City Blossoms

City Blossoms was a local urban garden our team found to volunteer at. Upon arriving, we were introduced by two volunteers who were extremely excited to meet us and offered guidance on what we would be doing in the garden. We were all inspired by the instant energy we were greeted with by the volunteers there. We all joined together to help touch up a garden for a local school. We saw how happy it made the children and the workers there. Everyone in our group bonded over this experience, and there was such a positive energy flowing throughout the hours we served there. City Blossoms helps promote healthy and safe communities through kid-driven green gardens. This organization displays how you can join with community members to help a community grow and prosper and become an overall better environment for all who reside there.

A wider circle

Our team spent two days at A Wider Circle, a non-profit just outside of D.C. At a Wider Circle, we learned that some people in D.C. own as few as 6 items, some of which could be something as small as a water bottle. Some apartments in Washington, D.C. do not have any furniture, and many people looking for jobs do not have the means to get professional clothing for an interview. A Wider Circle accepts donations of items that are in "dignity condition" (no visible damage or wear) to give away for free to clients. Members of our team got opportunities to serve in a number of different roles there-- both in the store area, where the clients were, and below the store, where items got organized, selected, and moved.

We each found the different ways we could make the most impact at A Wider Circle. One of our members was able to learn a client's needs by speaking to them in their own language; some team members played with clients' kids, giving clients freedom and peace of mind as they shopped; other team members used their judgment to sort and select nice things to go up to the shop. Our team's interests were bound up in those of the people we served with, so we learned the importance of an organization living its mission, rather than just stating it. We found that we could use our unique talents in any environment to be leaders and change-makers in a community. We learned the power that language has, and the importance of having an awareness of intention and context, as we served and communicated with people.

Our team has learned that the things we say and do always make an impact. As a returning ASB member, James, said during our final reflection in D.C.: "Never underestimate the power of you just being in the room." Back home, our group will strive to make a positive impact in Iowa City. We will use our individual and collective strengths to fight not only the symptoms, but the root causes of economic disparity in our own community.