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ABST OWB Day One!

Family and Friends!

Hello!  My name is Sam Desser.  Our group’s ABST is focusing on surviving and learning in the Our West Bayfront community, the same community that Gannon University is located in.  We will be meeting with community partners, local business owners, and community members to learn about neighborhood revitalization.  Be sure to keep checking our blog so you can be up to date on what we are doing!

Today our group had the opportunity to volunteer at Sunday Suppers at the Church of the Covenant.  This organization provides a warm meal to community members every Sunday.  During our time volunteering, I had the chance to talk to one of the other volunteers.  As we started talking more, he started to tell me his story.  Although I could never do his story justice, I will attempt to share a little of his story.  This man was told he would never be able to read or do much of anything after a terrible accident. He was placed in a mental institution after receiving brain damage. He was in that hospital for 21 years. When he left the hospital, he proved everyone wrong. He eventually learned how to read as an adult and discovered his love for poetry and art, while he battled with mental illness and homelessness.  He now has composed many poems and has even auctioned off some of his paintings.   After listening to his story, I thought back and realized that I would have never imaged that this man was experiencing homelessness at one point in his life.  This just drives home the lesson that homelessness can happen to anyone.  It does not discriminate at all. 

We are looking forward to seeing what the coming week has in store for ABST OWB!

P.s. Here’s a great picture of our shopping trip today to get our food for the week!


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