Jennifer Rudenko knows that the two days she鈥檚 spending with the homeless and the poor in Indianapolis won鈥檛 teach her everything about the ravages of poverty.
But the University of 91吃瓜 senior said participating in the college鈥檚 Urban Plunge program will at least give her a glimpse of the struggles some face.p. 鈥淵ou can help people more if you honestly understand where they鈥檙e coming from and really know what they鈥檙e going through,鈥� the 20-year-old Evansville native said as she worked on a kitten jigsaw puzzle with two children staying at the Holy Family Shelter on the Near Southside.p. The past two nights, Rudenko, four other 91吃瓜 students and a St. Mary鈥檚 College student slept in sleeping bags on the shelter鈥檚 floor. By day, they鈥檙e working and learning in an inner-city environment foreign to them.p. The students are among 250 from the two colleges and Holy Cross College who are immersed in 40 cities for 48 hours throughout the country. It鈥檚 called 鈥渆xperiential learning鈥� 鈥� taking students out of the classroom for firsthand experiences.p. 91吃瓜鈥檚 program started about 20 years ago, and students have come to Indianapolis for the past decade. Now, many colleges have programs offering students all types of out-of-classroom experiences and community service opportunities 鈥� some for class credit, said Rebecca Pettit, director of urban programming for 91吃瓜鈥檚 Center for Social Concerns.p. The center鈥檚 Urban Plunge program, worth one credit, is one of about 35 courses, summer and other experiential programs that will involve 1,000 students this year.p. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helping students discern how serving others can be a part of their lives,鈥� Pettit said.p. The Urban Plunge program, organized here by Marion Superior Court Judge David Dreyer, an alumnus, and the 91吃瓜 Club of Indianapolis, leads students to find out how their faith or personal beliefs can help them serve the less fortunate.p. Sophomore Megan Pfarr, of Indianapolis, hopes her encounters with people who need help will drive her passion for service. 鈥淚 want to confirm my desire to be a missionary,鈥� the 20-year-old Roncalli High School graduate said. On Wednesday, the students worked at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and combed city streets with two homeless-outreach programs. This morning, they鈥檙e serving food at the Cathedral Soup Kitchen and touring the Marion County Jail and Christamore House.p. Some students were uneasy about walking the streets at night. But not enough to keep them from seeing the troubles firsthand.p. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely out of my comfort zone,鈥� said Lindsay Greene, who grew up in a middle-class Fort Wayne suburban area. 鈥淭he biggest reason I鈥檓 doing this is to put a face and name to a problem.鈥漰. Relaxing with students in the lounge at Holy Family Shelter, resident Cherie Merriweather said the program is a good idea for students to 鈥済et down in the trenches and see what it鈥檚 like. They鈥檒l get a sense of it here.鈥漰. She came to the shelter Sunday with her two young children after escaping an abusive home. She admits to making some bad choices but wants to work and provide for her children. And the day care provided at the shelter will give her time to look for a good job.p. It鈥檚 stories like Merriweather鈥檚 that help students better understand that there are many reasons for homelessness and poverty, said Bill Bickel, shelter director.p. 鈥淚t often dispels some of the myths about homeless families,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just as if they looked hard enough for a job, they鈥檒l be OK.鈥�
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