Courtney Van Haaften | Sports Co-Editor
It was the spring of 2013 and her first time visiting a third-world country. The airplane ride over the ocean was ending, and in that moment, Buena Vista University (BVU) senior Caitlin Hoffman didn’t know what to expect. She entered the grungy, rundown airport and was surprised by the next thing she saw. A band made up of several Haitians welcomed her group into the country. They played loud, melodious, happy music that made Hoffman feel more at ease.
“Flying into that airport was my first inclination that it was going to be the best trip ever,” Hoffman said.
Volunteering in Haiti was Hoffman’s second experience with an Alternative Week of Offsite Learning. AWOL is an organization that allows students the chance to perform service work during BVU’s spring break. In Haiti, Hoffman spent time working with children in orphanages and volunteered her time with the group doing their part in ending poverty in such a disaster-stricken area.
Director of Civic Engagement at BVU, Ashley Farmer-Hanson, also went on that 2013 service trip to Haiti.
“The students develop communication skills, problem-solving skills, and just that ability to work in an atmosphere that’s unfamiliar to them, but in the comfort of knowing they’re with their peers and group advisers so it’s safe,” Farmer-Hanson said.
According to Hoffman, the streets of Haiti were so crowded that transportation throughout the country was terrifying. There was barely any room for cars full of people to get where they needed to go, and there were small bikes and motorcycles trying to weave through the masses of vehicles. Trash, litter, and water covered the ground, and the continuous honking, yelling, and bustle of the people there made traveling a stressful task.
Hoffman described leaving the orphanage on her last day in Haiti; tears wouldn’t leave her eyes, she was forced to wear sunglasses to hide her tear-stained face, and she left knowing that her life would never be the same. She didn’t want to leave the children in Haiti because of the deep connection formed with the children that she played with and held. She created in immeasurable and indescribable bond that only those who were there could ever fully comprehend.
“You become their family for that short time that you’re there. I hope that when I’m older I’ll get to bring a child home, and that’s my ultimate goal – to adopt a child from Haiti,” Hoffman.
Hoffman has come to find herself through all of her volunteer work through AWOL. As a sophomore student trying to find her place in the world, the opportunity to spend her time giving back to others during spring break was extremely appealing. In the spring of 2012, she traveled to Chicago. There, she walked the crowded streets of the city, met those who were forced to live on the streets, and handed out care packages to the sad and individuals who needed her help.
Another vast takeaway Hoffman took from Chicago was her passion for children and the non-profit industry as a whole. BVU’s AWOL group met with the founder of Kids Off the Block and listened to her story about how she started such an impactful organization and why she does it. The compassion and love shown to all of those kids that need help brought tears to Hoffman’s eyes and changed her life forever.
“AWOL has instilled in me that I want to be a part of the non-profit sector. That may sound silly because it’s just a couple of trips that I went on that decided to form my whole career path, but it’s even more than that. It’s changed my lifestyle. It’s made me understand who I am as a person,” Hoffman said.
As a senior who will be graduating in May, Hoffman has one more chance to exert her leadership and give back to those less fortunate than her. On March 23, Hoffman will be boarding an airplane headed to New York City with two advisors, Ken Meissner, BVU Chaplain, and Mark Shea, Director of Student Success, and 11 other BVU students to volunteer their time to those in need.
Hoffman is a site leader for the trip to New York, which allows her to be a part of the planning process and be a mentor for fellow students who are traveling with AWOL for the first time. Her charisma and passion for volunteering also permitted her to be a site leader during her trip to Haiti.
“I don’t like to do things small-scale, I’d rather do it larger. When I knew there was an opportunity for leadership, that’s what I wanted to take,” Hoffman said.
The focus of the trip to New York City is hunger and homelessness. The group will be volunteering its time in homeless shelters, interacting with those who live on the streets, and working in various food pantries in order to deliver and provide food for those who need it the most.
Because this will be Hoffman’s third AWOL trip, her leadership will be apparent and she will be able to be a role model for those who haven’t had the same experiences she has had thus far. Her passion and comfort is evident when talking about volunteering, children, and service work. Her feet up on the chair in front of her, the constant grin on her face, and the glow in her bright blue eyes.
“I get to see people who have never been on a trip transform and have this experience. It gives me the chance to sit back and watch and maybe have their lives shaped by this experience as well,” Hoffman said.
