It’s hard to believe my summer at the Grunewald Guild is already coming to an end. These ten or so weeks have been so incredibly fulfilling, and I’m forever grateful for the vibrant and colourful community that the Guild fosters for all who visit. I’ve grown to appreciate the regular Matins and Vespers gatherings each day. It’s been cool to see how helpful that small bit of routine makes such a difference in my motivation. Taking that time at the opening and closing of each day to focus intentionally on grounding, appreciation, and reflection has helped me to better understand and learn from my time spent here.

I’ve had the opportunity to explore so many new forms of creative expression, and I can tell that both my skills and my understanding have developed significantly from when I arrived two months ago. I was able to take part in the stained glass class a couple weeks ago, and it was an amazing experience being able to experiment and try out this new art form that would otherwise be rather daunting, expensive, and relatively inaccessible to beginners. After spending the week finishing a small introductory project to learn the basic skills and process, I’ve continued to make use of my access to the studio and equipment in working on a larger piece. I also got to participate in an incredibly wide variety of pop-up activities that various faculty led throughout the summer, which allowed me to explore a plethora of new media in a guided, low-stakes environment that encouraged playful creativity and experimentation. These spontaneous afternoon events had more diverse forms of art than I could have come up with, including turmeric sunprinting, clay sculpture, silk painting, linocut stamp carving & printmaking, celtic knot drawing, sacred geometry & iconography, jewelry making, collage, and hand-making natural watercolour paints from materials foraged from right here on campus.

One of the biggest gifts this summer internship has offered me is the encouragement, support, and motivation to follow the call of creative inspiration and curiosity. Learning to give myself space and time to play with creativity has helped me find ways to flourish and thrive in this great big world I’m entering post-graduation. I know my memories and community here will follow me no matter where I go, and I’m excited to see the lessons I’ve gleaned this summer
blossom into my future.

Bianca Olfert, Grunewald Guild

Friday, August 8, 2025, was my last day at Camp Lakeside, and I am going to miss it terribly. There were so many lessons learned, rewarding moments, bonds created, that it became painful to let the summer end. As part of Camp Lakeside’s group of counselors, I spent the summer supporting
the children’s leadership in their activities and providing personal support to each of the campers’ different needs, I bonded with my coworkers and with the campers. I had a wonderful time.

Despite all the joy and appreciation that I experienced during this internship, there were also challenging and exhausting moments, especially during my first contacts with new children. All typical and atypical children have different views of the world and different needs, and learning how to deal with each different type of crisis is an arduous but achievable process. Learning the right approach for a child and being able to overcome challenges with it is rewarding.

As human beings we are constantly evolving, but as a child, small growths become evident in a short space of time. Creating a bond with a child and seeing them develop so quickly fills my heart with pride and makes me wish I could live that summer all over again. In addition, being able to recognize the different needs of different people made me feel that I was in the right place.

The CAPS program not only gave me the opportunity to experience an incredible summer alongside amazing people, but it also opened my eyes to what makes me happy and gives me pleasure. Through the reflections made during the summer I deepened my knowledge of a world I had never been part of – that of people with disabilities, and I realized that working with people is not just about communication, it is about empathy and the desire to transmit joy. My heart filled with joy every time one of the campers, diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, gave me a smiling “Hi” and opened his arms to hug me. He did this several times a day, and I loved every one of them. It would be a privilege to be able to call this a profession.

CAPS is designed to offer us an experience of leadership and service, but for me it was more than that, it was an opportunity of personal and professional growth. I learned skills of care and affection, I empathized with children and parents, I avoided knowing which children had a diagnosis and which didn’t, giving me the chance to use my perception to notice the different behaviors and needs. I enjoyed the experience 100%, and if I had the chance, I would do it all over again. 

This fall is my last semester, and this summer has served as a compass for me, directing me towards the path I want to pursue after graduation. This summer was the end of a route guided by CAPS, but graduation will be the beginning of a beautiful journey of dedication and work. My calling is to serve people in need, and I will follow it.

Larissa Pina, Camp Lakeside

After my first week at Heartland Human Care Services, I had already picked up on a trend of adaptation within the organization in the face of federal policy change. After a month, I have learned that the term “adaptable” fits no one more than the immigrants and refugees we serve. They come from countries all across the globe, fleeing war, persecution, and denial of human rights. Many of them do not speak English and are completely unfamiliar with American culture and infrastructure. I have met participants who are highly educated and professionally trained in their home countries, but unable to secure employment in the United States due to language barriers and lack of accepted credentials. All of them struggle through complicated bureaucratic processes to secure clothing, housing, and food for themselves and their families.

As I work with participants who are constantly adapting, I have had to adapt too. My first week on the job, my supervisor and I met up with a participant and her mother to address some of their concerns. The participants spoke Spanish, but my supervisor, despite being fluent in several other languages, does not speak much. Instead, she turned to me and asked, “Do you speak Spanish?” I responded that I speak some, and she was quick to have me help translate their interaction. Since then, I have used Spanish almost every day on the job, stretching and growing my language skills with every interaction. I remember being horribly nervous the first few times I had to rely on Spanish alone for communication, afraid I might say the wrong thing or forget every Spanish word I’d ever learned. Sometimes I did forget words I should have known or grammar that should have been obvious, but in the end, I found that pushing through the struggle was what counted. Taking the time to fumble with my words is what has helped me to learn and improve, even over the course of one short month. There is also something truly meaningful about meeting someone halfway by speaking their language, even if you don’t always have the right words. Adapting to the communication needs of the participants I work with has been deeply rewarding, allowing me to not only better meet their needs, but also to build real rapport and trust.

Calling and Purpose in Society, CAPS, this is what the fellowship is all about and how we, as individuals, find it within non-profit work. Over the course of the summer we have had some very thought provoking readings and discussions, in particular over Frederick Buechner’s idea that calling lies “where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”. And now as I am wrapping up the final two weeks of this internship I turn back to it. Finding the world’s deep hunger is a very daunting task; in the current state of the world there are many hungers that need our attention. Erie Neighborhood House’s focuses on the hunger involving immigration and supporting the Latinx community and within Erie House, the READS program helps engage students in literacy work over the summer. To some this may seem like we are getting further and further away from the truly deep hunger but in reality this program is helping many families receive support and resources that they need. This theme is at the core of most of the world’s hunger and one could consider those supports and resources the small hungers of the world creating the deep.

As I reflect back, I sometimes struggle to see how the work I did has contributed to this bigger picture, deeper hunger. When I come in everyday and fill up 24 water bottles, make four trips to the copy machine in an hour, and play legos with the students, or the day I had to swap out pencils for pens in 24 compasses I ask myself how this is contributing to making society better. The tasks seem so small and sometimes a little silly but it really does take all these small pieces to make the program run and be successful. On top of these smaller tasks, several lesson planning projects have been given to me. Some take more time than others depending on what resources were already created and if the activities need to be developed from scratch. These lesson plans span from ones being used in the summer program to the comprehension units during the school year. It is work like this that is much easier to relate to the bigger picture of being a part of this program, knowing that it will be used beyond my time with Erie House.

This certainly peaks my deep gladness for helping others. Getting to see the students engage with the lessons I was a part of creating fills me with deep gratitude for where I am in life. When I get to engage with the students especially in Spanish, It is incredibly rewarding to both get the experience of teaching children but also knowing that I am helping them grow their knowledge and become more confident readers and individuals.

As I enter the last two weeks I will carry this quote with me, not to question whether or not I have done enough or found the deepest hunger but, as a reminder that the small hungers and small gladnesses are the meeting points of their deeper counterparts.

Amelia Tandy, Erie Neighborhood House

I’ve been working at Heartland Human Care Services’ Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) team for a little over a week, but it feels like I’ve gained at least two months of experience. I already have a well-established commute, taking the red line north through Old Town, Lincoln Park, and finally arriving at Uptown. I admire the artwork decorating the walls and street throughout the neighborhood as I walk the three blocks from the train station to Heartland. So far, I’ve had a habit of showing up early—when you’re taking the “L,” arriving just on time is a gamble against train delays and track repairs.

Once I arrive, I meet up with my supervisor, and I follow her along to whatever meetings or training we have scheduled for the day. She has a practical teaching style, showing me how to complete a task, and then assigning me that task in a more official capacity. By now, she’s walked me through how to call participants (the clients we work with) with a translator app, conduct follow-up interviews, apply for financial assistance, and write case notes to update a participant’s file. I’ve also now taken on a caseload of my own to fill in for a case manager who is out of town for a couple months, allowing me to put my skills and training to the test. It has already been really rewarding to be able to support immigrants and refugees in whatever small ways I can.

One of the largest themes during my time at Heartland so far has been change—or perhaps more aptly, accommodation. With so much federal policy change taking place that directly affects the population we’re working with, Heartland has had to adapt. There have been very few new participants since January, meaning that one of RICS’ major tasks, intake, is often no longer applicable. Instead, my team is working more closely with participants who have already been in the country for at least a few months. This is just one of many large changes that is happening, as teams are absorbed or expanded and as caseloads change hands. I am inspired not only by the organization’s flexibility, but also by their stalwart determination to continue to serve this community in every way they can, despite the ever growing pile of roadblocks they face.

Another—and more personal—pattern I’ve encountered occurs when my coworkers ask me about my college major. When I tell them I did my undergrad in criminology, I often get a polite yet confused variation of, “Why did you decide to work here then?” I understand the question; at surface level, criminology doesn’t appear to have much to do with immigrant and refugee services. Despite my explanation that there is quite a bit of overlap between criminological theory and immigration—see the way some politicians choose to label those who enter the United States without documentation as criminals, even though many flee to our country out of fear for their lives—there is some part of me that wonders about my end goal. Though I am passionate about immigrant and refugee rights and eager to help out the community, it’s too early to be certain whether this kind of work is my calling. I have had perhaps an unusually diverse amount of experiences and jobs for someone my age. I’ve worked at restaurants and coffee shops. I’ve been a tutor and a Resident Assistant. I’m in the National Guard. I’ve taken a class inside a prison and one in Norway. I’ve conducted a year-long research project, interned with the State Police, and am now interning with a non-profit to support immigrants and refugees. All of these experiences have expanded my perspective in their own unique way. My time at Heartland is not only showing me a new and exciting possibility, but also teaching me how to adapt and remain hopeful in the face of change.

Dani Schulz, Heartland Alliance

In my humble opinion the concept of Sacred Space is not just exclusive to Holden
Village. For a very short period during my time here I found a way to connect to the nature and sacredness of the native land that Holden Village occupies by going on a hike past the foot bridge every day alone for four consecutive days where I enjoy the feeling of the nature around me. Every day was a different experience, for instance, on my first day I found the quote “Where the River Flows, Life Abounds” on the back through the foot bridge. I figured this was a sign to embrace a dance of freedom and a deeper spiritual experience bigger than myself. I later found other forms of sacred space different from the spiritual hikes and outside of the designated Sacred Space time. At the beginning of my time at Holden, I hosted a music listening session for my previously unreleased album that I decided to release while here. In my last week I hosted two events titled “Sharing From the Heart: Diverse Voices” where I hosted an open space for people to talk about things on their heart in the moment. This was open to many forms of diversity and also open to the whole village, not just staff. The events ended up being sacred experiences themselves. In addition, my experiences building a chess set in the Holden Woodshop with a very legendary staff member have been sacred in itself and I’ve enjoyed a feeling of fulfillment and joy while working on something tangible that I can say I made with my hands. It has also been great working with such a great teacher. Considering I’ve never done woodworking before I think it’s pretty amazing that I was able to create this amazing project.

These things, along with all of the other positive experiences I’ve experienced here at Holden have helped me realize my purpose and potential. Whether it was a deep conversation about the concept of aura with other staff or being a supportive friend to those having a hard time. I have positively influenced this place, and I know this because I not only feel it, but people around me have validated that I am making an incredible impact on Holden Village. My purpose at its core is to leave a positive impact on the world so big it will be talked about for generations even long after I am gone. I feel that I have so much potential with that purpose among other things and as Uncle Ben from Spiderman would say “With great power, comes great responsibility.” I think that applies to other things too. Having immense potential can change people in ways that usually aren’t good, but I intend to use my immense potential as a tool to leave that positive impact on the world. I also plan to stay the same person I am today, because I believe humility is what makes us strong.

Esai Hernandez, Holden Village

I spend most of my days working inside the Historic Barker House sitting at my desk with my
computer. When I had originally thought about working at an environmental non-profit I had
imagined myself spending most of my days outside. I never would have thought that I would be
sitting at a desk. However, in order to have the nature that I long to spend my time in, there
needs to be people doing the desk work.

Over the past month I have spent most of my time sifting through member data, making sure
data is transferred over properly, and emailing members to make sure their information is up to
date. This is important work, because in order to help preserve and advocate for the Dunes we
need financial support and these memberships are one of the ways we progress toward that.
There are multiple tiers of membership depending on the monetary donation members choose
to give yearly. Members gain access to certain privileges such as special events, advocacy
updates, and opportunities to interact with the staff that have helped shape the organization and
its mission to protect and advocate for the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan.

When I started my time at Valpo I was convinced that I was going to be a Park Ranger. I had my
heart set on this plan at 11 years old and did not see myself having any sort of job that entailed
spending my time at a desk. While at Valpo I fell in love with philanthropy and advocacy, through
the student org I was involved with, SALT. Park Ranger and philanthropy felt like two very
separate paths that I would never be able to mix. After getting placed at Save the Dunes I
quickly realized that my interests and knowledge that I had collected through the past few years
had all merged together into this opportunity. I have found a path that allows me to express my
knowledge and interest in the environment while also feeling fulfilled and helping impact others
through helping to preserve a space for many generations to come.

I, as well as many of my classmates at Valpo, have expressed feelings of anxiety and confusion
about their future in the last year. While this is a common feeling for college students, it has
been amplified among my environmental cohorts with all the changes in priorities with the
changing of government officials. There is, understandably, a common school of thought that all
environmental justice work is done outside, in the fields, forests, and with the flora and fauna,
but in a world and country that is experiencing whiplash the way my peers and coworkers have
felt in the past year in regards to the care of the environment, there is so much that can be done
online as well. As much as I’d like to subscribe to the “all environmental work is done outside”
way of thinking, seeing the way that I can communicate with members of my community who
care about the Earth as much as I do and help preserve the space I’ve especially come to love
here at the Dunes has given me a jolt of energy and rejuvenated my sense of hope for my
community.

Emma Depa, Save the Dunes

It’s been a month since I started at Heartland Alliance, and I’m so thankful for the experiences I’ve had and everything I’ve learned so far! Since completing my training, I have started working with some participants within the Refugee and Immigrant Community Services program. Some of my responsibilities when working with participants include reaching out to each participant and talking to them about their current employment situations, searching for jobs that participants are eligible for/interested in, and helping participants apply for jobs. If a participant gets a call-back for an interview with a job placement, it is also my responsibility to accompany them to the interview, if necessary. Each time that I interact with a participant, whether that’s over the phone or through messaging or in-person, I also have to file case notes. As I’ve started getting to know each situation and learning about how I can best serve the participants that I’ve been assigned, the case notes have been very helpful. I can go back and read case notes from people who have previously interacted with/assisted my participants, which has helped me know how to move forward and continue communicating with the participants in an effective way.

When I had my first phone call talking to one of my participants, I was really nervous! I was worried that I would forget what to ask them, or say the wrong thing. Another challenge that I was nervous about was using an interpreter. Since most of my participants don’t speak fluent English, I have to merge calls with an interpreter every time I speak to my participants over the phone. The first time I did this, I was so worried that I would somehow mess up the call and have to call my participant back – which would not be the best first impression! But once I did it the first time, it was actually a lot easier than I was imagining. It’s been a learning curve trying to communicate with people who speak different languages, but it’s also been really cool!

As I’ve continued to learn more about how Heartland operates, I’ve been thinking about how this type of work relates to the topics of my classes back at school. In many of my Economics classes, we’ve talked a lot about things like efficiency, trade-offs, and the effects of different types of policies. Thinking about these concepts and how they might relate to the situations that refugees and immigrants face has made me consider how things might be improved for refugees and immigrants from an economics standpoint. Many refugees come to the US with some type of work experience in their home country – sometimes even extensive experience in important fields, like nursing. Is there a more efficient or effective way to transfer these skills to jobs in the US that companies could offer to refugees? Could there be some program that would allow refugees to show employers/educators what they already know, to earn credibility with US companies? It’s been interesting thinking about the relationship between economics and refugee and immigrant services, and I’m looking forward to learning more about these things while continuing to work with Heartland Alliance.

Nora Fisher, Heartland Alliance

With Week 2 of our summer program nearing an end, it’s safe to say that I’ve had ample time to settle in here at the Grünewald Guild. I’ve absolutely loved the opportunity to work here in the beautiful Cascade Mountains for the summer and be a part of this inspiring community. I have the privilege of meeting new people every week, and the connections I’ve made here at the Guild are so valuable to me. I’ve learned a lot from our guests as well as my fellow staff members and supervisors.

While my primary job is communications work, I’ve been doing a variety of other tasks to help around campus. Whether it’s preparing the spaces for our next group of guests or helping someone pitch a tent, there’s always ways to be helpful. This summer the Guild found themselves in need of more support in the kitchen, which means I’ve had the opportunity to prepare meals for our guests. It’s not something I was expecting to do, but I’ve found a lot of joy in the spontaneous banana bread baking-and-distributing. Outside of that, my job is to take photos and capture the little moments of our programs. I also post on the Guild’s social media and write their newsletter. Every week, I get to make a “highlights” video to share with the community, which is one of my favorite parts of the role.

Life has been very busy the past few months, and being in this atmosphere has really allowed me to slow down and take it one day at a time. Here at the Guild, we have a routine of sharing our “noticings” every day. This is a term they have used for a while, and it’s really interesting to hear about all the different things people notice, whether big or small. Life out here is much more relaxed and intentional, which is something that I admire about them. For instance, every week someone goes out to make a bouquet of wildflowers to display in our central hub. It’s little details like this that have made me reflect on how I can be more mindful and intentional in my own life.

Being a CAPS fellow this summer, one of my main goals is to have a better understanding of what it means to do “purposeful” work. With many unknowns about my own future career, it’s been helpful to keep an open mind regarding what feels meaningful about the work I’m doing. More recently, I’ve been contemplating the differences between “living to work” and “working to live” and what that implies for me. Grünewald Guild has certainly been the perfect environment for slowing down to reflect on these things.

Living in the presence of the mountains reminds me of how small we really are in this world. But it also makes me realize the impact we can have on it. Not everyone may notice the wildflowers on the side of the road in the busy rush of life (I know I don’t always). But if you take the time to appreciate the small things, you know their value. I often find myself living life as if it’s a “to-do” list or a race to be finished. But being here has reminded me that it’s okay if I don’t have everything figured out right now, I can slow down and take my time. There is no prize to be won, and oftentimes we miss what is truly valuable in the journey.

Kayla Walker, Grunewald Guild

As I started my internship this past week I Full of questions and eagerness to learn the
behind the scenes aspect of this non-profit organization at Erie Neighborhood House. Since the kids aren’t in for programming yet, this week and last have been a blessing for me to get oriented and get a deeper dive into the summer program. Probably my favorite project so far has been building a new math lesson plan from the book “If The Shoe Fits” to teach students how to use measuring devices and their importance.

Right before beginning this internship in my last semester of my undergraduate degree I decided to make a big shift from having studied economics and Spanish to then pursuing education and receiving my teaching certificate. During this time of transition there has been a lot of concern and uncertainty of whether I was making the right choice and whether teaching was the path for me and already within making this one lesson plan I have discovered a deep joy for being creative and transforming curriculum into something that I can present and educate others. The lesson plan was one of my first independent projects here and really allowed me to show the director, facilitator, and myself that I am capable of taking on bigger projects

While working this internship, I’m also taking online classes to get a start on my teaching program for next year and there has been a lot of overlap between the two. It has been nice to apply what I’ve been learning in class into lesson planning and using what I am doing in my internship as examples for assignments. One of my biggest questions going into the Caps program was how can I grow as an individual while also helping a much larger community. I truly believe I have found that where I am able to grow my professional skills in education while also supporting Erie house and the communities that they support.

The team here at Erie house is a wonderful group of people who all care and support each other despite being in different programs. I have been able to meet so many wonderful people, Especially when I was brought into an all staff meeting on day three of being there before I had met anyone. Well I am specifically working with a READS program for student literacy over the summer Erie house also has programs in ESL and citizenship and so during these first few weeks I have been able to observe those programs as well.

Moving forward starting tomorrow the students will be in and summer programming will have finally begun! I am very excited to get hands-on experience working as an educator in the multifaceted READS program. Each week will consist of art, math, ecology, gardening/cooking lessons that now I and the wonderful team at Erie house have worked to put together. I am so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!

By Amelia Tandy, Erie Neighborhood House

This week marks my second week working with Heartland Alliance’s Refugee and Immigrant Community Services Program! As I’ve been reflecting on the start to my internship with Heartland, it seems like every day has brought new learning, new challenges, and in particular, new excitement. At the beginning, all I could think about was how nervous I was as I tried to navigate a different environment. The first challenge that I faced was driving through Chicago alone – which, up until last week, I had promised myself that I would never do. I remember setting my alarm super early on that first day, to plan in advance for the fact that I would probably miss at least 2 exits on the expressway. But even with the extra-early start, I quickly realized that Chicago traffic is way more unpredictable than I had planned for. I swear I could hear the traffic’s evil laugh as I rounded a bend in the highway and beheld an endless line of brakelights swarming the W. Lawrence Avenue exit ramp. After arriving at the office, I parked, walked across the street, and rang the doorbell to be let in. Inside the lobby, there were comfortable couches and a reception desk, where my supervisor met me before taking me on a tour of the office. As we walked through the various hallways and passed by the conference rooms and common areas, my supervisor smiled and told me, “Don’t worry if you don’t remember everything I’m going to tell you on this tour, because I know it’s a lot”. I know this statement sounds insignificant, but it helped put my mind at ease, and reminded me that it’s okay to not know how everything works right away.

After that first day, I spent the rest of the week learning more and more about the incredible work that Heartland does across the city of Chicago. As I’ve started to understand what the Refugee and Immigrant Community Services team does each week and the processes that the team goes through to take in new participants and place them into jobs, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly excited for what the rest of my internship will hold. I’ve also been really enjoying learning about refugee policies and the rights that refugees and asylees have when they come to the US. Prior to this internship, I had never done research on or looked into refugee rights before, and I’ve found it to be really interesting – especially in the present-day, with many of these topics taking center stage with the current political climate. While thinking about my calling and purpose throughout the CAPS program so far, I’ve been considering how these subjects of interest might play a role in my vocation in the future. Since starting college, my attention has consistently been drawn to refugee/immigration issues and policies – so with this internship focusing on those things in a non-profit setting, I’m curious to see where that might lead me in my search for calling and purpose.

Nora Fisher, Heartland Alliance

From the ecstatic moment a person arrives at Holden Village, an iconic retreat center located in the heart of Washington’s North Cascades Mountains that offers visitors a unique opportunity to step into the wilderness they are greeted with a “Hosti”. This person designs a sign with your name on it to welcome you to the village and answer any questions you may have. From the moment the school bus with Holden Village written on the side was in sight of the village entrance all the way to the time I stepped off said bus I was greeted by most, if not all, of the village waving at me and cheering for my arrival. Before even getting to the village I was required to complete a Child Safety Training which is crucial to the safety, comfort, and well-being of the children that reside in Holden Village. 

I realized that I’ve been saying Holden Village a few times now and some people might not know anything about it. First I want to acknowledge the original people living on this land. We live and gather upon the homelands of the Chelan, the Entiat, the P’Squosa, the Wenatchi-Colville and the Wenatchi-Yakama Tribal Nations. And we commit to resisting erasure of Indigenous people and stories, following Native leadership, and centering tribal voices. Here is some more info on the history of Indigenous people in the area of Holden Village. The official organization “Holden Village” started as a copper mining town. Here is a little bit about that copper mining history. 

Everyone’s travel choice is different when coming to Holden but my journey getting here was very elaborate. My mom and I drove two hours to the airport with stops. We took a 4 hour plane ride from Chicago to Seattle. Then we drove another 4 hours to Chelan, Washington where we stayed in a hotel for the night to then get on at a different boat landing than originally planned. The boat ride was about 45 minutes and then we got on a 45 minute school bus ride to Holden Village.

After finally, arriving at Holden my first thought was, is this a commune? But I later came to learn and humbly understood that it is simply a very rustic, community oriented place where everyone plays a role in the village. After 10+ hours of travel it was overwhelming but comforting to arrive to a warm welcome. I started at Holden around mid-May and I have been working as an Education Assistant where I have accomplished: making flyers to promote the incoming presenters(“teaching faculty”) and guest musicians for each week, setting up housing accommodations for teaching faculty and their guests for each of the 12 weeks of the summer, and setting up info about each faculty session/program per week. Soon I will move to working in “Narnia” the Village school where I will be working with the youth program coordinator. There I will be helping create curriculums and helping out with youth programming.

Esai Hernandez, Holden Village

It’s now been almost a week that I’ve been at the Grunewald Guild here in the mountains of Washington state, and I’m thoroughly excited for the months ahead. I’m staying in what’s called the Riverhouse, as it directly overlooks the river flowing 50 feet away from the back porch. This porch is one of my favourite places so far to sit and enjoy the area, as it’s fully screened in to keep the bugs away (mosquitos remain my arch-nemesis) and is beautifully lit with string lights in the evenings. The quiet rush of the flowing water is a constant and peaceful sound, and a wide range of birds fill the trees and air with their calls too. (There’s one critter that makes a fascinating little clicking sound sometimes and I can never find it, but it intrigues me.) I was surprised by how windy it gets here in the side of the valley given the mountains on either side and the tall pines packed pretty densely around us, but the breeze is nonetheless refreshing and gives the sense that the forest itself is breathing. There’s really just so much about the space here that I love, everything seems so contentedly alive and welcoming – the bright purple and red-orange flowers, the neon lime green moss, and the spiders weaving intricate lace across the corners of the porch.

Most of the projects I’ve been helping with so far have been focused on organizing and cleaning up some of the studio spaces in preparation for the start of summer programming, but today I helped ‘turn’ a bunch of the bedrooms, larger shared spaces, and outdoor landscaping to get them ready for when more guests come in a couple weeks. With the help of 3 other full-time staff members and a resident artist, we cleaned bedrooms, bathrooms, and studio and living spaces in four different buildings. Making beds and preparing bedding bundles were some of my favourite tasks, as well as wiping down all the surfaces and cleaning mirrors. We also walked quick loops around the buildings to check for wasp and other pest nests, and made sure all supply cabinets were stocked, whether with linens or a wide range of art supplies.

When I’m not helping organize and prepare spaces though, the staff here are really supportive and encourage me to explore my creativity and express the inspiration I experience. The campus is beautifully curated to inspire this sort of reflection and thoughtful consideration of the surroundings and one’s place within them, and that’s one theme I’ve been pondering more recently. The experience I’ve already had here in the mountains of Washington has been overwhelmingly one of intimate connection and intentional relationships both with the natural environment, and with the staff, volunteers, and guests here at the Guild. I’ve been trying to develop a better understanding of my relationships with the communities around me, and the time I’m spending here is definitely a helpful stepping stone in crossing that river.

Bianca Olfert, Grunewald Guild

The unflinching memorist Dorothy Allison writes, “Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that telling a story all the way through is an act of love.” A thorough and full accounting is indeed an act of love, and even an act of service. 

Following a meaningful spring break service trip in northwest Indiana several weeks ago, I might amend Allison’s formulation a bit further: telling a story all the way through is an act of love and service…and so is attending to that story–listening compassionately, for understanding, and then figuring out what it means to hold and carry that story forward. 

In a week spent criss-crossing northwest Indiana and south-southwest Chicagoland, we (Anna and Kat from the Institute for Leadership and Service) joined eight Valpo students on a journey to hear story after story–some ecology, some art, some history, some activism, some sociology – while participating in hands-on service projects related to our region’s grappling with environmental justice.  

We visited National Parks, local museums, green spaces in Chicago, an urban garden in Gary, land preserved in trust in Valparaiso and Hammond, and a local farm while we interrogated questions of land access and power imbalances, the pros and cons of industrial development, food deserts and the burgeoning urban garden movement, local agriculture, and native and invasive species in conservation work.  

Again and again, we witnessed this region’s beauty, potential, and fragility.  It is a place of interlocking species and stories, held together by shared earth, water, and air–a place intimately shaped by the forces of nature as well as the people within it.

In last week’s CSL newsletter, Pastor Kate reflected on the profound “gift of hearing a community’s story [during a spring break service trip]–bearing witness to their tragedies and their triumphs.” We felt similarly humbled by that opportunity here in Indiana, as we learned and served alongside people doing all manner of good work in this corner of the world–from park rangers and “guerilla gardeners” to community artists and activists. In the spirit of valuing stories and perspectives, we offer below the reflective takeaways from some of the students we were fortunate enough to accompany on our early March trip.

Melanie

The regional service trip highlighted the importance of understanding stories both personal and historical. Every place we went to had its own background story, shaped by its people, environment, and history. Understanding these stories helped us connect with the land around us, fostering empathy, respect, and a deeper appreciation for diverse cultures and experiences. By learning about the challenges of the communities we visited, I better understand the broader issues they face and how we can contribute to positive change. Stories help us see the bigger picture and find meaning in the actions we take.  

Student Leaders Melanie and Adam help with seed planting for this year’s Juneteenth celebration at Nichol’s Park in Midtown Gary.

Adam

Having this regional trip helped me to continue seeing the world in a different light. Doing hands-on service is nice, but it’s always harder to bring the lessons of a roof repair or hurricane relief work to NW Indiana. However, listening to stories about families within and just beyond VU’s walls resonated with me more easily, and also made me feel that I was having an impact in my community. It’s too easy for us to say “this is a problem, but it’s not happening where I’m from”, but this trip forced us to confront these questions in our own backyards. 

Abby 

Abby and other students explore the Indiana Dunes National Park and help remove invasive species to make space for an upcoming stream monitoring project.

This service trip really made me understand our environment in a different way, both culturally and naturally. I have always thought that gardening was hard to accomplish in Indiana, and that you need the perfect land to do so, but through learning about sustainable gardening, and the different ways you can re-plant food, I have been proven wrong. It was really interesting to participate in this kind of service trip, one that combined our current understanding of service, with one that sees service as learning, giving time instead of giving physical labor. Doing both helped me broaden my worldview, and I will take that forward to work that I do in my church and community.

Ximena gets her hands dirty while practicing winter sowing for the Juneteenth plant giveaway.

Ximena 

As a first year student, I was anxious as to what my first service trip would be. I had never done outdoor service and it honestly scared me. However, this trip helped me see many ways one can do service. We started our trip by learning about our environment and history from not only Indiana but Illinois as well. Our group worked on looking past the “front cover” of cities and looking at its inside work. We learned about different viewpoints and how a community can overcome its struggles. Through this service trip, although we did do some physical labor, we learned to listen and carry the stories we learned and how that is also an act of service.

Dallas 

Dallas helps with invasive plant removal and with packing totes full of locally grown produce for new moms in the WIC program.

Our Spring Break Service Trip was a very unique experience for me that helped to deepen my personal understanding of how different communities come together. Throughout the duration of our trip we learned about some of the business decisions that caused some of the largest environmental and social issues in Northwest Indiana and Chicago. Personally, I’m still amazed at how much damage can be done to one community in such a short period of time. Every area we visited challenged me to strengthen the value of listening to help learn from those we want to serve. It was truly moving to see how much it meant to them that we simply took the time to listen and understand their situation. 

Jake helps with invasive plant removal at the Shirley Heinze Land Trust Meadowbrook Nature Preserve.

Jake

Coming from someone who isn’t from the area, there was a lot of learning to do on this trip. Our service trip focused on learning a lot. Each day left me with a greater understanding of the places we visited, because we took the time to learn about where we were, and the communities present. Learning about the unique geography of Northwest Indiana served us well, but it’s something that would benefit all service trips. Similarly, getting to connect with the people we were helping first rather than simply getting to work immediately enabled us to further understand the impact of our efforts. I strongly believe understanding and service go strongly together hand in hand after this; understanding the context behind the need for the service is just as important as the service itself.

Carolyn 

Carolyn helps with plant removal to make way for an upcoming stream monitoring project.

It’s impossible to truly be of service without understanding the communities you’re serving and why you’re doing it. Without knowing the background behind the struggles a given community is experiencing, it’s impossible to address them effectively. During this trip, we were intentional about educating ourselves on the background behind the environmental issues northwest Indiana and Chicago are facing, and how they have historically impacted our area. It’s only in light of this knowledge that we were able to truly understand the context and importance of the current work that organizations are doing in our communities. By understanding why they’re responding the way they are, we were able to work with these organizations rather than simply for them to genuinely meet their needs.

Dunes Learning Center Fellow Lisa explains native and invasive species in the Indiana Dunes National Park, on our way to the Maple Sugar Time Festival at Chellberg Farm.

Murals created by local youth and families at the La Villita Park community garden in Little Village, Chicago.

Dallas and Jazzy create their own art as part of the Ordinary Wonders exhibit at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City.

Two ways to think about land, power, race, and industry in our area: the Pullman National Monument, and Lorraine Hansberry’s “Raisin in the Sun.” We experienced both live and in person this Spring Break.

ILAS Director, Anna Stewart, and Assistant Director, Kat Peters. We both feel so fortunate to have been on this trip with an amazing group of thoughtful, talented, and engaged students.