Teen Service Week

During one of our recent planning meetings, Laura Dawson led us in prayer. She asked us to come up with 30 memories we are grateful for on Teen Service Week because we have celebrated 30 TSWs together. Here are the Core Group's responses:
We are grateful for:

1. The vision of Bill and George Koll in coming up with the seemingly simple but revolutionary idea of Teen Service Week.
2. All the teens who continue to plant the seeds of justice.
3. Finding Teen Service Week and helping it grow.
4. The Teen Service Week community that has developed.
5. The 1000's of sandwiches we have made, packed and distributed at Port Ministries.
6. Teens as they have become adults and the seeds have sprouted.
7. The service sites that do the work of justice every day.
8. All the homesites that have supported TSW over the years.
9. The generosity of people in their giving of time, food, donations, and money.
10. Teens who have taught me.
11. Shared experiences of prayer.
12. Laughter and smiles and memories.
13. Spiritual and moral compass that TSW is to me.
14. Expansive and inclusive spirituality of TSW.
15. All the wonderful people we have encountered -- children, teens, adults, and seniors -- and how we have blessed each other.
16. Learning about intentionality and allowing me to look at my own life with more intention.
17. The sense of renewal TSW gives me each year.
18. Watching the growth of TSW as teens become peer ministers become adults become directors.
19. People who quietly support us.
20. Meals shared on TSW with food lovingly prepared.
21. Real conversations.
22. How we stay true to the mission but are always open to adjusting our course.
23. That my son could be a part of this whole thing and we could share it together.
24. For parents who have entrusted their beloved teens to us.
25. For Fr. Bob Heinz and Maggie Bruce at St. Norbert and for 8th Day Center for Justice.
26. That Carolyn did all the hard work to gain us non for profit status! 
27. The support of the archdiocese.
28. For the City of Chicago - the experiences we've had here, the beauty of the city, the friendliness of the people, the food.
29. The safety we have had as a group on the Week.
30. That we are who we are and that we try to guide TSW collaboratively.