TimesLeader.com

September 20

Scranton man’s mission to help people in Middle East

Aaron McNany traveled with Paidia International Development to assist people in the war-torn region.

By Shelby Fisk sfisk@scrantonedition.com
Scranton Edition Staff Writer / Photographer

SCRANTON – Last November, Aaron McNany, who is originally from Michigan and residing in Scranton, spent the month backpacking through Israel on his own and he said that the time there inspired him to help people in the Middle East through volunteer work.

For years it has been reported that Arabs and Israelis and Israelis and Palestinians are fighting over land and territories which, many believe to be holy. The conflicts have given rise to terrorist attacks, and the United States is focusing on working to help resolve these conflicts. And Americans, through military and other means, are getting involved to help bring peace to this region, including McNany.

“One way that I think of myself as a citizen is anything that my government is doing, I feel like I’m a part of essentially and so this conflict that this government is involved in, I want to become a part of (to resolve it),” McNany said. “I don’t feel like we’re doing necessarily what we should be doing.”

McNany said that he believes that if the societies are changed, resolving the conflicts could be easier to manage.

Politics are not for him, McNany said, so he sought out other ways to be involved.

“I started looking for things over there that I might be able to voice myself through actions,” McNany said. “I think that the best way to get your voice heard isn’t by finding new ways to speak, but it’s by finding new ways to act.”

Through friends, he said that he heard about the Michigan-based group called Paidia International Development, and he quickly signed up to serve as a volunteer to aid the group’s mission. Paidia’s mission, according to the organization’s Web site at www.pidev.org, is to engage individuals, especially youth, in ethical leadership development to empower them to transform themselves and their communities.

Bonnie Strehl, a Paidia International Development volunteer at the Michigan headquarters, said the organization has been in existence for four years. Paidia International Development has had volunteers from throughout the U.S., Europe and other countries helping those in the Middle East.

“It’s one of the few organizations over there,” Strehl said.

“Israel is what drew me over to the Middle East, and being in Israel for so long opened my eyes to the conflict,” McNany said “When I came back, I had to go back. I had to do some sort of work with them.”

And he said Paidia International Development was a good outlet for helping people in the Middle East, since he does not know Arabic and translators accompanied the volunteers.

During July, McNany packed his bags and spent his time in Bethlehem, Palestine, where he said that water was scarce and meals for those in the city often consisted of hummus and pita bread.

“It’s weird to see their middle class. They’re still living in third-world settings, so you only get water every 10 days,” he said.

McNany said that he was there to help teach young children “social and leadership development.”

He said he learned much from the experience and one thing in particular – “people do care about the situation.”

McNany said that Palestine has an advanced government, seven-story buildings, traffic lights, police and emergency personnel, just like other modernized regions, but he believes “it’s their society that’s underdeveloped.”

McNany said that he’d like to go back to the Middle East again and volunteer his services.

“People are very welcoming,” he said. He is currently learning Arabic and Hebrew to help him for future visits.

Before traveling to Israel in 2008, McNany said that he and a group of friends in Scranton started what they called the “Olive branch” project in 2007. Throughout 2008, McNany and his friends spent time with homeless people in Scranton and helped clean up the area where homeless people were living on Olive Street in Scranton, he said.

“I think that that might have in fact been the catalyst for me, realizing that you can make a difference,” McNany said.

If interested in volunteering with Paidia International, visit the Web site at www.pidev.org.

Aaron McNany

Town of residence: Originally from Michigan and residing in Scranton for the past three years

Occupation: Barista at Northern Light Espresso Bar, 2 � years

Charities, volunteer work: Paidia International Development, based in Michigan, served as a volunteer in Palestine for two months; Olive branch volunteer, one year

Family: Parents, Rodney and Tammie; five siblings in Michigan and a brother in Chicago

Education: Pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Baptist Bible College and Seminary, currently a pre-seminary major

Hobbies, interests: Singing, playing guitar and drums for Steamtown Church for three years, reading, yoga, coffee and biking

Volunteer of the Week is a regular feature in The Times Leader Scranton Edition that recognizes individuals, businesses or other organizations for their volunteer efforts and contributions to their communities. To nominate someone to be considered for this feature, e-mail mondrako@scrantonedition.com or call 558-01 13.