Helping homeless in Ireland over Spring Break
Some students are going to Hawaii for Spring Break. Others may spend their vacation in Mexico. But junior Andrew Brumme thought outside of the box when deciding what to do with his time off.
Brumme and three friends, Rich McPherson, Robbie Sagers and Jonathan Bakewicz are going to spending their Spring Break in Belfast, Ireland, helping the homeless.
“We all really have a heart to work with the homeless and God put Belfast on our hearts,” Brumme said.
The four of them came up with the idea in October when they heard students could apply for money from the Lilly Grant for a service project.
They submitted their proposal of working with homeless people during their Spring Break and received a $3,000 grant from the Lilly Foundation for traveling, lodging and food expenses.
“We have been given a unique opportunity that also especially relates to the Lilly Grant because we will be increasing our understanding of Christian vocations,” Brumme said.
The requirement for the grant was that students do something to alleviate poverty and hunger, as well as deepen their understanding of what it means to serve God through a profession.
Brumme said his main goal during the week is to simply learn about homeless people and let God open his eyes to the situation in the world around him.
“We don’t expect to change the world in one week and end the entire homeless situation,” Brumme said. “I just want to go to a major city and talk to homeless people and hear their story and understand the situation more.”
Brumme said he thinks that, in order to do something to really change the problem of homelessness, he first needs to understand it.
“People try and hand out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and don’t see the bigger problem,” Brumme said. “Giving them food is only helping them survive; it isn’t helping them get out of their circumstance.”
Brumme said he is planning on putting together a documentary of their experience and intends to show it at Convocation or possibly at University Ministries at Malibu Presbyterian to encourage others who may also be interested in alleviating homelessness.
– Got unique Spring Break plans? Helping others in a special way? E-mail graphic@pepperdine.edu.
Article
January 23, 2003
