Class Experience (Written by Kimberly)

We are now more than halfway through the semester and with each class, our list of potential recipients grows smaller and class conversations become more intense. The two nonprofits focused on in todays class couldn’t be more different. Project Bread is an organization whose mission is to provide healthy and nutritious food to the hungry and have a strong focus on preventing and ending hunger. The organization is strong and innovative and beneficial to many.
Following an in-depth discussion about Project Bread, we moved on to our second focus of the day: The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. This organization is one like no other discussed in class so far, whose purpose is to provide emotional support to families who have been affected by murder. The most controversial part of this organization that was dedicated to most of our discussion is the fact that they support families of both the victims and the families of those who have been incarcerated for murder. This organization and unique and important, but some in our class was unsure of how they felt about donating to an organization that supports those who are associated with such severe crimes. Especially when we have a list of nonprofits that support those desperately in need and haven’t harmed others. This question sparked a strong and emotional debate amongst the class, especially because students in this classroom have suffered from this issue.
For me, it was shocking to see that people in the class have been affected by murder because I have never been affected by such a tragedy or known anyone who has. I think one of the best things about this class is how eye opening it can be to the lives of our fellow classmates. We get a glimpse into the experiences of our classmates and gain a greater understanding of how we each relate differently to the nonprofits we are discussing.
Right as tensions were rising, a pleasant surprise was sent to our classroom: Domino’s pizza sent from Shanna at the Learning By Giving Foundation. This unexpected gift boosted class moral and relieved much of the stress present in the classroom from our in-depth and sensitive discussion. Our whole class is very grateful from this sweet gesture.