Gratitude is Great

Gratitude is important. Gratitude includes saying thank you but it also includes your behavior and attitude in life. Those who are gracious about the small things in life tend to be people you want to surround yourself with. You can say thank you because someone held the door for you, or write a thank you note because someone chose to be kind and do you a favor. You can look at life with happiness, peace, and cherishing each moment by being thankful that you get to experience that moment.

I am grateful for Alternative Break Program. I have learned about service and the impact it has on others' lives. I have met individuals who have a drive and a passion for helping others. It is encouraging and positive to know so many individuals who have that much compassion and kindness. Sometimes, people don't care about others or what situation they may be going through or want to lend a helping hand but it's important to do so. Sometimes others need help and that compassion is key. Many people have a lot to be gracious for and I think it's important that we use our gifts and tools to help others sometimes. Gratitude, compassion, and a lack of apathy can improve the world.

What do you mean, “winter is coming”?

Whenever I talked about our volunteer trip beforehand, one of the first questions was always, "How are you going to work in a garden in New York during December?" Certainly a valid question. I didn't have the complete answer myself... Just some reassurances from our work site that it would be related to environmentalism even if we had to work indoors.

We arrived at the Children's Magic Garden before our site contact showed up the first morning. Most of us were surprised at the mess. As Floridians, we are acclimated to greenery everywhere: on our lawns, on campus, off the highway, in summer, in winter. This garden was filled with a miscellany of cigarette butts, foil wrappers, random pieces of paper, and a mysterious brown mush of what had once been verdant leaves. Chain link fence cut the space into a strange L-shape wedged against the sidewalk and the tattoo parlor next door. 

Aresh, our site contact, explained the contentious legality surrounding the garden: a developer claimed part of the garden space, but the community of the Children’s Magic Garden rallied together to sue them in the New York State Supreme Court (which is still ongoing).

Our first day was spent cleaning up and organizing the garden, and the rest of our time with Aresh was spent painting banners for a demonstration at Kings County Court in Brooklyn. We worked at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center. At times we were frustrated at Aresh’s methods, but we learned to trust his experience instead of our outside perspective. Some of the artists in the CSV also welcomed us into their studios. Our experience was unique and we were able to learn more about the community we were helping.

You can find out more about More Gardens! at their website.

Project H.O.P.E , complete!

Project H.O.P.E was a success! This past weekend was so rewarding, I literally smile everytime I think about it. All participants (who are now my friends ) were absolutely AWESOME!Not to mention having the coolest faculty advisor, Michelle Fitzgerald. Michelle let me lead the entire trip but was there whenever I needed advice, and man she gives great advice. I think everyone on the trip connected with her very well,  she had genuine conversations with all of us. Overall we were just such a great group I don't know how I got so lucky. They all kept me laughing the entire weekend.We volunteered with Childrens Home of Tampa and Metropolitan Ministries. I don't want to show too many pictures because then that would spoil the video :)

Day one: we spent the day volunteering at the Children's Home of Tampa. We helped clean the campus and played football and activities with the children who live there. (We weren't allowed to take pictures of the children) :)

Day two we did a lot! We served food to the homeless through Hyde Park Ministries. In the afternoon we made airplanes and butterflies out of clothespins with the children at Metropolitan Ministries. Afterwards we helped cook dinner.

On our last day we went kayaking through Sargeant B. Park. Beautiful place!

-Melissa Rosario ( I know it says Steven Fernandez, I'm not tech savy) 

Nashville: An Incredible Community

Nashville is probably one of the most awesome communities in how they support volunteerism. We had the opportunity to see how much is done for the organization we worked with, through donations and time. Nashville Rescue Mission receives a lot of donations. They receive donations of food, canned goods, and clothing. Furniture and exercise equipment has been donated to them as well. From what I’ve seen through my experience is that Nashville embraces Nashville Rescue Mission and gives back. They are a supportive and generous and truly a great model of community support.

It was an amazing experience to volunteer in this community. I’m glad I got to see cool benefits of a great community through the organization.

“Each of us to has a unique part to play in the healing of the world.” -Marianne Williamson

New York, you're perfect; don't, please, don't change a thing.

Our students had an amazing experience in New York! They volunteered with the Children’s Magic Garden on a range of projects. We cleaned and organized the garden, helped build an egg-shaped chicken coop, and prepared banners to demonstrate before a court case. We even sat in on a court case at the Brooklyn Supreme Court. Both sides of the case presented their briefs to the judge. It was an interesting experience that I’ll be writing more about later. Aresh, our site contact, was very informative: he has been involved with environmental justice for the past twenty-five years in New York.

Hard at work in the garden.

Demonstrating in front of the courthouse.

At the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, we removed invasive English ivy from their old-growth forest. The Garden some of the last remaining old-growth trees in the city; the forest has been there since before the city was founded. English ivy was brought to the forest because it is commonly used as a decorative plant. It usually grows up the sides of buildings (you’ve probably seen it before). Sydney even threw out her back while working. After our volunteer work we walked around the grounds, which still had a surprisingly array of color.

We stayed with Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, which was built in the 19th-century. They graciously housed us in their “penthouse” apartment on the top floor. It had an outdoor balcony—which was rarely used with the cold weather—and several rooms for us. (The only downside were all the five or six flights of narrow stairs.)

Grand Central Station

In our free time we visited a number of New York hotspots, including the Freedom Tower, Times Square, Grand Central Station, the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, 30 Rock, the High Line Park, Chelsea Market, NYU, and Battery Park.

Abstract art feat. Julian.

Nashville!

This trip has been the best Alternative Break Program trip I’ve ever been a part of. I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead this trip and work with such an awesome group of people. We traveled to Nashville, Tennessee and worked with Nashville Rescue Mission. This organization has so much compassion and generosity. They help those in need throughout the Nashville community by serving 3 meals a day, offering housing, a life recovery program, transition housing, clothing, and hygiene products. They offer structure and assistance to those in need.

We had the opportunity to help them decorate for Christmas, serve lunch in their cafeteria, clean their cafeteria, organize clothing, canned goods, and food in their warehouse, prepare bags of hygiene products, hats, and socks for individuals, and meet some incredible people. The kindness this organization showed us was truly appreciated.

Organizing canned goods and other food products

Part of the finished setting up of Christmas decorations

We explored Nashville from Broadway to the replica of the Parthenon to seeing the Rockettes. This trip was eye opening, inspiring, and fun. We learned that Nashville is a community that gives back. Majority of items and food that Nashville Rescue Mission has and uses are donated. This organization has much support from the community and that is really awesome. This week long trip was amazing and I think that we will all continue to be volunteers and actively involved citizens in our communities in the future.