Greetings from the D.C. Group,

Today, as every day has been, was very packed. This morning Ashley and Elizabeth woke up for their morning coffee at 5:30…. per usual, to sit outside and chat while they sip on caffeine. Then we all got ready for the day and shortly after took our day 4 picture. Although we were tired from our adventurous first few days, we were ready to serve the men of the Father McKenna Center.

Serving the past few days has been very educational and informative, but mostly eye-opening. Some of us form an assembly line to prepare plates, others fill coffee cups or pass out plates and drinks as men come in. When things slow down some of us sit and chat with the men as they finish their meal. This was especially important to us, but we also believe this communication was valuable to the men. Once everyone had cleared out of the dining room, by 9:00 am we began to clean up by wiping tables and sweeping the floor. Other duties included taking out the trash and clearing away the rest of the food from the dining room. Next on the itinerary we planned to go to the National Museum of African American History.

We found the museum to be deep, dark, emotional, and highly informative. It was a lot to digest so we decided to also go to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This museum contained facts about dinosaurs, sea animals, gems (the Hope Diamond), and light pollution. At this point our feet were sore (even swelled for some people) and we were starving. After walking another mile exploring a variety of different restaurants, we went into a pizza shop and immediately realized that it was not our vibe. Instead, we found Harry’s Bar and ate dinner outside. At dinner we were able to reflect on our day and talk about different housing policies. We were hungry for dessert and decided to stop at insomnia cookies to fulfill our craving. They were so delicious! Our day was mega-packed and once we got home everyone was so exhausted that we cleaned up and slept in a deep sleep.

Today was a long and hectic day filled with service, walking, and inspirational sights. We are ready to do it all again tomorrow.

All the best,

Team D.C.