Update on Food Drive

Thanks to the kind donations of San Antonio Water Systems, RotarACT has collected several large boxes of non-perishable food items for Crestholme Food Pantry. Although we do not yet have a final tally of how much food has been collected, the generosity and commitment to the community demonstrated by SAWS employees will certainly have a significant impact on those who must occasionally rely on the Pantry to feed their families. Before the school year completely slips away from us, we hope to table on campus in Coates University Center to try to collect further funds for Crestholme. However, even if that endeavor cannot be realized, we will plan on continuing our relationship with Crestholme next fall, hopefully through more volunteering on site.

Last Tuesday I went to speak at the Dominion Rotary Club about Trinity RotarACT’s recent work with Crestholme and how that effort connects with Dominion’s longtime support of the San Antonio Food Bank. Although I did not receive any donations on the spot or offers to collaborate, the report seemed to be well received. The Dominion Club’s chair for community services expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of teaming Trinity RotarACT with local San Antonio Junior ACT and/or InterACT members, as she helps with chapters of both groups and believes connection among the groups would benefit all involved. Though I have not received a response from her in regards to my email on the possibility of such an event, I hope that perhaps we can engage younger students next fall, if our chapter sees it fit to do so. In any case, it appears that RotarACT is wrapping up a successful year, largely thanks to the sustained efforts of Stephanie Shelton (TU student) and Joan Kearl, along with many other dedicated and caring individuals.

Community Gardening!

Beginning Friday, April 17th and continuing through the remaining Fridays of this semester, RotarACT will be going to Little Flower Basilica for the afternoon to help work on a community garden. The Little Flower garden was actually one of ACT’s first engagements last fall, prior to joining with Rotaract. Michael Montoya spoke to the group at the Trinity campus on an evening in September about how he became in involved in nonprofit work and came to his current position of Community Programs Manager at the Basilica. Mr. Montoya’s story of searching for a meaningful career touched many of us present at his talk, and affected us through the day-to-day work he does to maintain the community garden and other affiliated programs. Many of us seized the opportunity to work on the garden a few times last fall, and bore witness to the true sense of neighborhood and goodwill that the garden fosters. We’re looking forward to returning this Friday!

On a follow-up note, only Sarah Jones and I were able to make it to the planting event working with refugees last Saturday, but we both felt it was a remarkable experience. We met about thirty people who are now refugees living in San Antonio, but are originally from Iraq and Iran. A few of the kids seemed especially willing to hang around and help us try (in vain) to pronounce a common Arabic greeting. We planted dozens of containers with small tomato, squash, and pepper seedlings, and gave them away to any of the refugees who expressed interest. I asked one little girl who was helping put fertilizer pellets into the pots if she had ever grown anything before. She responded, “Yes, I grew tomatoes in Baghdad.” I found it a simple yet utterly striking statement, coming from a small girl who could be no older than seven or eight. All the refugees we met were incredibly friendly and gracious, offering abundant smiles and bringing us juice as the morning warmed up. I believe Sarah and I were equally awed by these resilient people, and we agreed that it was a very well-spent Saturday morning.

Planting Language and Legumes!

On Saturday, April 4th, RotarACT plans to help another church-affiliated organization working to aid families new to San Antonio. This particular organization, sponsored by the University United Methodist Church, has been aiding refugees who have recently sought sanctuary in the United States. RotarACT will be helping with a morning of planting vegetable pots with these families and practicing English words that are relevant to the activity. Specifically, Rotaractors will set up stations for transferring various vegetable seedlings into larger containers, and will help the refugees pot the plants. The idea behind the project is tri-fold: to give refugees vegetable planters to decorate their porches and eventually harvest; to introduce practical English words that are related to gardening; and to build community through a family-oriented activity.

The families are from Iraq, Iran, and Sudan, and primarily speak Farsi or Arabic. Many now have students enrolled in the San Antonio Northside Independent School District, where they are studying under the English as a Second Language program. Local parents of students in Northside ISD have been working with other volunteers in the community, such as those from University United Methodist, to arrange activities intended for socializing and helping to integrate these refugee families into the San Antonio community. Rotaractors are looking forward to supporting the planting activity this weekend, and to potentially working with these families again!