March 22nd

March 22, 2012

Today was the last day of our alternative spring break and we could not be sadder! It has truly been a life changing experience and this has definitely been one of the most unforgettable weeks of our lives.

            We started the day by visiting the Richland County Judicial Center. Mr. James, the program advisor at CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was extremely warm and welcoming. He gave us an explanation of the program and took us on a tour of the building. Some of us even got the chance to see a jail holding cell, while others had the chance of helping him organize his office. Mr. James played thought-provoking games with us as well. We learned the importance of finding the positive aspects in every negative situation. While we were interacting with him, a WACH Fox reporter happened to be around, and she stopped by to interview us. This whole experience is connected to our service trip at Palmetto Place yesterday.

            We came back to the church for lunch and many of us had leftovers from last night’s delicious Italian dinner. We hadn’t showered since Wednesday (gross). Soon after, we left for Newburry’s Child Development Center, which was 40 minutes away from the church.

            Once we arrived, we met with Mrs. Janet and she gave us a brief overview of their program. There were some similarities between the kids at this center and the ones from Hursey Elementary School—in terms of family background. This also ties back to the MUSC Healthy Heart Program, as they both focused on more exercise and healthier meals. We started by helping Mrs. Janet remove weeds from the small garden; we all took turns hoeing and raking. Then, some of us helped set us snacks for the children. After a while, the students started trickling in and we interacted with them while they ate their snacks. We buddied up with the children and took them outside to play. Most of these children come from low-income families. Interacting with these children was such a heart-warming and fulfilling experience. Even though we only spent a couple hours with them, we all got extremely attached to all the kids.

            We could not have asked for a better ending to our fantastic AB week! The whole experience was such a blessing and inspired us in new ways. We are now more aware and conscious of our community and the issues around us. Unfortunately, our AB experience ends here.

Love,

Yannan + Tanvee