En Camino - Volunteering & Staff

Volunteers and Staff

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Central College Presbyterian Church : On June15-17, a group of middle and high school youth from the Westerville Presbyterian Church visited two migrant camps. The children enjoyed crafts, singing, and lunch provided by the youth group. Many laughs created friendships from 10 till 2 in the afternoon...and they plan on coming back next year!

Notre Dame Academy May 2006: Katie Large, a Senior at Notre Dame Academy, spent a week with En Camino for her Senoir project. She helped in the intensive reading program, and helped take census in the camps, taught English, visited Texas Migrant Council, and tutored in the Family School.

Notre Dame Academy June 2005: Anne Weidner, Michaela Jaber, Leama Ajaka, and Ann Lucas volunteered with En Camino for a week. They stayed with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Liepsic, and tutored with the children in Ohio Migrant Education Center (grade school) and visited Inkrott Camp in the evening.

Heather Beck, a junior at Maumee Valley Country Day School in Toledo, volunteered with En Camino during this summer. She taught a First Communion class, took care of children while parents met for a parenting class, and tutored two 8-year olds who were having trouble passing the reading proficiency tests in Texas.

Heather reflects, "Children are severely misunderstood by my peers and even by many adults. Throughout the years I have heard a lot of negative stereotypes about Mexicans in particular, however the children and adults alike were some of the most generous, thankful, and hard-working people I've ever met.

These things can only be learned through interaction and experience, but I try to share my experiences with friends and teachershoping to shed light on these wonderful people and encourage them to learn more as well.

Before I started working with En Camino, I had no idea there were so many migrant workers in Northwest Ohio, let alone in the U.S. I didn't realize how many wonderful services and classes were available to them through organizations, parishes, and the like, and I also didn't know that so many people worked to make migrant life as easy as possible. It's truly been a great learning experience, and I hope to continue to learn more about the migrant's lives and contributions, as well as meet more of these incredible people."

Laura Weidner, a Senior at Notre Dame High School volunteered with migrant ministry this summer. She worked with children at the migrant school and visited a labor camp in Leipsic.

These are some of her thoughts:
"I learned more about myself and other people than I would have ever expected. I have always lived in predominately white, upper-middle class suburbs; I had little experience with people from other cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. This made my visit in Leipsic a huge wake up call. I'm sad to admit this, but my perception of foreigners before this experience was not a very pleasant one. Although I had never interacted with them, I had a hard time viewing them equally. My attitude was transformed from hostility to sympathy in a matter of minutes. I finally realized that they are one of God's children just as much as I am. They are an important part of commerce in America and no one seems to give them any credit for the work that they do.

The wealthy white man from the suburbs wouldn't last two days in the fields to do the strenuous work that they do. It amazed me that despite their hard times, they were never bitter. They were grateful for every meal that they got. They never once complained. I learned a lot from being around such genuine people. Every time that I want to complain about what is being served for lunch in our cafeteria, I stop and think about how thankful many other people in the world would be to receive that same meal. It was a very humbling experience. I was also disgusted with my old attitude towards people that are less fortunate than I am. Now, rather than ostracizing them, I try to go to extra lengths to help them. They need my time and help a lot more than anyone else."

Teresa Myer is a theology major from Ohio Dominican University who volunteered with En Camino for two months. Teresa feels that this experience has affected her view of the Church, " I have opened my eyes to the universal nature of the Church, especially to the beautifully diverse traditions and devotions of the Hispanic population". Teresa has also discovered that through networking with other people helps to better serve the migrants.

Teresa offers this reflection, "To bring the Mass out of the church building and into the camps was powerful to me. It made me realize the need for the church to reach out to all people.

I have been sharing what I have learned with those around me so that they may have a better understanding of this population, their struggles, and the importance of reaching out to them."