Yesterday we arrived to the north St. Louis neighborhood we are staying in, the Ville. The Ville used to be a bustling and diverse neighborhood, but has seen massive population declines in recent decades, like many other neighborhoods in St. Louis and across the country. The Ville has a handful of different community gardens we are working in. The gardens contain everything from okra to mint plants. We also served at the Gateway Greening Urban Farm near downtown St. Louis. Urban farms differ from community gardens because they aren’t typically located in neighborhoods or near housing. My favorite part of this service was harvesting foods such as chard and bok choy, because I love seeing the end product from the garden. I also learned how to turn a compost pile…it’s a simple process but rather strenuous.

One really fun part of Bear Breaks is exploring the city in addition to doing service. We were able to visit the Gateway Arch, Old Courthouse, and Kiener Plaza today. The sun finally came out and the skies were nothing but blue. I love walking around the downtown of big cities, there’s so much to see and do. We still have one full day of service, tomorrow. Afterwards we plan on going to the St. Louis Science Center. I can’t wait for the rest of the weekend!