OPERATION PHoto Shoot: COMPLETED

After an extensive trianing session yesterday morning, the trip to the community center was a success, in more ways than one.

Buckner is a part of many ministries and many programs, from Retirement Services, Adoption Programs, to After-School and community programs, and I was lucky to go to one of their premier programs, the Wynnewood Community Center.

I was honored to be invited among two others as we were given a tour of the facility by the director, as I called her, "Miss Cheryl." What was unique about Miss Cheryl is her story, which I would find out was apart of the bigger story of helping others. In the tour she showed us many places from the different facilities for the programs they run, whether senior programs, empowerment classes, and their biggest program the children after-school program.

What was very unique about most of these programs, are the fact that these centers are located in the center of disadvantaged and impoverished locations. Being in the center of Oak Cliff, which has been known for it's high crime rate, high drop-out rate among teenagers, and low employment among families, it comes with great responsibility, and the workers and staff at the center continue to embrace that. Through the center, the children have changed, adults have been able to find jobs, and families are being given the help that they need.

What I thought was the most memorable thing about the trip was the stories that each person at the center shared. From positive stories to negative stories, just to hear these testaments of why these workers wake up and are eager to go to work each day, was enough to leave anyone in awe.

Overall, being my first outside-assignment, it was a neat center to see for myself, and to see people from all walks of life. Just to see the kids and to hear about the changes that the center has made it these families lives, just makes you want to work more. But until then . . . Stay tuned

- The Intern