Categories
Campus News

Mission Work in the Most Dangerous City in the U.S.

Over February break, a group of Houghton students traveled to Camden, New Jersey with the Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF) on a mission to serve God and the community.

The SASF, according to vice president Marcella Wheeler ‘16, is comprised of students who either attended the Salvation Army church before coming to Houghton or found the Salvation Army through the SASF while attending Houghton. Members of the SASF, according to Wheeler, “attend The Salvation Army in Wellsville participating in all that goes on there: kids activities, women’s programs, Sunday School, and Worship are a huge part of what keeps it going.”

SASF RGBThe Salvation Army, whose slogan is “Doing the Most Good,” is known for their dedication to helping people in need of emotional, physical, and spiritual assistance. Wheeler said, “With the SASF being a group so closely connected with The Salvation Army, we’re going to Camden because it is a high poverty, high crime, and highly homeless population in which The Salvation Army is known as ones who provide food, health assistance, and a place of warmth, love, support.”

According to CNN Money, based on FBI statistics in 2012 Camden had the single highest crime rate in America, reporting 67 homicides over the course of the year. In addition to a high crime rate, the town is also plagued by a drug epidemic, homelessness, and poverty. Wheeler said the SASF’s mission was to do their part in “making a difference in people’s lives who have almost nothing.” Jimmy Hughes ‘16, president of SASF, described Camden as “a city that needs love.”

Justin Bullard ‘16, one of the students who went on the trip, said the city’s crime rate never really bothered him, “I wasn’t worried about the safety of the location, I was just excited about being able to do missions in our own country instead of going out of the country.” Bullard said, for him, the area was one of the largest reasons he went. He said, “I know it’s an area that probably doesn’t get as much attention.”

While the SASF goes on a mission trip each year during February break, Hughes said this trip was different in that it was much more people-centered “We are striving to make meaningful connections in a city that needs people’s love,” he said. Students had many opportunities to interact with members of the community through meals, service projects, and community clean up.

A large part of the group’s time was spent at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center (the Kroc Center). The Kroc Center, which opened in October 2014, and serves people based on the Salvation Army mission which states, “[The Salvation Army’s] mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” The Kroc Center offers many programs community members can participate in, and the SASF had a chance to help with. Some of those programs include an after-school program called Kroc Kids, a daily morning prayer, a weekly youth group, Bible studies, and Sunday worship.

In addition to helping at the Kroc Center, SASF members went to the Transportation Center in Camden, which Wheeler describes as a “tram station.” Members of the homeless community often reside near or around the Transportation Center, and students had the opportunity “to give out hot drinks, food, gloves, hats, scarves and to talk with the people around the area to be of spiritual support through listening to and pray with them,” said Wheeler. Students also had the opportunity to assist in helping members of the homeless community by volunteering at a soup kitchen called Cathedral’s Kitchen, where they serve hot meals to 200-300 people a day.
Wheeler had high hopes for the group’s takeaway from the trip. She said,  “I want us to leave with a greater awareness, concern, and love for those who we become oblivious to in our blessed lives and with hearts overflowing with desire to do something more each day.” Bullard echoed this and said, “It was really humbling to see people in these situations and see that I’m much better off than I thought. It also showed me that I’m in a much better position to help others than I thought.”