The morning is coming to a close at the City With Dwellings overflow shelter. Nine men and women shuffle into the van, some quiet and keeping to themselves, and others chatting loudly. The seats are slightly worn, and the air conditioner makes a low humming noise. It’s bright, a light breeze coming in through the open windows. One man holds an iPod shuffle, his headphones in as he stares outside. Another looks down at an Android phone, running his hands over the cracked screen. Each clutching bus passes, they began the 10-minute ride over to the Samaritan Ministries food bank to eat lunch.

I’m spending a month in Italy for an international reporting class, and this past week we covered immigration in Europe and the refugee crisis. It was indescribable to hear the stories of just a few of the hundreds of thousands of people that have been forced to seek refuge in Europe.