By Madden R. and Ethan B.
St. Andrew's fifth graders went on a field trip to Community First! Village to learn about homelessness more in depth and to empathize with the residents by learning some of their stories.
Community First! Village is a village run by the charity Mobile Loaves & Fishes. It is located in Austin, Texas. Community First Village finds people that have been homeless for over 2 years. They take those people and give them shelter, food, water, clothes, and all other necessary appliances.
Community First! Village is made up of many types of buildings. There are tiny houses which have a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. There are RVs which are a bit bigger. There are community eating areas with picnic tables, stoves, refrigerators, and utensils. The village also has a community garden, a mini plaza, a greenhouse, and much more. Community First! is very animal friendly, having cats running around, residents walking their dogs, and a large pen to hold chickens. The residents of Community First! get a salary but have to pay rent. The rent can be easily covered by the salary. The reason why they have the rent is that it gives a sense of ownership.
As of February 2021, a little more than 200 formerly homeless people are currently living in the village. Community First! Village is also working on Phase II, which will house nearly 500 formerly homeless people.
Grade 5 students did landscaping work while at the village. They were able to interact with residents who served as tour guides and volunteer coordinators. Student Teddie G. said, “Not only did this impact me but it impacts our community. Now I feel more strongly about helping our homeless community and how small actions can be good enough to make another person smile."
Michele Turner, a fifth grade teacher, also had something to say. “One of the things that global citizens do is they take action when they see a problem. Homelessness is all around us here in Austin. By volunteering at Community First! Village, we’re making a small impact and becoming more aware of what this global issue looks like here in our own city."
Many students expressed a connection to the residents at Community First! Village. "It is almost as if the people there are all one big family," said student Landon P. "I felt as if I were part of that family too."