Urban Immersion

           Before going back to school for spring semester, a handful of us went on a retreat to Urban Immersion which is an organization based out of Minneapolis that provides volunteer opportunities along with learning about poverty all around us.  This was a great experience for all of us because it not only brought our group closer together but also showed us how much work there still is to do in helping others acquire basic needs.  It was really cool meeting people who were involved with volunteering and doing their part to help others, it was clear that they had a real passion.

           One of the big things that struck me was how difficult it was to support a family with a low income.  We did an exercise that simulated what it was like in different scenarios that many people that live in poverty face and it was not easy.  It’s amazing how much money goes toward just the essentials, and then with unexpected factors such as illness, job loss, medical care, it seems like the problems never end.  People who are poor often get the negative stigma that they are lazy, but I do not think that this is the case at all!

When many people think about hunger they think about third world countries but the reality is that it is in our own backyard.  While we are worried about all the stuff we need to get done and homework that needs to be completed, there are people around us who are less fortunate and are suffering from hunger.  It felt great to help out these organizations that do great things for people in need, but it is clear that there is much more that needs to be done.

-Drew