By Michelle Rehfield, Summer Staff 2002-08, from Riviera United Methodist Church
My first SSP summer experience spoke to me on several levels and stuck with me in ways that are difficult to explain. I still remember the work we did in 1996, replacing the plywood and installing vinyl flooring in an elder, Georgiana’s, home. I loved the trust and responsibility we were given, the community that we built that week, the glimpse into our host’s community that was so different than my own. These things planted seeds in me that I continue to recognize in my adult life.
I went on to become a staff member and then a counselor for SSP. I became a teacher at a small non-profit school in rural North Carolina and am now studying to become a nurse. Learning to commune with and care for people inside the margins is how I live my ministry in today’s world. Each summer that I participated in SSP filled me up, brought to light questions about the world and our relationships with each other, and lit a fire in me in new and exciting ways.
I love that SSP does this for youth, counselors, staff and people in the host communities each summer. I am thrilled to be a 12xSSP monthly recurring donor to support SSP’s work, with youth and adults alike, to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly.
Editor’s Note: We love our 12xSSP donors! Join this group of over 100 people who are on track to provide $45,000 in annual income for SSP in 2016.