A Week Among the Volcanoes

Day One:

We arrive in Guatemala City, some of us groggy from naps on the plane ride, but everyone shares a look of excitement as we take in the warm Guatemalan climate. As we loaded our luggage onto our van I couldn't help but notice that a tarp was placed on top. Little did we know that we had visited during the rainy season so that tarp was the only thing standing between our luggage and the flashes of rain. Thanks to our driver!  Finally our van begins whizzing through the streets and around the bases of volcanoes of Guatemala I started to realize that we were not in New Brunswick anymore and I can't wait to see what this beautiful country had in store for us.

(Our first view of Guatemala after getting off of the plane)

We eventually arrived and settled into our house and had an orientation with Jane Atkinson, Mindy Grantham, and Andy Feldman, the staff from De La Gente. De La Gente was created to help provide economic opportunity for farmers in the area and this trip we will be able to not only see where and how these farmers work and live their lives but we will be able to take part in the process.

(The doors to our home for the week)

The orientation provided us with some safety protocol, rules of the house, and just general tips on how to stay healthy and safe during our stay in San Miguel Escobar. Afterwards we took a tour of the town and the first things I noticed among the cobble stone street 1. There are dogs everywhere. Turns out because no one really has a yard in San Miguel Escobar, it is common practice to let your dog run along the streets and explore the town. 2. Everyone says hello. You turn the corner and there is always a nice smile and an hola! to greet you which is a pleasant change from being surrounded by students with their heads in their phones.  After our initial tour we were eager to explore the town more so a few of us went out in search for lemon juice to put in our hair. Though the language barrier is apparent as we try and vaguely describe lemon juice, we manage with hand gestures and broken Spanish. Hopefully as the week goes on we will all be able to pick up more phrases!

(The town of San Miguel Escobar is so colorful!)

(The view outside of our door)

Our first farmer/dinner host, Gustavo, came to pick us up and walk us to his home. We learned that his family lives with his father's family and his brother's family which is very common among the rest of the farmers. With more family members in the house it helps with watching children and doing work around the house. My first meal in Guatemala was an amazing dish of rice, meat, corn, sweet bread, corn tortillas, and spicy picante. After such a busy day learning about San Miguel Escobar we took the remainder of the night to reflect and share what we are looking forward to during the rest of the week.

(Dinner of rice, beef, corn, sweet bread, fresh corn tortillas and amazing picante.)

Day Two:

This morning we woke up to pineapple pancakes, honey, papaya, and the always present fresh pot of De La Gente coffee. Though not everyone in our group regularly drink coffee, it was nice to see that we all tried some while staying in the house. When else will we have the opportunity to drink coffee from bean grown locally?   We packed back into the van and headed to the town of Antigua, Guatemala.

(The town square in Antigua, the church, and a volcano in the distance.)

 Antigua has a noticeably different atmosphere compared to San Miguel Escobar. The city is bigger and has a very large tourism presence which could be guessed since every other person on the street is asking if you want to purchase a handmade flute, necklace, or scarf. Despite these distractions the center of the city is beautiful, complete with a park and fountain and we couldn't help but take time to snap pictures and explore. Our first task for the day was convert our U.S. dollars to quetzales. The first bank we entered was having technical issues with their computers so we walked down the street and soon I found myself at the front of a line with money in hand and not a clue what to say in Spanish. Luckily we have a couple of Spanish speakers in the group and a few others that took Spanish in high school. If you're wondering, one U.S. dollar comes out to be about 7.66 Guatemalan quetzales.

(The view of Fuego from Cerro de la Cruz. We were told that a cross was erected facing Antigua as a sign of respect for those Guatemalans lost in an earth quake but also to shame Fuego for causing the disaster.)

 With Jane and Mindy as our guides we begin the climb towards Volcan de Agua to visit Cerro de la Cruz, a beautiful spot on the volcano overlooking the city of Antigua. Though the hike was steep, it was well worth it (as seen by the view in the picture above). After our climb, we sat and learned about Guatemala's history full of Mayan culture, conquistadors, religion, natural disasters, fruit production, and Civil War. One aspect that really stood out to me was U.S. influence in the history and really gave me a different perspective to the tension. This conversation really made me more conscious of how our presence is perceived by the Guatemalan people and helped us all understand that one of the best things we can do during this trip is to listen and learn.

(Left: One of our guide's, Jane, walking into one of the tunnels created when an earthquake destroyed the monastery.

Right: A view of some of the colonial ruins) 

 Before lunch we stopped to explore some colonial ruins of a monastery. I couldn't help but feel like an explorer while we traveled through the stone arches and tunnels of the ruins. Many of the stops today demonstrate how large of an influence the Catholic religion has on the history and culture of Guatemala.

(The view of the ruins during lunch)

 Afterwards, we stopped by a few more places in Antigua including a chocolate museum and some souvenir vendors. One of the most invigorating moments was when I had my first experience haggling for some bracelets for my friends. It was so interesting to see that the few English phrases that the shop owners did know were strategic in helping to sell a product.  When we returned to the house and participated in an educational activity in which we learned more about the coffee industry, all the participants from farmers to retailers, and what percent each one receives from profits. The biggest issue we learned was that despite the labor that farmers put into their harvest, they receive a very small portion of coffee profits which leads to issues with finances, health, and educational opportunities. Luckily the cooperative in addition to De La Gente allow the farmers to receive almost 100% of the profits. Overall this activity made us all grow more conscious not only of the coffee industry but also other products that we buy. How much effort goes into making it? Who has helped with making it and how much are they making? All these questions are what can make us be more aware of what we buy and how we can benefit hard working people like the farmers in San Miguel Escobar.
Right before bed, a group of us enjoy sitting on the roof patio to look at the stars and reflect upon our experiences. On this particular night we were fortunate enough to see some lava erupt fromVolcan de Fuego in the distance.

Day Three:

We all woke up early and met Timoteo, the very animated coffee farmer, and Gregorio, the cool and collected farmer; together they will be leading our group up the side of the volcano to the coffee fields. I thought as a Rutgers student that I would be fine making the climb, I mean I walk everywhere during the school year so this will be a piece of cake. Little did I know that the air would be thinner and that I would need to take a break every 5 minutes or so. Nonetheless, the whole hike was completely worth it because once we reached the top we were able to see the farms and learn more about coffee farming and harvesting. According to Timoteo, the farmers in the San Miguel Escobar Cooperative are experimenting with a new method of fermenting coffee fruit before the beans need to be roasted. After this talk we grabbed our hoes and started to weed around the coffee plants to reduce competition with other plants for water and nutrients. As we weeded we also formed a half moon shape out of the soil to use gravity to trap the rain water. How innovative!

(Left: Timoteo in the straw hat, some of the group, and volcanoes in the distance!

Right: Beans that farmers plant among the coffee plants since they provide support for the bean vines.)

After dinner we learned more about the best time to pick coffee and how to remove the fruity pulp from around the coffee beans. Turns out the farmers use a "de-pulper" which is made form a bicycle attached to a grinder. We even got to go for a spin! Afterwards we sat down with Andy Feldman who answered our questions about how De La Gente and the cooperative work together and ways we can help back at home.

(Parth taking the "de-pulper" for a spin)

(A coffee been before roasting but after fermentation)

We spent the night at another farmer's home, but this particular night we had to do some rearranging because there was a surprise rain storm that threatened to soak our tortillas. We moved dinner into the kitchen which made things a little more intimate and made conversation flow easily. Though I have learned many new phrases in Spanish, I was still found myself nervous about engaging with the family. At one point, one of the little girls was very interested in the braids in the hair of some of our group. Before I knew it, I was being summoned to recreate the braids and I was eager to impress. As I sit there braiding one of the granddaughter's hair, I started to think; maybe language isn't always as big of a barrier as we think it can me. Maybe people can communicate and connect with one another with hair braiding or sharing food.

Day Four:

Today Timoteo lead us first to his home (to grab tools) and then to a construction site where we would be helping to lay cement blocks down for a wall. The building we will help to construct is meant to provide more space for the cooperative so that they can have bigger machinery and work with larger quantities of coffee. I believe that little to none of the group had any experience with construction work but Timoteo was quick to teach us and help us along. I helped with laying down the cement and blocks. As we were working we each made sure to put the effort to do our best because after all, this was going to the the foundation for the cooperatives future...literally!

(Left: Members of the group help Timoteo with construction. 

Right: The finished portion of wall we worked on today. 

Bottom: Members of the group help to mix cement and displace soil with just the use of shovels and wheelbarrows. ) 

(Construction site fashion)

Once part of the wall was complete and the piles of soil were moved we headed back to the house where we had a unique opportunity to attend a coffee cupping. A coffee cupping is when a taster observes the characteristics of a coffee. We were comparing the traditionally prepared coffee bean and the "honey" coffee which uses the new process we learned about the day before. Each type of coffee was presented twice to combat any irregularities in the coffee samples. In order to identify the subtle differences in flavor and aroma, we were provided with flavor wheels which ranged from hints of savory flavors to nutty or sweet flavors. The process begins by first smelling the dry coffee, then adding water and cracking the crush that forms, and finally slurping the coffee. According to Mindy, the more air in your slurp, the easier it is to taste the coffee. The difference between the two coffees was noticeable since the "honey" coffee was sweeter and not as harsh. Overall it was a great learning experience and demonstrated the complexity of coffee!

Day Five:

We woke up early to split up into our artisan workshops: wood-working, iron-working, or textiles. I decided to challenge myself and went with the iron-working group. We drove out to a neighboring town where we met Carlos. Upon entering Carlos's home we noticed a couple of things: 1. he loves animals and has many pets, 2. his workshop was right at home in his backyard! Carlos explained to us that he had been doing iron-work for 27 years now, learned from his father and helps to build de-pulping machines for the coffee farmers. He makes animal sculptures, wall art, and home decorations and sells them. A great deal of his inspiration comes for nature, which we could see with his many insect inspired pieces. He let us choose our shapes for our wall decorations and our group decided upon dragonflies, an owl, a cross,  a lizard, and a turtle. The first step in the process was to cut our sheets of metal into our desired shapes. This step requires using large metal sheers, putting all your body weight into it, and knowing how to bend and form the metal to cut smoothly. We could tell right away that we had our work cut out for us but we all gave it our best try! Afterwards we did some detailing by creating lines and grooves in the metal with a hammer and a chisel and finally we brought our animals to life by curving the metal to make it look 3D. As we were working we were able to meet Carlos's wife and daughter and a few of their dogs who loved to run around the workshop. Carlos explained to us that he enjoys opportunities to be creative which is why he likes this trade. His wife also showed off some of his weightlifting trophies to us. Turns out that Carlos competed in weightlifting championships for about 4 years before he had to stop due to injury. No wonder he could bend the metal so easily! To finish off our pieces and prevent rusting we added paint with a special coating to help keep the metal from corroding. I have to say, this workshop was another example of how physically intense many of the jobs we saw in Guatemala ended up being. This experience has definitely made me more respectful of handmade products.

(Master Iron-worker Carlos helping to weld a hanger onto one of our wall decorations)

 We returned to one of the artisan's homes for lunch and we all enjoyed sharing what we had created. The wood-working group created serving trays lined with recycled bits of traditional Guatemalan clothing, and the textile group designed and helped to sew backpacks out of the same recycled clothing. Back at the house we took some time to rest but soon we found ourselves boarding a chicken bus (don't ask, to this day no one knows where the name came from) and headed to the market in Antigua. The goal of our trip is to collect supplies for dinner and desert. One team was in charge of guacamole, another had smoothie ingredients, and my team had to find ingredients for nachos. Our list included peppers, tomatoes, refried beans, queso fresco, and tortilla chips. I didn't expect the market to be so busy, tight, and confusing but we were able to navigate our way through the food, clothing, and miscellaneous objects. Later we took some time to do some personal souvenir shopping and some haggling once again! Back at the house we took turns preparing the food and reflected upon the day's work. The food was delicious and everything was so fresh!

Day Six:

Only a little more than 24 hours until we have to leave this beautiful country. Some of the group is tired but the energy changes quickly when we meet with Timoteo. We head back to the construction site and begin to mix concrete and lay down our cement blocks. Since we had learned the techniques a couple of days earlier everyone started to get into the groove of work quite easily. I was working with Parth to help prepare the fermentation tanks for tile laying. This process included a great deal of hammering cement to make groves for the grout to hold on well, washing of the tanks, mixing of the grout, and laying the tiles. Timoteo showed me how to space the tiles and how much grout to put down but before we knew it, rain clouds moved in and we were stuck in a downpour. While everyone crowded under the little bit of roofing that existed I couldn't help but look out and see all the work we had done. We helped to complete a large portion of wall, put together a scaffolding, moved a pile of soil that was blocking the wall, and helped to start tile the fermentation tanks. Just because our work was cut short by the rain, it does not take away from the hard work and we put in to help Timoteo and the other farmers in the cooperative.

(Photo credit to Larry McAllister: Our view of the construction site as we take shelter from the rain)

When the rain eased up we helped to clean up and headed back to Timoteo's house to drop off the tools. Before parting ways he thanked us for our work but most of all he asked if he could give each of us a hug. Throughout the days we had spent with him I believe we were all able to get to know Timoteo on a more personal level and though this was goodbye, we will never forget his powerful story, strong machete, winning smile, and vibrant passion as we share this experience with our friends and families.

We went to the house to shower and pack before our last night out with the De La Gente staff. We shared stories and learned that apparently Timoteo rarely hugs which made the day all the more special. The night wound down with a long session of reflections and soon eyes grew weary from the week's work. We witnessed a final goodbye as Volcan de Fuego quietly erupted one last time before we headed off to bed.

Day Seven:

The day started the same way our first morning did, the smell of pineapple pancakes, honey, and San Miguel Escobar coffee to get us through the day. We concluded our trip with a bit of reflection with Jane and Mindy, shopping in the De La Gente shop, and loading our bags on top of the van once more. We quickly posed in front of the office and snapped a pick with the staff to help us remember them bye and pass on their stories.

(Photo Credit to Parth Thakkar: The whole group plus Jane in the middle outside the De La Gente office)

On the plane ride back home I recalled the first night we saw Volcan de Fuego erupt slightly in the darkness. As I watched the lava cool and fade in the distance I couldn't help but think that in their own way, the people of San Miguel Escobar were also volcanoes. From a distance they may seem dormant, some going through difficult times and stuck in a cycle of poverty, but the farmers from this week really showed us that deep inside, the people of Guatemala are thriving with passion, innovation, and strength; it just takes the skilled eyes of an observer to see their signs of life. In the end, I am so thankful that I was able to witness it all and live among these amazing people, even if it was just for a moment. 

(Blog entry by Carmela Buono)

Abolishing Abuse in El Paso, Texas

The Trip That Changed Our Lives...

Top Back Row (left to right): Kenny, Anjali, Ruchika, Jen, Ayushi, Amy, Cecilia (e-board member)

Middle Row: Shannon, Zina, Sarah, Ashlea (staff member)

Bottom Front Row: Scott (sight leader), Emily (sight leader)

Left to right: Scott, Ashlea, Cecilia, Emily

While countless students returned to school with new tans and well-rested minds after a relaxing spring break, I along with my 12 group members returned with permanently changed lives. During our RUAB trip entitled Abolishing Abuse, Amending a Life we served the Child Crisis Center of El Paso, a foundation that protects children from abuse and neglect by providing shelter, advocacy, and family support services. The Child Crisis Center offers a loving environment which strives to reunite families and eliminate abuse. Working at the center with the children and the staff members was all we had dreamed of and more.

We arrived in Texas on a beautiful Sunday morning with the sun brightly shining and not a cloud in the sky. Despite the fact that we had just traveled for the last 10 hours and were largely sleep deprived (due to the fact that the journey began in the airport at 2AM), everyone was excited and flooded with a new wave of energy as soon as we stepped off the plane. No one in our group had ever been to El Paso, and we were all eager to see a part of the country so foreign to us. While we knew that the region would be mountainous, everyone was taken aback by the enormous mountain ranges into which the city had interwoven itself. Everywhere we looked it seemed as if the mountains were reaching into the sky and towering over us. At times the mountains’ peaks disappeared into the clouds and it became impossible to see where earth ended and sky began. The magnificent landscape filled us with awe; although we saw it every day for a whole week, it never failed to amaze us.

 When it's Cloudy...

A Pit-Stop on our Drive Home from the Child Crisis Center

That first day consisted of unpacking, exploring the city, and settling in to the hospitable Texan lifestyle. Every RUAB trip has a free day, and our free day happened to be that first Sunday. However, before we could jump into all of the exciting events we had planned for the day, we needed to unload our luggage at the University Presbyterian Church – our lodging for the next week. The church, like the mountains, surpassed all of our expectations. When we heard that we were staying in a “church basement,” we didn’t expect the “basement” to be a beautiful, open room with expansive windows covering a wall. The rest of the church was just as pristine as this room and provided the most comfortable and welcoming home-away-from-home that anyone could have asked for.

Wyler Aerial Tramway: Checked off the Bucket List 

After unpacking, our exploration of El Paso commenced! During our pre-trip meetings we had agreed to spend the free day visiting the Franklin Mountains State Park and going on the Wyler Aerial Tramway, a must-do activity for all tourists visiting El Paso. As it turned out, the park was situated in the midst of tall mountains overlooking the city, and the aerial tramway brought us to the highest peak from which we observed a breathtaking view of Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico. Even Ashlea and Shannon – who are afraid of heights – successfully made it up and down the mountain and stated “it was definitely worth it.” After completing a full day's worth of sight-seeing, we returned to the church and made our first family dinner: "breakfast for dinner"!

Pictures on a Mountain = Lots of Wind and Excitement

All in all, it was a great start to an even greater week. The next morning, after a much-needed restoring sleep, we awoke to another beautiful day with excitement and anticipation coursing through our bodies; at last we would be going to the Child Crisis Center and meeting the brave children we had heard so much about. After eating a quick breakfast and drinking our essential fills of coffee – for some of us – we loaded into Scott and Emily’s rented minivans, which served as our week’s primary mode of transportation. Within 20 minutes we arrived at the center, and that is where our lives would become permanently changed.

From Monday to Friday, we worked in the Child Crisis Center from 10AM to 7PM. While a majority of our service pertained to working directly with the children, we also served by organizing and cleaning the center, working at a partnering thrift store, and engaging in manual labor. To say the least, our service encompassed a wide range of activities, and all of it uniquely enriched our lives. While it’s easy to overlook the importance of cleaning or organizing a room, our group always remained cheerful. We understood that all service is valuable because it ultimately contributes to a safe environment and saves time and money for the Child Crisis Center.

 Sorting Load upon Load of Clothes

 Anjali and Ayushi Taking Charge of the Books, Magazines, etc.

Best Dressed & Most Spirited: Sarah and Scott

Out of all of the valuable service we did, our group was, nevertheless, most deeply moved by directly working with the children of the Crisis Center. On day one at the center, the first two children we saw and interacted with were Cyprus and Ashley. Cyprus, a 9-year-old boy genius with the manners of a chivalrous gentleman, instantly put smiles on all of our faces and didn’t hesitate to beat us in board games (poor Scott was demolished in checkers). Ashley – an adorable 3-year-old immediately won all of our hearts simply by looking at us with her big, beautiful eyes. Later that day we also met Isaac (Ashley’s brother), who – like his sister – is quiet and shy but a happy sweetheart, and Xavier, who is a spirited and carefree boy with a large, caring heart. Sarah, who plans to be a Special Education teacher, immediately got along with Xavier and built a strong relationship with him throughout the week. Watching her interact with Xavier was inspirational and made it obvious to us all that she would undoubtedly fulfill her career goals.

 One of the many activities we did: Paper Mache Eggs for Easter! 

A Perfect Morning for Playground Fun (especially Slide Races)

Throughout the next few days, more kids arrived at the center. The new children included Zachary, Sadie, and Tristen (three siblings), Hannah and Dylan (siblings), Noemi and Brian (siblings), and Destiny and Luis (siblings). With the influx of children, our group members were able to have more one-on-one time with the kids, which allowed for various different individual relationships to bloom. For example, Shannon and Kenny were absolutely amazing with the younger children like Sadie and Tristen, as were Anjali and Cecilia. I found that I was becoming continuously closer with Noemi – who always wanted to be held – and her brother, who was shyer but just as loving. In addition to these relationships, countless other bonds were built between my group members and the kids; so many bonds were made, that it would be impossible to name them all.

Overall, the week presented us with so much more than we had anticipated. Not only did we experience new children arriving at the center, but we experienced children leaving. One day – which was likely the most difficult and upsetting day for us all – a child’s parent came and forcefully demanded to have her child removed from the center. After extensive debate, the child eventually left with his parent. Before leaving, the child hugged us goodbye and left us a note with his signature and drawings. His leaving left a hole within all of our hearts but he would never leave our memories. That day we made the terrifying realization that although we want all of the children to leave the center and reunite with their families, it may actually be healthier and safer for the children to remain within the center’s care. This paradoxical realization burdens all of our minds and illuminated a problematic issue, which we realize may never be fully fixed.

Nevertheless, despite our heavy hearts, we remained positive and optimistic. We hoped and prayed that children leaving the center, such as the one that we befriended, would enter a happier and healthier lifestyle than the one they initially had upon entering the center. Our hope for the children’s well-being in the present and future is a hope that we will maintain forever. While we realize that abuse and mistreatment of children is a terrible issue that cannot be cured within one mere week - let alone a century - we understand that every effort, no matter how small, is important. All seemingly small actions truly make a difference; by raising awareness about the problem, we encourage others to examine their own behavior and may even cause them to become involved in aiding the cause. Ultimately, there are no limits to service. All service has value, which is a concept that we definitely learned throughout our trip.

Our service throughout the trip and interactions with the children has undoubtedly shaped our lives and helped us grow. Although the experience included upsetting and heartbreaking realizations, our group remained positive and just as strong as the brave children that we were serving. As Dave Nabours – the shelter supervisor – said “while we cannot replace blood, we can plant a seed of love within the children’s hearts.” That is precisely what we did; we planted seeds of love and hoped that they would blossom and enrich the children’s lives, just as they had enriched ours. Although it was a short week, we had all gained many years’ worth of experiences. Interacting with these brave and inspiring children touched our lives and has left everlasting fingerprints on all of our hearts.

Family photo (taken at University of Texas in El Paso)

El Paso, we will miss you!

RUAB Atlanta: ImPEACHing Poverty

Day 1 AM: Our Alternative Breaks trip to Atlanta, Georgia began with a trip to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center. It is a museum that showcases MLK's life, his struggle, his successes and of course his movement; his efforts to change the world that began with the simple desire for his fellow brothers and sisters to be called "Sir" and "Ma'am" and given the curtesy and kindness that all humans deserve. The trip to the center included a movie that reminded and enlightened us of his history and a walk around the exhibit. Overall it was emotional and almost overwhelming to be so close and connected to such an important part of history; we could appreciate the struggle and grasp the impact of his heroic efforts on a personal level. It is much different to be taught about this history and then actually visit the site, such as his birth home and his Church Ebenezer; it makes things tangible and gives you a bit of perspective. It really set the tone for our week long trip of service and finding the courage to help others. 

Day 1 PM: Our first service was with a group called Books for Africa where we helped sort through boxes of books. In simple terms, this organization sorts through thousands of books and ships them off to African countries so that they may have greater sources of education; however it was much more complex than that. One of the members of the organization was a parttimer who bled passion for this cause, and was very inspiring to listen to. He explained how the simple act of reading books for these readers in Ghana, Ethiopia and more, could actually change the world. Not only are these readers given the chance to advance their knowledge and education, but they are given an opportunity to escape in a story; which in turn fosters imagination. From this growth of imagination, hope is developed in the readers for a better society, for more opportunity, for the chance to make their and their families' lives a little better; the readers will have the drive to then to transform their laws and lives. The readers are transformed into wise adults who know there are better ways than what they are being given. As our host said, "No one is going to corrupt books" so hopefully their readings will lead to a reformed lifestyle; one without corruption but opportunity and justice.  

Day 2 AM: We arrived at Senior Connections, a organization/company who's goal is to feed the elderly on a daily basis. We had the opportunity to package food, make boxes and arrange the boxes with the meals for the day. What makes this organization rather unique, is the healthiness and nutritional value found in every meal. But it does not stop there; there is an overwhelming depth of care and kindness that went into making, packaging and delivering to the seniors. It is not so much a job for the workers and volunteers, but a lifestyle caring for the seniors. Their goal is to make sure the seniors do not feel isolated or lonely; in fact most of the delivery workers have become close friends with their clients. Interestingly, with this system, seniors can live in their own homes longer adding at least 2 more years in their life span. If that's not caring, I don't know what is. 

Day 2 PM: Our second service project of the day was volunteering at the Centennial Academy, a recently created Charter School. What was so impressive about this school was how they are creating a setting that empowers the students to great heights. The Academy looks to enrich the students, create an equal opportunity environment, regardless of economic status, race or religion; as well, allow the staff to grow into their profession and nurture their passion for teaching. Uniforms are required at the school so that there is a sense of unity and less discrimination socioeconomically. The students are given numerous chances to play sports, learn about music, express their artistic skills and delve into science projects. We were each able to jump into a classroom either in pairs or as singles, and help out for the afternoon. Each classroom had their own rules, some more strict than others, but it was a lot of fun to talk with all the kids and see what they were working on. Almost ironically, some classes were working on MLK projects so we were able to share our experience from our trip to the center. All of the students were adorable and it was amazing to hear them talk about their future aspirations; from being teachers and football players, to engineers and nurses. Once school ended, we went to the YMCA after school program where we helped out with snack time, homework and dinner. Overall, it was mighty impressive to see the work put in to make this school the best it can be. It really resonated with their motto: Heroes today, but legends tomorrow.     

Day 3 AM: Nutritional value and tasty food is hard to come by, let alone cheap and for those in need. Fortunately, this company specializes in just that. Open Hand makes food for seniors, those terminally ill or with a chronic disease, as well as those wanting a better eating lifestyle. Open Hand is open 7 days a week starting their day at 4am. With new meals daily, and rarely ever repeating a recipe, clients get their meals hot, healthy, and homemade. In addition, the delivery service is above and beyond and solely volunteer base. Members come in each day and spend their time delivering each meal and practically becoming family members with the client. We spent the morning packaging, weighing and organizing the meals for the day. It was a very upbeat kitchen and all of the staff members were friendly and passionate about their work. Such passion is rare to find, and super refreshing to see. 

Day 3 PM: The afternoon consisted of a trip to Gateway Center, a center that helps the homeless. Homelessness has a stigma; a stigma that those who are homeless chose it; they are lazy, stupid and ignorant; they ran away from home and weren't smart enough to figure out a better lifestyle. But, that is not always the case. In fact, the majority have numerous health concerns, suffering from diseases and mental disorders, an unsupportive household, victims of abuse or sometimes just bad luck. Luckily, this center in Atlanta (and huge shoutout to Bec for such a positive, empowering and informative intro and closing session and a huge thank you for being so raw and honest) is looking to overcome homelessness and care and raise those suffering from it. They have programs and sermons set up so that the homeless can begin to be integrated back into society. It was awe-inspiring to listen to Bec and learn about the depth it takes to rid homelessness by being less judgmental, more understanding of circumstances and going out of the way to simply listen. We had the pleasure of painting nails for the homeless and making new posters for the center. The posters were created in the hope of brightening the center with either cheeky messages or one with an MLK quote to express a lil' bit of faith. The nail painting session was a great opportunity to listen to the homeless, discover their stories and give them a little pick-me-up. Because in the end, everyone deserves a chance to be better and redeem themselves; you just need to open your heart to the character of a person, not their situation.   

Day 4: Our fourth day we revisited Senior Connections and Centennial Academy. Quoting from our site leaders we used, "this opportunity of revisiting a site to make it better there the first time and do things we may not have done the first day. It was a test to be in the moment." With this in mind we changed up the stations we were at from the former day and were really involved in the food packaging activity. We got to know the fellow workers and volunteers and hear their stories on how they became involved. In the afternoon we headed over to the school; it was exciting for the kids to yell at all of us, "You came back!" because it showed they were just as happy to have us as we were to be there. Overall, it was such a positive time and as the coordinator stated, "It is really nice for the young students to see college kids so that they know it is possible to get there. That college students actually exist." It was really enjoyable to revisit two of our sites and see familiar faces. 

Day 5 AM: One of our last services was probably the most different from all the other ones we were involved with. Cafe 458 is a restaurant that serves lunch to the homeless, but with a twist. With the idea of Service with Dignity, this restaurant gives the homeless an opportunity to sit down for their meal and have waiters bring their food out. Half of us helped with setting the restaurant up for it lunch by setting the tables, making the food and drinks, and giving out the food and waitering. Others helped sort through donated clothing and filing. This restaurant is giving the homeless a chance to integrate back into society and do something that many other civilians do on a regular basis: sit down and order lunch at a restaurant. One of the other volunteers was a man who was serving his community service and he even plans to continue to volunteer after his hours are done. This just shows you that good things can come from bad situations. Tina, the chef and one of the leaders of this program, was very passionate about making the homeless clients feel empowered; you can even taste the love that Tina poured into the food as she cooked everything for the meal. She obviously knows that everything taste better when it's made with love. 

Day 5 PM: Our afternoon service took place at Buckhead Christian Ministry. This food pantry is especially large because a couple of the surrounding ministries and churches all contribute to this one food pantry. We split into groups for this project where half of us filed papers for a program that is helping people learn about managing their money and getting jobs, while the others sorted the food. This indirect service was more relaxed then our previous activities and it was a good ending to our week long service.

Say hello to our amazing site leaders Shireena and Andrew. 

After packaging and making over 2000 meals, going through 100s of books, filing pounds of papers, and connecting with dozens of individuals, our group learned a lot about helping urban poverty, the Atlanta community and also ourselves. We learned that we had the ability to perform both direct and indirect services, make a difference just by listening to others, be more compassionate and kind and find things we as individuals find fun, inspiring and valuable. We had the pleasure of listening to a guest speaker, Mr. Blake Canterbury and he explained, "Do something. Because nothing gets you no where." He described his highs and lows of starting a nonprofit and then it being taken away. His idea BeRemedy, cliche as it may be, began on twitter.

Though losing his company could have been the last point we took away from his speech, it wasn't. It was really quite the opposite. It was the fact that he had an idea and made it epic; he worked from the heart and, though it can sound overly ambitious, he helped lives and changed the world. Ultimately he shared with us that we can make a small project into a worldly action, even make it epic. Just make sure you live what you love. 

We thoroughly enjoyed tasting Georgia pizza, but nothing beats good old Jersey pies. 

A visit to Dr. MLK jr's Church and below his birth home.

Two members in action with leading worker Moe. 

Centennial Academy's motivational poster. 

Did someone say selfie!

Enjoying some southern eating. 

The whole tray of Broccoli cauliflower and cheese was gone, it was that good. 

Street Art in Atlanta.

View of Atlanta, from 74 floors up!. 

A visit to the CNN headquarters.

We would like to shout out to and thank Medici Project, PJ + Andrew, for spending the week with us and taking care of us; we loved our experience with you! As well, thank you to each service: Books for Africa, Senior Connections, Centennial Academy, Open Hand, Gateway Center, Cafe 458, and Buckhead Christian Ministry. It was inspirational to work with all of you. 

I believe that my group and I, to honor our experience, will continue to serve; it doesn't need to be too big or small it just needs to come from the heart. And we encourage everyone to get active. Just think, if you don't take on a service, who will? 

photos taken by our group
January 11-13, 2015
Atlanta, Georgia
Rutgers University
Alternative Breaks