Number of Participants: 1
Hours Donated: 100
Value of Time Served: $845
Event Type: Poverty & Homelessness
Sport: Field Hockey
Date: February 1, 2018
Location:
Adelphi University
South Avenue, Garden City
NY
About:
Life is full of experiences. The good, the bad and the ugly; we all have our fair share of them as human beings. Some experiences are in our control, and others are completely out of it. To live a life rich in the “good” experiences is something that I strive for. I would like to share not only a good, but also an amazing experience that I recently had during winter break.
My name is Libby Mercuri, and I am a senior from Massachusetts: home to the greatest city in the world (with the best sports, too). I have been playing sports since the moment I held my first softball glove, and I continued on to play four incredible years of field hockey for Adelphi University. Being an athlete has shaped (and occasionally, forced) me to be a better person each passing day. This mindset is one that I carry with me through every obstacle and life experience that I endure.
I have grown up with a passion for social interaction and human connection. If you know me, you know that I could talk to anyone, for any length of time. You also know that helping people, in any capacity, is one of my greatest joys in life. Since I was a child I have found a sense of accomplishment and happiness in the simple task of making someone smile, or improving their life in the simplest of ways.
This is why, when choosing a college major my senior year of high school, I chose to pursue nursing.
Being in my fourth and final year of the nursing program here at Adelphi University, I can say with complete confidence that I have found my place in this life.
Over the course of this past winter break, I can say that I had my favorite life experience in 21 years of living.
On Jan. 6, I flew to Guatemala with 11 other AU students and two faculty members for a service-learning trip. After spending two days in the beautiful city of Antigua, we packed our things and traveled to a town called Panajachel, Guatemala, where the real service began.
We teamed up with a nonprofit organization called Mayan Families, who works to educate, feed, shelter and heal hundreds and thousands of indigenous men, women, children and elders living in extreme poverty. The employees at Mayan Families educated us on the history of Guatemala, the severe poverty rates in the area, as well as the struggle between the indigenous people and those who migrated to Guatemala many years ago. We toured the organization, where we visited the medical clinic and the education offices. We also visited the surrounding towns of San Antonio, San Jorge and Concepcion, where we endured many different, memorable experiences.
We visited the first and only recycling/compost plant in the entire province, where locals bring their garbage, food remains and recycling materials to prevent damage to the lake. We also spent an afternoon with a handful of elderly men and women living in poverty, who come Monday through Friday for a free lunch provided by the Mayan Families organization to prevent nutritional problems that could inhibit their ability to survive. One of Mayan Families’ favorite buildings is an animal shelter, where they nurture rescued strays from their desolate lives in the streets.
After spending only two hours at this shelter, I fell in love with one of the dogs and actually just signed the paperwork to adopt him: he will be in the U.S. in early February with a new home!
Lastly, we spent the majority of our time in Panajachel building and installing wood-burning stoves into the homes of families living under the poverty line. Nearly all of these families were composed of three or four adults (mom, dad, grandparent, etc) and at least four children. And nearly all of these homes consisted of only two or three very small rooms, some with four beds that sleep nine people, and others with barely enough room to hold a sack of corn kernels and a sink with running water. Installing stoves for these families seemed like such a mundane task at first, until we completed the task and realized just how meaningful it truly was. We were not just providing these families with a safer method to cook their meals – we were providing these families with a sliver of hope that there are in fact people in this world who want to help them, and to improve their lives.
To sum it up, I witnessed a level of poverty and a lack of healthcare that I did not fully think could exist in this world.
But somehow, I also witnessed the most incredible thing: bliss. These people were not sad, they were not defeated, and their heads did not hang low.
The families I met in this country were the most appreciative, gracious, and kind people I have ever met in my life. Their physical health was weak without a doubt, but their mental health was so strong and apparent to those who interacted with them.
Balancing the life of being a nursing major and an athlete can be a real challenge at times. I have had to learn a great deal of time management strategies, teamwork skills, and even occasionally ways to try to preserve my sanity. But doing service for others, and especially going to Guatemala to work with Mayan Families, those challenges became nonexistent to me. I am eager to see what “challenges” life will throw my way after I graduate in May, and I look forward to my next life-changing experience.