Impact Stories

Shayna Kurland

 Project H.O.P.E. was my very first Volunteer UCF Alternative Break Program experience, and wouldn't want it any other way. Working with The Children's Home of Tampa and Metropolitan Ministries was a tremendously humbling, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching experience for me. I've always possessed humility towards and acceptance of those who are in unfortunate or needy situations. To be specific, my favorite and most impactful part of the trip took place at The Children's Home. After our group was finished doing physical work around the property, we were able to spend precious time with the kids and teenagers who are residents of the home. I particularly connected with a girl who is 16 years old, but has the mind and emotions of an 11-year-old. All she wanted to do was learn how to make different kinds of braids in my hair, and experiment with makeup. She told me she wants to go to beauty school when she's older. We spent a majority of the time talking about her favorite hobbies, and just sitting there contentedly while other girls in my trip group helped her create all sorts of braids in my hair. I was so happy to be her "head of hair." This one moment in time helped me gain a deeper understanding of what these young individuals go through each and every day at The Children's Home; it made me so much more grateful for what I have, whether materialistic or intangible. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend was well spent. 

Joshua Johnson

Martin Luther King weekend this year was a tad bit different for me. Instead of the usual watch black history movies all weekend and go to the parade that Monday, I went on a volunteer trip with an amazing group of people. We went to Tampa for the weekend and helped two organizations; the Children’s Home of Tampa and Metropolitan Ministries, each being an experience in its own. On Saturday, we went to the Children’s Home of Tampa, which was a foster home for kids ranging from 9-17 years old. There, we cleaned the facility and then got to spend time with the kids, who turned out to be a big pack of teens. We just talked to them and played some football with them; from the look on their faces, you can truly tell that they enjoyed the company of all of us and we enjoyed them. Just sitting around, talking about some of anything, you can see the light that shined through all of them, being the strong individuals that they truly were. One of the more amazing things, is that they all knew what it is that they wanted to do in life. I felt so uplifted and amazed, just hearing their stories and where they want to go in life, some wanting to have two jobs and others wanting to travel abroad for studying. I honestly didn’t even want to leave, none of us did. I felt as though time flew by with barely any actual time to spend with them. This was one part of the experience that I was not going to forget. In any way whatsoever.

The next day we went to the Metropolitan Ministries where we learned about what they do, how they operate, and the different amenities they have for families and single mothers. That morning we fed the homeless and gave them the best breakfast they ever had. With us preparing those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we knew they would love them, not to mention the rate and speed we we’re going at. Once again, my group was simply amazing and so was our coordinator. We served them coffee and soup as they were seated, watching a choir of children that came all the way from Key West to sing for them. After serving them, we went to the facility for our tour, which was huge! Nice cafeteria, an area for the children to play and for babies and toddlers. I personally thought that America itself should have more facilities as this one; seemed like a great standard for a safe haven that excels aiding those in need. After our tour, we got to do arts and crafts with the little kids, which was fun for all of us. Making little butterflies and planes really put a smile on all their faces, including mine because I got my own planes, which turned out awesome!

The main reason for this whole experience, all though there were 3 totally different situations, was all the same; aiding those in need. We feed the homeless, played with toddlers, and inspired teens to truly go do the things that they want to do. Three different missions all with the same goal. I can say I learned a lot about myself on this trip. Having patience and constantly showing kindness, some traits that seem to be dormant in most people today. There were no real absolute challenges here; everyone worked as a team and helped one another complete tasks at hand. I wouldn’t have changed anything that happened on this trip for the world. It was one experience that I will never forget. 

Yudeysis Cores 
It is truly insightful to see the lives of almost 100 hundred people in just 2 days. Going on this ABP trip allowed me to be part of the every day life of an aspiring 16 year old whose Christmas lists still asked Santa for dolls to play with, of a girl who has traveled the country and visited Puerto Rico not on vacations but on the search for different foster homes, of the young girl who introduces herself as a fake name but still remembers her real name  before her adoption, and of the woman who works behind a desk but behind her lied a woman who left her abusive past life bearing her son, no high-school diploma, and a 5^th grade reading level. It truly leaves me in awe how I live here at UCF provided with EVERYTHING I need and there is a person, a family, a community who wake up every morning in SEARCH for everything that I have everyday in reach of my fingertips. It leaves me an awe how simple things like using the restroom is seen as a privilege to me now ; for there is a child who can only extract feces through a tube, provided no privacy, because he was raped. It leaves me an awe how a little girl can enter a building with a new haircut, coming not from a salon, but from an incident where she got off her “meds” and decided to “shave it all off”. But what really left me in awe was their smile. Every single one of these characters had a smile; a curve of hope, perseverance, and pure strength.- 


Irina

Volunteering with Project Hope for The Children’s Home and for Metropolitan Ministries with my amazing team from Alternative break program was an eye opening experience. I was able to learn so much about hunger, homelessness and mentoring. The first day we worked at The Children Home cleaning their windows, gardening and then spending time with the kids. Even as I think about it now it still gives me a warm feeling in my heart about these kids. We played football and soccer with them and I realized just how old I have gotten at the ripe old age of 21. I felt as though I was in elementary school again running around during recess. You could tell where the football champions were, from the teeny 7 something year old tykes to the 16 or almost 17 year old types who looked like college recruiters would love them.

                These kids cursed liked sailors sometimes and told me stories about things that I couldn’t even imagine coming out of their mouths. One girl, spoke about court, murder and judges the same way some girls would speak about their favorite toys or things to do. She said her sister got pregnant at 14 and that being an aunt made her feel big and important. Another girl who seemed so fragile with such doe like eyes loved to do hair and make-up and design outfits. She is 16 but has the mentality of a 14 year old because of an unfortunate situation that happened with her. Her partner in crime, is just the opposite and claims, as a matter of fact, that she is 12 but has the mentality of a 15 year old. She told me that she was not able to spend Christmas with anyone and went from foster home to foster home until she finally arrived here. She really loves it here.

                Being at the home I felt as if I was reading “A Child called It” except I did not fully know these children’s stories even though many so bluntly shared with us. I realized that these kids experienced more in less than two decades than I would ever have the misfortune of knowing. They were so tight knit and held on together, protected each other, and yet still kept their space. Somewhere deep within their hearts I hope they could have at least one person to turn to. One girl at one time cried out “you know I have trust issues!”  I wondered solemnly to myself of what scope. Another girl shouted out after us yelling that we better come back again. The feeling of pity yet admiration toward these children is an emotion that I never quite knew until now.

                At Metropolitan Ministries we worked to feed the homeless for breakfast as well as prepare food and clean up the facilities from lunch for dinner. That day contradictions were burned into my retina. Nicely dressed women with salon hair lined up for food, and yet some of the most bedraggled people refused food or worse ended up wasting it.  The amount of food that people did not finish when they ate with their eyes was appalling and saddening. I had asked if one man wanted a sandwich for the road and he said that to ask him again when he was hungry. The response left me dumbfounded. Why would you say that if you do not know where you next meal might come from?

                Being within Metropolitan Ministries was inspiring when we heard some of the stories from people there. Still I was appalled at the number of women, only women with lots of young children. It rose in me a kind of panic that I usually felt when thinking about unplanned pregnancies. We gave the children a craft activity to make butterflies and airplanes. The kids were wonderful but I honestly could not imagine having children right now and even more than one.  You could see how much these women had missed out and being there felt as if I had so much privilege. I thought a lot about my ex-boyfriend, his financial situation and how I had rubbed elbows with these kinds of dilemmas before. This was more direct though especially the instances where we had the Smartie activity to choose between a meal and a health insurance.  Using our Smarties as currency we tackled some of the main dilemmas that many low income families have to deal with every day.

I am so grateful for this experience and realize just how fortunate I am. I also hope that I made an impact on others with my service. 

Natalie Joseph
My experience during this MLK Weekend trip was a great one. To begin with, it introduced me to the social issue of Youth and Mentoring and then importance of being aware of the horrible things that can happen to any child be it by their own family or their living situation. When I first hear of Youth and Mentoring, it kind of have a positive connotation; one would never think of foster care or child abuse. Going on this trip opened my eyes to this issue and makes me want to get more involved in making a difference. On the second day, I loved volunteering at the women's shelter. Hunger and homelessness was already a social issue I was passionate about so I enjoyed the activities with the kids.



Nicole Esposito 

How has Project H.O.P.E. impacted me?  More than I could ever put into words.  This trip was my first ABP trip and I was incredibly hesitant to the idea and what I would get into.  I am not the type of person to sign up and get involved in many things but after hearing about ABP and the trips they organized I had to check it out and I am glad I did! Traveling to Tampa to help out around the children’s home was something I would never do on my own and I was glad to have experienced it with the friends I made through ABP.  After the children’s home I could feel the impact we made on the kids and just being there for them to spend time with them made them so happy.  Our short amount of time made for huge smiles.  Then being able to serve a meal for homeless people made me just as happy!  To know we helped someone eat one, maybe even two, meals that day made for an amazing experience.  Lastly, being able to get involved with Tampa Metropolitan Ministries was outstanding! The faculty and residents were the kindest of people with the sweetest hearts.  I could not have asked for a better weekend!  Now I make more of an effort to get involved in my community and help where help is needed.  I WANT to share my being fortunate with other people! And I am so happy to walk away from this ABP trip with people that I can now call my friends! 

Jessica Hect 

If I had to pick one quote to sum up our short weekend in Tampa, it would be "we are blessed to be a blessing." When we initially started our volunteer work at The Children's Home and Metropolitan Ministries, I felt unhappy with myself. I find myself constantly getting frustrated when things do not go my way or when I do not get everything that I want. Hearing the stories of the kids at The Children's Home and the families at Metropolitan Ministries made me feel incredibly selfish for having such thoughts. However, while we were doing Reflection one night, the quote "we are blessed to be a blessing" popped into my head. In that moment, I realized that I do not need to feel sorry for the things that I am blessed with, but rather channel those blessings into doing good for others.

Annabelle
Sometimes a house isn't just a house. It is more than that for those who aren't as priviledged like the rest of us. What we realized was that we were not building just a house but instead a home that has impacted a family's life. After we completed our tasks with Habitat For Humanity, we tagged the house by writing a quote on the inside walls. The quote was "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." After reading this, the woman who we were building the house for went inside to check it out. When we walked out, her eyes were filled with tears. Our group gathered around her as we all shared love and hugs. She was so thankful for everything we did that weekend because to her it was a home to build a life with her family.

Dena
You haven't truly recognized the impact of friendship and community until you've spent 3 days with total strangers and formed a bond that continues months later. During our trip we were doing construction work and painting a house, and while it seemed like hard work we were positive and worked in sync with each other. We had a level of familiarity with each other that made us want to do exceptional community service and keep impacting the community. The 10 people on this trip were inspiring people, each with their own story and culture but We came into the experience with open minds and a drive for impacting the community and it pulled us together unimaginably.

Karen
On the Miami Mission trip, one of the most impactful moments was having the opportunity to tour the facilities of the homeless shelter we were volunteering at. It's one thing to volunteer for a cause but another thing to be given a deeper and more personal understanding of the struggles and hardships that many of these individuals undergo. The experience made us all much more grateful and appreciative for all that we have.

Anonymous
Our experience in Nashville, TN changed the way I understood hunger and homelessness. Considering how easy it is to see someone who is homeless and ignore them and their situation, it was nice to be in an environment that ignores that apathy and faces it head on. The men at the Nashville Rescue Mission had such great life outlooks and used the struggles in their past to strengthen  their testimony and life story. Martin, one of the men we worked with the majority of our trip was so full of life and happened and it rubbed off on all of our UCF volunteers.

Jenny
One way this trip impacted me was when one of the program leaders shared his story and how he recovered from it. For me it was amazing to see how someone could have the power he had to change his life around for the better. His story showed me that at any point in time I have the ability to change something about my life that I dislike. I will always remember his story and his spirit. He was very optimistic and positive during our visit at the Nashville rescue mission. I wish him and his kids all the best.

Candice  ​
Participating in New Yam, New Yam was an unforgettable experience.  Working with the Children’s Magical Garden opened my eyes to a few different things. I knew nothing about local gardens in an urban area and I didn't really understand the importance of them because I had never experienced anything like them. The local gardens in that area are actually very important to various communities because they provide a green space and allow children the opportunity to explore and have fun in a new space instead of being surrounded by buildings. I learned that these gardens provide a sense of unity for those communities and it made me realize how hard working the people that take care of those local gardens are and it was very inspiring to see. This trip challenged me to start supporting my own community in any way I can because it is important and can make a difference. It was amazing to see how happy people were that students were engaged in a cause that meant so much to them. For myself, that experience definitely ignited a passion for volunteering and aiding my community. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to explore a great city with wonderful people and be able to come back with new ideas and inspire my friends and family to become civically engaged.  ​


Bianca
My impact story cannot be characterized by a singular event but rather the experience in its entirety. As the faculty advisor, it was truly inspirational to see the passion and dedication the students had towards the experience and cause. The trip was very physically and mentally demanding and the students all rose to the challenge in order to make the most of their experience.

Jasmyne Reese
The trip to New York was truly a dream come true. I had the privilege to meet a group of amazing people and participate in a protest to save the Coney Island garden. I was greatly impacted by the difference we made in the community and at the acceptance of the people there. I learned a lot about the environment and also about myself. This is the greatest organization ever!

Joshua Johnson

So, this past winter I went on my first Alternative Break Program trip to New York to aid in building up the gardens in the Lower East Side community and also volunteer at the New York Botanical Garden. Well, was that an experience! What I expected to be volunteering for turned out to be the COMPLETE opposite. Initially, I thought we were going to be outside fixing up some of the most rundown gardens in Manhattan. However, that was not the case. A year ago, a garden was bulldozed around 3 a.m. in Coney Island and the local residents who developed and maintained the garden were not too happy about the City of New York doing so. Our job as the lovely volunteers from Florida was to become Picasso’s over a week and paint vegetables on big banners to display them at the protest that was to be held Monday in front of the Brooklyn Supreme Court. Let me just say that we did our job and our paintings were admired and greeted with smiling faces. The people at the protest loved all of our artwork and told us how thankful they were that we were participating in the protest with them. The bonus of this was that we also got to see the actual court hearing for the case, which shocked us all. Again, none of us were expecting this, but we were all in!

To note, the volunteering was not the only great experience of the trip. Two of the best parts of the trip were the people that I went with and the places we went. We saw the Statue of Liberty, went to the MET, the Museum of Natural Science, road the subway and ferry, which was a first for me, saw Ground Zero, and went to the all famous Time Square! Going everywhere with this fantastic, enthusiastic group of people made every moment memorable. I have to say one of the most memorable moments for me was walking in the rally for Michael Brown and Eric Garner. There was so much emotion and energy in every individual that was present. As we watched, we all saw people chanting and holding up signs, creating new chants. This was the voice of the people, voices of thousands of Americans walking the streets of New York wanting justice for the murders that occurred. I felt so moved by this demonstration of peaceful protesting and become even more emotion filled once we joined the walk!

My overall experience for this trip was just magnificent! I had a memorable time and I feel as though I have changed a bit. I want to be more productive in my daily life while also thinking of how my actions can have a reaction on others; every action has a reaction. I would recommend taking an Alternative Break Program trip to anyone and everyone who wants to go experience something that is not experienced by others, venturing out of their comfort zone to help others. As said by the great Gandhi, the best way to lose yourself is in the service of others.

As the Team Lead for the Fall 2014 “Howl You Help?” trip, I learned a lot about wolves and how this specific sanctuary, located in Naples, Florida, has directed their time and effort towards saving them in the area. The one moment that stood out to me was at the end of our Volunteer day when we were allowed to interact with the wolves in their large enclosures. There was one specific wolf, Dancer, who was so friendly. Many wolves may end up being euthanized because of their aggression or the perception of aggression. She was playful, energetic, and all around loveable; she even licked my face (which was unexpected). I have a new found respect for the animal and hope to see the conservation efforts continued by Shy Wolf Sanctuary as well as the members of my team.


Daniela:I gained a lot of knowledge at Naples about wolves and wolf dogs. I am now able to distinguish between the two and I got the chance to see an artic fox and pet a dingo. We were able to volunteer, not directly with the animals, but with tedious tasks that needed to get done to benefit the sanctuary. Although we got rained in on our last day the trip was very rewarding. 


Mythili:
Last semester I went on my very first ABP trip. It was an experience of a lifetime. I got to interact with wolves, help out a worthwhile organization and make awesome new friends. I'll never forget petting the wolves and being up close with them. Another fond memory is when we went to the pier in Naples and saw a dolphin! I will definitely go on another ABP trip after having such a positive experience on this trip. 

Anjali:A moment that had the most impact on me was when we got to interact with the wolves. It was during this time that I realized that what I was doing truly did matter, and it showed me that there are many ways to help the community. Playing with the wolves was a reminder that animals need help just as much as humans do. Animals are often neglected, and it's up to us to help them and rescue them. Volunteering at the wolf sanctuary was a new experience for me, and I hope I can make more of a difference for endangered animals in the future.


Kenzie:  ​​
My favorite moment that impacted me the most on this trip was getting to go into the exhibits of all the wolves. They are so beautiful and kindhearted. I loved getting to be up close and personal with the wolves to really get to know them a little bit. When most people thing of wolves, they think of frightening beasts roaming the woods looking for food. Now when I think of wolves, I picture the ones I met. They are amazing creatures, and I'm so happy that I got to live through such a magnificent experience.

Christie:"It was amazing being able to hangout with the wolves in their cages. We all got to interact with them and they were so friendly. It definitely opened up my eyes to their personalities more, aside from what most people think. I also loved being able to share this experience with the other members of my group. We all learned so much about wolves, their behaviors and lifestyles, and we helped out to keep their homes clean and comfortable. It was an awesome experience with great people and amazing memories."