As part of a trip initiated by the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), nine female and seven male Pitt student-athletes climbed four miles up a mountain in Haiti, providing food and clothes to many of the poverty-stricken natives.

One moment on the mountain even brought [Devin Street to tears.

“As we were walking up the mountain with food and clothes, we would see people in need of them,” said Street, a wide receiver on the football team. “We came across a little girl and her mother. The little girl had a raggedy shirt on–it didn’t fit her and was all dirty. She had no pants and no shoes. And I had a pair of nice gold sandals meant for a girl with jewels on them in my bag. We gave her the shoes and they fit her perfectly; they were meant for her.

“I broke down on the mountain thinking about people that have to live like that,” Street added.

To read the rest of this article and view a video of the Pitt student-athletes talking about their Haiti trip, check out Pitt student-athletes discuss their Haiti experiences 

(Pitt LiveWire: The Official Athletic Blog of the University of Pitsburgh, Mendy Nestor, May 16, 2013)

To read, hear, and see more about this trip, check out these links:

Pitt Athletes Enjoy Another Trip to Haiti
(PantherDigest.com, Tony Greco, May 16, 2013)

Pitt student-athletes leave comfort zone for Haiti
(Panther-Lair.com, Chris Peak, May 17, 2013)

Haiti trip an eye-opener for Pitt athletes
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ray Fittipaldo, May 18, 2013)

Listen to Pitt football players, linebacker Mike Caprara and fullback Mark Giubilato, talk about the trip to Haiti on The Fan Morning Show (93.7 FM, May 21, 2013)

Check out the Photo Gallery of the Haiti 2013 trip from the Pitt Athletic Department

Living in Color was the brainchild of Kathy Kinzer-Downs and Lamont Downs, CCO staff members who partner with Geneva to minister to students through their roles on campus. Kathy serves as Geneva College’s Director of Multicultural Student Services, and Lamont holds two positions, as Multicultural Student Services Coordinator and Director of The Academy.

The mission of the Multicultural Student Services Office is for student’s lives to be transformed through the power and work of Christ, allowing them to become effective Christian leaders by growing in a deeper understanding and appreciation of their culture and heritage.

There are a thousand things I’d love to say as you begin life in the post-college world. Things like:

• Learn to live on a budget, and don’t go into (any more) debt.
• Commit to a local church, even if the people there seem strange.
• Do your work with integrity because your work matters, even on the days when you feel like your job is boring and pointless.
• Get off the Internet and go somewhere—anywhere.
• Stop eating ice cream alone from the carton because you feel like a loser on Friday nights now that all of your close friends live miles away (and the only people you can think to hang out with are twice your age. And they’re your parents).

I could go on, but more than advice, the best thing I can offer is a little help closing the gap between your expectations of life after college and the reality you may face. To that end, here are some things I’ve found to be true for most alumni. I hope these will help normalize your own experience, and remind you that you are not alone. There is life after college!

Click here to read the rest of this article at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s On Campus, On Purpose blog.

 Erica Young Reitz partners with the CCO and Calvary Baptist Church to reach out to students at Penn State University.

Because the church is located right on the edge of the Gannon University campus, Gannon students have naturally reaped the most benefits of this partnership by participating in the ministry of the Kirk House. This one-time manse of the church is now a gathering place—and residential community—for college students who want to grow in their Christian faith.

On Sunday, April 28, former CCO staff members and student alumni from several generations of college ministry gathered to commemorate this anniversary—worshiping together and then celebrating with coffee and cake. The Rev. Tara Woodard-Lehman preached that morning; she served at as a CCO Kirk House Director in the late 1990s. Today, she is the Presbyterian Chaplain at Princeton University.

“It was the vision of Dr. Robert Veon, Senior Minister, Church of the Covenant, to have a robust outreach to both college-age members of the church and local campuses,” explains Bob Bruckart, one of the first CCO staff members to serve in this partnership. Forty years later, the Rev. Robert M. Bruckart, PhD, LMHC, serves as Director of Pastoral Care for Health First, Inc. in Melbourne, Florida.

“Robert Long and Jim Welch from the CCO set up the relationship with Covenant and the college ministry began summer of 1973. Three of us—Janet Falhaber, Ron Mele and I—lived and provided ministries from both the Kirk House—the one-time manse of the church—and the Roth House. Ministries included weekly Bible studies, suppers, outreach to campus groups, service teams and, of course, the emerging annual college conference in downtown Pittsburgh, Jubilee. It was not long before we housed local college students in the two houses in exchange for ten hours work a week about the church.”

In the 40 years since this partnership began, hundreds of students’ lives have been touched—and those men and women are now serving God in their workplaces, churches, families, and communities. Check out the special commemorative issue of First Presbyterian  Church of the Covenant’s newsletter, which includes testimonials from some of these former students—including Todd Wahrenberger, Darin Sutton, Allie Mollenkof, Darcy Ginader, and Andy Halfhill.

“Not a day went by in college that I was not challenged to serve Christ with all I am,” says Courtney Halstead Snow, who lived in the Kirk House during the 2011-2012 school year. “Thank you to my fellow housemates, campus ministry, youth group, church leaders, and congregation for all the support and encouragement through college. My prayers are with you all. Congratulations on 40 years of faithfully serving God. May God continue to bless this ministry.”

And the 2013 trip—backpacking and kayaking in the Georgia Sea Islands and rock climbing and service in Joshua Tree National Park and Los Angeles—did not disappoint the 17 OWU students who participated, according to William Hayes, associate chaplain and Director of Wilderness Ministry [and CCO staff member].

Read the rest of this article: “Out into the Woods…and Mountains: Wilderness Treks build character, faith, and leadership skills.”

Dear College Senior,

Graduation happens a week—maybe two—from today, and unless you’re planning to travel or head off to grad school, you need employment.

But poor Shaun. As you’ll hear below, he didn’t make the cut…”

We’re praying for you as you transition into the workplace. Read more>

To all  graduating college seniors: please know that all of us (CCO and THC) are praying for you.

“The Gospel just doesn’t change our hearts, it does much more and beyond our imaginations,” says Lindsay. “The resurrection brings hope of new life, redemption to places of creation, and glory to God.”

Erin is a student involved in the CCO ministry at Juniata who has caught a vision for living out her academics to “soli deo gloria,” to God alone be the glory. God has blessed her with a Fulbright Fellowship to study biochemistry in Austria after graduation.

Click here to read more, and rejoice with us that college students truly are being transformed to transform the world!

CCO staff member Jonny Cagwin helped lead this group of Pitt students to Wilmington, North Carolina over spring break.

As Jonny explains:

Many students had never used a hammer, but together, we built a home for a young mother and her family. Students were transformed by the experience. They did great work and were loved by our hosts. The home that we built was part of a new effort by Habitat for Humanity called “Build America” in which the home is constructed with 100% American made products. This house was the first “Build America” home!

Check out a newspaper article about this historic project, and view more photos from the trip.

Click here to read Malone students highlight hunger in the Canton newspaper, and check out the video here.