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Eight UTampa students went to Seattle March 14-20 for a spring break focused on service and culture. Madeline McMahon M.A. ’24, a writer in UTampa’s Office of Marketing and Communications, accompanied the students and sent reports and photos back to campus through the week.

Read on learn what it’s like to go on a spring break trip with UTampa’s PEACE Volunteer Center.

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Friday: Travel and reflection

Looking back on her experiences throughout the week in Seattle, Terah Smith ’28 said that what touched her heart the most was their time at Mary’s Place. She’s volunteered for similar organizations serving the homeless population in the Tampa Bay area, she said, and she’s met people who could’ve greatly benefited from some of the services at Mary’s Place, like its program that provides special care for pregnant women and babies under 18 months. Ellie Houck ’29 agreed that that was one of the most eye-opening parts of the week, and that even though seeing the families in such circumstances was sad, it also gave her hope knowing that the community is working hard to support them.��

Back at Tampa International Airport on Friday night after a peaceful flight home, the group went around and shared one word or phrase to summarize their experiences. Answers ranged from “blessed and grateful” (said Smith) to “very fun,” according to Kaylen Valentine, a freshman majoring in biology on a pre-med track.

Others reflected on the week being a “transformational,” “one-in-a-lifetime” learning experience centered on “connection.”

Robinson, who had served as the student site leader, said she learned a lot about her leadership style and how to think on her feet. Her biggest takeaway from the service opportunities was that volunteering can both improve others’ lives while enriching her own. As for her favorite part about visiting Seattle for the first time, she boldly stated an unpopular opinion: the weather.����

Robinson encourages anyone looking to get involved at UTampa to come to a PEACE event, as it’s a great way to meet new people and make a lasting impact on the community.��

Thursday: Food banking

On the last day of service in Seattle, the UTampa PEACE students were feeling fulfilled at all that they’ve accomplished over the last few days. Even though muscle fatigue was starting to set in after all the energy spent this week, they still exceeded their goals at Rainier Valley Food Bank and Food Lifeline on Thursday.

At the food bank, Warehouse Manager Tommy Raine set a goal of filling 430 grocery bags during the group’s four-hour shift. In less than two hours, that many bags had been filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, hearty proteins, various grains and baked goods. Raine said that in the five years he’s been with Rainier Valley Food Bank, he’s never seen that much get done in such a short amount of time. They were able to use their extra time to clean up around the warehouse and get to know the staff of Rainier Valley’s primary emergency food resource.

Eyethu Simelane ’29 said she has volunteered at food banks before, at home in Eswatini (in southern Africa), and that she was impressed at how substantial the ingredients are in the donated meal packs, as they can be stretched out over a considerable amount of time.

The bags were immediately delivered around the community, but originally, the food inside of them came from Food Lifeline, which was the next stop on the group’s itinerary. Food Lifeline partners with local farmers and grocery wholesalers to take overproduced, unwanted or overstocked items that would typically end up in a landfill. Often, farmers will grow too much of a certain crop, or grocery stores will turn away produce that is misshapen or discolored, even though it tastes as it should and has the same nutritional value.

Working with partners across western Washington, Food Lifeline was able to feed 2.5 million people last year, using food that probably would’ve otherwise gone to waste. In fact, one of Food Lifeline’s partners is Mary’s Place, where the students volunteered on Monday and Tuesday serving local families who have lost their homes.

At Food Lifeline, the UTampa group sorted pears into 40-pound packages to be sent to food banks in the region. By the end of the shift, more than 10,000 pounds of pears were ready for posting on their online inventory, which local organizations can order from right away. Most of the pears would likely be in people’s homes by Friday.

Wednesday: A day outdoors

After two days at Mary’s Place, a Seattle-based organization that serves the homeless population, the UTampa PEACE volunteers took on a different cause Wednesday, this time aiding in environmental restoration with EarthCorps in Mount Baker Park. The main objective for the day was removing invasive ivy and blackberry vines that were smothering a large tree and its surrounding area.

Both unwanted plants are fast spreaders and highly resilient. But in less than three hours, the group cleared most of them away, which will leave the tree stronger than before and likely with an extended lifespan. Now, EarthCorps can plant native shrubbery like osoberry and Oregon grape plants in their place, which will dilute and eventually kill the invasive roots.

Ellie Houck ’29 was especially looking forward to their day with EarthCorps but admitted later that it wasn’t what she expected. It was much more hands-on than she initially thought it would be, and by the end, everyone was covered in mud. But that made it all the more satisfying to see the result of their work after it was completed.

As the group pulled away the thick blanket of ivy leaves, several items were uncovered that had been completely invisible before. Two broken bikes, two basketballs, soda cans and takeout boxes were all removed from the park.

Adding to Houck’s sentiment, Zariah Johnson ’29 commented on how meaningful it was to see the power of teamwork in real time. Once she got a chance to step back and see all the progress that was made, she realized that individual actions can add up to a significant change. Johnson has volunteered for a variety of causes in the past, like crisis hotlines and other PEACE events, and said that this trip is continuing to broaden her horizons as she finds new interests.

For Bella Troxel ’27, the part that stuck with her the most was her newfound knowledge of invasive plants and how to handle them. While Seattle has many different species than Tampa has, she now knows how to create a survival ring for a tree wrapped in ivy. A survival ring is when ivy is pulled down from the chest level on a tree trunk and cleared to the base. Ivy can only grow upward, not down, so when the top leaves are cut off from their roots, they will slowly die off.

For their last excursion of the week, the Spartans further connected with the local nature by visiting the University of Washington to see the famous cherry trees in bloom. Walking around the campus was an added bonus, as it had an entirely different feel than the modern red brick buildings and palm trees that the students are used to at UTampa.

Thursday will conclude the trip with their busiest day yet: back-to-back shifts at Rainier Valley Food Bank and Food Lifeline. The Spartans will pack nutritious meals for home delivery to individuals and communities in Seattle that are experiencing food insecurity.

Tuesday: More at Mary's Place

On a second visit to Mary’s Place, the UTampa crew got a deeper look into how the organization operates. As the largest service provider in Washington’s King County for families experiencing homelessness, Mary’s Place runs several programs to meet families’ specific needs. Seeing them firsthand allowed everyone to feel the impact that the nonprofit has on the community.

On Tuesday, the eight PEACE volunteers assisted in the Mary’s Place marketplace, sorting donated clothing for the families to choose from, and played with children in the cafeteria while their parents were served a hot lunch and got time to relax.

Eyethu Simelane ’29 appreciated the quality of the clothes in the marketplace, which allows for a sense of normalcy for the parents and children receiving them. Mariel Olsem, volunteer coordinator at Mary’s Place, explained that the items are purchased by their guests on a point system, giving them autonomy, and points can be earned through actions like chores around the shelter or employment efforts.

Chase Robinson ’29 said her favorite part of the trip so far was having fun with the kids. She created a beaded bracelet with a child wearing head-to-toe Bluey swag, while Simelane and Zariah Johnson ’29 built houses out of magnetic tile toys with a young boy who proudly showed his creation to everyone in the cafeteria. Robinson and Terah Smith ’28 have both participated in UTampa’s Spartans Against Homelessness and agreed that volunteering at Mary’s Place was a highlight for them.

Out of all the programs and services offered by Mary’s Place, the kids club is consistently rated the highest by families after they are stable enough to leave the shelter, Olsem said. Having a designated area to let kids be kids, plus an additional space for teens, is vital in reducing trauma associated with losing a home. Children under 18 make up the largest percentage of guests in the shelter, and within that, more than half of the children are under 5 years old.

After the shift, the UTampa students made time for some sight-seeing, checking out the Museum of Pop Culture. On view were costumes used by pop culture legends — like Beyoncé, Jimi Hendrix and Jack Nicholson — plus the largest video game exhibition in the world and a guest-curated exhibit detailing the history of African American music. But the group favorite was the sound lab, where Kaylen Valentine ’29 made beats on a DJ controller, and Bella Troxel ’27 and Anna Rosen ’27 had a private jam session in a soundproof recording booth.

On Wednesday, the students will turn their focus to another area nonprofit, EarthCorps, and will participate in a forest restoration project in Mount Baker Park.

Monday: Balancing work and fun

At Seattle's Mary’s Place, the mission is to ensure that no child sleeps outside. Javin Smith, the director of donor events and volunteer services at Mary’s Place, said that it could take an individual employee upwards of several hours to accomplish what that the UTampa students did in two.

Everyone helped in organizing new items at the Mary's Place donation center — such as toiletries, books, clothes and toys — that were to be distributed to families in Seattle who are experiencing homelessness.

In their free time, the students visited the Fremont Troll, often considered one of the most famous pieces of public art on the West Coast. The 18-foot-tall troll “lives” under the George Washington Memorial Bridge, about a five-minute walk from the hostel.

The experiential learning continued at the renowned Seattle Aquarium on the Elliott Bay waterfront. While the ocean wasn’t new scenery for the Floridians, several marine trivia facts were. An aquarium guide explained that an octopus hiding in the corner of its habitat is typical of the antisocial species. Another one pointed out a seal in banana pose, where its head and tail curved upwards in a display of contentment.

Tomorrow, the Spartans will go to a different Mary’s Place location that caters to families. Volunteers will serve lunch and lead family activities while meeting local residents of different backgrounds and perspectives.

Saturday-Sunday: Getting there and getting ready

In what is sure to be a week of “firsts” for the UTampa students on the PEACE Volunteer Center’s spring break trip to Seattle, add snow to the list. For Terah Smith ’28, Eyethu Simelane ’29, and Zariah Johnson ’29, that first glimpse of the white stuff happened as soon as they got off the plane on Saturday.

It had already been a long day, but the Spartans were determined to get acclimated fast. Ramen in the quirky Fremont neighborhood, where the group is staying in a hostel this week, followed by shopping in an underground antique mall, gave everyone a quick introduction to Seattle and the week ahead.

Chase Robinson ’29 is the site leader on this trip, and neither she nor any of the other students have been to Seattle before.

Many of the students have never done a service trip before, either. This week, the group will visit and help at several Seattle-area nonprofits, including Mary’s Place, an organization that supports the local homeless community, Mount Rainier Food Bank, Food Lifeline and Earth Corps.

But first, on Sunday, the Spartans hit the iconic Pike Place Market downtown for Beecher’s “world famous” mac 'n’ cheese, tea and spice emporiums, flying fish, gorgeous flower bouquets, handmade trinkets and more, including a Dracula-themed gift shop and a colorful kawaii boutique.

The group cooked dinner at the hostel and played card games before calling it a night in anticipation of a busy Monday at Mary’s Place.

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