DUBOIS – For this year’s spring break, 20 Penn State students spent seven days in Washington D.C. learning about the issues that surround homelessness and poverty in the United States, and volunteering to help those who are homeless. The students had the opportunity to meet many homeless people on their service trip, putting faces with the issue.
Students volunteered at Capitol Area Food Bank where they sorted canned goods that are distributed to 700 area organizations, and at D.C. Central Kitchen, which serves 4,500 meals a day to local food shelters.
Marly Doty, assistant director of Student Affairs at Penn State DuBois, and Ken Nellis, campus athletic coordinator, accompanied students on the trip. Doty said, “I’m so proud of the Penn State students that I had the privilege of leading to DC. They are all incredible and I have a renewed faith in our country’s future because of their leadership and determination.”
“Interacting with the homeless and learning their story had the biggest impact on me,” said student Evan Aravich. “I feel that homelessness is something that is commonly talked about but not completely understood. Looking back, I now have a more complete understanding of how homelessness affects the individuals going through it.”