Alternative Spring Break Immersion at The Commons

At the beginning of March, SWF welcomed its first volunteer group of the season for a two day immersion at The Commons. Ten community college students from SUNY Westchester Community College in New York participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip in Chicago. For two full days, they worked alongside the SWF team to prepare The Commons for spring and, ultimately, gained inspiration to bring SWF’s practice back to their own communities. Read on to learn more about the experience.

The students arrived on a Tuesday morning and began the day with a “disorientation” tour to give them context about SWF’s practice and background on the surrounding community. Immediately following the tour, the group got to work filling newly constructed garden beds with soil and spreading wood chips around the Community Garden. At the end of day one, the group had filled 8 (out of 20) garden beds with soil. 

On Wednesday, the group returned with sore muscles, but remained full of inspiration and were determined to fill the remaining 12 garden beds before the end of the day - and they did! Together, the SUNY students, volunteers, and SWF team literally moved “mountains” of soil. More than 60 cubic yards of soil, which is the equivalent of 16 tons, was moved in just two days, filling all 20 garden beds of the SWF Community Garden. The group also transplanted and seeded over 5,000 plants - a tremendous support for the SWF farm team. At the end of the two days, the group engaged in an artistic activity to round out their experience at The Commons.  Each student screenprinted their own SWF t-shirts and sweatshirts to remind them of their experience when they return home. 

The accomplishments of the two day immersion went beyond moving soil, transplanting seedlings, and seeding new plants. The students expressed feelings of accomplishment and an understanding that work they were doing at SWF was something that would affect people for a long time - feeding not only bodies, but also minds, hearts, and souls. Their experience at SWF resonated so much with them, that they began to discuss the ways their SWF’s practice could be translated to their own community. 

The entire SWF team is grateful to the students for dedicating two full days to working at The Commons and looks forward to staying connected and collaborating in the future.