Appalachian Mission Trip with St. Monica-St. George Parish
During spring break of my freshman year, I traveled with a group of UC students to volunteer in the small town of Spencer, West Virginia. The trip, arranged by St. Monica-St. George Parish, was my first true look at the Appalachian culture and the effects that coal mining has on small towns.
We spent our time with Jeannie, an Appalachian Catholic Worker in rural West Virginia. Throughout the week, we immersed ourselves into the Appalachian culture through daily reflection, communal meals, hard work, stepping out of our comfort zones, breaking stereotypes, and building community with the local community and with each other. While there, we researched coal mining and its relationship to the people and the environment of Appalachia.
We spent our time with Jeannie, an Appalachian Catholic Worker in rural West Virginia. Throughout the week, we immersed ourselves into the Appalachian culture through daily reflection, communal meals, hard work, stepping out of our comfort zones, breaking stereotypes, and building community with the local community and with each other. While there, we researched coal mining and its relationship to the people and the environment of Appalachia.
What did I take back to Cincinnati?
The greatest lesson I learned in the Appalachians is that the cards you are dealt in life is not your defining characteristic. Instead, the size of your heart and a strong work ethic is what sets individuals apart from others. In our modern world, everything is go, go, go and we define our days by our “to do” lists. However, this trip allowed me to step back and reflect on my life to realize that having an internal sense of peace/happiness and giving back to one another is much more important than the your job position or the money to your name.
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