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 

Nailed It! [West VA] - pre-trip

AND SO BEGINS THE JOURNEY.

Well, not quite yet. Thirteen (sleepy) Rutgers students still need to make it to the Rutgers Student Center bright and early at 6 am on Sunday, January 5th to depart south, towards Beards Fork, West Virginia! 

There, our group will explore issues concerning poverty and housing, particularly involving the surrounding area. Although once very active as a coal mining site, there is no longer any mining activity in Beards Fork. 

We don't know exactly what to expect upon our arrival, but boy oh boy are we excited to make a difference! And hopefully not freeze ... okay, definitely not freeze. The recent descent of Hercules has us preparing for the worst. Personally, I have conceded to the fact that I will resemble the Michelin Man for the majority of the trip.

The picture below shows some of us from the RUAB Kickoff Dinner in early December! 

See our RUAB t-shirts on the table?!

And this picture shows us thinking hard at our last pre-trip meeting.

Soon enough, we'll all be bonding during the 8-hour drive down and gearing up to make a difference in a community while learning about (and from) it at the same time!