SOS Family Album: Krista Meade Hayes

Gather ‘round, SOS family! We’re pulling out a few pages of the family photo album.

We love good stories. And old pictures. And timeless lessons and encouragements and reasons for hope. Who better to share all of those things than some of the SOS alumni family?

Spring breaks at SOS are full of passionate, visionary college students who come, work alongside of us for a few days and head back to finish semesters across the country. They stay for only a few days, but they consistently renew and flame our love of SOS and mark the start of the “camp season”!

In a normal year at SOS, the summer staff is probably 75-85% hired by the time the spring break guests roll in and we work to convince some of them help us finish out the summer staff. It’s true that they sometimes come in pairs, and we’re forever glad Quinten Hayes came as a package deal in 2018…

Krista Meade

Spring Break ‘17, ‘18, & SOS114 Team Leader ‘18

Krista (Meade) Hayes

SOS Volunteer Coordinator ‘19

From SOS114 Team Leader to SOS Volunteer Coordinator, Krista brought big joy and excellence to both roles and camps AND very casually left to get married in her second summer and came back married to a Construction Manager the next week. We’re so lucky when people give us a summer or two of their busy, precious lives. We’re VERY lucky when they fit us in around graduation and weddings and give us their summers when other summer jobs would surely be easier. That kind of love of and for SOS…we are so thankful.

What are some favorite SOS moments/memories?

“Too many to name!! The first ones that come to mind are 2018 roomie Tuesday’s (honorable mention to when Hannah Wyatt planned a scavenger hunt all around Memphis), connecting with students from all across the country every week, dance parties in the kitchen, and the best was putting that last nail on Ms. Barbara’s roof! ”

What did you learn through your years and experiences at SOS?

“I learned that when you are serving someone, you can also learn a lot from them. It’s all give and take. I learned the importance of discipline. I learned how important it is to serve the underserved. I can go on for hours on everything I learned from SOS! But most importantly, SOS taught me the importance of equality and knowing the history of the Civil Rights Movement. I learned that we are nowhere close to blacks and whites being equal, and how heartbreaking that is. These are things I may have never known or thought about living in my predominantly white community. I’m grateful SOS teaches this and wants to change it.”

Memphis Favorites:

“Chings, wandering Crosstown Concourse, and the Bass Pro Pyramid (even though I’ve never bought anything there....)”

How did your time at SOS impact you?

“I can now see how limitless I can be when I let God fully into my heart. Now when I face a difficult situation I often reflect on my time at SOS and think “if God got me through being on a roof every day in Memphis heat, and I came out of it with a smile on my face and a joy in my heart, He can get me through this”. He showed me how powerful He can be.”

What does your life look like these days?

“Well at this moment, I am getting emotional thinking back at my time at SOS! But in general, I am living in Macomb, Illinois with my husband Quinten (who also was at SOS Summers 17-19). I work at Western Illinois University in the Human Resources department, and Quinten works at the church we met at, so most of our time is spent there! ”

What’s your prayer for the SOS family?

“I pray the Memphis communities that SOS serves continues to thrive and be seen as worthy. I pray thousands more students have their hearts changed through the leadership at SOS and the Memphis community. I pray there continues to be something magical in the water at SOS (spoiler alert its Jesus. Jesus is in the water). ”