hear their stories, demonstrating that they are more than just homeless individuals; they are veterans, mothers, poets and musicians showing the reality behind hard times. 

Through community service, Campus Ministry teaches students about societal issues and active ways to combat them. Some days on the trip are spent reflecting and sharing feelings about the experience with each other in small groups. 

This year’s week-long trip in Philadelphia flew by, but when it ended, students did not want to come back. The trip is more than just providing service with a side of faith. People from all backgrounds, faiths and communities come together as Fisher students to make a difference. Maddie Pratt, a sophomore, said her favorite part was, “the service sites themselves, but also the community we made living in the St. Bonaventure Center.” 

The week of the service trip is much more than just the impact we make in the communities we visit; students build a community within each other. 

For me, going to Philadelphia this year impacted me more than last year’s trip, because some of the service opportunities were in my home state in New Jersey. Although I have done non-profit work in my state before, this experience was different as the individuals we interacted with on the trip suffered from poverty or homelessness on a more intense level. It was extremely eye-opening to see the impact that working with these small non-profit organizations has on these communities.

One of my favorite places we volunteered at in Philadelphia was Cathedral Kitchen—a soup kitchen—and serving over 200 people with a variety of hygiene products, coffee, canned goods, bread and dinner. Being there for only one day was both surreal and sad, but it allowed us to see the people behind the homelessness.

Since returning to Fisher, I’ve wanted to bring these values of family and service to campus. People think that Campus Ministry is exclusively Catholic, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. Campus Ministry is built on the value of sharing a community, embracing all religions and experiences in a respectful and safe environment. When looking on campus for ways to serve our community, take a deeper look into Campus Ministry and you’ll see all of the good they do for the community.