Back in December, I interviewed for a post to lead a trip of college volunteers to the Colorado Progressive Union with Alternative Spring Break. I thought position entailed one meeting before the trip and the actual trip. Oh, how I was wrong. In order to be a site-facilitator, affectionately known as a site-fac, I spent every Sunday learning HOW to be a site-fac, every Tuesday facilitating group bonding, along with a fundraiser and a pre-break coffee-talk. It's not too much (other than baking 10 batches of sugar cookies myself, that was a lot), but when I wasn't budgeting time for any of it, I found everything, at times, a bit overwhelming.
Fortunately, I had the BEST GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS. We all meshed and experienced the best week ever . . . but not in Denver.
About a month into trip meetings and trip bonding, Shikhank (my God sent co-site fac) called CPU. Our contact at CPU told Shikhooo that CPU would no longer be able to host 13 volunteers. So there we were, leading 13 Denver-psyched volunteers off to, well, no where. We had to find a new site, organize housing & such, and psych our group up for the new trip! Our group dropped to a mere 7 after we announced we were Denver-less.
Thankfully, ASB Development Chair Kelly found the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals in Brooklyn. We weren't your typical ASB group. Half the group met the other half in the vans the morning of departure. We were the first and only group volunteering for a political cause. And I was leading the group solo. Shikhooo's docs banned him from heading to Brooklyn when he came down with pneumonia.
The bumpy road to Brooklyn was no omen. Brooklyn ended up being one of the most successful trips ASB sent this past spring. (There were 13 in total. I think.) At CCLP, we "debriefed" the legal system and delved into the legal infrastructure that fails so many Americans. Susan, our boss for the week, organized a tour of the courts & a private chat with a judge, a meeting with Danny Meyers of the Attica case, a meeting with Derek Sells of the Cochran firm, and some delicious meals including Chipotle! As Susie taught us, the key to a good revolution is a good organizer.
Post-work Highlights with my Brookies:
+visiting Carli who left Chicago 2 years ago for NYC and meeting her beautiful Irish boyfriend
+hanging out in Williamsburg
+debriefing . . . everything
+seeing HAIR on Broadway
+Cafe Wha? . . . and their stellar house band
+running around nyc in the pouring rain
+jazz clubs in the village
+REUNITING WITH TOPSHOP (the only topshop in north america is at Broadway & Spring in SOHO) :)
+cannolis in Little Italy
We were looking up real estate in Dumbo by the time we had to say goodbye. A very tearful goodbye. Thank you, Brooklyn, for a week filled with silly, carefree laughter, twelve amazing [new] friendships, and a renewed faith that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. Or at least a part of it. :) See you soon.
our trip went down saturday, march 20 at 4:30am through saturday march 27, 2010 at 11:15pm.
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