Deep Gladness

What does it mean to serve others? In this week-long service trip, students will put their hands and hearts to work, exploring the place where our “deep gladness meets the world's deep need.” We believe every person has a unique passion for making a difference, and this trip is designed to help students discover theirs.

Throughout the week, students will engage in meaningful service projects with local organizations addressing issues such as food insecurity, animal welfare, and housing instability. Participants will roll up their sleeves and tackle projects that help the community while enriching their own understanding. Service will be paired with reflection: students will use Harvard University and Project Zero's Visible Thinking Techniques to process and discuss their experiences.

Day 1

We were so proud of our group today! They worked hard at both Medicine Horse (cleaning animal stalls and getting hay ready) and the Humane Society (beautifying the pet cemetery before playing with some animals!), and they were respectful to our hosts. We have a great group!

Day 2

We had a wonderful excursion to Denver today! Our focus was on food insecurity and housing instability.

We visited Denver's Project Angel Heart in the morning and learned about how they prepare and deliver 2,000 medically tailored meals for neighbors living with severe illness each week. We decorated the food bags to send messages of happiness and encouragement to the neighbors.

We stopped in Five Points—often labeled one of Denver’s "least safe" neighborhoods—to eat and chat with residents. We first had a discussion on how historical demographics fuel stigmas that rarely reflect a neighborhood's true character. The kids were struck by the community’s warmth and safe feeling, which brought the disparity into focus for them.

Our day ended with a visit to Dry Bones, which partners with homeless teens to provide them support and companionship. Robbie, our host, shared how Dry Bones stands on three pillars: Everyone has worth, everyone belongs, and everyone deserves unconditional love. He encouraged our kids to bring those pillars back to Dawson and live that way toward others.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett to find out how Boulder is helping the homeless and then visiting TGTHR, which supports youth experiencing homelessness.

Day 3

We took a deep dive into Boulder homelessness today, both witnessing it firsthand as we walked along the river to get to our destinations, and conducting some deep information gathering.

We first met with Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett, who was fabulous with our group! He met us in the Council Chambers and led a Q & A with your kids. You would have been impressed with the questions they had! The Mayor shared that the mission in Boulder is Housing First-- getting folks into homes before solving higher level issues and needs. He encouraged us to partner with All Roads (https://allroadsboco.org/) as we look for opportunities to make a difference.

In the afternoon we met with the Development Director and the COO of TGTHR (https://tgthr.org/), which is working to end youth homelessness in Boulder. They, too, have a Housing First philosophy and have partnered with an affordable housing group to provide residences at their office location in downtown Boulder. They have launched an initiative in Denver, and they had not heard of Dry Bones-- so we were able to make that connection for them! Partnership opportunities abound! They also shared that they have teamed up with Medicine Horse. Our kids are starting to see how the non-profit and community service world is interdependent.

Day 4

We braved the high winds and power blackout in Eldorado to do some rugged trail maintenance! Our ranger, Mike, treated us to one-of-a-kind service projection-- helping fell and clear a tree. We hiked a mile and a half up to where a Douglas Fir had died after a beetle infestation. Mike explained how the tree died, taught the kids about chainsaw safety (for all of you thinking of buying your kids chainsaws for birthdays), and showed them how he would make cuts to fell the tree.

After the tree came down, we used the branches and some trunk pieces to hide what are called "social trails"- trails that wandering park visitors have made and which disturb animal and plant life. We camouflaged the trails so that visitors would be less likely to use them, allowing plants to grow and animals to move back to the area.

During lunch, kids counted the tree rings to see how old the tree was and used their Ms. Terry science skills to note robust growing seasons and meager seasons!

After lunch, we cleaned up some picnic areas and then headed home- with a pitstop at DQ!

Day 5

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