Once again, four young adults with a heart for service have traveled to the area to lend a hand. The young ladies, all part of the XPlor program, through the Disciples of Christ Church’s National Benevolent Association, is a faith-based, 10-month residency program designed for young adults aged 21- to 30-, who are looking to explore lives of care and service. The 2019-2020 team traveled to the area in September, and will complete their assignments in June.
Heidi George from Texas, studied kinesiology at Jarvis Christian, a Disciples of Christ college. While her degree gave her insight to a career in physical education, PT, and OT, she was looking to experience someplace different from her home state; a place where she could grow as a person and be closer to God. She noted that she hopes her work through the XPlor program helps her take what she learned at school to the next steps, in a leadership role in her career. Through the program, she was placed in an internship in Service Learning at Hiram College; she’s based at Mantua Center Christian Church.
Natalie Langham, traveled from Fayetteville, where she attended the University of Arkansas and earned her bachelors degree in English. She credits an “invisible push” that led her to the XPlor program. She acknowledged that when she met a recruiter at her church, she knew it was destiny. She enrolled in the program because of her desire to grow as a person, and explore something special and see the world outside her bubble. She shared her desire that the program will help her grow and, “gain a larger perspective of what the world really is,” and to see outside of her own perspective. Langham has been placed at Hiram Farm as a direct service provider. Her role is to help the farmers, young adults on the Autism Spectrum, to navigate their roles on the Farm. She sees her role as one who helps the farmers grow into their own, adding, “Autism isn’t something you grow out of, it’s something you grow into.”
Jennifer Williams hales from New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended the University of Lynchburg, where a fair number of previous XPlor residents have originated. She studied chemistry and creative writing, and has also been placed at the Hiram Farm in the role of Administrative Assistant. She came to the program after finishing finals. She was able to maintain her focus through college, despite the fact that her father was told he two years left to live. Luckily, her dad beat the odds, and Williams was one of the lucky few who received a job offer prior to graduation. Walking back to her dorm after completing finals, she struggled with trying to determine her next steps. After talking with the campus chaplain, she decided to take some time off. She joked, “It’s better than waiting until 35 to figure out what I’m doing with my life.” Her search led her to become an Xplor resident. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, she’s proud of her work at Hiram Farm and pleased to take time to give back. She noted being, “in awe of the people I meet and what they do. It’s tough — working with individuals with developmental disabilities, some who are non-verbal. For low pay, with little time off.” She continued, “People who take care of other people should be paid more and get more respect,” she affirmed. “ And I’ve learned how crazy the healthcare system is,” she concluded.
Courtney Sharp joined the program fresh from Kansas State University, where she studied microbiology and pre-med. She was looking for a meaningful way to spend the year before heading to medical school. Through the program, she divides her time between helping with the afterschool program at the Crestwood Middle School and at the Campus Ministry program at Kent State University. The transition isn’t as difficult as you might think, since she noted, “a few cases where college students can act like middle school kids.” At Kent, she’s adapting to leading students closer to her age; she shared that skills like effective time management tools and effectively handling stress apply equally to both groups in her care.
She was surprised to learn some of her middle school students’ backgrounds, and just how much they rely on having a place to go after school. She’s proud to help provide space for them to get a break from their siblings, or having a safe place to hang out, do homework, and socialize while their parents work late. While some kids appreciate time and help with homework, all enjoy the chance to have after school snacks, games, and outdoor activities the structured program provides. Sharp enjoys helping the group work on simple projects, and hopes to teach them some basic cooking skills. She added that, as with any group of growing teenagers, the program is always accepting donations for fruits, vegetables, and non-perishable items.
Throughout the next several months, the hard work of these four young women will help improve the lives they touch as they serve the local community while discerning their place in the world. For more information on the XPlor program, visit NBAcares.org.
