Our Last Day of Service... For Now, Anyway

My name is Morgan Gerke and I am a sophomore at University of Memphis studying Sociology and Spanish. Generally, I try to be involved in my community and one day I hope to work for a nonprofit, so the Alternative Spring Break seemed like the perfect mix of service, experience, and fun for a week away from school. Today was the last day of service on the ASB trip to Atlanta and, personally, it allowed me to gain some perspective on the hunger and homelessness issue that we were trying to tackle all week in this city. We left the house at 7 AM and drove to the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Atlanta to serve meals to about 200 hungry and/or homeless people. Bill, one of the head supervisors, was enthusiastic about the work that he and other volunteers do for the organization, and it was rewarding to interact with the people and see how my service was directly affecting the issue of hunger in Atlanta.

After serving the meal, we got the history and tour of the church and then we went on our way to the Center for Pan Asian Community Services. Their mission is to create an easier transition for new immigrants (of any national or racial background) by utilizing social services and promoting self-sufficiency. Hearing the mission and goals of the organization really opened my eyes to the difficulties that immigrants may face when they move to America and it is great that Atlanta has a structure there to support them. We ended up doing some hands-on projects for CPACS, which was what the group had been waiting for all week. It was great to see the before and after pictures of our projects and made the experience even more fulfilling. Since it was our last night, we got a lot of free time to spend at the house. After some planning throughout the week, we were able to surprise Angie (our coordinator) for her birthday. It truly was a great end to a fantastic week of service!

ASB Staycation Day 4

On Thursday we once again planted some trees. However, this day ran more efficiently because we had more help from the ASB Staycation Coordinator Emilie's family. We were able to get done planting the trees they set out for us fairly quickly. In the end we help the rangers gather up the plastic pots and the Shelby Farms coordinator told us about further volunteer opportunities, including a Dirty Girl Walk this weekend.

Memphis College of Art Student

Our Memphis event of the day was to go to the Chalk Festival at the Brooks Museum. There was delicious food from the food trucks, a favorite was grilled cheese sandwich with bacon. The premise of the event was that if you donate any amount of money you get five pieces of chalk. Some of the chalk art was drawn by Memphis College of Art students. There were a lot of creative drawings from children and adults alike. Also, the museum was open for everyone to walk through and enjoy the exhibits. There was even a live band playing a wonderful soundtrack to the festivities.

Memphis College of Art student

ASB Staycation Day 5

My name is Tara Shen, and I am a Teacher Education (grades 4-8) major at The University of Memphis. Today was my group's last day of Alternative Spring Break Staycation. We went to the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association office to deliver meals to seniors. It was my first time working with MIFA. At the office, we got "I am something good in Memphis" stickers, which we happily put on our shirts. We split up into teams of two and three. We drove two routes. Today was my favorite day of the week. It was really nice to get to meet and talk to the nice people we delivered food to. At one of the houses, there were "caution: dog" signs. However, when Emilie, our coordinator, knocked on the door, there was no dog in sight! What luck! The other group, consisting of Christina, Jasmine, and Brandy met a lady who cried as she talked to them. As I learned of this happening, I was touched at heart. It felt great to be able to meet people such as this lady, who truly wanted to share her story with us. I felt proud to be a MIFA volunteer. After delivering the meals, we went to Four Way to eat soul food. I had the best fried chicken I've ever tasted. Four Way was a great choice. Then, we went to Peabody Hotel to look at the ducks and go to the rooftop. We walked through Beale Street and past the Elvis Presley Statue. It was some us' first time seeing the statue. The ducks in Peabody were so pretty, swimming in the fountain. Some of us did not know that the ducks march across the hallway into the elevator, which carries them up to the rooftop where they live in a room. They march twice a day. We also learned the history of these ducks. The rooftop is really pretty, but there were big pictures of kids looking out the window in this house on the rooftop. The pictures were posted on the inside of a window. Brandy was the first to notice, and we all jumped at the sight. It was creepy! Afterwards, we headed to Mud Island. The place felt like a beach! There were some pretty houses that lined the street. We had fun throwing rocks into the river. It is really nice to have such a big river (the Mississippi River) in Memphis. There were so many cute dogs on Mud Island. We then reflected on the week, sharing what we learned. Some of us shared that we learned a lot of Memphis history. I personally thought it was great to participate in the Memphis community, which made me feel so much more a part of my city. Alternative Spring Break Staycation has truly been a rewarding experience, which motivated me to continue volunteering in Memphis, taught me so much about our city, and made me feel proud to be a volunteer in a city filled with loving people, dedicated workers, and motivated students.

Memphis Staycation MIFA

Today, the people who stayed in Memphis helped MIFA with Meals on Wheels. Needless to say, this experience was the best ever. When my group and I delivered meals to the elderly, it kind of hit home. The people that we met were so sweet and kind and happy to see that young people were enjoying helping others. Some even invited us inside their homes and they shared stories with us and encourage us to do stuff that makes us happy and that we are doing a good thing. This was an eye opener that we should give back to the community especially the elders because they paved the way for us young people so we should definitely help them out no matter what and keep them happy as long as we can.

Memphis Staycation Shelby Farms

Yesterday, March 14, 2013, Memphis Alternative Spring Break Staycation went to Shelby Farms to finish part two of planting trees. We started Tuesday and finished the rest on Thursday. This was a new experience for me because I am not a gardener or a nature person, but somehow I found this to be very fun. This trip taught me more about team work and how we should appreciate mother nature and the laborers who maintains Shelby Farms, because Shelby Farms is a huge piece of land.

Alternative Spring Break Day 5

Hello! My name is Darian Perry. I'm a freshman at the University of Memphis pursuing a degree in nursing. When I first heard about Alternative Spring Break, I was very interested. I truly love serving in the community and I knew that ASB would be an amazing experience. Being selected for ASB was a huge honor for me because I felt that I was given a great opportunity to serve in Atlanta and be able to learn more about the city. I've only been here for 6 days and I have had a great time here. Today, we volunteered for Operation Street Harvest and had a very productive day there. I took on the task of sorting through clothes that had been donated. I was amazed to see an overload of bags that consisted of clothes, shoes, linens, and much more that the people in the community were willing to donate. It really showed there are people who realize that some people are in need of those things and chose to give what they had to others in need. It's all about giving back. Even the little that you give can mean so much to someone else. The people that donated didn't just throw their belongings away; they chose to GIVE away. They chose to GIVE BACK!!! It was a great pleasure volunteering with Operation Street Harvest. Being a part of ASB Destination has been AMAZING and I wouldn't have rather spent my Spring Break anywhere else than in ATL serving in the community.

Operation Street Harvest

Hello, My name is Michaela Townsend and I am one of the students at the University of Memphis who participated in Alternative Spring Break. We have been going around different communities in and around Atlanta and doing community service. Today, we volunteered at Operation Street Harvest. Some activities that I enjoyed doing were separating clothes that were donated to T and T Thrift Store and helping out with wood that is going to be put on the floor of the thrift store. I felt that I was very productive in helping with their store and saw the progress it was starting to make. It was fun working with Steve and and Mr. Johanon, who were also volunteers at the store. After volunteering at Operation Street Harvest, the group went out to eat a Mary Mac's, a popular restaurant in Atlanta. However, when we arrived, the host told us that it would be at least an hour wait before we could be seated. So, ten of us went out to explore the area. We walked around downtown Atlanta and ended up getting lost. By the time they were ready to seat us, we were on the other side of downtown Atlanta. Everyone was in a hurry to find a cab or any ride to get us back to the restaurant. Finally, we saw two cabs that gave us a ride and we did not have to give up our tables at the restaurant. Overall, it was a fun day and I enjoyed doing volunteer work and seeing the sights around Atlanta.

Alternative Spring Break Atlanta Day 4

     Hello my name is Phushante Waller I’m a sophomore majoring in Health and Human Performance. Today was the fourth day of alternative spring break in Atlanta. Today we were pretty busy the entire day; we left out around six o’clock in the morning to head to the elementary school to teach fourth graders. By the time we arrive to the school my partner and I was very anxious yet nervous about teaching the students. As time went on while we were teaching we realized that there was not anything to be nervous about and that the students were smarter and knew more information than we expected. I felt very accomplished once the teaching lesson was over and the students expressed how they really appreciated us taking time out to come teach them and telling us how much fun they had. The highlight of my day was getting the opportunity to get some great advice from the CEO of Operation Hope. This has definitely been a memorable day and I would love to spend another spring break serving any community.

Lost and Found

Hello,

My name is Kirby Dukes; a Music Industry student with a Recording Technology concentration at the University of Memphis.

I honestly do not know where to begin to explain or describe how working with the Operation Hope's Banking On Our Future (BOOF) program has motivated, and inspired me as a person. Over the recent months, I have been feeling like I have wanted more from myself. I have been wanting to make a difference, cause change, and become responsible for my community. I, like many others, talked a great deal about wanting and seeing the need for positive change in the community, but never actually took true steps forward in that direction. I could sympathize, and analyze all the issues that were present, yet my heart was only partially there; sleeping if you will. However, today working for BOOF my heart has been rejuvenated by this experience, and the direction in which I shall move forward has been reveled to me. The impact that I  made while teaching these very intelligent, and loving children is nothing compared to what they have inflicted on me. They reassured me that there is still opportunity to create a positive future for all; despite any hardships that they may face. Also, I heard such conviction and passion in their tiny voices that I don't even hear when "great" people speak. The drive and passion for a happier world is still in its rawest form for them; and it reminds me of time in which I was like that.  I realized what I have lost, but I am now clear of mind of what I must do. I am already planning my line of action to spread awareness of the many issues I have learned here in Atlanta, and also share the strengths gained from this trip.

ASB Staycation Day 3

This is Tara Shen, a Teacher Education (grades 4-8) major at The University of Memphis. Today, we went to Wesley Highland Meadows to spend time with the seniors who live there. We had a good time playing spades and phase 10. It was my first time playing phase 10. We then played Wii Bowling, and some of us were really good. We then had lunch from Dyer's Burgers, where they use the same grease for a long time. You could even taste the old grease from their fries. Afterwards, we played tricky Bingo, making rows with B's, N's, and O's. We also played on making an X. We also played a fast one, where the person called out the numbers really fast; we had to cover the entire board. That was the first time I played such tricky Bingo. We won Monopoly-type money for playing Bingo. We all thought the day was really fun. I thought it was a rewarding experience, spending time with the people there. It was good to know that we made their day exciting. After Wesley, we went to Jerry's Snow Cones. Three of us got the wedding cake flavor, which proved delicious. Then, we went to the "I Love Memphis" mural. We thought it was good and learned that it was commissioned by the city.

ASB Staycation Day 2

My name is Brandy Brown and I'm a junior/senior Economics major at the University of Memphis. 

Today we traveled down to Memphis's own Shelby Farms. Upon arriving we were greeted by the most hospitable woman, who offered a couple of us volunteers some coffee, or in the case of Lala, hot chocolate. Soon the Shelby Farms coordinator, Irene, arrived to caravan us to the tree planting site. Upon arriving our Ranger handed us a barrel full of shovels and we soon marched on to the site. As we hiked up the hilly trails of Shelby Farms; some of us spotted a deer, which was a first for many. Our Ranger gave us a two minute tree planting tutorial that gave me false expectations of how quickly I could plant a tree. The technique was very efficient and even though I did not dig holes in one minute, we were able to get a lot of trees planted. As volunteers we were able to piggyback off of the expertise of our ranger. He was very strategic in were he placed initially. We started from the back and worked our way toward the front, which was a huge benefit us. He even humored us in answering questions about his life and how he ended up being a horticulturalist. His story inspired a lot of us to think of a broad range of things we could do with our majors. While working and digging we discussed how such labor is really hard on a body and how there are people whose livelihoods depend on them doing labor that we are doing. It gave us a moment to reflect on the privilege and the gift we have of going to college. It also humbled us in that we appreciate those that do physically demanding work that keep our society running.

After planting trees we decided that our Memphis event would be to go to the Rock & Soul Museum, which was a first for a lot of people in our group. The museum was quite neat in that they gave us listening equipment that enabled us to travel at our own speed. I learned a lot of new things. A lot of the music was very familiar to me because I am a Memphis native. However, I did learn the names to songs and the stories behind that I had heard all my life, such as Green Onions by Booker T and MGs and Hold On, I'm Comin by  Sam and Dave.

Alternative Spring Break Staycation Day 2

My name is Christina Ngo, and I am a junior Accounting major. Today the Memphis team went to the Shelby Farms Park to plant trees! It was my first time planting trees. The ranger that led us made it look so easy, but once it was our turn to start planting and getting our hands dirty, it was much harder than it seemed. The weather was much nicer than it was Monday, so we weren't as cold working outside. The rain from earlier this week actually made some of the planting easier because the ground was soft. After the trees were planted, red ribbons were then attached to the trees so that they can be easily seen and avoid being ran over. For lunch, we went to the Caritas Village. It was a new experience for most of the people on our team. The restaurant was founded by a woman name Onie Johns whose dream was to create a place where people would be able to come together as a community. Her dream, which is now a reality, provided jobs for some people in the Binghampton area. The restaurant walls were covered with beautiful and inspiring artwork by local artists. The restaurant definitely felt cozy, and the food tasted good. Afterwards, we ventured to the Rock n Soul Museum. It was a new experience for everyone on the team. We heard some good ole Memphis music. The tour made me realize how music played such a big part in not only our city's history, but also how it shaped the lives of the people who grew up here. Overall, today was an eventful day full of first times.

It's better to give than to receive.

Hi. My name is Kyuna Sims and I am a sophomore Political Science and Spanish double major. I decided to sign up for Alternative Spring Break because I genuinely enjoy giving back to the community. I've only visited Atlanta once and I'm so happy that I decided to make the decision of being a part of this wonderful journey. We've visited a couple of sites in Atlanta and they've been extremely fun thus far. We attended the Atlanta Community Food Bank and it was a very insightful trip for me especially since I've never been to a food bank before. I took away so many things that I was unaware about and I'm glad that I'm informed about it so I can start making changes in the community of Memphis. One of the misconceptions that most people have is that the homeless are the only ones that are hungry. Yet, actually we learned that the working class and the children/youth are the two largest group that undergo hunger. Unfortunately many families are living paycheck to paycheck and it's not enough to support their families. I believe this is a huge issue that needs to be tackled and it can't be done overnight so before I starting informing others about it, I have to make a change and do something first. Once we get back to Memphis, my plans are to volunteer more at the Mid South Food Bank and spread the word to my friends, family members, school, and the community so that they are informed about the issues going on that ultimately affect the community as a whole. Attending Covenant House of Georgia also had a huge influence on me while vacationing here in Atlanta. I'm even considering changing my major mainly in part because this program had such a positive affect on me. I made such an amazing connection with the youth and I was so happy to find that they were planning on moving to a new facility that will house more runaway youth and encourage them to find a job, go to school, and get their life on a better track. Hearing them share their stories with us and how they still remained positive made me realize that I can see myself working with youth because all they need is motivation and someone to depend on. Over the course of the Alternative Spring Break program I've grown as a person. Volunteering and working with these different organizations and groups makes me more appreciative and want to give back to my community so I can make it a better environment. Atlanta is such a prosperous city with many places that allows volunteers to come in and engage in activities that will benefit the community. I believe the trip has made me reevaluate what my true calling is in life and I feel it is serving my community and making it the best place it can be.

Myia's Blog

My name is Myia Nealy and I am a Management Information System major. I am a freshman and this is my first time being with ASB. One place we had gone to today was the old covenant house on Lakewood and this place showed me beautiful things and people. I met people who have gone through things I could not imagine, and to actually see and speak to those who have made it really makes me proud. I will never forget Bradly Shaughn Jenkins who is a strong person who has been through Hell, but has not given up nor settled. He has taught me that no matter what people put you through or how they try to bring you down, there will always be strength inside that is waiting to be used, but it is up to you to use that strength inside. With that being said, thank you Bradly, Freddy, Amena, and everyone else who communicated and played games with me because you all have taught me more than you have ever known!

Harvesting a Crop of Encouragement

Hello, my name is Johnny Holmes. I am a sophomore majoring in Criminal Justice at the University of Memphis. My day has been very much inspiring and uplifting. Today, we volunteered for Operation Street Harvest created Bishop Doctor Tonya Sumner Brown. We were split into 5 groups and given the tasks to help: the handymen fix the flooring, create brochures for the various endeavors that Operation Street Harvest is involved with, or calling companies for donations. I chose to collect donations over the phone. I really enjoyed my time with this non-profit today. Bishop Doctor Brown was very optimistic and she influenced me to work even harder throughout the day with her wonderful speeches of encouragement. I saw that she wanted us to do the best we can, not only for the inner city youth that Operation Street Harvest is helping, but also ourselves in order to not give up when things get rough. I found myself at times ready to call it a day, but something within me would not allow me to stop. I also realized throughout the day that people are truly great beings. While at the current headquarters of Operation Street Harvest, which happen to be Bishop Doctor Brown’s next business venture a thrift shop, the people who I first thought were paid workers turned out to be unpaid workers willing to often their time and energy to simply help the less fortunate. I loved everyone’s work spirit to get the job done. I can’t wait to go back later this week to help some more! 

Alternative Spring Break Staycation Day 1

My name is Tara Shen. I am a junior, majoring in Teacher Education (grades four through eight.) Our first day of Alternative Spring Break Staycation was filled with productive work, group bonding, and chilly feet! We met at The University of Memphis and drove together to St. Matthews United Methodist Church. There, we met Scott and Howard. They coordinated today's activities for us. We also met the Texas A&M missionary group, who are also volunteering in Memphis. Howard then showed us a video about their organization. We then traveled to Orange Mound. There, we cleaned the inside of a house and raked the leaves in the yard. We also went to several other houses and cleaned up the yards. We raked the trash around the houses and put the trash into trash bags. That was the first time I cleaned up a yard. After noon, Emilie, our Alternative Spring Break Staycation advisor drove three of us, Lala, Jasmine, and me, Tara, to The Barbeque Shop. We waited for a while for our food, and Emilie remembered that we could have ordered our food in the morning to avoid the long wait! We then traveled to For the Kingdom Camp and met up with the Texas A&M missionary group and the rest of our own group, Christina and Brandy. We had our lunch there. Afterwards, we traveled back to Orange Mound, where we cleaned up a big empty lot. Our day was fulfilling, and we all agreed we felt good through giving back to our community.

A Day in ATL

Hello I am Kevin Ellison a sophomore and Communication/Physical Education major at the University of Memphis. Where should I start? I guess I could go from where my day started. A few people went on a two mile jog this morning, and I must say that it went much better than I initially thought; getting college students to wake up and exercise over spring break is really unheard of right? Wrong, we were up and rolling. This is the interesting part of the day starts to pick up. We got showered up and ready to hit the road, but we noticed someone, Dillon, was taking a little longer than we expected. He called himself lining his hair so he had the fresh haircut experience, but oh did he mess up. He took one side of hair back further on one side than the other. As he was fixing it was time to go. So he grabbed a hat and said “let’s go”. We all get in the van and head to Centennial Park. We arrive at Centennial Olympic Park and the first thing we see is the CNN world headquarters, along with Phillips Arena (where the Atlanta Hawks play) and in the distance the world famous Georgia Dome (Home of the 2013 final four). We split apart once we get there and Dillon and I immediately GPS’d the closest barbershop. While everyone takes pictures and goes to the CNN building we hit a jog to the corner of Watson and East Centennial drive. We got this mission accomplished then meet up with the rest of the group.

 A little later after we get some food; I still have to-go box from Johnny Rockets. While we were walking back a man in a wheel chair asked me “how I was doing?” I responded “I am doing pretty good. How about you?” He instantly said “Well other than homeless and hungry I am doing pretty well.” At that moment I realized this is the reason I came to Atlanta. For a second I thought to myself should I give this man my food. I then put myself in his shoes and I would want that same help. I made the decision to give the man the food. I felt good I mean really good I did that for him. I am here to help people out and that’s exactly what I did even if it was only by feeding one person.  

Welcome to Atlanta

My name is Sydney Featherstone a Business Management major and junior. This is actually my second semester at the University of Memphis; I am a transfer student from Chattanooga and this is also my first endeavor with Alternative Spring Break (ASB). So far it has been a great experience and I am so grateful I have the opportunity to give a hand to the city of Atlanta through community service. We had a strenuous Saturday morning traveling from Memphis to Atlanta the drive was not as bad as I anticipated it would be but tiring; however once we got here I was forgot all about that exhaustion I was ready to talk with some of my new house mates. Saturday was pretty chill just getting to know one another. Sunday has been a free day for us in Atlanta some of us started off with jog before we went out to site see. And it showed me how out of shape I am; this will definitely jump start my workouts in the future. Site-seeing  today we visited the Centennial Olympic Park for the 1996 Olympics that were held in Atlanta, then CNN and Turner broadcasting center, and we went to Johnny Rockets to eat lunch at Atlanta’s Underground Mall. These sites let us bond together as a group and I really enjoyed getting to know new people on this trip.  Also, going out today we got to is the incredible life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the King Center, it was amazing seeing his speeches written in ink just inches from my fingertips. This encounter made me recognize the hardships they had to face, and he could still be a vessel in his community through all he had to endure. If I can impact people through service with just an inkling of his motivation I could change the world. 

First Day in Atlanta

I'm Jaye Oakley. I am a freshman at the University of Memphis. My major is criminal justice and I am an emerging leader. The first two days of the Alternative Spring Break trip have already begun a great experience. The road trip over to Atlanta was pleasant. It really officially started the true bonding of the group. Today, March 10, the first full day in Atlanta was very eventful, informative, and exhilarating. My day began with a run including a few members of the group. The weather and scenery was amazing. It really started my day in a positive way. As we got to downtown Atlanta, we had the opportunity to explore. I’ve been to Atlanta before, but not recently. I definitely did not know the Olympics was in Atlanta, so I learned something new! The Centennial Olympic Park was a new place for me to experience. The greatest exploration of the day was certainly the King Center. I have heard of the historical site but I never knew how intent and detailed the information was. This was also I first for me! Several things from today make me want to come back to Atlanta to do specific tours, especially of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace. Even the smallest piece of the Center, the informational video, informed me of details about Martin Luther King Jr. that I never knew. Actually recognizing and understanding how much he went through just to make the world a better place, is such an inspiration. It opens my eyes to see that the smallest things can make a huge impact, especially with dedication and God. With the group, I felt that everyone bonded and communicated very well. WE demonstrated care, concern, and interest for one another. This will hopefully strengthen our community service work into a great success and experience. I am excited to view Atlanta in a new way, instead of just as a tourist. Let’s get this service started! This will certainly be an experience which will be a great impact on my life. 

Getting ready to serve!

University of Memphis students will be serving two communities this spring break!!  Follow along as ASB Staycation serves and explores the Memphis community and ASB Destination serves and sees Atlanta!