Alternative Spring Break

Volunteers are split up to do various tasks at the work site, from cutting wire and tying rebar to putting cinder blocks on to create the walls.

Max Kulp '13 and Debbie Wolfe '16 take a break from mixing cement to make concrete and watch as the buckets get passed down the line.

Students take a quick break at the first work site before the next round of concrete is made.

Greta Diem '17 makes sure the wood fixtures are sturdy enough to hold the roof up.

While the other work site was using the cement mixer, students had to manually mix their own concrete.

Dennis Brink '16 tries out the jackhammer to loosen up some of the rock that the volunteers had to dig out.

Shaina Pierce '16 uses the power drill to make the work go by faster.

Students watch, impressed, as the pick-axers dig out the hard rocks manually. The people in the bucket line stretch their bodies as they wait for the buckets of rocks to be passed down.

Anastasia 'Stasia' Konopka '18 takes over the hard job of filling up concrete buckets to be passed down the line.

On International Women's day, one half of the group was able to take a break to show off the muscles they've been working.

The group posed in and on top of the house they built to show how durable their roof is.

On the last day of their time in Tijuana, a very dirty ASB group showed off the dirt they collected over the week.

Volunteers cleaned up a small lot that will be turned into a community garden. Local residents expressed their appreciation for the work—one resident even offered tools and helped clean the space. A volunteer mentioned that, “I spoke with a lot of people from the New Iberia community. These conversations were full of appreciation for our work and effort. They were also really helpful and went out of their way to assist us.”

Volunteers worked hard to clean overgrown weeds at the lot, preparing it for the community garden.

In one day, volunteers were also able to construct compost bins and spread mulch in the lot. One volunteer said, “This trip revitalized my desire to help others and do service after college, and makes me more strongly inclined to help work with communities and individual visionaries or small non-profits in struggling areas in the United States.”

Raven DeWeese, Aspen Settle, and Emilie Gottlieb spread mulch throughout the backyard of the food co-op.

Tessa Paige and Arielle Rudig-Leathers made compost to be used in the community gardens. “The trip exceeded my expectations because I didn’t think I was going to learn as much as I did about how to set up garden beds, composting, and so much more,” said a volunteer.

Dillon Hamil and Nathan Sienkiewicz repaired roofing at the community co-op.

Samantha Hipe and Emilie Gottlieb painted the outside of the community co-op store, preparing it to open.

After their work day, volunteers helped paint a mural of an alligator with the New Iberia community.

Arcadia volunteers posed together after their last day of work at the community co-op store. The mural was donated by a local artist and was installed by students throughout the week.

Volunteers cut pallets to be used where seeds will be planted at the community gardens. A volunteer said, “On this trip, I learned that people have the power to spread their energy and make other people want to join in."

A group of volunteers also cleaned up a larger lot to be used in another community garden.

Volunteers spread mulch to set up the space. Community members are looking forward to the future garden.