Lexington

This Thanksgiving break, 12 women went on a Mizzou Alternative Breaks trip to Lexington, KY. Focused on women's advocacy, they served at GreenHouse17, an advocacy agency committed to ending intimate partner abuse, that's also located on a 40-acre farm. Here's a look into what our week looked like from the participants themselves.

Sunday, Nov. 20

Starting the morning at 5:30 a.m., we succeeded in our first challenge of packing 12 women's belongings in the 12 passenger van. While people had to hold bags on their laps and shove sleeping bags between the seats, we somehow managed to get all of our things and us on the way.  Breakfast was at the finest & fastest nearest establishment… McDonald's. The next 9 hours went by fast for some, slow for others.  The lucky ones, like me, were able to doze off for a while, while others enjoyed the view and endured the sporadic crosswinds that liked to shake the van. The drive into the city of Lexington itself was surprising. I did not expect it to be so big, or such a pretty town. The new architecture compliments the older buildings downtown and gives it a very homey & cozy feel. 

Dinner was eaten at a place that gives Panda Express a run for its money. Red Bang Bang is a Chinese style restaurant that is priced at $1.10 a scoop.  The whole 12 of us ate for less than $55 total, and believe me we were stuffed. Coming back we settled in a bit and then ventured out to town to go grocery shopping and attempt to fill our tires.  The low tire pressure light had come up at the end of the drive there, and being the proactive women we are, wanted to fix it before the morning time. 7 of us went to the nearest gas station… at 9 in the evening.  We had a few encounters with the locals who desperately wanted to help the maidens in need, but our independent souls said we were fine, and got the heck out of there. The trip to Kroger and the rest of the evening was a less eventful.  Jordan and I became superwomen when we got back, carrying about 12 bags of groceries apiece up the stairs to the kitchen, all so that we wouldn't have to make an extra trip!  We ended our evening with some reflections about the day of traveling and getting excited about the upcoming first day of service! 

-Michaela Reinagel

Monday, Nov. 21

Today was our first day at GreenHouse 17. To go to the farm and, learn not only about the organization, but also about the women that GreenHouse 17 was a treat. I could see the commitment that these women feel to GreenHouse, but also women's advocacy. It provided the energy I needed to work hard, because let's be real we did NOT get enough sleep.  The excitement of a MAB trip got the best of me and I could not sleep a wink. When I felt the energy of both Christina and Jessica it encouraged to shrug off my sleepless night and strive to be my best. 

After learning and sharing with the women we moved on to the actual work part of the day. It was long and definitely tiring. In the short time that we were on the farm today we cleaned out one and a half "tunnels" and cleared out some of the brush on the farm. Overall working on the farm demonstrated to me just how much work we can accomplish as MAB participants. The women encouraged us and we encouraged each other which made time fly by. In the morning I am certain that I will be tired and sore, but I will ache with a sense of accomplishment. 

-Alexis Stewart

We finally made it to Greenhouse17. I was very excited to work but kind of nervous for what they were about to have us do. I'm not an outdoors person but I was prepared to do anything. As soon as we met Jessica and Christina my heart felt so happy. They were the sweetest most genuine people I have ever met. 

They had us move compost and throw tomatoes into a compost pile. I have never composited before so this was new to me. I was kind of grossed out but I got over the smell after a while. I've never wheelbarrowed before and we also did that to move mulch over beds. 

Jessica and I bonded over basketball and talked about the Kentucky women's basketball game. She really had a way of making every single person feel special in their own individual way. My first day at Greenhouse was amazing!

-Amina Green

Tuesday, Nov. 22

The Tuesday of our trip was probably one of the better days for a lot of participants. It was fun because we all did different things throughout the day and didn't do them for very long. We all stated out on the farm working on compost and whatnot, as per usual and then we split off into doing different things. Kenzie and I went with the director, Diane, to speak on her radio show about MAB and what our service at GreenHouse 17 looked like and what it meant for us. That was a very cool experience for me. I always love talking about women's advocacy, so to have been given a big(ish) platform like the radio to talk about what I love most meant a lot to me. While on the air we even talked about Green Dot, which was born at the University of Kentucky and it was cool to see the reach of the program. I spoke to several people, at the station who knew Dorothy Edwards (the creator) and that was a connection really unique to Lexington, I feel.

After Kenzie and I got back to GreenHouse17, we split up into different groups. Some people were in the kitchen preparing the Thanksgiving meal that we were going to share with the residents and staff later that day. Some were down at the shop making floral arrangements for the meal. Others were making pillows and knitting in the craft room. I chose to go to the knitting room because I low key love knitting and miss having the time to do it. There I met and talked to several different residents. I really made a connection to one of the residents as she also knew how to knit and we bonded over schooling the other people. (Props to them though, knitting is hard.) We talked about her life as an anarchist, music, school, our disdain for the current political system. And it was really powerful for me to have that one on one time with a resident. She was very real about what was happening to her at times and I appreciated that.

-Katie Williams

Wednesday, Nov. 23

After a filling and delicious Thanksgiving meal with our friends at GreenHouse17 the night before we got up and made our way toward GreenHouse17 for our third day of service. The beds we were working on out on the farm were making progress and we began to spread our layer of compost even further.

Most of the morning I spent raking compost into a thin layer and dumping wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow so it could be thinly spread. I could feel my arms getting buffer already as I pushed the wheelbarrow and dumped it to Amina's singsong tune, "Dump that wheelbarrow side-to-side."

After a morning out in the fields we broke off into different groups for the rest of the afternoon. Some went into the shelter to do co-op with the kids and played Pictionary, while a few others and I stayed down near the field and planted bulbs for the upcoming winter season. As Jessica explained that they wouldn't sprout or fully blossom until mid-Spring, I thought of the process of healing and how little by little it's carried out. Being out in the fields throughout the week so far has made me think even more about ecofeminism and just how much good a breath of fresh air can do for you. Back at school, I'm usually glued to my laptop all day (kind of like I am right now as I write this) and just going through the motions of class and meetings. But being outside on the farm has not only reminded me to unplug more often, but how meaningful it is to devote yourself to something bigger than yourself.

Being at GreenHouse17 this week has reminded how we are all only a few steps away from tough situations. Serving while I am able to now has made me feel more grounded and connected to both my environment and those around me who have welcomed me into this intimate and beautiful space of healing and growth.

To top off an already fulfilling day, we went to a UK women's basketball game and cheered on Jessica's alma mater. Go Wildcats!

-Tessa Weinberg

Thursday, Nov. 24

Thursday was great day. We got to wake up late and relax. The crew made a lovely breakfast that really got everyone ready for the day. 

The weather was honestly not the best. Since it was raining the kids had to stay inside and be preoccupied. I personally worked in the kitchen with Kathy during the day. She's a wonderful woman and I appreciated the freedom she gave us in the kitchen. The bread pudding was amazing!!!! Five stars worth! Even Christina enjoyed it. 

After eating at 2 we left, so it wasn't a long day, but it was certainly fun!

-Kenzie Jones

Today we spent the whole day inside the shelter. Some of us started out the day helping cook thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen, some of us went into the craft center with some of the kids and made pictures, and the rest of us played board games with the kids. After the kids were done playing games, we decided to watch the Jungle Book in the TV room. I spent a lot of time hanging out with Esmeralda, watching the movie and playing games. At 2, when dinner was ready, we all went into the dining room and ate turkey, chicken and dumplings, various different casseroles, and bread pudding. After we helped clean up dinner, it was time to go. It was very difficult for me to leave. Esmeralda was clearly upset that I was saying goodbye, and it was hard to tell her that I most likely wouldn't see her tomorrow, as we are most likely going to spend the whole day on the farm. Esmeralda gave me a picture of a turkey that she colored, and I plan to keep in on my refrigerator back at home so I can think of her and Greenhouse 17 everyday.

-Natalie Brunk

Friday, Nov. 25

The last day of service was disappointingly short. We worked till 1 p.m. instead of 5, but it was great to see  how much we had accomplished just in a matter of 5 days. Later on, we went on a short walk with Jessica and Christina, who basically run the place and who worked with us everyday. Next, we made a short trip to Sam's Club and decided to donate some stuff that we thought would help the women with their daily needs. Lastly, after dinner, we had a little bonding time when one of the girls in our group decided to do a "henna tattoo" night. (She was amazing at it by the way!)

I started this trip with a blind eye, not knowing what to expect. I did not expect to make good friends with an amazing group of girls in such a short time. I did not expect to bond with Jessica and the kids at Greenhouse17. I did not expect to have fun working at a farm that included so much physical labor. I did not expect to spend my first Thanksgiving with people that now seem like my family away from home. I did not expect the residents to welcome and trust 12 random strangers into their home and with their children respectively. 

I am honestly so proud of us for going out of our way to help these amazing women and children in any way we could and making the contribution they deserve. Hence, at the end of the day, squeezing into a tiny van for 22 hours with 12 people, eating cheese and turkey sandwiches everyday for lunch, and coming home every night with a painful back and a tired body, was worth it. MAB, was worth it.

-Tashfia Parvez

The difference in the field we worked on from Day 1 to Day 5 of service.