La Puente Service Trip 2010

1. La Puente Service Trip 2010 Alamosa and the San Luis Valley

2. About La Puente • La Puente is an organization in Alamosa CO, in the San Luis Valley • La Puente is an AmeriCorps site • La Puente serves the homeless and impoverished populations of this rural, agricultural valley. • They serve primarily migrant and homeless people with shelter, meals, rent assistance, food banks, and community gardens.

3. Our work with PALS (Positive Activities Lift the Spirit) • PALS is a program for children under 10 who need care while their previously homeless parents are learning to get jobs, education and new houses. • We played with them at their school, went on a weeding war, and spent many days as their buddies.

4. Working in the Alamosa Community • We helped at a free sale at the La Puente Outreach Office • We tended the gardens at two local community sites • We cleaned and organized at Rainbow’s End thrift store in Monte Vista • We distributed food from the Food Bank and helped clean storage areas and organize the surplus food

5. Our Work at La Puente Home • At the shelter, we cooked lunch and dinner almost every day. • We served the food to each community member. • We toured the shelter and offices to better understand housing issues, rental assistance, re-employment services, and factors leading to homelessness.

6. Building Horizons Community • Sleeping in a circle at a church in Alamosa • Eating together at the shelter and at the church • Talking during our break time at the church before bed • And working together in Alamosa

7. Studying Service • We read the book The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez to better understand migrant farm life. • We learned about the secrets of service • We kept a daily journal and conducted councils about what we learning, seeing and experiencing. • We worked closely with AmeriCorps volunteers to better understand what service life is like.

8. Understanding the Land of San Luis Valley • We visited a carrot farm and learned about farm practices and water resources

9. Our AmeriCorps Teachers • In partnership with AmeriCorps volunteers at La Puente, we became good friends. • We listened to their personal stories of the importance of a lifetime of service. • We became the AmeriCorps fan club at a local softball game! • We worked alongside them in all of our jobs. • We learned a lot from them about doing without and serving others without recognition. • We continue to communicate with them at their new adventures via email.

10. The Secrets of Service • (Adapted from Lance Cheslock’s article in “The Voice of La Puente,” Summer 2009). • Service work is mostly a long series of small, menial tasks. • People who are poor or in crisis can be very difficult to work with.

11. The Secrets of Service (cont.) • The novelty of helping in a new environment will soon wear off. • Change is incremental.

12. Our “5th” Secrets of Service • Seeing the world change for the better is the true payment of service, and that is all someone needs.-Micah Epstein • Service work is like a puzzle. It takes a while to put the whole picture together. Each task is like a piece and once you have collected enough pieces to fit, you start to see a change.- Livvie Witt

13. Secrets of Service • When you do service you don’t necessarily think that you’re making a big difference at the moment. But when you look back you can string all the things that helped together. Then you realize how that made a difference for someone or something.- Alexa Morey

14. Secrets of Service • To embrace the experience of service, you have to accept the people, the town, the work you will do and so much more. You have to put aside any differences or judgments you may have and accept the challenges that may come along with doing service.-Taylor Reese

15. Secrets of Service • When you’re doing service smile. . . that will help you and the people around you.-Noah Chavkin • Stay optimistic otherwise work will wear on you. -Marcus Tweedy

16. Secrets of Service • When you’re doing service you must keep your mind on your work. If you think of all the discomforts you will tire out quickly.-Megan Lefebvre • Service is not for gratitude.-Jamie Cantarovici and Joe Harding • No matter how attached you become to someone or something, moving on is essential. – Diana Edelman

17. Secrets of Service • Never stop doing service work because you think you’re not making a difference. Even the smallest tasks put together make a giant change.-Jonah Kone. • Change does not happen all at once… it happens over time.-Sage Grunwald

18. Secrets of Service • When you go into service like La Puente, you will become sad to say goodbye to the people you worked with. Even though you feel sad, you have done a good deed.- Susanna Rohr • Service is always changing. For example the job you’re doing, the people you’re working with, or how it affects you changes. -Effie Shannon

19. Secrets of Service • Service will always be never ending project. Once you finish something there will ALWAYS be something (big or small) to do. For example helping build a house because it burnt down from a fire or help some one reach a glass because they are to short.-Alana Young-Morrison • Service is something that you should not be required to do and that needs no reward or payoff besides the fact that you enjoyed and feel good about what you have done. – EmmarieNosal

20. Secrets Of Service • Be willing to be misunderstood. –Gayle Nosal • Serve with humility. Jump right in even if you aren’t an expert at the work. – CeceSchehl