On January 30, the freshman Pace Plus class took their annual field trip to Impact Houston Church of Christ. This is a place that doubles as a church and a center for what they call ‘Outdoorsmen’ instead of ‘homeless people’. The center provides them with a place to sleep, opportunities to shower, and hot meals.

“It’s important the students broaden their horizons and get exposed to opportunities to serve others,” Archie Collins, a mentor with AOC said. “It could also show them the dangers of making bad decisions in life.”

While there, the students volunteered in places like the clothing pantry. Here, they separated clothes by children, men, and women and placed them into boxes for later redistribution. Despite the 40 degree weather and the pantry being in a warehouse, the students paid it no mind and made fun out of the work.

“It felt good to do something good for people that didn’t have anything,” Abundant Ezeugo (9) said.

Another place in which the students helped was creating hygiene kits for the Outdoorsmen. In this area, the kids put toiletries like toothbrushes, shampoo, razors, and deodorant into bags for the Outdoorsmen. The bags that were made that day will be enough to hold the center over for months.

The students also helped prepare lunch for everyone that day, and it was a can opener versus everyone. The students helped cut up the meat, prepare the green beans, made the lemonade, separate the rolls of bread, and line up the cookies. They also helped serve the meal and did not eat until they made sure everyone else had a plate.

Taking a break from work, part of the rotations included a session with an individual in the resident house. He shared a part of his story with the kids and how he got to where he is today. He also emphasized to the students the importance of keeping good company around them, and not letting who they surround themselves with get them into trouble.

The class enjoyed the trip and gushed about getting to try something new. They really enjoyed stepping out of their comfort zone.

“It gets them out of their element,” Megan Brisker, the Algebra 1 team leader and AOC teacher said. “[The students] get to see what the real world looks like.”