Fifth day in Alabama!

It's our fifth day in Alabama and today we're continuing our work with AIDS Alabama. On Monday, as Erin detailed in a previous post, we went through volunteer orientation and got our hands dirty planting a garden at JASPER House, a permanent housing facility for AIDS patients with mental disabilities. After working with Birmingham AIDS Outreach yesterday, we're back at AIDS Alabama painting a newly donated gazebo, two murals and working in the garden some more.

Yesterday we did perhaps our most meaningful work thus far: Cleaning out a giant food pantry (the size of a garage) that hadn't been cleaned in 8 to 10 years! It involved taking every last can of food out of the facility and taking out all the shelves. We scrubbed them, sprayed them off and then re-stocked everything box by box! It was a lot of hard work, but everyone who came through thanked us for helping out. Some even asked if we were coming back next year.

While the others were stocking or cleaning, Erin, Raha and myself headed to the basement to help set up for BOA's monthly casino night fundraiser. While there, Jamie, one of BOA's directors, put on a documentary about BOA's work. We listened as workers recalled clients coming in, often embarrassed to ask for help and assistance in getting food, but getting them the assistance they need. It was so touching to hear how passionate and dedicated employees and volunteers of BOA are!

One thing that struck me is that while these stories are so prevalent, we have also heard from speakers with AIDS who are leading relatively normal lives aside from their illness. It shows that AIDS is absolutely not bound to just one demographic. It can affect anyone.

In my three years at Mizzou, this is my first experience with ASB. I can't imagine spending my spring break any other way. While the impact we have will be small, the real reason we are here is to engage the faces behind the cause and spread the message that people care. One of the posters hanging in the BOA office read, "We need a cure for people who turn their back on AIDS." Even though we aren't saving lives and the paint on the gazebo will chip away and our mural will eventually fade, half of the impact is just showing up. And that goes for all trips!

Right now we are on our lunch break and we are about to get back to work. Stay tuned for more updates from Bama!

- Kristin