tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58290469523631462992024-03-18T21:48:02.665-07:00Cal Poly Alternative Breaks Service ProgramCal Poly Alternative Breaks provides an opportunity for students to lend a helping hand in our global communities and address humanitarian issues through strong direct service, educational workshops, and group reflection during summer, winter, and spring breaks.Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-28449554585120454552012-12-20T10:56:00.002-08:002012-12-20T10:56:50.711-08:00Day 4: Hanging Out in the Club<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After being on the East Coast for five days, the group was starting to feel the fatigue of traveling as well as waking up early during winter break. Fortunately, our morale and enthusiasm was still high and intact. For our fourth and final day of volunteering, we went to Boston’s Westend Boys & Girls Club. When we first arrived, were given a tour of the facilities and were blown away with what we saw. Three floors of study rooms, arts and crafts areas, a full-length lap pool, a gymnasium, music studio, and so much more, it epitomized a kid’s fantasy. After the tour, half of the group set out to create a winter wonderland for the upcoming Christmas party by cutting out snowflakes and decorating the rooms. The other half went to work in the kitchen to help preparehealthy meals for the children. When the kids started trickling in the doors after school, we spent the rest of the day playing with them and helping out with homework.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Spending time with the club members, elementary to high school ages, allowed us to interact directly with the people we were helping. Conversations revealed their dreams of attending schools like MIT or NYU and majoring in subjects such as architecture or art. Activities showcased their impressive talents whether it was jamming to The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” reciting the multiplication table as fast as possible, or even cutting out fancy snowflakes. Watching a place like the Boys & Girls Club provide a positive, encouraging environment presented a heartwarming sight. Here, kids are safe to develop their creativity without limitations and pursue their dreams as they desire.</span></div>
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Alternative Breaks was a wonderful way to kick off winter break. Traveling across the country with a group of strangers for a community service trip seemed a little daunting in the beginning, but this initial thought was almost immediately dispelled. Our group felt comfortable with one another from the start but by the end of the week, it was as if we were all old friends. This trip also proved the importance of volunteering. There is always more that can be done to help progress a community and dedicating a few hours of time can get much accomplished. I'm grateful for this opportunity to make new connections, learn from experiences, and step outside of my usual comfort zone to help out others. My experience with Alternative Breaks not only made me realize that I can actually withstand 30 degree weather, but that a single individual's effort can truly make a difference. </div>
Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-21391911226427111442012-12-14T07:27:00.001-08:002012-12-14T07:28:50.563-08:00Day 3 Was a Blast!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We started off our morning bracing the brutal cold of 38 degrees. We're not in San Luis Obispo anymore! We took the T (Subway) to Cradles to Crayons where we were greeted by a California born-turned Boston native. We got a brief orientation and went immediately to work. We were broken up into 2 groups. One group inspected and sorted donated clothing for distribution and the other opened donated clothing bags for inspection.<br />
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After a long day of service, we regrouped with other volunteers to hear how many lives we impacted. Collectively, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo impacted 270 children with just 4 hours of service!<br />
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That night, we split up to partake in our individual night activities. A group of girls went to see the broadway show musical, Memphis, and another group went to TD Gardens to watch the Celtics take on the Dallas Mavericks!<br />
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Overall, the day was fantastic! Volunteering at Cradles to Crayons went by unbelievably fast! Day 3. Check.Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-16331443531449582012012-12-12T05:17:00.000-08:002012-12-12T05:17:05.281-08:00Day 2- You Know You're Not from Boston When You...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wear hoodies instead of a real coat to keep warm.<br />Get a kick out finding someone with a Bostonian accent.<br />Gawk at the amount of Dunkin' Donuts everywhere.<br />Still hesitate to walk diagonally through an intersection.<br />Wonder why ice hockey isn't a hit over on the West Coast. <br />Pay to take a tour of Fenway park.<br />Have to stop and think about which branch of the Green Line you need to take.<br />Finally have a real reason to wear a scarf in public.<br /><br />Despite all of the little idiosyncrasies mentioned above that the entire group seems to have been experiencing these past couple of days, the fact that we're in one of the most historic, charismatic, and breathtaking cities in the nation is finally starting to sink in through the excessive layering of our clothes. The sheltered students from the land of 70 degree winters are finally getting their bearings! As we ate our Trader Joe's smorgasbord in the Boston Common today, even the fluorescent, neon pink explosion of Cassie Pitkin's sweater couldn't counter the glow of falling willow leaves and the company of new friends... something that I'm truly grateful for.<br /><br />It's funny at least to me that regardless of the situation, the gratitude people show towards your service and work always comes off the same way- a smile that stretches the span of a person's face, the endless warmth of genuine hugs, the showering of "Thank You's", and the sincere connection that forms between two strangers. Today our group volunteered at Room to Grow, an organization that enriches the lives of babies in poverty throughout their first three years. As trivial as our assignment of folding and sorting baby clothes might have come off, the experience of "Learn By Doing Good", along with time spent with Jen, who patiently taught us how to identify a Onesie from a t-shirt couldn't have exemplified this idea anymore. By the time I walked out today, Jen had just become yet another one of the people I have volunteered for that I can say I am truly thankful for. You're surroundings and background are completely irrelevant... Go get off your butt, out of your heated house, and do something great with your Christmas Break, and I'm telling you that it doesn't take a trip across the nation for you to feel the same thing I felt today.<br /><br />So the moral of this blog today is that you'd be surprised as to how enlightening folding clothes can get... Now I get to drift off to sleep, the ringing of the subway's screeching brakes still bouncing in my ears as I shudder at the 29 degree forecasted low for tomorrow.Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-48071761408018623072012-12-11T14:55:00.002-08:002012-12-11T14:55:38.082-08:00Boston is AMAZING!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-84556168853081341642012-12-11T06:54:00.002-08:002012-12-11T06:54:32.730-08:00Alternative Breaks 2012- Boston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day one in Boston was definitely a day to remember. Though everyone was tired from travel, we all mustered up energy and by the time breakfast was over, we could not wait to get out and get to work. We left the hostel around 8 AM and walked into a beautifully cloudy and chilly Boston morning. We walked the streets of Boston on our way to our first destination, the Park Street Church. We were greeted by a man named Rich, who as we later found out was an expert on the history of Boston. He gave us a brief tour and history briefing of the church, and then explained the tasks for the day. First on the list was painting the stairways.... We teamed up, three people per floor, and got to painting! Other tasks for the day included cleaning carpets, leaf blowing the roof, painting pillars, cleaning pews, and refurbishing chandeliers. Halfway through our day, Rich ordered pizza for us, and as we ate he went into more detail about the city of Boston. Once we finished, he guided us on a tour of Park Street and the surrounding area, really giving us and insiders perspective on the city. We cruised around for awhile before eventually coming back to the church to finish our tasks. As our day of volunteering concluded, it was obvious how grateful Rich was for us being there to help out. He explained that painter would have charged him $8,000 to complete the same work that we did for free. It was truly amazing to see how thankful he was.<br />
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After eating dinner at the hostel, we were off to the Harvard hockey game! We got to walk around the streets surrounding Harvard, and even the campus itself. After the game, we did some more walking around, and then headed to Quincy Market. Everything was decorated so beautifully for the holidays, and we even got to watch a light show that was completely synchronized to Christmas music. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted from the adventures we had, but all in all, everyone was grateful for the amazing things that we got to experience. It was the perfect way to kick off the trip!Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-31621576426231115242012-05-10T14:24:00.000-07:002012-05-10T14:24:02.981-07:00Alternative Breaks, New York: RECAP!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It feels as if we just flew back from NY yesterday. Starting as a group of strangers, shy and uneasy, we ended up a group of friends, caring and fun. Though educated about the food devastation problem, it didn't exactly hit me until I saw it with my own eyes. Seeing the massive long lines at the community kitchen and seeing the streets devoid of produce markets made me realize how much these people need help and support. My most memorable part of the trip was being able to see the people I was serving and converse with them. One of the guys in line, when asked why there was a pen in his pocket, said, "I am a writer. I write almost anything; poetry, I write whatever is happening around me." I don't think I can forget the look in his eyes as he thanked and blessed us with his sincere heart. Going on this trip influenced me to reexamine the situation here in SLO--in this past month, I was able to be a part of this ministry with my fellowship in passing out sandwiches, socks, and fruit to anyone in need in the downtown area. Every time I think of this trip, it is a reminder to volunteer at the homeless shelter or community kitchens and really put myself out there to make a difference. Cassie and Jessie were awesome leaders and I can see how truly passionate they are about helping their community and making a difference. Thank you Alt. Breaks NY for shining a light upon me so that I may be a light to others. "Leadership is action, not position." - Donald H. McGannon<br />
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Diane Lee</div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-13800173049813861002012-05-09T13:10:00.000-07:002012-05-09T13:12:29.420-07:00Alternative Breaks New York Reflection!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Alternative Breaks New York 2012 crew flew back home to
California over a month ago, but we will forever stay connected to NYC through
our experiences, memories, and continued volunteerism. Volunteering throughout the week at four
different locations, with varied populations, opened our eyes to the extreme amount
of hunger in NYC. We now understand the
importance of volunteering whenever possible and doing what we can for those in
need. Running on limited sleep, the
smiles and thanks that we received from those we were serving pushed us to keep
working hard throughout the day. A day
that stuck out to me was when we had the opportunity to work with Encore
Community Services delivering meals on wheels to homebound seniors in Times
Square. These senior citizens were so
thankful for the meal we were dropping off and the interactions we had with
them will forever be in my memory. Overall,
this experience has made me a better person with a changed outlook on
life. As a graduating senior, Alternative
Breaks will stand out as a key component of my college experience and will
continue to push me to volunteer throughout my life. I want to thank Jesse and Cassie for all of
their hard work and planning to make this trip happen, we all love you!</div>
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Julianne Jochums </div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-65857349851803907782012-05-09T11:07:00.001-07:002012-05-09T11:07:49.937-07:00Reflecting on Alternative Breaks: New York!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="" name="_GoBack">Alternative
Breaks New York is long over but we are still feeling the effects. The impact
Alternative Breaks had on us is evident in the relationships that are still
thriving and in our collective commitment to continue to better our community.
Within the group, people still stay surprisingly well connected. In fact,
people have joined and play on the same intramural dodge ball league. Walking
around campus you can count on bumping into one of the participants and
receiving a welcoming hug and the reassuring feeling one gets from seeing an
old friend. Beyond the relationships that were created among the group, other
effects still linger.<span> </span>The amazing high
we all got from volunteering is still fresh. The empowering feeling we got from
making a difference has given us the confidence to continue to make a
difference. I can speak from personal experience, alternative breaks got me
volunteering and now I don’t want to stop. I have gotten involved with local
homeless shelters, and day centers. Serving meals, prepping and painting
shelters that need a touch up. My brother and I have begun teaching German at
Hawthorne elementary school. Collectively we are changed because we realize we
can have an impact. New York showed us that when a group of caring and hard working
individuals get together they can change the circumstances that people are
subjected to even if it’s just for a meal. We made an impact in New York and
New York had an impact on us. For those who are considering volunteering with
alternative breaks, realize that the effects don’t end when you’re done volunteering.
The effects live on in the new empowered ability you feel to create change,
improve people lives, and improve yourself. </a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Aline Schmitz</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-74035042734506319302012-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:002012-02-01T10:56:22.271-08:00Reuniting to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because of Martin Luther King Jr.’s paramount dedication to service, his birthday has been honored as a National Day of Service for the past 16 years, uniting volunteers across America behind the importance of serving one’s community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group from our New Orleans Alternative Breaks trip was able to reunite to be a part of this Day of Service and volunteered with the San Luis Obispo Food Bank in efforts to collect food from residential neighborhoods throughout SLO County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyACW-xd4tGO0HtzNFw62Efs_7oNaeR6CpFqrl8_0HWkLu_0kAPtttFE9cnXVXmkZOobgtkHBlrZ9gis6rh7XpZ5fbp-41zxKuk2xwQBMHap94iVngXu_aGvKmPrQZRaLq5QB590-St0f/s1600/NOLA+MLK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyACW-xd4tGO0HtzNFw62Efs_7oNaeR6CpFqrl8_0HWkLu_0kAPtttFE9cnXVXmkZOobgtkHBlrZ9gis6rh7XpZ5fbp-41zxKuk2xwQBMHap94iVngXu_aGvKmPrQZRaLq5QB590-St0f/s320/NOLA+MLK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had three students from the trip come out to the Morro Bay site on Saturday, January 14, to take bags to Los Osos neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They placed these empty bags on the doorsteps of houses and left instructions that explained how residents can put food into the bags, which will then be collected the following Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked each volunteer group to take fifty bags to fulfill an hour long of volunteering, but the students went beyond what was expected of them and requested to take 600 bags, a task that would end up lasting them around five hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Monday, we had twelve students who were able to help with the bag pick up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After making numerous trips to and from Los Osos to Morro Bay, we were able to process around 200 full bags of food, which contributed to the overall SLO County total of 14,000 pounds of collected food throughout the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so refreshing to have everyone together again not just to reunite, but to reunite over similar types of volunteering that we were able to do in New Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A famed call by the Food Bank is that “hunger doesn’t take a day off,” a saying that the students were able to recognize by dedicating their weekend and day off to service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjqom7OqY1aTs29W18FsirETph0H_4qtybeDHn08gsws2RIRpYrzKclUTrhBVTa6XAhnd7OEYcIyoFxzHImW0GfV6lScUwcE_r7uE7atQDuUrQKbXifn4XZx_B_UbgV33A7XeEglBZlwB/s1600/twelve+NOLA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjqom7OqY1aTs29W18FsirETph0H_4qtybeDHn08gsws2RIRpYrzKclUTrhBVTa6XAhnd7OEYcIyoFxzHImW0GfV6lScUwcE_r7uE7atQDuUrQKbXifn4XZx_B_UbgV33A7XeEglBZlwB/s320/twelve+NOLA.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every time everyone from the New Orleans trip gets together, we cannot plan enough events to reunite in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re hoping this is just the first of many service days we can do together to keep with the trends of the overall volunteering mission of Alternative Breaks.</span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrsnEYBsw7oWsfbFUHrUEVQIKoYP3KXoYhKEoOrtaO3Pa6KLzsWIyU_NlNopaKMc7k_muHB13fXIcIBruyvir9IxHaafaaLkzHj5n2O5wENcqgnfwBZqWm22H4v9vGrGM2u3wTdt22f15/s1600/NOLA+bags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrsnEYBsw7oWsfbFUHrUEVQIKoYP3KXoYhKEoOrtaO3Pa6KLzsWIyU_NlNopaKMc7k_muHB13fXIcIBruyvir9IxHaafaaLkzHj5n2O5wENcqgnfwBZqWm22H4v9vGrGM2u3wTdt22f15/s320/NOLA+bags.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyACW-xd4tGO0HtzNFw62Efs_7oNaeR6CpFqrl8_0HWkLu_0kAPtttFE9cnXVXmkZOobgtkHBlrZ9gis6rh7XpZ5fbp-41zxKuk2xwQBMHap94iVngXu_aGvKmPrQZRaLq5QB590-St0f/s1600/NOLA+MLK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-55511313576654864432011-12-16T08:55:00.000-08:002011-12-16T08:55:29.344-08:00Coming Full Circle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDOTcHD-zqyjHyRW-gdHLAOUHj1EY6K9dNr-1d_QDIW7fqGy4SxM_qtP5dNU313Bb7T27thIy2-pPwPK28TNsNKMSGTAUI3PoFjAfyf4p51JFplQT-vSHoUk6BgtQpXlQWvailngnQT8y/s1600/IMG_8686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDOTcHD-zqyjHyRW-gdHLAOUHj1EY6K9dNr-1d_QDIW7fqGy4SxM_qtP5dNU313Bb7T27thIy2-pPwPK28TNsNKMSGTAUI3PoFjAfyf4p51JFplQT-vSHoUk6BgtQpXlQWvailngnQT8y/s320/IMG_8686.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Upon arrival to the <a href="http://no-hunger.org/">Second Harvest Food Bank of NO</a>, we were whisked into the volunteer debriefing room to learn the various missions of the Food Bank and what we were hoping to accomplish on our last service day. After a short intro lesson to the disassemble, then reassemble, line we started on our fast-paced goal to pack 20,000 pounds of food. Chaperoned by two of our now adopted family, Mr. Charles and Mr. Vince, it began in a hurry, as our token boys on the trip were unpacking food out of boxes with an amazing zeal. Cruising down the conveyor belt, they were then sorted by individuals by pushing them into separate rows. They were then weighed in boxes, labeled and stacked on crates to be taken away. We became extremely efficient as a team of about thirty people as we worked with a group from <a href="http://www.stei.com/">Stewart Enterprises</a>. With music playing, we rocked out a rhythm of packaging box after box of canned foods, dried goods, beverages, snacks, desserts, household products and condiments. With a goal in mind, we were committed and motivated, and before we knew it, we had almost hit our goal.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHGm47DuAt83ZbKwpEOCo0YNx5qleSB66hQO7diXvLC8g5pmMQK_LBtXHojij9qCEQci4oXB_IzS6uNtHkXDEQtcerl7RWtSz7f6iDZPDVAvfqvj9J0FcPFP4yJHVJcUj1XEbDbN1-tBC/s1600/IMG_8645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHGm47DuAt83ZbKwpEOCo0YNx5qleSB66hQO7diXvLC8g5pmMQK_LBtXHojij9qCEQci4oXB_IzS6uNtHkXDEQtcerl7RWtSz7f6iDZPDVAvfqvj9J0FcPFP4yJHVJcUj1XEbDbN1-tBC/s320/IMG_8645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">On one of our breaks we were able to take a tour of the warehouse and able to get a more full idea of what the Food Bank provides and is capable of. One of the most exciting of these is their community kitchen they just finished. It is used for cooking classes, which educate the public about healthy, affordable options for meals. After seeing the cooking-show style kitchen, we moved on to see the production kitchen, where they worked to serve 101,525 meals to 35 various sites with their Summer Feeding program, just one example of their programs directed at ending hunger. This was an exceptional process, facility and program for our students to hear about, as it opens up ideas for future avenues of focused work and potential fields of occupation.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhEgtyN-JPht8SJk2PBgVNrIlGvOz71a9YX3hrwmIxUstq6qM89bktY-Mt1vaT-3Q4dYPl8RYNSZDrz9ElRG0IbZKy-0nc01TA0H9keeihu5phgAtD-8gJOgmzYn9rQaKhUdAelAyWqqk/s1600/IMG_8656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhEgtyN-JPht8SJk2PBgVNrIlGvOz71a9YX3hrwmIxUstq6qM89bktY-Mt1vaT-3Q4dYPl8RYNSZDrz9ElRG0IbZKy-0nc01TA0H9keeihu5phgAtD-8gJOgmzYn9rQaKhUdAelAyWqqk/s320/IMG_8656.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFU8AkuJK-p5urDAEFWRC9o0Q8Iv4resoND1V6POqwj2UGd16jBrnhvkNsph1bboeV68sUPrZ0X_1n2Fwdrjbt2_YowyCW98AO6kVRFJMiU1I53c5teNhIGyo8V1Szqu2qA2oRLZfhTkm/s1600/IMG_8653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFU8AkuJK-p5urDAEFWRC9o0Q8Iv4resoND1V6POqwj2UGd16jBrnhvkNsph1bboeV68sUPrZ0X_1n2Fwdrjbt2_YowyCW98AO6kVRFJMiU1I53c5teNhIGyo8V1Szqu2qA2oRLZfhTkm/s320/IMG_8653.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After all was said and done, we totaled 21,270 pounds of food packaged, beating the previous record set by the Navy of pounds in a day! Yes, the Navy. Reflecting upon the day, we took most time to discuss the people of New Orleans. At the heart of our motivation for coming down on the service trip, the people of New Orleans have proved to be welcoming, hospital, thankful, and personable. While maintaining all of these qualities, they continue to be positive and uplifting. We have seen, through many various examples, the import of family and community for these citizens. They establish an extremely personal and comfortable relationship even with just a first introduction. We have seen a passion for life and an inundated sense of celebration here. They are proud of their culture and the only place they will ever call home, which was not at all shook by Katrina.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggk2ZKuPnYPzDsedwKkbzgjiV5FaYVVWM0MauF-WSHIYpTi8EoPOjCAxrTT1EVRrIvqv70EAkp72QuQsPye7SGIAHQGADmAdUxSMsZdoD0CDM06IOXg6rcDQn16DZ61XjAGZzqS3Rq6sDj/s1600/IMG_8680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggk2ZKuPnYPzDsedwKkbzgjiV5FaYVVWM0MauF-WSHIYpTi8EoPOjCAxrTT1EVRrIvqv70EAkp72QuQsPye7SGIAHQGADmAdUxSMsZdoD0CDM06IOXg6rcDQn16DZ61XjAGZzqS3Rq6sDj/s320/IMG_8680.JPG" width="320" /></a>Finishing up the day, Stewart Enterprises invited us to their head quarters to show us <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Six Feet Under: Impact of Katrina on Stewart Enterprises</i>. It was a video their company had made interviewing survivors of the 80% flooding of New Orleans. With their 600 employees at the time, they worked to make sure everyone was somewhere safe and unharmed. Interviewees recounted their tales of being split up from their families, having to deal with the spilling of crude oil to ruin 27,000 houses, taking out rescue boats, and of losing everything they had worked for their entire lives for some. Most could delineate between two lives of pre- and post- Katrina. Their slogan, “Caring for people, Making a difference” was seen in their actions they took to make sure their employees still had jobs, a place to live and food after the storm, even keeping FEMA trailers in the parking lot. One of the most touching scenes in the movie was the filming of hand-made cards sent from elementary kids from bordering states with such sentiments as: “We care a lot about you!” and “Is your family alright?” A few of those that shared this experience, Laurie, Brian, Kathy and others, made a great impact on us by first working together and then taking the time to show us their stories of weathering Katrina. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This last day of service remained positive and energetic throughout the day as we relished in a closing, uplifting project. We were able to see a large-scale impact of feeding over 17,000 families in New Orleans. It was a wonderful way to wrap up an emotionally varying, hard-working, and event-packed week. Not only was the day an incredibly phenomenal experience for all, we found out the soup kitchen we volunteered with at the beginning of the week is provided their food from Second Harvest. So, we have come full circle in seeing the interconnectedness of a community and how we can reach so many lives with just a few days of commitment.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2P0bdUAHO9De87pSJlSQVC_o-on_nGz2oKOuTSsxv3V8onCN-QWBS4I1BUUuktf2WI5JXuC4QizdIeHC_7dFdIXNWdmu0C2i2RHotJdXX7tkJ4K9zkpXUuBXVp6oh7SHPYFNefBr3p9D/s1600/IMG_8684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2P0bdUAHO9De87pSJlSQVC_o-on_nGz2oKOuTSsxv3V8onCN-QWBS4I1BUUuktf2WI5JXuC4QizdIeHC_7dFdIXNWdmu0C2i2RHotJdXX7tkJ4K9zkpXUuBXVp6oh7SHPYFNefBr3p9D/s320/IMG_8684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">With these days of service, we are able to see just how much we can accomplish as a few individuals in a community. With this in mind, we hope to share our experiences with family and friends; as well as maintain our service as we return back to SLO, fulfilling the mission of Alternative Breaks. <o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-57182155416723299652011-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:002011-12-14T19:38:38.369-08:00December 14th: An Enlightening Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZ9nKrxnS6JMk-ZnkPWG5J_4TaVUQJNc6J4lRNj8gaBj6kOvMDmvV-gYVj6pfjbBcupa_sYlZzUEnHA-S9zH1UyfOYyA77-nzDbRuLpPbpljh5eyD1RgAD-eYYAoXY6aKZfPyl4OXhPou/s1600/IMG_8461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <style>
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</style> </a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Our third day of service was with Green Light New Orleans. This organization offers free CFL light bulbs (the swirly kind), installation and removal of old incandescent bulbs. The students were broken up into 4 groups. This day involved close contact with community members and keyed students into personal experiences with Hurricane Katrina and continuing issues of poverty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZ9nKrxnS6JMk-ZnkPWG5J_4TaVUQJNc6J4lRNj8gaBj6kOvMDmvV-gYVj6pfjbBcupa_sYlZzUEnHA-S9zH1UyfOYyA77-nzDbRuLpPbpljh5eyD1RgAD-eYYAoXY6aKZfPyl4OXhPou/s1600/IMG_8461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZ9nKrxnS6JMk-ZnkPWG5J_4TaVUQJNc6J4lRNj8gaBj6kOvMDmvV-gYVj6pfjbBcupa_sYlZzUEnHA-S9zH1UyfOYyA77-nzDbRuLpPbpljh5eyD1RgAD-eYYAoXY6aKZfPyl4OXhPou/s320/IMG_8461.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">One group had the opportunity to spend half the day building a garden for a community member named Miss Dolores and the other half installing new light bulbs. The gardening experience was incredible. The students built a garden plot out of cinder blocks and planted vegetables, such as collard greens and strawberries. Miss Dolores was described as the sweetest lady ever with the warmth of a grandma. Another benefit to planting the garden was the idea of giving Miss Dolores a gift that would continue giving and helping. Neighbors around Miss Dolores saw her garden were wanting one like it as well – hopefully this will be an enterprise to spread all throughout New Orleans to get fresh produce to the community. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">A different pair of students partnered with a Green Light interns to install light bulbs. As they ventured into the community, they noticed a disparity between the lower and higher income families. One student noted how she noticed that the lower income families had few other pieces of technology outside of televisions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Video game consoles, computers, radios and other pieces of technology are common in most Californian households, but here these items were often absent. However, the families being served were incredibly grateful and would even try to donate at least a small amount to Green Light. This is contrasted to the high-income household the students saw. This household had a large home, complete with a TV in front of the toilet. Obviously, this is a very different situation than that of the families with lower incomes. However, the students noted that they did not feel as if the wealthier household was as grateful because they did not make a donation. The students had a good time getting to know the intern and interacting with the different families they helped.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNC3b-doYR4YZuFt91sGRL9dRZKQSma82AThdN-snbLhpDB1KdAB64oYkQ1U68oQgQWSl1UqQaLwS4X_3J2FW_XdrcntaW7uUXS3abwUVvy7w1ffXiMNkiSJh-8xmIcGpcxbBClcqplXf/s1600/IMG_8465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNC3b-doYR4YZuFt91sGRL9dRZKQSma82AThdN-snbLhpDB1KdAB64oYkQ1U68oQgQWSl1UqQaLwS4X_3J2FW_XdrcntaW7uUXS3abwUVvy7w1ffXiMNkiSJh-8xmIcGpcxbBClcqplXf/s320/IMG_8465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qE9zPYHWhAZmS2XgyaLxoxAr4nd5rGDaGMofol2NZqYHYNGJ3eeFcrGQYAn-krQR5a62UEYOjq8m9zgZhZmfcc_ljslGgoPuJfUXzhepiHOjEhDm2nhOR4Gox-7b6An4gBuIux2mixTP/s1600/IMG_8489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qE9zPYHWhAZmS2XgyaLxoxAr4nd5rGDaGMofol2NZqYHYNGJ3eeFcrGQYAn-krQR5a62UEYOjq8m9zgZhZmfcc_ljslGgoPuJfUXzhepiHOjEhDm2nhOR4Gox-7b6An4gBuIux2mixTP/s320/IMG_8489.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The next group had a much different experience with the people they served today. The first couple of houses they went to had a limited number of light bulbs they could install due to heights and what not. They also witnessed some difficult situations – poor housing conditions, difficult landlords and signs of illiteracy revealed some of the things that community members are dealing with. Even though it was sad to see such things, the students appreciated the insight into the reality many people are living with in New Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their day was brightened upon meeting Miss Mary, who was really hospitable and nice. After the hurricane, she tried to live in a trailer in front of her house but someone else was blocking her. She has had to live in several different locations, hotels and apartments, but is looking forward into her home in the near future. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The fourth group of students had a really positive experience meeting community members and bonding together. The highlight of the day was Mama Deb. About halfway through the day, the group went to her house to install some light bulbs. She requested for only a couple of students to go into her home. The students that helped Mama Deb installed light bulbs and got to hear stories about Mama Deb’s experience with Hurricane Katrina. She ad stayed through the hurricane and didn’t leave until it had passed a week later. One of her tales recounted how she was watching her friend’s grocery store. Since the food was going to go to waste, a couple of guys were told to cook it all up. People from the neighborhood and military personnel would stop by for community dinners and to share a drink. Mama Deb also spoke about racial issues in her neighborhood. She told one story about the time she was hanging out with a white guy, and in response to some dirty looks from another black woman, Mama Deb began to hug and smooch her friend. The other woman was offended by such interactions between people from two different races and actually reported it to a couple of police officers near by. The officer, also being from different racial backgrounds, told the woman that if she closed her eyes that she wouldn’t see anything – dismissing her prejudice and forwarding an attitude of tolerance and acceptance. Though racial issues are sometimes thought to be completely resolved, Mama Deb reminded the students of its continuing presence and the benefits of those standing up against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The students also got to talk to other people who were here during the hurricane. One man told of how he almost missed the evacuation cut off and of his return to New Orleans, which was left without electricity for more than 8 months. He told of dark nights with the sound of gunshots in the distance but no way of seeing where it was coming from. Once more, the students got a deeper and more personal understanding of what happened during Hurricane Katrina and the still-continuing consequences. It was a great experience serving people with such good attitudes after facing and while facing such difficult circumstances. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTu1Asd9lE40eOOlTKi_gaquD5IouoLnR_uipf_waIHz8bt5A3p7G8ExJTgEcfvaLuCvtKza5D8pvUTQEhtXI25N2_LFrCy7WP1_unqqsUVTBngmlgvfKg4HaxNvlFkNAy2RvAEV_vAwd3/s1600/IMG_8496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTu1Asd9lE40eOOlTKi_gaquD5IouoLnR_uipf_waIHz8bt5A3p7G8ExJTgEcfvaLuCvtKza5D8pvUTQEhtXI25N2_LFrCy7WP1_unqqsUVTBngmlgvfKg4HaxNvlFkNAy2RvAEV_vAwd3/s320/IMG_8496.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-73368164025789676892011-12-13T15:21:00.000-08:002011-12-13T15:25:40.868-08:00New Orleans 2011: Southern HospitalityThe past few days have been a blast for everyone, but now we're all settling into the time change as well as the culture differences between Louisiana and California.<br />
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Last night at the soup kitchen we got a first hand look at how the population of New Orleans is still being affected by the poverty brought on by the natural disaster. The students working the soup kitchen saw how even through these trying episodes, the openness and kindness from those being served is steadfast. By working together on each individual kitchen assignment, we were able to keep a very efficient pace while still being able to interact with guests and see southern hospitality from a typically unseen perspective. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWkKf6sAAifMw3Le9m_f5742yWZvCxmtjmcUONHPJJ7euQ1JaALuc2KATku317V4E6DJRsKBlag0upO4MzrTQ81Bypl6VU7exT0vXHCwCKs1QVRA3N2_lJlpPsHHsMmV8BsMvgq5ib99u/s1600/IMG_8372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWkKf6sAAifMw3Le9m_f5742yWZvCxmtjmcUONHPJJ7euQ1JaALuc2KATku317V4E6DJRsKBlag0upO4MzrTQ81Bypl6VU7exT0vXHCwCKs1QVRA3N2_lJlpPsHHsMmV8BsMvgq5ib99u/s320/IMG_8372.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Trf_zJqK7y7KCoqR7_bk6k4F3EyBTjTmJiKWETCcDWLukARCeuZHOz_Hjenhqrk7ZlpZN45G-nN5Op0-uN96-2K9AqQxIBRRwUUkmstRC8yVatPHqw6ORdeSc_gl8rufersh2v4jVPob/s1600/IMG_8370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Trf_zJqK7y7KCoqR7_bk6k4F3EyBTjTmJiKWETCcDWLukARCeuZHOz_Hjenhqrk7ZlpZN45G-nN5Op0-uN96-2K9AqQxIBRRwUUkmstRC8yVatPHqw6ORdeSc_gl8rufersh2v4jVPob/s320/IMG_8370.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Today we switched the volunteer activities for each of our two groups. The first painted a house built in the 1940s in Lakeview that was torn up by the hurricane. The owner's name was Noel and she is still working on restoring the original designs piece by piece. After Katrina hit, the water in her home was not drained for two weeks. There was severe soot and mold in every corner of the house. This lead to her decision of complete restoration to its original fashion. All the stories we have been hearing are giving us all new perspectives and teaching us how effective it is to share your story with somebody else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaB2Q__7a-oDY-XXJSWZxus-Nb7MQnFbcU8XQ1KZm008J88tCXYIKrELzSUei0qnHUXCEKatr84YYbmoPuspgfHQhWOVrs0DIrbdaEHwPOKz2ysaXhVCPT1wCC1s1MJocjdsaIpJHU8XC/s1600/IMG_8455.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaB2Q__7a-oDY-XXJSWZxus-Nb7MQnFbcU8XQ1KZm008J88tCXYIKrELzSUei0qnHUXCEKatr84YYbmoPuspgfHQhWOVrs0DIrbdaEHwPOKz2ysaXhVCPT1wCC1s1MJocjdsaIpJHU8XC/s320/IMG_8455.JPG" /></a> <br />
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The other half of our group volunteered with Hike for KaTREEna, the same organization the first group served yesterday. Today there were trees planted in newly renovated hurricane-affected areas. These areas were beautiful and the high spirits of the residents was uplifting. They were interested in where we were from, why we were serving, what we were studying, and truly thankful for all Katrina volunteers. While planting trees we listened to stories ranging from why Ms. Teresa's dog is named Courage as well as how long it took before families were able to move back. One resident even made us collared greens! We also planted trees at a local park and found it very rewarding when a father and son began to play together as we finished our project. <br />
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Tonight the second half of the group will serve at the soup kitchen then we'll make stir fry for dinner and hope to keep the good vibrations happening and meet some new friends in the hostel!Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-70539450309528945262011-12-12T18:07:00.000-08:002011-12-12T18:07:40.703-08:00New Orleans 2011: Day 1...The Adventure Begins!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWWysOghzTH-zHJU9C7Yi4XsVOnl_LH2nyTt3mMyYWf6nSsaSo7PAr92v01EnqnA6577RVpKXwHW3EdD2Fa-SLZwyqMBDVFKG5sD7CqbogGVXxQ5NZG0qe0XgJ4mgQKgLlyCifbflaJ6o/s1600/IMG_8338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWWysOghzTH-zHJU9C7Yi4XsVOnl_LH2nyTt3mMyYWf6nSsaSo7PAr92v01EnqnA6577RVpKXwHW3EdD2Fa-SLZwyqMBDVFKG5sD7CqbogGVXxQ5NZG0qe0XgJ4mgQKgLlyCifbflaJ6o/s320/IMG_8338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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It's been a great start to this incredible trip! Everyone got in last night and explored the city a little. Then today half of the group worked with <a href="http://www.hikeforkatreena.com/" target="_blank">Hike for Katreena </a>an organization dedicated to replanting the thousands of trees lost in the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. They set out across the city and planted more than 30 trees in residents' yards. Along the way they met some amazing people and heard their personal accounts of Katrina. The other half of the group worked with <a href="http://www.stpaulshomecomingcenter.org/" target="_blank">St. Paul's Homecoming Center</a> a nonprofit that connects volunteers to rebuilding projects. They painted an entire house, putting the finishing touches on a project that has been almost 6 years in progress. After a long day of painting the house looked beautiful. Then we drove through the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, the region most destroyed by the floodwaters. It was eye-opening to see homes still boarded up throughout the partially rebuilt neighborhoods. After a short break, half of the group went for their shift serving dinner at a soup kitchen. Then we had a delicious dinner and decided to explore the nighttime in New Orleans.Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-44730827080922898752011-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:29:38.091-07:00A glimpse into Cal Poly's Alternative Breaks Service Program<style>
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width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-34401920517496833022011-04-06T13:56:00.000-07:002011-04-06T13:56:45.080-07:00I Love New York!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXNRUGCXabNFMy0VAHg3Jqe4Hutsy55uo0dK_JU-JXvizJHKTPbkVyU8le6QKsa59ia1iWzs62kA7hyFJXv0IV713PFDpCf4ClOoMR7u6-PB_HYpRDGzCwHYn6T5y9FA8IsaCiVXMjWHV/s1600/AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXNRUGCXabNFMy0VAHg3Jqe4Hutsy55uo0dK_JU-JXvizJHKTPbkVyU8le6QKsa59ia1iWzs62kA7hyFJXv0IV713PFDpCf4ClOoMR7u6-PB_HYpRDGzCwHYn6T5y9FA8IsaCiVXMjWHV/s320/AB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As a mimic to Robin’s <em>Final Thoughts</em>, I cannot believe that exactly one week ago, I was leaving one of the most amazing cities in the world. New York, described in the simplest terms, was just remarkable. A city of tall buildings, lights, adventures, diversity and the most amazing food I have ever tasted. The characteristic that stands out the most though, is its’ people. No matter what the activity was, I never talked to a New Yorker that wasn’t authentically friendly and willing to help some semi-lost Californians navigate the subway. The Food Bank workers however were the cream of the crop. Every single day they come to work to with a selfless heart and contagious joy. Their spirit inspires me to do better. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I came on the trip expecting to change the lives of others, however; I left the trip changed. For the week, I was removed from my happy little SLO bubble and placed in a city out of my comfort zone. I soon realized that poverty was no longer a distant word and going hungry is an ordinary occurrence for its’ inhabits. Hunger is so easy to cure however one in five New York residents cannot attain their supply of food without the help of the Food Bank for New York City. The Food Bank is such a great organization and it was amazing to help them out for the week. Each day, I helped by doing a variety of tasks but I always left knowing that I helped to make a small positive difference to a big city.</div><br />
The Alternative Breaks program is a perfect combination of volunteering and tourism. I was not only able to help New York but I had so much fun experiencing all of the sights, lights and sounds. I was able to go to Times-Square, see the Statue of Liberty, take in a Broadway play, shop until my wallet had a hole in it, dance at the Apollo, stroll through Central Park, and so so so much more. It was amazing to experience this alongside other Cal Poly students who quickly became incredible friends.<br />
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Spring break for me consisted of 18 hours of travel, 13 Cal Poly students, 7 days and one amazing life changing experience. Not only did I gain 5lbs from all the delicious food and desserts, but I gained lifetime friendships and memories. It is hard to describe my week to other people but I think that these four simple words do it best, “I love New York”. I miss the city and the people so much already but know that they haven’t yet seen the last of me yet.<br />
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Megan Holbrook<br />
4th yr. Business MajorCal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-79801958317900948862011-04-02T18:16:00.000-07:002011-04-02T18:16:28.046-07:00Final ThoughtsI can’t believe that just one week ago, I was packing up to say good-bye to New York City after one of the most fun and eye-opening weeks of my life. I had the best time serving in New York City on the 2011 Alternative Breaks trip and am excited to engage in more service at home in San Luis Obispo. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGUpatKKVUN4r535I5Q2zJ-iSSTA4IyTlPn319-2a5zhR8Fn8Opi0MC_MdeRc5HY80Td-q0j0yYbBJStsDnWBuwzbAZSUpU7PCnvByKb8Jf1_Dl2H0bR-w51CLXIOIoHO3rbGDq-k3Mqy/s1600/AB+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGUpatKKVUN4r535I5Q2zJ-iSSTA4IyTlPn319-2a5zhR8Fn8Opi0MC_MdeRc5HY80Td-q0j0yYbBJStsDnWBuwzbAZSUpU7PCnvByKb8Jf1_Dl2H0bR-w51CLXIOIoHO3rbGDq-k3Mqy/s320/AB+12.jpg" width="320" /></a>I think that what amazed me most about this trip was the altruistic spirits of each of the students in our group; their excitement to serve others and desire to make a difference were clearly apparent in their attitudes and actions. Our service ranged from preparing and serving meals at a soup kitchen to delivering meals to the home-bound elderly to packaging food for distribution at the Food Bank for New York City, but whatever our project was for the day, the enthusiasm of our group was contagious. It was amazing to see 12 students with such a great passion to serve. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In English, we use one word to describe all kinds of love. In Greek, however, different kinds of love are described with different words. Agape is the Greek word that is used to describe the giving of ones self for the benefit of others, the manifestation of a commitment to service. When I think about agape, I think about the 2011 Alternative Breaks crew- Sami, Eric, Tiana, Giana, Jessica, Megan, Maddie, Shannon, Jake, Jenna, Cassidy, and Jesse- you are all amazing and have inspired me think outside of myself about the much bigger world. Thanks for the great week, I won’t ever forget it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Robin </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4th Yr. Animal Science </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-49049230564923485042011-03-25T15:17:00.000-07:002011-03-26T11:40:22.651-07:00Day 3: Encore Community Services - Meals on Wheels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCMF6m469606R8NGwjR8XWqigW3ATmgndn-k4dYjg1jFMFyDfbkQ1qqH_l8IMpkErEj-vcZ96RbKhPacTFW7SPyyOb6fYkFTGdxLtHkrzxLGEL8WcdODOA_Jtf7jMOaEIJpNOdYXaQiMI/s1600/IMG_1459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCMF6m469606R8NGwjR8XWqigW3ATmgndn-k4dYjg1jFMFyDfbkQ1qqH_l8IMpkErEj-vcZ96RbKhPacTFW7SPyyOb6fYkFTGdxLtHkrzxLGEL8WcdODOA_Jtf7jMOaEIJpNOdYXaQiMI/s320/IMG_1459.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">It has been a whirlwind adventure for Cal Poly Alternative Breaks here in New York City. Four full days of service combined with sightseeing in between has brought us many fulfilling memories. And the week isn’t over yet! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Seeing as this was the last day of service during the trip, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our experiences. We have packaged food in the food warehouse in the Bronx, prepared and served meals at the food bank in Harlem, and delivered meals to the elderly all over the city. It is definitely hard to pinpoint what would be the highlight of my trip, I enjoyed every second of it! If I had to narrow it down though, I would have to say that my highlight of this week would consist of both Tuesday and Wednesday – Serving meals at the food bank and delivering meals to the elderly. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wednesday’s service for the elderly made an impression in my life because of what I have previously learned here at Cal Poly. I am a Nutrition major, and last quarter I took a Nutrition and Aging class that taught us about the elderly population, and how nutrition is important as adults age. With this knowledge I was very excited to be able to hand deliver meals to elderly residents of the city. I realized the importance of our services that day, and of elderly services as a whole. Many of the residents we delivered meals to lived in high rise apartments, and with any kind of disability such as arthritis it makes it difficult to get to a grocery store to buy or cook food on a regular basis. The meals we provide them allow them to maintain their independence and also provides a sense of comfort during the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyvNfSw9LrLCs7N1PfCHWg79I4E_uy7eThhGEErZRuXl8LJkXff0dHKpBZp9mxHrbcqAGMTfZ1kMc64IQgy9GfJjFQWkqvnf0-k9K87VRwHdsHSAQvgTJAiqkoiAVRDty_R1NvZmR1kpY/s1600/IMG_1456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyvNfSw9LrLCs7N1PfCHWg79I4E_uy7eThhGEErZRuXl8LJkXff0dHKpBZp9mxHrbcqAGMTfZ1kMc64IQgy9GfJjFQWkqvnf0-k9K87VRwHdsHSAQvgTJAiqkoiAVRDty_R1NvZmR1kpY/s320/IMG_1456.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The second day that struck a nerve for me was serving meals at the food bank. This day was unlike any other because of the direct contact we had with people from all sorts of backgrounds. And regardless of this diversity, everyone shared a common purpose: to enjoy each other’s company and enjoy a hot meal. Our purpose was to welcome them and make sure everyone got enough to eat. When we first walked into the food bank at the beginning of the day the staff leader welcomed us with words I will never forget: “You're family now.” I think this set the tone for the rest of the day, because from there was definitely an atmosphere of love and support that families give to each other. I think this is especially important for where we were working because food, love, and support is what makes the days more enjoyable amongst the everyday worries or struggles that go along with what life throws at you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another thing the food bank taught me was a lesson about differing view points, and how important it is to hold back any judgments we may make when meeting someone, or passing by someone for the first time. I am currently reading a book called Let the Great World Spin, and there is quote in it that I think sums up what I mean by this. It reads: “All the lives we could live, all the people we will never know, never will be, they are everywhere. That is what life is.” To me, this means that there are people all around us who lead completely different life styles than us, which makes it so necessary to be able to find a way to relate to them. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes from time to time, especially during the moments when you understand them the least is what brings people from all different backgrounds together, very much like what we saw in Harlem at the food bank. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">OK, enough with the reflecting, we have a brand new day dedicated to seeing the sights of New York! Let’s bring on the adventures!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Madeline Kelly</div><div class="MsoNormal">3<sup>rd</sup> Year Nutrition Major</div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-64253113246305460992011-03-24T12:16:00.000-07:002011-03-24T12:16:03.970-07:00Day 2: New York City Food Bank - Harlem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9NyBzUWXTrxmJSCM1QmFIzVUFLf9-Hl9p52gLp9UfHLeYer0v_nEKwo495ORbJ1dk3-i1sdYL8AW1-VNl3NSEXzXZXluSJX8eFdfEF1Zb2PMCSXfb1_XT3yUvuuiU-15hRG3-y-NAcQY/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9NyBzUWXTrxmJSCM1QmFIzVUFLf9-Hl9p52gLp9UfHLeYer0v_nEKwo495ORbJ1dk3-i1sdYL8AW1-VNl3NSEXzXZXluSJX8eFdfEF1Zb2PMCSXfb1_XT3yUvuuiU-15hRG3-y-NAcQY/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">It’s amazing to think how much the group got out of today’s service event and it’s only the second day! We spent the day working at a soup kitchen in Harlem serving breakfast and dinner to the community. The staff was so warm and welcoming from the moment we got there and made us immediately feel like we were family. While working with the staff brought us moments of laughter it was heartbreaking to see the number of individuals who came through the doors. Reality set in as we realized how many individuals relied on the soup kitchen. The crowd of people lined outside the door for breakfast immediately rushed in creating a chaotic line. While this was happening I noticed one young girl within the crowd that stuck out to me the most. She looked to be in her early 20’s. I tried putting myself in her shoes and pondered what it would be like to rely on the soup kitchen for a meal. I don’t know her story and I don’t know her given situation, but I hope serving her that breakfast brought some comfort and relief to her day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS-JbFocqpKOzneOLZaxJHcXLrZz5MVERe4UFnbBN_A4d0LWbwrrZBKfcSU8jL7c72c9hGM85FwsC0LxuF2pc47gdrE3x6NZ7iLf4gnBzDknQrKsxyu4hsyjYaG0c8er_hZq2jZXDwGwZ/s1600/IMG_1397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS-JbFocqpKOzneOLZaxJHcXLrZz5MVERe4UFnbBN_A4d0LWbwrrZBKfcSU8jL7c72c9hGM85FwsC0LxuF2pc47gdrE3x6NZ7iLf4gnBzDknQrKsxyu4hsyjYaG0c8er_hZq2jZXDwGwZ/s320/IMG_1397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Everyone seemed to be affected by the day as we shared with one another our stories during reflection. We just couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to worry about our next meal or where we would get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally felt this day opened up my eyes even more. Working in the warehouse was great, but serving the food to each individual made the experience so much more personal. I saw the elderly, young adults, and children walk through those doors hoping to get at least one meal. I can’t imagine what they’ve been through or what they’ve gone through. It was hard to see the truth and reality on the problem with hunger within the community but I’m glad I got to see it firsthand. I hope that our service today or even just the simples smiles we had on our faces helped those individuals in some part of their day. After today I’m much more appreciative of programs like the food bank and the soup kitchens that help those in need of a meal. I wonder what the next couple of days will bring for us as a group, but I sure can’t wait to find out.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Jessica</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4<sup>th</sup> Yr. Political Science </div><!--EndFragment-->Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-76238110746156651752011-03-22T15:37:00.000-07:002011-03-26T11:42:25.169-07:00Day 1 - The Bronx Food Warehouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrerKPbm6whNfS4NzlaR9Ni8lX7KO6XpAh2ARgXD5CqqZuPAAEgJ0FUrxkvMpDlQIQGDuoMlWSbfr-OLW8TWUGutJhhTe22tpSjmi_FtOXHlWRI9Y2glzT-6YKv575qIwA76gemQ5XaLB/s1600/IMG_1395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrerKPbm6whNfS4NzlaR9Ni8lX7KO6XpAh2ARgXD5CqqZuPAAEgJ0FUrxkvMpDlQIQGDuoMlWSbfr-OLW8TWUGutJhhTe22tpSjmi_FtOXHlWRI9Y2glzT-6YKv575qIwA76gemQ5XaLB/s320/IMG_1395.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Monday, March 21, 2011<br />
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Today was the first day of our volunteering adventure! Yesterday was a long day of travel so curling up in our bunk beds at the end of the night was a great feeling. Unfortunately, we had an early departure this morning in order to make it to our shift on time; in California time, it was around 3:30am when the alarms went off. By 7:30am, New York time, we were on our way to the subway in route to the Bronx. Our experience began the minute we stepped foot in the subway when we joined the working New Yorkers in their morning commute to work.<br />
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It was amazing to see the children who took the subway with the large mass of commuters. I can't imagine being that young and riding alone. As a college student in a group, I was still slightly nervous. I guess that shows what being immersed in a society does to you. Once we survived the trek through the rain, we met our mentor, Kenny. We watched a video about The Food Bank For New York City. This put faces to the mass of people we are helping by volunteering. The first part of the morning, from 9-11:30am, we worked in teams and labeled cans of dog food. We broke for lunch and returned to label cans of asparagus. Kenny was so impressed with how quickly we finished labeling the cans; he expected us to take another 1-2hrs! He gave us one more small task and we were out early. <br />
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After plenty of pictures, we left the food bank and walked through the Bronx to the subway. It was amazing to walk the streets and see the side of town most tourists do not see. Being the minority in the city is certainly a culture shock; we are definitely not in SLO anymore! <br />
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We made our way back to the hostel and reflected on our experience as a group. It is always interesting to hear other people's experiences compared to your perception of the day. We got ready and had our first group dinner at a small Indian restaurant where we did family style meal sharing. Delicious!! We finally made our way to TIME SQUARE!! It was surreal: bright lights, hundreds of people, and you can't forget... Elmo. The group split up and explored NYC in our small groups. <br />
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So far, this experience has been unbelievable! Friendships have started to bloom, a new city with amazing sites to be seen, but most importantly we are changing lives. Today, we packaged over 5,683 lbs. of food. That is enough to feel 4,371 people in New York- what an indescribable feeling.<br />
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One moment from the day that has stuck with me was Kenny telling us it almost brought him to tears that we chose to spend our Spring Break volunteering. When you can see the difference you are making, simply by giving your time, it makes the entire experience worth it. And, it is only day 1.<br />
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Enjoy following our adventure!<br />
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Shannon Kelly<br />
3rd Yr. KinesiologyCal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-4589050353332209132011-03-21T21:28:00.001-07:002011-03-26T11:44:21.739-07:00Hello From New York!While Sunday was a travel day for most, a few of us brave ones took red-eyes Saturday night and arrived extremely early this morning. Generally sleepless, we still managed to venture out and explore the city, mostly on foot. All of the usual tourist traps from Times Square to Central Park to the New York Public Library and everything in between were covered, and now we are back at the hostel, exhausted but in good spirits, and waiting for the rest of the group to show up.<br />
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Tomorrow begins our first day of volunteer work, and I'm so excited to get involved! I've been looking forward to getting back out into the community for a long time, and what better place to do it than the heart of New York City.<br />
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Signing off!<br />
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Eric Davis<br />
5th Yr. Liberal Arts and Engineering<br />
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The McGraw Rotunda at The New York City Public Library<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrQW9SfxW8nRVJrgWoPDMOZepKZ_xBT_fyIP6qDmEQLi7BXtYoP0zfUPoJLAtqcU1U_v6d9zQNcSKVc6ydcw12xRUpInyXlSCD3n1SyYivq9nfF7BJcrAV3JNKfevh7eCfsuQze3CwBrP/s1600/nyc+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrQW9SfxW8nRVJrgWoPDMOZepKZ_xBT_fyIP6qDmEQLi7BXtYoP0zfUPoJLAtqcU1U_v6d9zQNcSKVc6ydcw12xRUpInyXlSCD3n1SyYivq9nfF7BJcrAV3JNKfevh7eCfsuQze3CwBrP/s320/nyc+library.jpg" /></a></div>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-11026979868995831332011-03-18T16:59:00.000-07:002011-03-18T16:59:43.461-07:00New York, New York!Cal Poly’s Alternative Breaks program is heading for the BIG APPLE on Sunday! 13 students and 1 staff member will travel to New York City to work alongside the New York City Food Bank. The trip’s focus is to work with issues of hunger and homelessness in the city! <br />
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Before we depart I recently ran across something I think truly embodies Alternative Breaks - <br />
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"Kaizen" is the Japanese philosophy that states great change is often the result of many small steps. <br />
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The impact of Alternative Breaks, both on agencies and students, is the result of many small steps. The work students collectively contribute to local agencies may be hard to measure, besides in quantifiable means, but never doubt that these students are making an impact on the sites they volunteer at, just as the sites are forever marked in the hearts of the volunteers!<br />
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Follow us this week as we share our experiences in <b>The City That Never Sleeps! </b><br />
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<i>Ready for your life to be changed? Start here – <a href="http://studentlife.calpoly.edu/communitycenter/AltBreaks.asp">Alternative Breaks</a><br />
</i>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-80000291414779514362010-12-14T20:41:00.000-08:002010-12-16T20:13:40.714-08:00New Orleans 2010: A Week in the Big EasyHello from beautiful (and cold!) New Orleans! <br />
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We're here as part of Alternative Breaks 2010. There are ten women on this trip and we are loving it so far. We've seen some incredible things, like a Saints victory (WHO DAT), reindeer, and many different po’boys. The women of the trip are Athena, Alyson, Christina, Hannah, Jenna, Kara, Kelli, Lisa, Michele, and Michelle. <br />
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Sunday December 12th<br />
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We all arrived at different times throughout the day but once we were all together we checked into our hostel. It's this amazing place where we got lucky enough to have our own room. There's a three legged cat, people from all over the world, coffee all the time, and best of all, gumbo! After looking around a bit we wanted to see downtown so we wandered down to the waterfront and ate at a restaurant called Huck Finns. They served some crazy things there. No one wanted the fried pickles (sad!) but we did end up with some hush puppies (stuffed with crawfish) and fried alligator (Alyson says it tastes like chewy chicken). With our bellies full we decided to head back to the hostel and get some sleep for the construction we were going to do the next day (after we navigated the insane one way streets that is...)<br />
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Monday December 13th<br />
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We woke up bright and early (4:30am pacific time)to be at our first day’s work. We went to Operation Helping Hands which is part of Catholic Charities. There we met up with some AmeriCorps peeps and split up into two groups. The first group (Michele, Michelle, Jenna, Kelli, Hannah) went off to a house that during Hurricane Katrina had been under six feet of water. There we installed insulation and painted the sideboards of the house flamingo pink. The other group (Christina, Alyson, Kara, Athena, Lisa) painted, caulked, and chiseled to their hearts content. After a hard day’s work we ate dinner with the other volunteers prepared by Miss Cathy. After venturing back to the hotel we cleaned up and caught the trolley to downtown and explored Bourbon St. After walking up and down the street we headed back to the hostel to get some sleep since we still had to work in the morning.<br />
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Tuesday December 14th<br />
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Again, we woke up bright and early to go and work for Habitat for Humanity. Our site was in the Eighth ward next to a couple houses that hadn’t been occupied since Hurricane Katrina hit. The house we worked at had been under five feet of water. There we watched a whole roof go up, installed straps to support the roof, painted, and hung planks in the kitchen to support the cabinets and installed the windows. After another exhausting day of work we headed out for a tour of the ninth ward. There we saw even more devastation. We drove by the levee that flooded the lower ninth ward, we saw houses that were completely torn apart and never reclaimed, and we stopped by the Musician’s Neighborhood created by Habitat for Humanity. The devastation was heartbreaking to see. It’s difficult to see a once vibrant community that has been so devastated and forgotten. All of us walked away feeling like we had been sobered and had our eyes opened. <br />
After the tour we headed our hostel and cooked a taco bar which was so yummy. After hanging out with our hostel mates some more we headed to world famous Café du Monde and enjoyed some delicious beignets drenched in powder sugar. With that done we headed back for some rest and to get ready for our day at Green Light New Orleans. Talk to you soon!<br />
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Wednesday December 15th<br />
Today we volunteered with a really unique organization called Green Light New Orleans. Our new Australian friend Josh (whom we met at the hostel) even came along. Green Light installs energy-efficient CFL bulbs in houses for free all across the city. They have become so popular that there is a two-three year waiting list! They also have an Americorps member there and they work out of a converted house by the trolley station. When we got there Lisa and Josh were trained in how to offer these new smart meters that allow people to read their electricity meters and see how much electricity they are using at that moment and figure out how to monitor it and conserve it. The rest of us gathered up lightbulbs and split into two groups. The first group (Michelle, Michele, Alyson, Lisa) went to two houses before lunch and got to meet two homeowners who were very excited to see volunteers. The second house had 20 foot ceilings! The second group (Christina, Kara, Josh, Kelli, Athena,) went and scored some awesome cornbread and saw a house being remodeled (by the residents Doris, Boris, and Morris). Green Light New Orleans told us that we helped residents save $8,050 in energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint by 78,225 pounds of CO2 After volunteering we all went out to Frenchman Street were we listened to some classic jazz with our crew of Australian friends from the hostel. <br />
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Thursday December 16th<br />
Today was an exhausting yet exhilarating day. We volunteered with second Harvest Food Bank where we packed 1,000 boxes full of food to hand out to families for Christmas. We packed the boxes full of canned goods, fruit, potatoes, bread, vegetables, and pasta. It took a full six hours to pack all of the boxes. It was tough but we powered through and finished all 1,000 boxes. We talked with some locals while we were working and had a group from Capital One join for a few hours to help out. We went to an awesome lunch at Nacho Mama’s and had some excellent taco salads and nachos. Continuing with delicious food we went to dinner at a great Creole café called Neyows where we had some fried chicken, mac and cheese, and bread pudding. Full of good food we’re now headed to Frenchman Street again to listen to a great trumpet player. Talk to you again soon!Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-72615412197354110742010-04-08T12:59:00.000-07:002010-04-08T13:01:24.253-07:00New Orleans 2009<object id="kickWidget_57021_54453" width="420" height="338"><param name="movie" value="http://serve.a-widget.com/service/getWidgetSwf.kickAction"><param name="FlashVars" value="affiliateSiteId=57021&widgetId=54453&width=420&height=338&autoPlay=0&mediaType_mediaID=video_726711"><param name="wmode" value="window"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://serve.a-widget.com/service/getWidgetSwf.kickAction" name="kickWidget_57021_54453" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="affiliateSiteId=57021&widgetId=54453&width=420&height=338&autoPlay=0&mediaType_mediaID=video_726711" width="420" height="338"></embed></object>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-77153132023738895752010-04-07T17:20:00.001-07:002010-04-08T13:03:11.673-07:00New York 2010 Spring Break Slide Show<table style="width: 194px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background: transparent url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat scroll left center; height: 194px; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" align="center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cpalternativebreaks/NewYork2010SpringBreak?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Xd6_Xp9jZmk/S70a4KJY_VE/AAAAAAAAEQg/uW7j3luOKDU/s160-c/NewYork2010SpringBreak.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" height="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/cpalternativebreaks/NewYork2010SpringBreak?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">New York 2010 Spring Break</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5829046952363146299.post-27677926956912265972010-04-07T14:56:00.000-07:002010-04-07T16:26:28.561-07:00New York 2010 Spring Break<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzvgxt2YSqrii_q4548qbYZII85E5ji33cTE_OqvUCKHbzeN4lKK8pXUt4FyGLDB3gnwmI6uW0iMfMNsbSojKj5A6GXHeSxRRgCKpiq3jIOrO6JOuMojo8St-_gFmm6WwldY1BT_Md3Qe/s1600/Apollo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzvgxt2YSqrii_q4548qbYZII85E5ji33cTE_OqvUCKHbzeN4lKK8pXUt4FyGLDB3gnwmI6uW0iMfMNsbSojKj5A6GXHeSxRRgCKpiq3jIOrO6JOuMojo8St-_gFmm6WwldY1BT_Md3Qe/s320/Apollo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457537816497687154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Serving at the Food Bank in Harlem was amazing.! We were truly needed and appreciated by the full-time employees who we grew to know and love. The work was diverse and demanding and the people who we served, grateful. The days faded into night as we restlessly navigated our way, via subway, searching for experience within the myriad of cultures that makeup New York City. Together we created new experiences, life long memories, and friendships.<br /><br />"I thought that my participation completely changed my perspective of poverty in the US, because I was able to see first hand those who are homeless or struggle to get a meal each night. I saw men, women, black, white, young and old all coming into the food bank. The experience has opened my eyes and has allowed me to appreciate what I have."<br /><br />The pre-trip team building experience at Chumash Challenge really allowed us get to know each other and break the awkward silences that are inevitable when joining a new group. The pre-trip educational workshop helped us understand the disparities we saw between rich and poor in New York City. The evening reflections aided in our digestion of what we were experiencing and also gave us time to share our views with the group. The reorientation was a great feast where we reconnected and brainstormed what we can do locally to address the issues of poverty in America, an issue we have a much better understanding and compassion for today.Cal Poly Alternative Breakshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00174603803155723964noreply@blogger.com0