Service Learning: Week 4

Dig
Dig
Dig

On the car ride to the South Philly site, Kate and I were nostalgically talking about our Spring Breaks. She just came back from Ireland and I just came back from Appalachia.

In the new South Philly site of Urban Tree Connection (UTC) one can see Citizens Bank Park's "Phillies" sign. I have always been on the other side of that sign, paying $12 for standing tickets. I can't wait until the baseball season starts again. When we got there Raheem greeted us with a smile on his face as usual. The site is just dirt right now. We had to shovel the dirt on the edge of the fence that borders the farm about a feet away from the fence so Raheem could use the bobcat tractor to add more dirt where he is planning to plant. We spent most of the time digging with Jamal. He was telling us about Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. Que was there too but he had his headphones on and was digging what seemed like trenches farther away. Once we were done with this task, Raheem gave us mandarines to snack on. Kate and I didn't have breakfast yet so it tasted extra-good.

Our next task was to remove big rocks from the dirt that was going to be used for planting. We were using rakes to locate them and tossing them in wheelbarrows. Raheem was picking up the dirt from the edge and dumping it in the middle with a bobcat tractor. He looked like a little kid in a toy car. Kate pointed out that he always wears nice clothes. I noticed he was wearing jeans, a sweater and nice shoes. It must be the urban farmer look.

Ryan came and helped us pick out the rocks. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I want to be a journalist. He also asked what I did for Spring Break and I told him I went to Roanoke,  VA to work with Habitat for Humanity. I told him I loved the town. He told me about a friend of his that travels to different towns and writes about them; his next stop is Roanoke.

Time went by fast at service today. This was a good way to start my week and adjust to my schedule again.

Service Learning: Week 3

Urban Tree Connection's office is just around the block from my house. I was excited to work today because Sue, the volunteer manager, told us we would be planting the seeds of the spring. As Kate and I arrived to the wooden gates, the office manager Awinda greeted us. Awinda is a black woman with dark long dreads. At first she seemed shy but I realized she was just soft-spoken. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt with red sleeves and jeans. The office is a typical stoned wall West Philadelphia house. The inside has a rustic feel and is beautifully decorated with many art statues. We went down to the basement and saw Raheem. Awinda was going to introduce us to him and Kate said, "Old friends." Raheem and I greeted with a fist bump.

My first task was to clean up the trays where the seeds are planted. I was meticulously washing it when Raheem said, "Girl, it don't have to be squeaky clean. You know what's going in there? Dirt!" I went much faster after that. Que came as I was cleaning the trays. I met Ryan, a tall white guy from Ohio who was wearing a stripped gray, purple and blue beanie. I also met Jamal, an older black man who has a dark and orange beard. I could see from the corner of my eye that they were all planting the seeds. I wanted to finish cleaning so I could join them.

As soon as I was done Awinda gave me seeds and showed me how to plant them. I just had to push down the dirt with my finger, place the seed and cover it. I was planting and swaying my hips as we listened to an old school radio station. Music and planting seem to go hand in hand – I can listen to my great uncle singing “la le lo lai” as he worked our farm. Jamal knew every song that the radio played and wasn't shy to sing them. Que teased him of being old. Jamal didn't care though; he described what we listened to as "real music".

When Awinda gave me the lettuce seeds I asked her if I only put one inside. She affirmed that it was only one. The seeds were so small I had to scoop them under my index's nail. So this is where lettuce comes from? I was amazed with the size of the seed. The collards seeds were fortunately bigger and easier to grab. Kate joined me and I showed her how to plant. Every rack was labeled, and as we finished we organized them on tables where they would grow. Hopefully, next time I go to UTC I can see how the plants have grown. A part of me is nervous I messed up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.