Berkeley Project 2011

It was 8 o’clock on a Saturday morning, yet Sproul Plaza was far from deserted. In fact, over 2,000 people had gathered in front of Sproul Hall, ready to participate in the 6th annual Berkeley Project Day. The Cal Straw Hat Band played their typical arrangement of fight songs to pump up the crowd, and Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and Mayor Tom Bates expressed their gratitude towards the students for taking time to give back to the Berkeley community.

According to their website, the goal of the Berkeley Project (BP) is to “permanently change the relationship between the students and residents of Berkeley through hands-on community service.” Every year, BP holds two main events, one in the fall (BP Month) and another in the spring (BP Day). Both events are geared towards “serving the needs of the city’s residents and forging a positive relationship with the campus and the community.”

With over 2,000 volunteers at their arsenal, BP sent these students to 67 different sites in the cities of Berkeley and Oakland. Some of the sites involved garden work and park restoration while others focused on clean-ups and beautification. Some students even got the opportunity to permanently leave their mark in the city by painting a mural on Sacramento Street.

The site I was assigned to was the Youth Engagement, Advocacy, and Housing (YEAH!). YEAH! provides food and housing for transitional age youth (18-25), most of them coming from foster care. However, as soon as they turn 18, the government is not responsible for them anymore, and consequently, they are left to survive on their own.

Along with my friends from a church group, I had signed up in hopes that I would be making some sort of impact in my community. Our job at YEAH! entailed cleaning and organization in preparation for the winter season when the shelter would open. While it didn’t register in my head that we were actually making a difference by moving boxes and de-greasing pans, I eventually realized that in an indirect way, we were making it possible for this non-profit organization to provide the basic necessities of life to these transitional age youth.

Whether you were in charge of pulling ivy from the banks of Strawberry Creek or tasked with spray painting numbers on sidewalk curbs, the Berkeley Project was an opportunity to dedicate some time and effort to dozens of worthy causes. Amidst our busy college schedules, the greatest thing we can give to others is our time because it shows that we genuinely care. Coming away from this experience, I can honestly say that it was a day well spent and that I am absolutely looking forward to BP month in the spring.