University’s 2017 Interfaith Service Teams Volunteer at Seven Sites in U.S., Mexico
Nearly 60 ³Ô¹ÏÍø students spent spring break volunteering on one of OWU’s seven Interfaith Service teams.
Chad Johns, associate chaplain and director of the Interfaith Service program, says the student-created teams incorporate “intentional service and reflection with people of diverse faiths, philosophies, and perspectives [to] deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other, even as we work to improve the world around us.”
Each team also incorporates the “four essential pillars” of restorative justice, transformative reflection, substantive community, and conscientious leadership into their experiences, says Johns, a 2002 Ohio Wesleyan graduate.
“We seek to gain awareness of, show respect for, and build relationships with people and cultures with whom we interact,” he says. “We seek to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in a way that honors and restores the human dignity and sacred worth of all involved. We seek to become agents for justice on our campus and in our world.”
The 2017 Interfaith Service teams, their locations of service, and their team members and advisers are:
LAKOTA NATION, SOUTH DAKOTA
“Building and Rebuilding” team
BUCERIAS, MEXICO
“Connecting with the Community” team
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
“Re-New Orleans: Hurricane Katrina Recovery” team
COLUMBUS, OHIO
“Let There Be Light: OWU-Muslim Service Together” team (with the Noor Islamic Center)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
“Repair the World” team
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
“Gender, Sexuality, and Immigration: Navigating Overlapping Realities” team
WASHINGTON, D.C.
“Crossroads of the Powerful and Powerless” team
Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Interfaith Service program at .