Over the course of four days, IHA students studied Catholic Social Justice principles and put them into action by serving the homeless, the hungry, the elderly, and those with special needs. Students worked with Midnight Run, Camp Acorn, Habitat for Humanity, and Van Dyk Health Care in addition to participating in daily Mass.

Shannon Gleba’17 was one of the nearly thirty students who went on the Mission@theheart trip, the first one she had ever attended. She said the most memorable part of the trip was volunteering at Camp Acorn.

“It was really amazing to see how happy and touched all of the attendees were when we helped them with simple tasks and simply had fun with them at Crestwood Lake,” Shannon said. “We forget that doing service does not always mean doing hard work. Sometimes the little things you do can make a whole world of difference.”

This was also the first mission trip for Madelin Barry’16, a junior who said she quickly realized how much one person can really do.

“The most memorable part of the trip was when we went on the Midnight Run,” Madelin said. “I was at first uncomfortable because I didn’t know what to expect when I heard about it, but then as soon as we got down there I was at ease and I loved helping out.”

Shannon reiterated that although IHA holds various fundraisers and collections for groups in need, it is also important for students to travel around the area to “get their hands dirty.”

“Seeing all of the people in such close proximity to us who need help gives a new perspective on how we live our lives,” she added. “And how to treat other people.”