Bedside Buddies: Memphis, TN

Howdy Ya’ll! Trying to recount our week in Memphis is a daunting task.   While we were volunteering at Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital we were lucky enough to stay at the Idlewild Church, which welcomed us with open arms and truly showed us the meaning of southern hospitality!  The emotions, experiences, and friendships made are all but impossible to communicate to those outside of the 12 of us.  We truly started out as strangers with a mission to spread a little love in the world, and left as a family who accomplished their goal of sharing their love.  

We started our volunteer experience at Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital bright and early Monday Morning.  We were greeted by the ever-so-sweet and enthusiastic, volunteer coordinator Timorie.  Timorie explained to us Le Bonheur’s mission and detailed exactly what we would be doing in the week to come.  Le Bonheur’s volunteer services works with the hospital’s Child Life department, focusing on the non-medical needs of the children and their parents.  We learned that we would be working hands on with the children in many different ways such as operating a teen room, where we got to show off our video game skills (or lack of skills), Arts & Crafts, delivering coffee and hot chocolate to parents unable to leave their children’s sides, or simply being a bedside buddy to a child in need of a friend.  

While we had such an amazing volunteer experience, we also had a great time during our off time.  Our second night in Memphis, we had the opportunity to cheer on Rutgers’ women’s basketball team who just so happened to be playing at the University of Memphis.  Sadly we lost by a point, but getting to see a little bit of our beloved RU in Memphis was a blast!

The next night we went out to explore the city!  Memphis, known for BBQ, Blues, and Rock & Roll, is home to the famous Beale Street.  Cluttered with flashing lights, mouth-watering BBQ-induced aromas, and Elvis memorabilia, Beale Street is a Tennessee must-visit.  After numerous recommendations, we all got our first taste of true southern BBQ and Central BBQ, and trust me, it lives up to its expectations!  

Thursday night greeted us with another unique experience.  Every Thursday, Idlewild Church provides a hot meal to the homeless or hungry of Memphis.  With a devastating 40%+ unemployment rate in Memphis, it was a humbling experience.  We had the opportunity to serve, eat with, and chat with many of the men and woman who came.  

After heartfelt good-byes at the hospital, many gifts given to our little friends met, and a few tears, we had one last night in Memphis.  Timorie’s father Gordon, or “Gordo” and mother invited us to a dinner at their house.  Having been the first group of volunteers invited into Timorie’s family home, we were all in awe of how much we were truly appreciated and how much of a difference we made.  

No matter how much fun we had outside of volunteering, the most important experience was our volunteer experience at the hospital.  Throughout the week we were able to form relationships with each other, both parents and patients, and Timorie and her family.  Above all, the relationships made with the little ones have the most lasting impression.  

Without a doubt, if there was something we all learned it was...

 (Wall art from Le Bonheur)

Voices from Inside: California - 五天 (Day 5)

Voices from Inside: California - tag vier (Day Four)

When people mention that they will be getting up early for a meeting at the court house, it's usually for something they did. This time we voyaged to The Lower Tenderloin section of San Francisco for something we didn't do.

We DIDN'T realize how broken the system is.

We DIDN'T know 77% of first-time offenders return to incarceration.

and

We DIDN'T know what to do about it. 

As the 12 of us strolled up the stone staircase of the Superior Court of San Francisco we were cheerfully greeted by Mrs. Lisa Lightman, Director of San Francisco Collaborative Courts. She thoroughly introduced us to a novice program called the San Francisco Collaborative Courts that work with individuals and families in and out of the criminal justice system challenged by substance abuse, mental illness, and other social welfare concerns. This program is a new initiative started by the State of Clifornia back in the 90's and many other states have followed suit. It aims to start a grassroots movement within the community to clean up the streets and off services to criminals rather than continue to service them in and out of jail. SFCC aims to facilitate greater self-sufficiency, family health and community engangement. Lisa really seemed to have a general interest in each person she works with in the rehabilitating drug court program. She and the rest of the system realize that there is tremendous overspending with dismal results.

We then were escorted into a court room to sit in on a Graduation Ceremony for four individuals who successfully completed the drug court program. There were no caps, gowns, bands, or diplomas. But rather something far more basic: freedom. As discussed earlier, there is only one or two bad decisions that separate you from someone sitting in the penitentiary. The only thing that got these graduates through the door was choice and they finally chose to strive for something better. Following powerful speeches from two of the drug court facilitators and mentors (who were former drug addicts themselves) we could feel the insurmountable rush of hope that flooded the room. Hope in the eyes of the family members who watched their loved ones accomplish something good, hope in the words that the staff members spoke of, and hope in the hearts of graduates who CHOSE life over crime.

We then walked up one block to another building introduced by the SF Court Sytsem and in conjunction with the SFPD called the Community Assesement and Service Center (CASC). It recently opened in June 2013 and is a one-stop recently center that serves comprehensive need of clients under SF Adult Probation Department. It was a clean building that looked more like a campus center as opposed to a probation office, but nonetheless nice. Our group sat down with three women (Melissa Gelber, Lauren Bell, and Kelly Winter) who dove into the logistics of this model. In turn we learned that they have a new initiative called a "re-entry pod" where they provide probation supervision of clients while also offering a range of evidence-based service to help them "get back on their feet." Check them out here at www.cjcj.org!

It sounds so glorious, but we were quickly reminded that 50% of the graduates return to the court system within time. So what gives? Temptation. It's all around us. Even at Rutgers University. But what people need is social, moral, and psychological support to continue to make the right choices. Whether it's counseling, food services, or housing, there are many organizations and people out there very willing to help.

We finished out our day with a little R&R at the hostel (which is hectic and serene at the same time), travels downtown, and some boxed mac and cheese for dinner....yes, this is a college trip.

I apologize for this post being very non-visual, but the places we visited today deemed inappropriate for photography. And that is the beauty of our trip....it's not always about documenting on paper, but more so documenting in spirit.

With that I end with a quote from Judge Richard Ulmer who served as the leader of the drug court graduation ceremony:

"Be the one out of the two."

He used this analogy to encourage the graduates to continue down the right path. But can't we use that in our everyday lives? I hope you all continue to make the right decisions and "follow the path less travelled." 

It Takes a Village - Boston

January 5, 2014

Eleven student leaders gathered nervously at the Secaucus station on an icy Sunday afternoon. All from unique backgrounds, they were all gathered for one purpose: to embark upon a journey to grow, learn, and serve the immigrant community in Boston through education initiatives. I don't think any of us knew what to really expect. Whatever it was, we would be getting through it together. The five-hour bus ride to Boston was not too bad. After getting a little lost, we all settled into our cozy and super cool rooms at Hostel International. We all hit the hay early, tired from the long trip and resting for the upcoming week of bonding, venturing, learning, and serving. There was definitely something nerve-wrecking, yet exciting about serving in an unfamiliar city with people we've only had four pre-meetings with. Nonetheless, we were eager to take it on.

January 6, 2014

We all woke up and got ready bright and early to travel and work at our first site, Jewish Vocational Services, which was only a short walk from the hostel. On a brief orientation of the facility, we learned that the organization served immigrants and refugees from a plethora of different countries. Many of them had incredible stories and beautiful personalities and were all determined to learn English as well as marketable job skills. The team was split up into different areas including Beginner level English, Intermediate English, and Cash Register Training. I think we could all agree that none of us expected how challenging working with these immigrants and refugees was going to be. Placed in Beginner level English, I worked with two immigrants, helping them with job interviewing skills. It was truthfully really difficult working with people twice my age that barely spoke or understood any English. The fact they were also both from different backgrounds was also another challenge. One was a former ping-pong coach from Vietnam. The other was a former certified nursing assistant from Haiti. Other people that our team worked with were from Kazakhstan, Spain, Morocco, China, and Kenya just to name a few. Although the morning was pretty challenging and exhausting, it was completely rewarding. The facility does not often get a large group of volunteers at a time. So it's hard to focus on individual needs. Coming in as a large groups and teaching in one-to-one or small group settings helped the immigrants learn and understand more than they do during a regular class. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. In the four hours that we spent at the center, we learned a lot about immigrants and refugees, as well as new teaching skills. 

Afterwards, we went grocery shopping, had our first reflection, and made dinner together! It was pasta night. It was way too much fun cooking with team. No matter what level of cooking skills we had, we each contributed to the delicious meal. We were later joined by the lovely Karen Ardizonne! After, we did some team bonding and played Taboo. It was pretty intense. Then we headed to bed in preparation for another day of service.

January 7, 2014

After a good night's rest, we woke up early and got ready for another day of service. This time we would be going to two sites - back to Jewish Vocational Services and Catholic Charities in Dorchester. However, unlike the day before, the weather was absolutely brutal. The temperature was reaching the negatives. Nonetheless, we were all determined to work. The cold could not stop our warm hearts and fiery passion. Back at JVS, many of us tried different areas. Some of us remained with the people we worked with the day before and others met new ones. Some of us faced new challenges and some found it easier than the day before. However, we all did learn more about the issues at hand, as well as more about ourselves. In between teaching English, we were each able to learn a little about the people we were individually working with and getting a sense of their story. It's crazy how much they've been through. I think it's absolutely beautiful how much diversity and culture are in a single center.

We later on ventured and took the train to Dorchester to work at our new site, Catholic Charities. It was a grueling walk from the train station to the site, but we were greeted with warm, welcoming hearts. We toured the facility and learned that Catholic Charities serves the large Cape Verdian youth population in Dorchester. It serves as an after school safe haven for students from middle school through high school to do homework and interact. Dorchester is recognized as one of the rougher neighborhoods in Boston. Catholic Charities does an amazing job in keeping these kids safe and instilling important values and support that will ensure them a bright future. Our tasks at Catholic Charities included organizing clothes donations and helping the kids with their homework or simply just getting to know them. It was definitely refreshing working with kids after working with older people back at JVS. I think the biggest surprise at Catholic Charities was that the kids barely knew any English. They spoke a mixture of Portuguese and Creole. Most of these kids are immigrants from Cape Verde. It's pretty hectic when a bunch of kids are running around and yelling in a different language. It was no easy task trying to help them with their homework either. There is a very thin wall of communication that made it so much more difficult to help them even with the simplest homework. It was frustrating because these kids were extremely brilliant and the only obstacle that kept them from understanding their homework and us helping was the English language. Eventually, some of us got through to the kids. There's a lot of trial and error and patience involved. What this organization is doing is awesome. The workers genuinely care about each and every one of the kids. Today was definitely rewarding

The day ended as usual. We went back to the hostel, made dinner (TACO NIGHT!), did reflections, and played games. With each day that's gone by and each moment spent together, we've all bonded pretty quickly. It's amazing how only a couple days ago, we all barely knew each other. It's even more beautiful that we've become closer through an amazing cause. We're such a diverse group and everyone is beautiful in their own way. We inspire each other and fuel each others' passions. I, myself, can confidently say that this is the happiest I've been in awhile.

January 8, 2014

Today, was pretty much like yesterday. We spent the day at JVS and Catholic Charities. It was actually our last day at JVS. We taught English, job interviewing skills, and some history on the civil rights movement. It's incredible how much and how quickly the immigrants and refugees learn in a one-on-one environment. It's such a rewarding feeling to see your own knowledge and skills used to help others progress. Before we actually started working, I remember seeing one of the immigrant students happily greeting and hugging her fellow student. They were both from different countries and backgrounds and it was so heart-warming to see so much love and kindness between two extremely different people working towards the same goal. It makes you realize that when it really comes down to it, the color of our skin, the way we communicate, and where we come from, is irrelevant when we try to achieve the same things. Also, no matter where were from, love is universal. We really are brothers and sisters on this Earth. Later on while we were working, Dwyer, one of the program coordinators, brought in one of his former students. He only came to the US six months ago and today, he is enrolled at Bunker Hill College and has a job. It goes to show that hard work really does go a long way. What really touched me was how everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and applauded for him. Words cannot fully accentuate or capture the beauty of this camaraderie. It was hard leaving JVS that day. We really did get so much more than we signed up for during this Alternative Break.

We later on traveled back to Catholic Charities for another day with the children. Each day with the kids just gets better and better. Most of us spent time with the middle school kids and some hung out with the high school kids. Something about working with kids is just so satisfying. Each of them has such a bright future and is destined for greatness. I think most of could agree that we wanted to stay there and just guide them through any obstacle and help them achieve their dreams. They have so much potential and I pray that no matter what life throws at them, they get through it and never let go of their dreams.

Today ended with a beautiful lasagna dinner and an even more beautiful reflection. I think we could also all agree that we never want to leave #We'reAllFriendsHere

January 9 & 10, 2014

            After three days at JVS and Catholic Charities, we began to volunteer at a new center, the Vietnamese American Community Center, which is located in Dorchester right outside of downtown Boston. The organization inside the center is called VietAID and offers a plethora of opportunities to people who are new to the area and the country as a whole. Not only does the center offer a pre-school and after school care for children, but it also offers real estate opportunities, family child care, a summer youth program, and help with small businesses. The center also offers other counseling assistance on anything and everything possible.

            When we first arrived at the center, two extremely friendly and outgoing women named Emily and Marisa greeted us. These women were youth program coordinators at VietAID and ran all of the children programs at VietAID such as the pre-school, the after school program, and the summer program. These women worked day in and day out for the children and their families, and the connections they had with the families were truly inspiring.  They were so happy with their jobs and what they did at work, and were so thankful to have us there for the next few days (they even brought us munchkins… we love munchkins).

            On the first day at the center, we split up and did various different tasks throughout the center. A lot of paperwork had to be done to organize children’s emergency contact folders, so a couple of us worked on that for most of the day. The school has many students, and keeping track of all the information is a time consuming task. Another group of us worked on cleaning up the classrooms that the after school programs and summer programs take place in. On the second day, we continued to do the filing work as well as cleaning. We cleaned and organized the library that VietAid offers for the children and their families. The library has books of all kinds and can really advance their learning. We also worked on setting up a raffle event for the after school program for the kids. While we worked at VietAID we saw how much work the employees and volunteers do in order to give the children a great after school experience. They offer fun events every Friday, and also take frequent field trips to fun and interesting places in Boston. The week we were there, after school they took the kids to the Children’s Museum in Boston. We were also able to see the connection Emily and Marisa had to the students and how much they truly cared about the children. When we asked questions about each kids, Marisa and Emily knew everything about them, and you could see on their faces that they genuinely cared about these children. These women were truly inspiring and they act as amazing role models to the children that attend the programs.

            From our experience with the Vietnamese American Community Center, we really learned that every little bit counts. On our first day of reflection, Christina read us a poem that we should think about while on the trip, and the poem applied to this situation more than any other. The short story was about a man who offered a bed to a couple homeless people a night. The poem reiterated over and over again that this wasn’t going to change the world, or save anyone. While we were doing the work at VietAID, we weren’t changing the world, but we sure were making a difference indirectly. By cleaning the classrooms and library, organizing the files, and helping set up an after school program for the children, we were making a difference. This is work that could have taken Emily and Marisa hours upon hours, but because there were so many of us volunteering, we were able to get these tasks done in a short manner. Every little bit counts. Always remember that!

January 10, 2014

On our last day in Boston after working at VietAID, we walked the city and attempted to see every piece of it! We visited Harvard, Cambridge, the Boston Common and Garden, Quincy Market, and ended our night with an awesome Italian dinner in the North End. I’m sure I can speak for everyone in saying that we had the time of our lives, and made memories that we will never forget. After starting the trip with a group of strangers, we ended as a group of close friends. It’s true, #We’reAllFriendsHere. I love my RUAB Boston family, and I’m so happy we got to share this experience together!  

By: Christian Fernandez and Danielle Ferullo 

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 7

January 11, 2014

AND WE DEPART. Just as we came, we piled our stuff in the car (the windows are not frozen on the inside this time), and headed out. We took a breakfast stop at Biscuit World, where we ate what were quite possibly the fluffiest, thickest, butteriest biscuits to ever exist. We had a couple minutes to slouch comatose in the trucks afterwards before stopping by the New River Gorge Bridge visitor center. After learning some things, we started the real trek back to Jersey.

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 6

January 10, 2014

Last day. 

What with the warmer weather and end of our trip, we all decided we wanted to explore West Virginia in its raw form. First, we worked in the morning. We finished up working as much as possible in each of the three areas (wifi café, niches, gymnasium). We also cut and nailed (NAILED IT) wood to make wooden letters for our RUTGERS memorial. Explanation: There have been previous RU Alternative Breaks that have been to West VA to work with SALS, and a tradition has been for each group to make a wooden letter that would contribute to spelling out RUTGERS. Can't beat RU school pride. 

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 5

January 9, 2014

Thursday. January 9^th. So close to the end, how did the time fly?!

So much progress doe. After the slightly heavier mood of yesterday, we were anxious to get going and accomplish some major projects today … and we did work! 

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 4

January 8, 2014

Today's Wednesday - first things first. Click here. 

Today, we started our day with a breakfast for kings. We had fresh chocolate chip pancakes (with a liberal sprinkling of chocolate chips, obviously), waffles, and fresh sausage. It was good we had such a hearty meal, because today we did a lot of work. 

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 3

January 7, 2014

The third day, we started off with a hearty breakfast and a strong collective urge to start doing some serious volunteer work. We were joined by a Global Volunteer group, who took up the gymnasium work, so we couldn’t continue our work on the ceiling. Also unfortunately, the weather continued to be uncooperative, leading to a school closure. However, we did all get to venture out onto the second floor of the building and start remodeling a room.

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 2

January 6, 2014

There was ice not only on the cars this morning, but inside on the windows, as well. We were supposed to stay in an abandoned church, but the broken heating system, and below freezing temperatures drove us toward Oak Hills, a nearby more established town. 

Nailed It! [West VA] - Day 1

January 5^th, 2014

Do you see the fog?!

Our West Virginia trip began at 9am, from the Rutgers Student Center. We ate bagels, loaded our luggage into the black trucks with tinted windows, and drove Secret Service style down the highway. The weather began as icy and transitioned from cold to sunny to rainy to windy over the course of the 8 hours we drove.

Nailed It! [West VA] - Introduction

Before you read about the awesome adventures we had in West Virginia, here's a little introduction to all of us: (we range from first-years to graduate students) 

The girls first! 

Top: (starting at left) Heidi, JoAnn, Nikita, Bridget, Megan 

Bottom: Marta, Yatee (myself), Diana, Morgan 

Then, the guys: 

Rico, Van, Dan, Travis

Voices from Inside: California - día tres (Day 3)

As Rutgers students you won't find most of us up before 11AM while on winter break, but service should always come before self. And for that reason we began our day at 7AM prepping food for a local soup kitchen and church named GLIDE.

As quoted on their website: 

GLIDE's mission is to create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization (www.glide.org). 

Be sure to check out their website to see all of the amazing services they offer to the heart of the community in San Francisco. Through many group discussions we talked about Mazlow's hierarchy of needs and how basic necessities such as food and shelter must be met before any self-actualization can happen to improve your life. Glide is doing just that by providing meals 364 days out of the year (they are even open on Christmas!) and dispersing hygiene kits. It has proven to be a great organization with a beacon of hope glimmering in the foreground. 

"Feeding the Soul"

After meal prep, we had a small orientation lead by Volunteer Coordinator, Eden Chan where she shared the history behind GLIDE and the inclusivity it has brought to the city of San Francisco. It started off as a traditional church but in the late 80's when times were shifting, it transformed into a safe haven for people from all walks of life. They got rid of the crucifixes and bibles and turned Sunday service into a "celebration of life". And although GLIDE does not directly work with prisoners, the idea of social justice and awareness in San Francisco holds true to our goals here on the RUAB trip. 

It was an early morning, so many of us hustled back to the hotel to catch some quick Zzzz's before our next event.

In our earlier post you heard about a man named Ron Doyle who ran the Seventh Step Program out in Oakland. We made such a connection with that group that we were invited back to speak with at-risk youth in San Leandro at their after school program. Mr. Doyle encourages these youth from ages 12-20 to involve themselves in other ways then "hanging out" on the street. He assigns extra homework and provides dinner and incentives to allow these kids to come together. We heard each of them read their assignments one at a time to improve their presentation, speaking, and writing skills. At the end we briefly answered questions about college, campus life, and shared our majors. Although outsiders may think these teens have a dismal future, we could see the wonder in their eyes. They expressed great interest in attending college and many even said they would be the first from their family to do so. These kids are our future and we must encourage and uplift them to ensure they have a bright future. Everyone's situation is different, but we all deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as stated by our Founding Fathers in the US Constitution.

It was an awe-inspiring evening and it is our hope that the youth go on to acheive big things. Thank you again to Mr. Doyle, Kevin, Willy, Javier, "Polar Bear", and the rest of the staff at the Seventh Step Program for opening the door and allowing us into "your family." It has been a pleasure.

Thank you 7th Step Program from RUAB Cali!!!

So I end with this my friends: 

“Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up.” —Jesse Jackson

Adios,

RUAB California

"Voices from Inside"

Written by Melissa Hoffman

Voices from Inside: California - deux jours (Day 2)

Whewwwww! As I sit here writing our second blog about our experiences, I can't help to think how heavy my eyelids are, how tired my feet are, but how full my soul is. Yet again, we dove in head first towards another 24 hours of exploration and understanding.

Starting off at 8AM was rough, but after some coffee and bagels provided by our hostel we hit the ground running! Our day began with sightseeing of the waterfront on San Francisco Bay. Pier 39 was stunning with amazing views of the bay and even Alcatraz!

The sea lion population also stole our hearts....

We had some down time, so we continued to walk around the city, tour the area, and even rode on an ever-so-popular SanFran cable car.

The day went off without a hitch and the group was very happy to be settling in a clean and friendly city where the temperature is not in the single digits. Ha!

Shortly after lunch on the pier and two train rides later we indulged in our first service activity of the trip, sharing with the men at the Seventh Step Program in Hayward, California (a suburb of the city of Oakland). The Seventh Step Program is a facility and treatment halfway house for drug addicts, ex-convicts, alcoholics, and men in despair. No pictures were allowed to be taken in the house, but the voices and faces of the individuals resound in our minds. Many of the men suffered from horrible addictions, gloomy pasts, and unclear futures. All of this is funded by their director, Mr. Ron Doyle, directly from his own pocket. His staff are all men who "graduated"from the program who continue to serve and help the men who sit in the seats they once filled. 

We discussed many hot topics including ways to fill the holes in their program, obstacles they have overcome, and the prospect of a grim chance at employment. Many of the men discussed a desire to better themselves, clean their lives up, and rebuilding bridges they had once burned. It came to be a "candid and real" discussion about their lives and how our "book knowledge" can work hand-in-hand with their "street smarts."

It was an eye-opening and enlightening moment for many of us who have come to the realization that your path can easily be skewed by a few bad choices. Those men living their are no different than you and I. They aren't "bad people", they just did "bad things." Raw emotions bounced off the white cinder block walls that evening and still echoes in our hearts.

Thank you to the staff (Mr. Doyle and coordinator Kevin) for opening up your home to curious collegiates.

The night ended with a pizza party, reflection of our day, and good nights sleep.

I will end this writing with a quote from Kevin that day:

"If you do what you've always done, you will get what you have always got."

Until We Meet Again,

RUAB California

"Voices from Inside"

Written by Melissa Hoffman

Voices from Inside: California - Day 1

From Sea to Shining Sea!

The above heading is taken from a line in 'America the Beautiful', the patriotic song written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893 symbolizing the great expanse and wonder that is the United States. Today, the group embarked on our journey to the West Coast with service in our hearts, mixed emotions in our heads, excitement in our eyes, and a little bit of New Jersey wind chill left in our bones.  After meeting up with everyone at 8AM in Newark Liberty Airport we were greeted by airline staff to get us all situated on the flight. We even ran into Columbia University's Swim Team! The day was off to a great start until we found out the NOLA trip missed their flight (we love you guys!) and our own flight was delayed almost 2 hours so the plane could be "de-iced." Although the thought of 60 degree weather helped to brighten our spirits....

"The Airport Scene"

5 1/2 hours later we touched down, with a sunset in the horizon, in the scenic city of San Francisco, CA! We could not have been more excited to A) finally make it and B) immerse ourselves in the culture. 

"A picture perfect landing"

We grabbed our bags and waited for the AirTran to take us to the "Powell St." stop to check into our hostel. 

"Playing the waiting game"

The 12 of us lugged over 480lbs. of luggage to Mason St. in the downtown district to arrive at our final destination. The hostel is decorated in eclectic, arty decor and filled with voyagers from Argentina to Germany. I even got to chat with a group of Aussie boys ;) 

It was a long day of travel, but well worth it in the end. A quick trip to Target and 40 minutes worth of boiling and baking culminated in our first meal together as an RUAB Family. Yum!!

"Our version of the not-so-Jersey Shore Sunday dinner"

The next 6 days seem hopeful as we keep in mind our mission and the goals we want to accomplish on this trip. Opening our eyes to new people, learning someone else's story, and serving others are just a taste of what we set out to do. 

In addition, "Give Where you Live" is a huge theme of the Rutgers University Student Volunteer Council back in New Brunswick and we hope to achieve just that during our stay here in "The Golden State." Even if just for 144 hours.......

Until Next Time,

RUAB California

"Voices from Inside"

Written by Melissa Hoffman