This blog post is dedicated to Maggie, our furry friend who passed on while we were at on our trip. She brought much joy to everyone at Clelian, and she will be missed.
The first week of July, my friend Christina and I have traveled to Clelian Heights in Greensburg, PA - "An Exceptional Place for Exceptional People". This is a school/work opportunity for those with special needs run by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart, the same sisters that run my high school back in Hamden, CT (Sacred Heart Academy).
I first got the opportunity to make a service trip here two years ago with my friends Heather, Kristyne, Brittany, Jenna, and Christina. I was unsure of what I would encounter here. When we arrived, we were greeted at the Pittsburgh Airport by two wonderful sisters who truly made our experience enjoyable.
Clelian Heights offers summer opportunities for students (ages 5-21) as well as adults (21+) in classrooms or the workshop. Christina and I got paired up to work in the workshop with the adults and I was looking forward to it. I got to meet many awesome people who work at the Center, live at Chip's House (men's housing) and the Apartments (women's housing), and those who help run the Center. I was truly touched and wonderfully excited to go back.
It would be different with just Christina and I going, and I was excited to see everyone again! We were there for the Fourth of July and helped plan the festivities for the adults since the school was closed. We got to take a driving tour of Pittsburgh, visit the William Penn Hotel, go to a BBQ stand with the GREATEST pulled pork sandwich explore the Mall with a coworker Mary Beth (and got some new shoes!), and have dinner with the Sisters where we got to learn more about what they do.
It was a great experience and I hope to return for a longer amount of time! Each of the people I got to work with have a special place in my heart and I am reminded of their quirks everyday!
 |
| Obligatory tourist picture with the Cathedral of Learning! |
 | ||
| Driving up to the school |
 |
| A gorgeous view from the backyard of Clelian! |
 |
| Decorated the bikes for the Fourth of July |
 |
| Christina and Michael dancing! |
 | ||
| Some of my favorite brothers love the swings! |
| Service trips
are great experiences and always proves eye-opening for me. At Saint
Michael's, I was able to travel to Buffalo, NY in 2011 to work in the
Nativity-Miguel Schools for a week with a great group of people. I'm
looking to go on another one before I graduate, maybe to Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, Big Thicket Reserve in Texas, or an
international trip to India or the Dominican Republic! With SMC there
are so many opportunities to give back and help out- there's something
for everyone! If you have any questions, feel free to tweet me, ask me a question on formspring, or comment! Have a wonderful weekend! Katelyn :) |
No comments:
Post a Comment