I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth by Wyatt Surbey

Close your eyes and imagine the following: mulch in your socks, clear blue skies, a chalk covered blacktop, and seats with chains from which people fly. For a total of six years (maybe longer if you were lucky) this was my domain. And let me be the first to tell you, I miss every second of it. Recess wasn’t just a time of day where I was forced to go outside, it was an integral part of my life. I loved feeling the sun beating down on me, smelling the wood chips, and climbing all around the playground. I loved making up games with my friends –imaginary and real — and I loved falling down and scraping my knees. I loved screaming at the top of my lungs, playing Jacob’s Ladder, and most importantly, I loved that feeling when it’s finally your turn in kick ball. What if I were to tell you that there was a way to relive all of these emotions that are so dear to us? What if I were to tell you… that I found The Fountain of Youth? Prior to being involved with APO, I never would have imagined my twenty year old self returning to the playground. However, after already obtaining the nickname “Snorlax” after just a few visits, I knew it was where I belonged. My childish spirit could not stay away. Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughs only reminded me of the youth I had begun to lose as I grew up and went to college. My inner child yearned to make a connection with my past self, and regain a piece of my conscious. For this, I am thankful. Recess Buddies has helped me reconnect with my youth and made me realize that I don’t have to grow up, I only have to grow old. Whether it’s being bossed around by a third grader, cheering up someone who had a bad day, or teaching the children the importance of respect, I feel like the impact APO members bring to Recess Buddies is invaluable. I never had a program like Recess Buddies growing up, but having older individuals around is certainly beneficial because it gives a younger generation an alternative perspective. By participating in this service event both the kids and members are giving back to one another. The kids give back with their youthful spirit, and the adults with their vigor and insight. Although I may not have found the literal Fountain of Youth, Recess Buddies has ensured that I will indeed stay young forever.

Wanna Go Thrift Shopping? by Alex Manikas

Every time I have gone to Roanoke Rescue Mission I have witnessed the most gracious people and have experienced the most welcoming environment. I have learned that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference. This mission, and the people that work in it, have adopted such selfless morals and ideals and it is such a humbling experience to volunteer here. Each time that I go to this project, there is something different to do. The first time I went, I served food to those in need in their soup kitchen. This was such an incredible experience as the people were so grateful and happy to see us. The feeling was most definitely mutual. The second time we washed dishes for the soup kitchen where we had the privilege of interacting with many of the volunteers that dedicate their time to the mission. The last time that we volunteered we make beds for the shelter which was a very eye-opening experience. This activity put into perspective how many people are relying on this comfort and security for night.

Most recently we volunteered in the thrift store that is a part of the mission. While this provided the least amount of communication with those who we were serving, it taught us that the smallest acts could provide the biggest positive impacts. To us, hanging up clothes for three hours seems rather trivial, but to the store, we saved them two-days of work and multiple hours of stress. When we left, the store’s manager and her employee endlessly thanked us for our help with kind words and multiple tears to show their gratitude. We didn’t need her to thank us, as we were happy to be spending our time at the mission, but her appreciative nature and kind heart made us feel as though we had made a difference.

The mission creates an environment of belonging for the people that it serves. Their message of hope communicates to the people that whenever they are in need, someone will be there to lend a compassionate and helping hand. The mission itself is amazing but it is the workers, volunteers, and people that you serve that keep you coming back. A project filled with so much positive energy, compassion, hope, encouragement, and inclusion is a hard to pass up on.

20 Minutes of Service by Emily Peck

A hazy pink sunset slowly disappeared below the horizon as four cars sat quietly in a line outside of Cassel Loop. The sounds of small chatter are soon drowned out by the revving of car engines. Just before six fifteen on a chilly Friday afternoon, eighteen members of Alpha Phi Omega set out for Charlotte, NC for a weekend of service.

It was Saturday morning; yet again the sound of engines flooded the air. We were off on an adventure full of service that would take us across the greater city of Charlotte. This was my first service trip as a Brother of Alpha Phi Omega and I didn’t know what exactly to expect. With each project came different surprises and challenges but none hit my core like the final project at the Salvation Army. We were to be serving dinner to women and children. Half of the brothers were called to working the food line; a sprawling spread of sandwiches, salads, and chips laid out neatly as women and children shuffled along to take their share. I was apart of the brothers serving as were personal runners. We walked through the line with each women and helped deliver her food to the tables of hungry and anxious children.

 I wanted to push myself outside of my conversational comfort zone. Those who know me well would say I’m outgoing, however place me in a group of strangers and my loud mouth quickly clams up. After many awkward attempts to socialize with women in line based off of the riveting conversation starters of salads and sandwiches, I felt unfulfilled and unsatisfied with my interactions.  I placed the tray down in its respective location. I felt nervous; that dingy piece of plastic was my safety zone. I put on the best smile I could and tried to walk around the room. I hovered around one family, desperately trying to find something to talk about to break me from this awkward social situation I thrown myself into. One minute ticked by and I chickened out.

Disappointed in my failed attempts at mingling, I circulated the crowded dining room. In this determined state to break out of my shell, I found a young girl who unknown to me at the time would leave me in tears by the end of the night. I complimented her braids, and instantly she rattled off into a very serious conversation about her hair care. I knew I had an in, success! She introduced herself but told me that I could call her MK for short. I sat in the chair next to her and we began to talk about everything. She introduced me to her one month old brother and told me all about her love for science. As an aspiring doctor, I was so happy to see the passion in MK that I held myself at her age.  In the twenty minutes that I talked with MK, my entire attention was on her. Nothing else mattered but this girl. All of the academic commitments that were running in the back of my mind stopped. I have not been so engaged and focused on a conversation with another person to the degree I was with MK in a very long time. She had a great love for life. Though her socioeconomic position was not the greatest, you would have never known that by the charisma she exhibited.

As the end of dinner approached, MK turned to me and asked if I would be serving dinner next week. I hesitantly explained to her that we were only volunteering for this weekend and would have to go back to school. This answer wasn’t satisfactory for MK. She looked toward the greater dining room and uttered, “When you come back…take me back to school with you.”

MK looked at me, wide eyed and hopeful. My heart sunk. In twenty minutes, I connected with this nine year old on such a deep level I felt like a disappointment to her when I had to regretfully remind her that I wouldn’t be back any time soon. It was heartbreaking for me to know there would be no next time. It was even more miserable to watch her slowly realize the same thing. I tried to change the subject quickly; I felt a knot form in my stomach and tears gathering in my eyes. In an attempt to say good bye on a positive note, I reminded her to keep her desire for science and to be a good big sister. As we left the facility, KK was standing by the exit doors with her mother and little brother. I made sure I gave her a wave goodbye. When doing so, a wide smile overcame my face. She returned the enthusiasm. Although I knew I wouldn’t be able to comply with MK’s wishes of taking her back with me, I was able to keep the memories of our conversation.

MK taught me so much about myself without even having to try. I am forever grateful for putting down that tray and challenging myself to mingle. Without doing so, I would not have had the opportunity to meet an individual who I will forever carry in my memory. I would encourage people to be vulnerable and step out of their comfort zone. You never know how rewarding it may be.

Edited By: Megan Burpo

Paper Planes by Ricky Soto

Raw emotion and passion. Charlotte, NC equated to both of these ideals. This service immersion trip, for the brothers that participated, has affected our lives immensely.

It was a perfect sunny morning for service. We first helped out a transitional house for families that are trying to get back on their feet. Stacy, the house mom, shared her passion for service and explained why she does what she does—it was her calling. She worked in retail for a big part of her life, but knew she had a better purpose. This purpose is what brought her to Charlotte. The brothers had a great time raking up leaves in the backyard of the house and we knocked this out fairly quickly. All of us were excited for what the rest of the day would bring us.

We were next at Harvest Church, whom help out with serving hot meals, provide day shelter services, and have community outreach projects. There we learned the story of Pastor Barbara Brewton-Cameron, who had passed away 7 years ago, and how determined she was to “take back the city.” The program offers several opportunities for the community to come together and unite. Our duties included organizing the backstage area, mopping the walking track, and helping out with throwing out some excess trash they had. What really stuck with me was the fact that one woman was able to do all of this for her community.

As being servant leaders for our campus and community, we all have the power to do something special like Pastor Barbara Brewton-Cameron. I can only imagine if she were still here the stories she would share with us. Its people like her that keep me motivated to serve. Her story left a huge impact on us.The next trip was to the Salvation Army.

Here we met one of the most enthusiastic woman in the world, Juanita. She was one of the head kitchen volunteers at this Salvation Army and was extremely ecstatic when she saw all of us show up and ready to help out. You could tell she was humble and appreciative of each and every one use. The moment we showed up to the kitchen, she had us working immediately. We were grabbing all the donated sandwiches, salads, chips, etc. We lined them up in the kitchen and half of us got split to serve the food and half of us of helped families take food to their tables. The interactions we had were truly genuine.

I met a three year old who seemed really bored and I decided to make him a paper airplane. He had the most curious expression on his face; it was priceless. After I made the airplane and flew it over to him, his face lit up. It’s funny how we forget sometimes the innocence children have and how simple things can make someone’s day. I must have flown the airplane back and forth with him over 40 times and every time he caught it, it was the same excited and happy emotion he had when he first caught it.

I’ve never left a service project feeling happy, satisfied, yet frustrated. On one end I was happy that I could spend that little amount of time with that child and made his day. However, the frustrating part is not knowing what the future holds for him or any of the other children there. You hope their parents will find a better job in order for them to prosper. You hope they’ll find a permanent home for themselves to live out their lives. You hope they will somehow make a better life for themselves.

Our last service event was service the homeless of Charlotte in the streets. Emotionally, this impacted me the most. We started at 6 a.m. and the line was endless; we worked with a church group called Church on the Street. We served all types of breakfast foods to them. This type of experience really shows how privileged we all are. We have nothing to complain about. We have a shelter over our heads. We have food, we have money, and we have parents and family that will help us if we need anything—they don’t have any of that. This opportunity to help serve the homeless in the Charlotte community was eye opening and another humbling experience.
We all noticed a pattern throughout our service this weekend. The conditions these families lived became worse and worse as we progressed through the weekend. It was a raw experience.

Being in APO for three years has really taught me how necessary service is, but I didn’t truly understand it until this trip. There are people like us out in the real world that help these people on a daily basis—this is their livelihood and we appreciated all of their efforts.

To all the brothers and future brothers, I highly recommend for you to participate in these service immersion trips. We really were truly immersed in the service and have come closer together and have formed such strong relationships. We laughed together and we cried together.

During reflection, personal stories were shared and we were all there to comfort each other. I’ve never been a part of something so organic, real and lasting. Being a brother in APO is being a vessel of service—to serve your community and beyond. I’m truly proud to be a brother and I will hold these experiences with me for the rest of my life.

Edited by: Megan Burpo

Summertime Service by Brandi Edwards

This summer I was a camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It was physically and mentally exhausting but the most rewarding week of my 20 years. I held a volunteer position as a counselor, whose job is to match up with one camper, aged 6-17, for an entirety of the week. A lot of these children have lost the ability to use their extremities and cannot perform the way muscles would work on their own. The counselors role was to provide complete assistance as many of these children have a difficult time walking if they are not already confined to a wheel chair.

My camper was ambulatory so my job mainly was to be there to support her throughout the week, encourage her fun, and to make sure she took as much experience from camp as possible. Along with my camper there were also two other campers in my room who relied on us to help them into and out of bed, give them showers, change their clothes, and help them use the restroom.

My favorite thing about this project was seeing how happy all of these kids were that for one week they didn’t have to worry that people were looking down on them because of their disease. They really appreciated us being there and we all loved making them happy. My camper said being at camp is her favorite week of the year because she felt like a normal kid. It is now my favorite week too because seeing these kids feel happy with no inhibitions surrounding themselves warms my heart in a way I cannot put on paper.

During one week I learned that we take life for granted. I learned that it does not take much to make people happy but when you humble yourself by giving your time and effort completely to another it makes a world of difference. The whole meaning of service is to help another person just because it’s the right thing to do. It is the most rewarding life experience you will have.

Edited by: Megan Burpo

Walk to End ALZ by Alexis Gelle

Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. That means for the average reader, by the time you have reached the end of this post, three people will have been diagnosed. As someone who has seen the affects of Alzheimer’s first hand, I knew I wanted to participate in the Walk to End ALZ. I also wanted my brothers to participate with me as so many people in our chapter have lost family members to ALZ, currently have family members battling ALZ or know someone who has been affected. The Walk to End ALZ is a great event where everyone can celebrate the research being done to find a cure and to raise awareness.

APO participated in the two mile walk through campus and downtown was able to fundraise over $800! Coming from someone who has participated in the walk for the past two years, I was thrilled to see APO contribute that much and work to make this walk a big event on campus. I wanted my bothers with me to support a cause close to my heart, but what I got was so much better. Brothers individually told me how happy brothers were to be participating in the event and shared how it had affected them personally.

The best part of the night is the opening ceremony. Everyone who registers for the walk gets a different colored promise garden flower. Every color represents a different way that they are connected to ALZ. I always get a purple flower, showing that I have lost someone I loved to ALZ. Blue represents a walker who currently has ALZ, yellow represents a caretaker of someone with ALZ, and Orange is for advocates, people who envision a world without ALZ.
In the opening ceremony, participants are asked to raise their flowers according to their color, one color at a time. This gives me chills every time to see how many people in our NRV community have been affected by this degenerative disease. After the walk everyone “plants” their flower in one collective garden. All the flowers stand together, all the colors intertwine, and all of the hope for a future without ALZ is nourished with each participant.

Two miles, one hour, and one night is all the Walk To End ALZ asks of us. In return I hope to give back a cure so one day the end of this post can be reached with the outcome of three ordinary people; three people who are happy, healthy, and pain free.

Edited By: Megan Burpo

Power of the Ponytail by Lindsey Flowers

I spent the summer working as a counselor in the three year old division of a summer camp. This ended up being the most stressful eight weeks of my life, but also the most enjoyable. Seeing a child’s face light up when they see you is the most heartwarming experience I have to date, and I’ll admit I chase that feeling. When the opportunity to volunteer at Harding Elementary popped up I jumped on board.

I’m usually at Harding as a lunch buddy, but last week my schedule worked out so I was able to attend recess buddies. I walked on to the playground with Christina, one of our pledges, and we both balked as we realized we were unsure on how to talk to kids that are older than three. Do you go up and compliment their outfits? Slyly push yourself into their game? Stand next to them until they’re forced to acknowledge you?

After much deliberation we joined a couple girls in hula hooping which quickly escalated into a quick-paced game of tag. Unfortunately, I quickly realized my lack of stamina and agility put me at a great disadvantage as I repeatedly skidded past kids half my height. When they all ran behind the building I slinked away, leaving Christina to do the running.

As I walked towards the playground, a bundle of curly hair flew at me. I’d met Ellen the week previously at lunch buddies and we’d had a meaningful conversation about her favorite classes and preferred colors. She wrapped her arms around my waist and exclaimed “I saw you yesterday!” Dubious, I asked her what I was wearing and who I was with. She proceeded to describe in detail my t-shirt and vest combination along with the hairstyles of my friends.

Impressed, I sat on the playground with her and discussed the pros and cons of the ponytail. She borrowed a hair tie and gave me her mother’s favorite hairstyle: the topsy-turvy ponytail complete with braid. I immediately did her hair the same way; we spent the rest of recess running around the playground and showing off our matching looks, Ellen even helping the teachers perfect their hairdos.

When it was time to go I once again stood in the middle of the playground with Ellen wrapped around my waist, demanding I stay “forever.” I held her tight and promised to return the following week.

The younger a child is the quicker they seem to be able to make friends. There are no social norms for them to follow or a fear of being awkward to hold them back. Because of this it’s easy to have an impact on their lives, and in return, they impact yours too. I love how easy it is to bond with kids at Harding Elementary, and how the smallest things can make them the happiest. Working with these kids not only brings a smile to their faces, but also one to mine. That’s why I love service—the feeling of accomplishment and joy you bring to both others and yourself. Seeing the actual impact your work can have someone’s life is amazing, and I love Alpha Phi Omega for giving me the opportunity do to this on a weekly basis.

Edited by Megan Burpo

Recess Requires No Age Limit by Sara Lepley

Sometimes, it feels like the kids of Harding Elementary school should get a service hour for Recess Buddies, not the other way around.

For one hour, we get to run, jump rope, and play on the swings. We get to hear stories that only an 8-year-old could come up with, and get to exchange the L.E.D. lights of our laptops for glorious, glorious sunshine.
Recess Buddies, however, is about so much more.

It’s about teaching inclusion. It’s about demonstrating fair play. It’s about going beyond the bully policy that the students recite in class and actually confronting issues head on.
Like the day that a simple game of tag went horribly wrong. The boy designated as “it” felt like the other boys weren’t playing nice, so he started to yell at them. They yelled back. Names were called and feelings were hurt. The boy ran over to his teacher to complain, but she had not seen the fight start and therefore couldn’t do anything about it.

Since I had been right near where it happed, I was able to diffuse the situation. I first offered to take over as “it,” and then laid down some ground rules. We didn’t start to play until everyone agreed we would all be fair sports, use kind language, and most importantly, have fun.
And that was all it took. The tears dried, the game went on, and everyone had a good time.
APO’s cardinal principal friendship finds its place in Recess Buddies in how we interact as brothers, friends, and leaders through our actions. We act as role models for the kids who truly look up to us and look forward to seeing their friends every week.

For me personally, another inclusion is a big factor of why I love Recess Buddies. Every now and then, a group of girls or boys will exclude one of their classmates, whether intentionally or not. Feeling left out hurts at any age, but it’s that much worse when you’re only eight or nine. Since as Recess Buddies we are right there on the playground with the kids, we can make sure that everyone is invited to play.
Everyone should go to Recess Buddies at least once. Not only do you get the opportunity to play outside, but you also get to impact the young people of our community in a really meaningful way.

Edited By: Megan Burpo

Why I Serve by Megan Burpo

As a brother of Alpa Phi Omega, I am often asked the obvious question of “why do you love service?” It is a concept so simple to me, yet an answer so hard to articulate in words. There is the clear joy of helping someone in need, the civic responsibility of giving back to a world which I am privileged to be a part of, and the chance to gain a broader understanding of the community around me. The hardest answer to explain, yet the simplest to say is, the people.

During the first semester of my sophomore year, I signed up for APO’s Salvation Army tutoring. I thought the twice a week commitment sounded like a fun time, and a great way to get some steady service hours. When I first showed up to the center, the director told me she had assigned me a student and would let me know when they came in. I sat on my plastic chair brimming with anticipation. Every time the door opened and a new student walked through, my heart leaped. There was an adorable five-year-old with his batman comic books, a 12 year-old girl running to hug the program director, and a 14 year-old boy obtaining nothing but a science textbook and a bored look on his face. We’d all know I was lying if I said my heart wasn’t already attached to the superhero’s and the sweet hugs. But, when I was called over, I was introduced to Jack*, my biology-book carrying sulken teenager.

Jack was 13 years old and enrolled in a homeschool based program that let students progress at their own pace, regardless of age. This meant that Jack was three years behind the majority of his friends, and from what I gathered, not a subject he liked to talk about. As I introduced myself to Jack, I scanned for a backpack or an overlooked workbook containing something that wasn’t science. If there is one thing in this world I should never be a tutor for, it is science. English would have been great, even math would have sufficed, but science was the subject of my nightmares. Regardless, Jack needed a tutor, so we opened the book and started working. For two weeks we spent the hour sessions with me talking to myself while Jack gave no interest in doing anything except staring at the clock. The director and I tried everything from pictures, to interactive models to make concepts easier to grasp and the hour be fun for Jack.

The next Tuesday, it was time to go to tutoring and I was honestly dreading it. I wasn’t in the mood and my patience was non-existent. When Jack sat down I gave him two papers, one was my English paper with an A on the top and the other was a chemistry test with a bold red F next to my name. I told Jack that we are good at different things, that it can take a long time to find our strengths, even though our weaknesses always seem to jump out. Jack replied by telling me he had no strengths, that he was dumb and that his friends laughed at him for it. I noticed Jack’s camouflage attire and asked him if knew about animals and hunting. He gave me a look that made it certain he thought I was insane for answering him with such a random question. I then proceeded to ask every question under the sun about animal care so much that he probably questioned my ability to be a tutor. The more I told Jack about how impressed I was with what he knew, the more he would ask questions about what I knew finally prompting his comfort in learning.

During my semester tutoring Jack, we only got through about three chapters. At times it was painful and slow and it was hard to keep patience. But, at the end of the semester Jack could tell me everything there was to tell me about those three chapters. He could explain it in his words and was proud of himself beyond belief. At the end of the semester I learnt that service isn’t about showing up, but about actually caring to make a difference.

Why do I love service? It can be summed up pretty easily; Jack’s self-confidence, his mom’s smile, new friends exchanging christmas gifts, and of course a shared hatred of science class.