This summer, we had the privilege to start having volunteer teams visit The Dale from Project Serve once again. Project Serve is a really great organization that facilitates service trips for groups of youth. Their mission is to teach young people about the realities of poverty and injustice within their own city or abroad, and show them how to get involved through experiencing serving for themself.
Before working at The Dale, I used to be a part of Project Serve and they are actually the reason I discovered The Dale! When I was in middle school, Jenn Mikelait (the director of Project Serve) was also my youth leader and invited all the junior highs on a weekend long Project Serve trip. That weekend trip really impacted my perspective on homelessness, poverty, and inner city ministry. After that, I continued to attend Project Serve trips every year as a student until eventually I started working there as an intern. Working at Project Serve played a big role in pulling me out of my comfort zone and taught me so much. Becoming a leader gave me the opportunity to share with youth all that I have been learning myself and it was so cool to witness them go on this journey of growth and faith.
I am so grateful for Jenn Mikelait for changing my life in this way and mentoring me along the way. Still to this day she is an important mentor in my life and an inspiration to me of following in the path that the Lord is taking you on.
Through Project Serve I was introduced to The Dale, for it was one of the organizations we would bring the teams of youth to. We took our teams to serve at many places every summer but I distinctly remember the first time we went to The Dale. It felt so different from the other places we served at, because when we got to The Dale, instead of serving we were served. Food was cooked for us and we were invited to sit and hang out. I witnessed community working together and with dignity, for everyone played a role in making this space possible. That experience really stuck with me. I knew one day I wanted to be more involved with The Dale, and now I am so grateful to be a part of it in the way that I am.
Throughout this July and August we had a total of 4 teams come to The Dale! It was so neat to have a glimpse into the amazing work that Project Serve is still doing, and having the opportunity to see it from this new perspective. Something that was really exciting was that we were able to have my own church’s youth group come as well! It felt like many worlds collided that day. My youth group came and put together a bbq for our Dale community, and it was so sweet to sit around tables and spend time all together.
It’s incredible to look back at where God has taken me and how He is always at work. I am so thankful that He put Jenn in my life so that Project Serve could be a big part of my story and both prepare me and introduce me to The Dale.
My job with The Dale requires that I fundraise my entire salary! If you would like to support me in my work click here to donate online or reach out to me at livdower@gmail.com. Please prayerfully consider joining my team whether that be through support financially or through prayer! Thank you!
oliviadower 