Ninjas, Rakers, Sanders

Hi! Our names are Rachel and Brittany, and we are first-year students on Alternative Spring Break in Atlanta. We have had so much fun so far; today we went to a Methodist Church in North Decatur where we did yard work and sanded dry wall. The building is going to be used for a recovery center and homeless shelter.

When we first arrived it was snowing outside and freeeeeezing. We had to wait a little bit for instructions, so Heather taught us all how to play a “ninja game” and some kind of puzzle/mind game. It got pretty competitive.

Our group was divided into two parts: the sanders and the rakers. We filled ¾ of a giant dumpster full of leaves, cleared a playground for children and built some serious muscle mass. At one point, Rachel, Heather, Kelsey and Brittany built a human chain to carry garbage cans of leaves to the dumpster. It was very efficient. We also learned the proper techniques of dumpster diving: you must use the ladder for easy entry. Heather spent a lot of time in there…

The sanders also had a hard work day: they wore masks while using their electric sanders and were covered in white by the end of the day. We finished the entire lawn of the building and playground and sanded a whole room. All in all, it was a very successful, rewarding and fun day.

We’re looking forward to the rest of our trip!!

Love,
Rachel Brannen & Brittany Tucker
Class of 2013