Day One

Our Alternative Fall Break adventure began on a crisp early autumn morning. After getting the whole crew together we loaded up for the long haul to the lovely Presbyterian church about five miles from campus. We quickly put away our things and packed a quick lunch. Our first stop was the Beardsley Community Farm where we worked to make the farm look better on the outside, so that food can be transported to inside the areas of Knoxville that needed it most. We worked through the cold and rain and together shared many laughs and good memories.

Then, we headed to Fountain City to work hands on with volunteers to bring a little bit of hope to some of the needy in Knoxville. With them we learned how truly blessed we are and how many things we take for granted everyday. Our first day concluded with a delicious meal and some true bonding that really made this team seem more like a family.

- Elizabeth Hamilton

Favorite moments from some of the team members:

One of my favorite parts of our first day was gardening at Beardsley Community Farm. I love how even simply weeding a garden is so vital in the process of producing food for a community.  Little things do matter!  - Savannah DeFreese

My favorite part of the first day was listening to all of the great stories from other volunteers. The way they lit up whenever they talked about helping other people really hit home. – Jessica Bertram

I loved interacting and connecting with both my team members and the other volunteers in the Knoxville community. I have already gained a deeper sense of the poverty issues in the area and how we can be true advocates of change and improvement. –Lesley Schiffman.

I loved how much I learned about Knoxville’s community and how every organization is linked somehow that we’ve worked with. I loved talking to the directors and seeing their passion about their cause and what their affect on the community and how they believe that we can really make a difference by just thinking about certain things in our daily routine. – Brittany Mason

While you are volunteering, you might be doing the simplest tasks, but after all the work is done, you take a step back and look at all you have done. The smallest things make the hugest difference. At Beardsley Farm, something as simple as weeding made a large impact on the farm’s appearance. Serving the community one step at a time is all it takes. – Amber Tran

My favorite part of today was realizing the most trivial action can proliferate and create such a difference in someone’s life.  At the food pantry, we were informed of many stories that had a profound effect on a person’s life.  There was a story in which a girl had asked for tweezers and how buying such a simple item gave  the young girl instant happiness. This experience also showed me how we take many things in our daily lives for granted because they are around us the majority of the times that we can forget the value of these items. – Shaina Hud

After reflecting on my first day of this break, I can see all of the hard work and dedication that our team has put into the service we have done in the short amount of time that we have been together. This excites me to see what we are able to achieve over the next several days, as well as the accomplishments we may have after this week. As I spoke to the director at the food bank, he has inspired me to not only reach out to others, but also to do it because I want to improve the community, not because others may want me to do so. –Ana Casey