alternative breaks fall 2012 A Year in Review In 2011-2012, UC Berkeley’s Alternative Breaks…
Provided 2,726 direct service hours Engaged in 6,713 hours of education and reflection Offered a new servicelearning trip called “Environmental Justice: Examining Health, Building Community, Demanding Equity” Became certified under the ASUC Green Certification Program Received the Chancellor’s Award for Public Service
Welcome to a new semester with Alterna ve Breaks! This year’s Break Leaders and Directors have been gearing up since April for another transforma ve year of service, educa on, and social jus ce movement‐building. Our theme this year, “Solidarity in Ac on,” ex‐ emplifies our goal to re‐emphasize the importance of direct service and our impact on the communi es with which we live and work. We will embody this theme through: Establishing
“anchor organiza ons” with which we serve 8‐10 hours per trip so as to deepen our rela onship and move be‐ yond transac onal service
Increasing
our total number of direct service hours from 2,800 to 4,200, which we es mate will result in roughly a $170,000 impact
Recognizing
that community partners and members are our best teachers. We believe that through construc ve dialogue, they can help us to iden fy indigenous solu ons to pressing social issues
In this newsletter… Community Partner Spotlight: Earlimart Family Center Par cipant Tes monies Meet the 2012‐2013 Team Contact Informa on & How to Get Involved!
Community Partner: Partner: Community Example Example EarlimartExample Family Center Photo
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“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community.” ‐César Chávez Focused on social injus ces facing migrant farm workers, last year’s Central Valley trip con nued its standing partnership with the Earlimart Family Center in Earlimart, CA. The Cen‐ ter’s mission is to “increase family success by providing a sys‐ tem of services culturally sensi ve, comprehensive and re‐ sponsive, to our families’ unique needs” and it does this through providing different resources and opportuni es, such as food, clothing, health, educa on, and job training. A large part of their program involves preparing high school students in the area for higher educa on. Many of these students’ par‐ ents are migrant farm workers who do not have the re‐ sources to help their children navigate the American system of higher educa on. Par cipants on the Central Valley trip had the opportunity to meet and engage with some of these high school students on the first day of their trip last year. The students shared stories about their experiences growing up in Earlimart and the issues they faced, while break par ci‐ pants shared some of their own experiences with higher edu‐ ca on and the struggles they overcame in ge ng where they are now. They shared stories, advice, and discussed what they had learned already about the history of immigrant and migrant farm workers. As one break leader explains, “It was a great experience being warmly welcomed into a community and dialoguing with high school students about college and their experiences growing up in the Central Valley.” Opportu‐ ni es like this one to engage in meaningful dialogue with community members are invaluable to the Alterna ve Breaks experience because they strengthen our connec ons with communi es. The prac ce of sharing and listening to stories allows us to integrate community wisdom with our own ex‐ periences to help us live further into solidarity in ac on.
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Participant Testimonies “During our visit to Sherman Indian High School, I was amazed by Angel, who talked to us about re‐ sis ng cultural imperialism and reviving her own cultural heritage. I asked myself: Can we imagine and build a world of cultural diversity and mutual acceptance where no one is marginalized for who they are?” ‐Jun‐Yi Luan, Campo ‘12 “I did not expect to learn so much about the struc‐ tural issues that are present in New Orleans, and the effect that they have on the people in the city.” ‐Par cipant, NOLA ‘12 “My most powerful memory is of our visit to the homeless shelter, Midnight Mission. That experi‐ ence erased away all traces of doubt I had le about what I wanted to accomplish in the future that would help make a difference in people’s lives.” ‐Lydia Hu, LA Health ‘12
“I realized what a special experience it is to meet the people producing our food. On the trip, I saw just how physically commi ed small farmers are to their farms, and how they value their agricultural prac ces. I am grateful for their dedica on.” ‐Hannah Berman, Food Jus ce ‘12 “The most powerful part of my trip was standing in line and ea ng at Glide Memorial’s dining hall. We could have learned sta s cs and social theories in any class, but with Alterna ve Breaks we learned what poverty is straight from the people who are experiencing it.” ‐Lindy Groark, Homelessness ‘12 “I will never forget si ng in the Tucson courtroom and watching Opera on Streamline in ac on. I re‐ member thinking, ‘Is this really jus ce?’ and ‘What can I do to stop this? How can we help these peo‐ ple?’ “ ‐Ka e Rice, Arizona Immigra on ‘12
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Alternative Breaks 2012-2013 The Alternative Breaks program is led by twenty student break leaders, four student directors, and one Cal Corps staff member. Our 2012-2013 leadership team is excited to spend this year training and planning to facilitate meaningful servicelearning experiences for participants and community partners.
Break Leader Spotlight: Sean Flores I remember the day hip‐hop struck me emo onally as I drew connec ons between lyrics and my community, and it ignited a newfound passion to advocate for social jus ce. Although my determina on to fight for equality was hindered by financial obliga ons early on, I knew my enthusiasm would bloom once I set foot in Berke‐ ley. It was Cal Corps that provided that space as they allowed me to explore inter‐ ests I had as an ac vist. I fought for equitable educa on as a Bonner Leader, I saw the immigra on debate on the ground through Alterna ve Breaks in Arizona, and witnessed the government’s role in these issues as I interned at the White House through Cal in the Capital. Cal Corps also supports my facilita on of the Teach in Prison DeCal as they guide me in developing and honing my leadership skills. With unstoppable determina on, I am ready to change the world; however, it is Cal Corps, both faculty and programs that teach me the mechanics behind effec ve leadership, such as communica on, facilita on, and teamwork. Because of Cal Corps, I have a vision and am equipped with the tools to create change, which I plan on doing this spring in Arizona as a Break Leader, hopefully having a similar impact on others that hip‐hop had on me.
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“On the Animal Welfare trip, students must step outside of their com‐ fort zones and are forced to reconsider what they believe to be ethical treatment of animals. By working with community members, students get first‐hand experience of how people are successfully comba ng ani‐ mal cruelty.” ‐Rachel Tenerelli, Animal Welfare Leader ‘13 “Seeing the physical struggle that the farmers go through definitely al‐ lowed me to put a face to the migrant farmworker issue. These farmers were climbing super tall ladders carrying 80 and 100 pounds. It is a haz‐ ard.” ‐Meena Nagappan, Central Valley Leader ‘13
“I learned more about the Chevron refinery and the nearby chemical companies and their contribu ons to pollu on. Hearing personal accounts about the fight against Chevron shed new light on how corpo‐ ra ons can perpetuate environmental problems through their corrup on and greed.” ‐Par cipant, Environmental Jus ce ‘12 “Being able to hear what really happened during Hurricane Katrina and witnessing the lack of progress and development within the Lower Ninth Ward, re‐ minded me that social injus ces are everywhere, one simply needs to actually see. We need to stop and really view what is happening all around us.” ‐Par cipant, New Orleans ‘12
“A er leaving the Border Patrol tour I felt frustrated and very upset with the rhetoric they used; howev‐ er, this anger and frustra on turned into ac vism. The experience I had with them has encouraged me even more to mobilize the community to claim our dignity and respect as human beings. We are s ll here figh ng and struggling every day for our people. “ ‐Par cipant, San Diego/Tijuana ‘12 “The issue of affordable healthcare is crucial and brings to mind a difficult ques on: is being able to take care of your health a right or a privilege? Too many people are daunted by the complica ons of healthcare—this trip will help open your eyes to its intricacies.” ‐Tanvi Ghonasgi, LA Health ‘13
Alternative Breaks Spring 2013 Where the Wild Things Are: Rethinking Social Jus ce to Include Our Furry Friends…………………………………………………………………………..Casie Lee and Rachel Tenerelli We Are All Arizona: Confron ng the A acks on Difference ………………………………. Sean Flores and Zully Juarez Voices of the Unheard: The Struggle for Equality and Rights in Indian Country…………………………………………………………………………………. Paige Clark and Jesse Du on‐Kenny Holis c Harvest: Rural Communi es in the Central Valley………………….Liz Fairweather and Meena Nagappan Environmental Jus ce: Examining Health, Building Community, Demanding Equity………………………………………………………………………Priscilla Chang and Kari Miller Food for Thought: Food Jus ce and Sustainability………………………………….Omri Avraham and Kayleigh Barnes Give Me Shelter: An Explora on of Homelessness and Poverty………………………………………………………………………………………. Julie Ann Nepomuceno and Donna Ni NOLA: Hidden, Revealed, Forgo en……………………………………………………………. Joe Ramos and Jae Young Ryoo San Diego/Tijuana: Too Many Walls, Not Enough Bridges…………...Jessica Garcia Ibarra and Isabeth Mendoza Premium Health, High Premium: Issues with US Healthcare……………………………..Jon Baio and Tanvi Ghonasgi Communications Director
Sarah Ducker
Community Partnerships Director
Ka Hinman
Resource Director
Training and Sustainability Director Immersion Experiences Program Manager, Cal Corps
Danielle Ngo Chika Kondo Sunshine Workman
Get Involved with Alternative Breaks!
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Host a dinner for one of our spring break trips
Please consider making a taxdeductible donation at tinyurl.com/altbreaksfund. Alterna ve Breaks leaders and par cipants work hard through grant wri ng, fundraising, and le er campaigns to maintain the affordability and accessibility of this program. For over ten years, we have been able to provide this pro‐ gram opportunity at a highly subsidized cost to many stu‐ dents from many backgrounds. None of this is possible without your support. A $25 dona on supports a scholar‐ ship for a highly‐qualified student with financial need. A $50 dona on covers course materials for an en re trip. A $100 dona on covers a week of communal housing and $500 feeds a trip of 14 students for one week. We also welcome in‐kind dona ons of course materials, food, and other supplies.
Visit a spring semester DeCal as a guest speaker Form a community partnership with one of our trips Cal Corps Alternative Breaks University of California, Berkeley 102 Sproul Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-4550 http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/ alternativebreaks altbreaks@berkeley.edu
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Stay tuned for our spring newsletter for more from this year’s participants, leaders, and community partners!