The Finale.....History has been and will continue to be created.

On today's adventures, we had the opportunity to serve with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina of Durham and Keep Durham Beautiful. At the first service site, it was interesting to learn about this particular food bank. One of the Volunteer Coordinators explained how they are they main distributors that partner with various food banks within North Carolina. It was also very interesting to notice how passionate and excited that the Volunteer Coordinators were to see the many volunteers that wanted to help out today. At the end of this volunteer session, we have discovered that we have made around 10,000 meals from the food salvage in just a few hours. That number shocking and also very impressive how many people we may have impacted. It was just a great opportunity to serve alongside others that are passionate about giving back to this particular community! On the last service site, we served alongside Keep Durham Beautiful and cleaned up a nearby cemetery. This particular service work seemed like a lot of work, but we all managed to pull through and clean the area. Also, there was local City Councilman who came to volunteer with us and also share some fascinating historical information about the graveyard. This particular graveyard began to serve Black slaves during the late 1800s. It was interesting to walk around and read the tombstones of those that have been in slavery or fought in the Civil War. This experience made me realize the importance of history, especially as a Black woman. Many individuals have paved the way for others, including me, to obtain the various opportunities that we have available to us now. One particular statement that the Councilman spoke of, was the importance of involving and informing the younger generation about the history that was made within this country. History is still being made today, but it is important to keep those active moments alive so that more experiences and changes can be created for the betterment of our society.  

-Mia King

Gone, but not forgotten

Today was special. First, we worked with other volunteers to salvage food and bag potatoes at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina at Durham.

In total we were able to pack enough food for over 10,000 meals! After the Food Bank, we went to Geer Cemetery. When I initially heard we were going to a cemetery to help the organization Keep Durham Beautiful, I imagined a mostly green cemetery with a few weeds and overgrown wild flowers. Upon seeing the cemetery, however, I was incredibly shocked. It was a nineteenth century African American cemetery filled with broken headstones, brush and litter.

Most of those buried were slaves. The simple act of picking up trash and sticks around their graves meant so much to me as an African American teen-aged girl. It was a solemn reminder and way to honor all of the black men, women and children who have gone before me and dealt with struggles I can hardly imagine. Today, I was reminded of how everyday I am free because of their endurance. And today I was reminded that although they are gone, they should never be forgotten. By: Jasmine Blue

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"Gone but not forgotten."

Sweet Potatoes, Graveyards, and service. Oh My.

Today we woke up bright and early to go and volunteer at the Food Bank of Central and North Carolina at Durham. Although we were all very tired and drained by the previous day, our group as a whole was so excited to get the chance to serve again together. It's been amazing to see how much this group has bonded over the past two days and we were all sad to think that today would be our last day together here in Durham. At the food bank, some of us bagged a shipment of sweet potatoes. We all gathered around the big containers of sweet potatoes and talked, laughed, and shared stories with our group as well as other volunteers. After the food bank we went to a graveyard to help clear up the brush and fix up the property. We all enjoyed picking up trash, cutting vines, and moving shrubbery. Although it was a lot of work, we all had so much fun at our last service project together. As this week comes to an end, its incredible to think about all the memories, friends, and impact we've made in the city of Durham. Fall break 2015 is definitely a trip I will never forget.
-Meg Hutchinson

Strong, Independent, "VOLUNTEERS!"

This alternative fall break trip for me has been way more inspiring and greater than I ever imagined it would be! Day two brought many new challenges to our team as for most of us it was the first time working with Habitat for Humanity. However, the community in Durham definitely welcomed us with open, encouraging arms. It was really interesting working with the Geezers (a group of retired old men who have been volunteering with Durham Habitat for Humanity since the start in 1985.) They were hysterical and very serious about their job, but great to work with as it takes a wonderful group of men to patiently teach 13 college kids to put up vinyl siding. One really cool part of working with them was just learning to trust ourselves. I know that at first I was so nervous I was going to mess something up that I ended up doing an even worse job. After constant motivation from them and my AFB team members though, I started to grow confident in my job and automatically started doing better. I saw other team members make this transition too. One key part of community development is to come together as a team, but as we learned today another important aspect is to confidently never underestimate yourself.

We are definitely looking forward to what the last day of service holds for us!

Madeline Standbridge

I'll be There For You

Today, we worked on not only someone's home but all of our friendships. It is amazing the friendships that are made when you are conquering new tasks together. Each of us signed up for an Alternative Fall Break trip knowing that we would be traveling, eating, and sleeping with complete strangers. Little did we know that these people would become some of our closest friends. Our team was able to work on a home with Habitat for Humanity, which is an amazing organization. With the help of great site supervisors, we were able to finish half of the siding on the home. I hope that at some point I can come back and see if a happy family is in the home that we helped to build. Then we could see how our work and our relationships impacted the greater Durham community.
-Aliza

Building a New Perspective on Community Development

Today was centered around building. We helped to build a new house, but we also built new perspectives around our fears, opinions, and overall definition of what community development is. Helping Habitat for Humanity today was an opportunity to see direct service and put our hands to work on a house that will potentially be apart of a family for years and generations. However, the impact of community did not just stop with the nails we left in the home we helped to build for Habitat. In fact, the impact went even further with conversations we had during reflection when we discussed the different intersections of community development and how they are not just centered around infrastructure and housing but transcend into areas of diversity and inclusion among the people within communities. Talking about community development and giving people from different backgrounds a safe place to begin strengthening community development is essential to the progress and momentum of community development. Plenty nails were used today, several sidewalks cleared, but overall a lot learned about the different intersections that make up community development and how it will take us all to make the changes we want to see.

-Josh

Future Friends for Life

Prior to the trip, nobody knew anyone else coming to Durham, North Carolina. Most of us were pretty nervous, but at the same time excited, to get to meet new people. Although we all slept on the way up and didn't talk much, once we arrived to the work site and started working together, making friendships and creating bonds was much easier than expected. After making dinner, we all sat together and enjoyed conversations about the day's work, spring break, and old Nickelodeon cartoons. We then all went upstairs and reflected on our highs and lows of the day. One person's high was getting to know everyone and I couldn't agree more. I think we are all excited to see the bonds that will be created through the next few days! :D      

Tree Bandits

We arrived at our service site for Keep Durham Beautiful. The community there was very happy to have us bind their trees to keep canker worms from killing the old oak trees. Almost the entire neighborhood was outside either on their porch or in the street talking to neighbors new and old. We all traveled down the blocks wrapping the trees in a line of burlap and plastic. Many people came up to us and asked about what we were doing, some knew about the canker worm issue, and others were actively binding their own trees at home. Within 2 hours we used up all the burlap, plastic, and staples. The community was very grateful for us to help make their city almost as beautiful as Knoxville.

From Knoxville to Durham

We started the day at 6am, loaded the vans, and departed for Durham. The 5 hour trip wasn't so bad since most everyone slept on the way. Those who didn't sleep either got to know each other better, listened to music, or enjoyed the scenery. Around 12pm we stopped to eat at Burger King and Taco Bell. This gave the group time to stretch their legs, eat together, and establish our stances on the Coke vs. Pepsi debate. After this we drove another hour to Durham and arrived at the beautiful church we are staying at. The friendly staff gave us a tour and then we departed for the Keep Durham Beautiful service site.

Starting Point

It's all about that community development. This trip will focus on what "community development" actually is. This term can be very broad and could have multiple interpretations. Our participants will use this trip to discover these interpretations. This trip will also give our participants a different aspect of the differences between communities. Not all communities are developed the same. Our participants will be exposed to these disparities, and we hope that our participants will see different solutions to these disparities. We are very excited about this trip!