AB Has Begun!

Hey everyone! My name is Lexi and I am a sophomore psychology major with a minor in human development. After waking up (and drinking a large cup of coffee) I was ready to head over to the Family Justice Center and really start this AB experience.

We started our day at the FJC with a simulation activity, called "In Her Shoes" where we all had to take on the role of a victim of domestic abuse, and make decisions about how to handle our situation. We quickly realized how frustrating it was to be a victim, as many resources we expected to be helpful surprisingly became more problematic. These scenarios we were reading were all true stories, and this simulation quickly helped us understand the true adversity that these victims of domestic abuse faced. We also spent time after the simulation really discussing some problems we encountered throughout the simulation and other frustrations we had. After, we then traveled into the heart of Knoxville for lunch (despite the rain) and got Subway, woo!

After a little lunch break we returned to the Family Justice Center for a presentation given by Officer Kitts about domestic violence. He was really engaging and very informative, sharing some unknown and important information about domestic violence. Overall, today there was a serious emphasis on learning more about domestic violence to help reinforce the meaning behind our service this week. Afterwards, the director of the FJC shared her passion for working for such a great organization, and shared her personal story as well. It was really meaningful to hear about how domestic violence impacted her life, and learn how it empowered her to create so much change. We finished our day at the FJC by getting a tour of the facility, and learning more about the different departments that were interconnected, and how it is a great place for survivors of domestic violence to go and use as a resource.

Before returning back to the church we stopped at the local Walmart (we love Walmart) to get some food and get air mattresses for some of those who were not a fan of sleeping on the floor...they will now be very happy tonight. We came back to the church afterwards and some people started to make dinner, while I got to take a much needed nap. I woke up to grilled cheese and tomato soup, which was perfect for this rainy day. After dinner we also got to do Zumba at the church. It was only my second time doing Zumba, and definitely not my last. I could not help but smile and laugh almost the entire time.

We finished the night by reflecting on our day as a group and discussing some things we liked best about the day, and things we found particularly interesting. We also had an educational portion, where we watched a Ted Talk about domestic violence. After today, it has become evident that domestic violence affects so many people, and it is essential we help spread awareness to help prevent it. Now it is officially time for sleep (so I can wake up at 7:30am tomorrow), but I am really excited to dive into the rest of this week of service!