Hungering for Justice Artist Interview

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Gianna Cordasco, a senior Physician Assistant major, was completely new to the King’s College SERVE trips the first time she went, but had participated in numerous other activities through King’s. She participated in the Winter Serve trip to San Antonio, Texas in 2013, and also helps with numerous programs locally, such as Active Minds and Peer Tutoring. Gianna has submitted two of her pictures for the “Hungering for Justice” exhibit, and she is planning to attend the next SERVE trip to Phoenix, Arizona in spring 2014.

Her first picture is called “Out of Darkness,” and it shows a group of students at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre that participated with the Active Minds group at King’s to promote suicide awareness. Active Minds is a club at King’s that tries to remove the stigma around mental illness, and they try to promote the importance of mental wellness and awareness.

The second picture is from the Winter Serve trip to San Antonio. Many of the activities she was involved with were working at a food shelter, serving food, and helping to teach children. The picture was taken at an outreach center in one of the more under-served communities in San Antonio and shows the group of students from King’s that participated on this SERVE trip. This center helps the community by providing arts and crafts for children because drugs are known to be prevalent in the area. The center is run by a couple named Patty and Rob, who decided to use their house as the outreach center, and to dedicate their lives to the betterment of the neighborhood.

One of the most shocking moments occurred to Gianna when she was welcoming all the guests at the homeless shelter and asking how their day was. When one man in particular was asked this, he responded by saying “terrible.” Gianna replied by asking why, and he answered back “because I’m in a homeless shelter.”

“It was moments like this that made me realize how well off I was because I could return home to my family at any time. It was a difficult thing to realize, and it made me want to help even more,” said Gianna.

“A little thing can inspire someone so much, and even if someone has nothing they can still be happy,” says Gianna as a result from going on Winter Serve. It is so easy to bring hope to people that almost have given up, and it can be done through such small actions. When asked if this trip inspired her, Gianna says she believes that, “The people on the trip probably inspired me more than I inspired them, and the trip has made me want to continuing serving the community in whatever way I can.”