It’s been two weeks since we have returned from spring break and it seems like those fun stories regarding the fun-filled week are still being shared. But I don’t have any stories of drunken tropical fun to share because I opted to participate in “Urban Plunge,” in Bridgeport this year.
Our gracious leader, Melissa Quan, assistant university chaplain and Carolyn Rusiackas, associate university chaplain as well as seven other students from Fairfield, attended the week-long project. We visited various non-profit organizations, providing our services and learning about the social and economic problems of the city, such as housing, rehabilitation, education and child-care services.
Before we left campus to stay at an old convent and community center called St. Charles, I was skeptical and apprehensive. I started to ask myself why I had chosen to participate in the project and kept remembering how I could be spending my break at home or with my friends somewhere sunnier. But those answers would soon come to me.
The first place we visited was the Caroline House, a center for mothers and their children in need. The purpose of the center is to provide educational opportunities for mothers while their children are looked after in a similar learning environment.
We learned about the organization’s mission, goals and challenges while working with the young children. Their mothers learned how to improve their English skills and also learned the financial tools necessary to run a household.
It was incredibly amazing to see the genuine concern and dedication displayed by the members of the Caroline House and their willingness and determination to see those families succeed.
We also had the opportunity to visit the Bridgeport Rescue Mission Center and Housing Authority, two places that I feel deeply impacted my perception of poverty-stricken cities like Bridgeport and justified my decision to participate in this trip.
The Rescue Mission is a place that houses, feeds and clothes men and women who are trying to overcome their drug addictions.
During our time there, we sorted out donated clothing, designating articles for the men and women of the house and jackets and warm articles for others who may not have clothes suitable for winter.
While at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, I found it appalling to see the number of people involved in drug abuse. It was especially disturbing to learn that the majority of the people living there do not have any other place to live besides this mission house. Our visit opened my eyes to a segment of society that I often am not subjected to.
The Bridgeport Housing Authority was strictly an informational visit for us. The purpose of this organization is to help members of the Bridgeport community who suffer from physical or mental ailments, or those who are in need of sub-standardized housing.
As a group we listened to various speakers describe what their critical jobs entail and their experiences with residents. What I heard that day was shocking. The experiences they shared truly opened my eyes to the challenges of violence, living in adverse conditions and dealing with a mental illness.
It was stressed several times that many of the people that the Bridgeport Housing Authority work with do not have the confidence or belief that they can succeed, so they do not attempt to better themselves through education. This often becomes a vicious cycle of poverty.
Bridgeport is one of the poorest cities in the richest county of the United States. That fact alone really made me think. My week in the city has given me the knowledge and the tools to understand why this is.
I absolutely have no regrets about my decision to attend Urban Plunge. I feel that I made a positive impact on the individuals I met during my experiences in Bridgeport and I now have a level of awareness that will allow me to question, not fear or judge, the unfamiliar or unknown. Most importantly, I learned a lot about myself and that I have the power to make a difference.
So next spring break, when you’re signing that hefty check for a trip to Cancun (which you probably won’t remember much of), consider attending Fairfield’s Urban Plunge. I highly recommend taking advantage of this service opportunity because there is no experience quite like this one.
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