Creighton’s 18th Trip to Memphis: A Legacy of Learning, Service, and Deep Impact
When students from Creighton University arrived in Memphis this fall, they weren’t just starting another service trip — they were continuing a legacy. This marked Creighton’s 18th break spent with Serve901, a milestone that speaks volumes about their commitment to immersive learning, social justice, and building lasting community.
From Breakfast to Big Questions
The week began at Cafe Eclectic, over pancakes and conversation, with an intro to Memphis led by Serve901's Jeff Riddle. Students attended Mass at St. Patrick’s downtown and spent a powerful afternoon at the National Civil Rights Museum — taking time afterward to decompress, reflect, and write.
Rolling Up Their Sleeves in Service
Throughout the week, Creighton students split into small groups to serve at a variety of organizations:
Manna House and Dorothy Day House, where they engaged with Memphis’ unhoused community through compassionate hospitality and family-focused support.
Mid-South Food Bank, where they sorted and packed supplies to combat food insecurity.
Room in the Inn, where the group cooked, served, and shared meals with guests experiencing homelessness — offering not just food, but sanctuary.
Agape Child & Family Services, where students helped prepare housing for families transitioning out of homelessness.
Learning Through Local Impact
Service is about more than tasks — it’s about listening, understanding, and building bridges. That was especially true at:
Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, where students delivered burritos and kindness by bike through Memphis streets.
Knowledge Quest’s Green Leaf Learning Farm, where hands met soil and conversations bloomed.
Carpenter Art Garden, where community development takes root through creativity, art, and care.
Junior Achievement’s BizTown, where students stepped into roles to help local youth simulate life in a mini city.
More Than a Trip — A Transformation
Alongside service, Creighton students tasted soul food at The Four Way, explored Crosstown Concourse — a reclaimed Sears warehouse turned nonprofit hub — and took time to reflect on what it means to be a neighbor.
Their week wasn’t a vacation. It was a hands-on education in empathy, civic responsibility, and the power of presence.
Eighteen Trips and Counting
Creighton students have been showing up in Memphis since the early days of Serve901. Their consistent presence — across spring breaks and fall breaks — is a testament to a campus culture that values service not as a side activity, but as a core practice of formation.
We’re deeply grateful for this long-standing partnership and can’t wait to welcome trip #19.
Want to bring your students into a city that will challenge, inspire, and embrace them? Schedule a call and start your own Serve901 story today.