For this year’s 8th grade service trip we were fortunate enough to go and visit the Repairers of the Breach, a soup kitchen that helps homeless men and women get back on their feet and feeds them, but does not allow them to sleep overnight. During this experience we toured the building and got a feel to what the men and women were able to receive and do while staying there for the day.

There were many rooms including the “Boston Store”. The “Boston Store” was the homeless men and women’s own little store, made up from donations. Every month the volunteers give each member a bag and they let them pick whatever they want from the ‘Boston Store” as long as everything fits in the bag. Some items were all different kinds of shirts, and bottoms including jeans, pants and skirts.

There were also rooms for the members to take naps if they were tired or worked 3rd shift (working at night). However, there were no beds and you could not stay overnight because then they would have to change into a homeless shelter, and they are not ready to do that at this time, but maybe further into the future. Other amazing rooms they have help members to try and get job interviews and “train” them to do well. They also have a mail and phone room for members who don’t have an address or phone to use. Also there is a room where all religions could be studied, so they didn’t have to focus on a certain religion and not pay attention to the others. A preacher comes once a week to talk with a group about faith. One room I thought was a great idea was a room where only women could be, away from men, if they needed healing if they had bad experiences with men. The room’s purpose was to help the women heal so they could get back to being comfortable with men.

While there I got to eat lunch with the men and women and do a Bible study, and hear current events from a Marquette student who volunteered to share events going on in case the men and women didn’t have a source of news. I feel I am very fortunate for being able to go on service trips because service opens my eyes to the world around me and gets me thinking. After going, I feel I have genuinely done a good deed and wish to go back. Also two times that I’ve been on a service trip, the men who volunteer shared their personal stories, hoping we learn from their mistakes, and don’t follow in their steps.

Overall, I think the Repairers of the Breach is an amazing place provided for homeless men and women to stay during the day. It offers many opportunities to help men and women get back on track. In fact one of the men who worked there stayed there during the day when he was homeless and needed help getting off drugs. He also told us and warned the students to never try because he still is tempted to just try it one more time, but he hasn’t and is clean of drugs with the help of God and this amazing shelter. I would love to go back an experience this again.