"It was a strange feeling how we connected for just that second," she recalled. "I could see how truly grateful he was. That experience set the tone for the week for me."
As coordinator of Hamilton's Alternative Spring Break program, Krystyn knew she wanted to add a big-city trip to the schedule. While 60 spent their Spring Break building houses, clearing trails and tutoring students in South Carolina, Alabama and Florida, Krystyn and nine others spent a week in the nation's capitol addressing the issues of hunger and homelessness.
"We live in Clinton nine months a year, and even though some of us volunteer in Utica, we have the security of knowing we can return to a beautiful campus," Krystyn said, "so this seemed important."
The group cleaned and painted apartments for low-income families and a transitional house for homeless men. They also prepared and served meals at the Community Kitchen and Neighbors Consejo, a Latino community center. One evening, they met with a representative from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Even more valuable than the statistics he presented, Krystyn said, were the experiences shared by two other guest speakers: a homeless man and a formerly homeless woman.
"Personal connection is the first step in changing attitudes. What will stay with us are the faces of the people we met along the way," she said.
