Photodrop -- photos to write about!

http://photodroppittsburghyouth.blogspot.com/2011/03/writing-photo-group_7556.html

Mifflin Trip - Phipps; 3.24

I hate to see so much violence,
it makes me not balanced.
I feel so much tension
as if someone is about to go on a mission.
I smell weed
that people use to meet
there needs.
I hear so much shooting it makes me want to lose it.

To have hope you want to acheive and accomplish a hard task. To have hope is not give up as fast. To hear hope you can understand the words of encouragement. To feel hope is when your down, someone is there to hold your hand. To taste hope is the bitter sweet positive words in someone's mouth. To smell hope is the new refreshing smell of not giving up and moving forward.

I am the tree I am above a lot of things below me.

I get the breeze usually in all of the seasons.

And in Fall and Winters my leaves leave me.

I create the shade and habitat for many.

There's not just one of me there's plenty.

I change colors based on my atmosphere.

For the most part I am green and clear.

When i hear of the word street i picture cars coming from different directions, people roaming around,people thinking they are thugs and even seeing little bugs. also kids playing some as its raining. And people having fun out in the sun.

Dear ole me,

As i sit here and look around i tend to wonder off feeling the pain of my own inner self. What have i grown to be. I'm old. My bark is peeling I feel no use for myself anymore. It's like i failed the people I can no longer supply oxygen. I look around and everyone looks the same as me. DEAD. I'm next, i can feel it.

Sincerly,

The dieing tree

When it rains it leaves a puddle, when a car pulls off it leaves a oil stain and when a building is looking shiny all I see is my reflection. It's mirror of what is known to be something that is shown in front of it. The view or perspective may change depending on what or how the person is feeling. The decision to decide on what its reflected depends on what is shown.

This is me working at the Restore for Habitat for Humanity, holding a long light bulb. I was moving that light bulb to another group ,here the rest of them was at,so we can sort out the stuff from other items.The Restore Habitat for Humanity is when they get used items and re-use them and sell to other people for a cheaper price! That day I had a lot of fun, and I like how they are hepling other people out.

After a hard day of SCA work these students had time to take a family picture to remember those who work to make Pittsburgh a better place to live in. In SCA you have a responsibility and you have to have heart and energy to work for a environmental organization.

Working at Habitat for Humanity restore is not something I would have imagined myself doing until i started at SCA. I used to not like getting dirty stuck in my own ways until realizing that something needs to change. Because I was tired of doing the same thing everyday i decided to work at my sisters job. Which was SCA so I filled out an application and went to interview and when I got in I was so excited. I realized there is more things in the world that are not so great and that I could help fix those things. So this picture shows me at restore my first step to helping other people and coming out of my own ways.

Desiree Johnson

Restore Center

The Restore Center is a store that create new homes for homeowner by build them with used supplies. This picture is me with other crew members working to get the business up and running. We painted walls, and other metal items, we also move thing around such book selves, wood... I hope that in the future this store we be a great success, and I will feel good a year from now, knowing that I once helped that store.

Making Paper - Schenley Heights

In addition to making paper, Lynica and Breona share what organic food is and why it is important.

Tuesdays -- LEAP II

Schenley Heights -- looking at past work and planting seeds for the future

Writing Group

Photo from January - Phipps

Garden Rap from 2010

Lynica/ Breona - green lesson mentors

Mifflin Elementary School

My experience so far with working with these middle school students brought me back to when I was in middle school. They are always full of energy and that motivates me to stay positive and keeps me coming back for more. They learn so much from me and my Leap 2 Team, each time we come back, they reiterate everything that we have taught them. Going green is the best thing that's happened to me.!

This is my reality

Broad Street busy and dangerous with lots of traffic. Stop! Don't go over there. I smell the aroma of cigarettes old beer bottles, I taste the smoke and ashes. I see the desperation of the ones that want to be saved reaching out to touch me when suddenly, bang bang was the sound of gun shots which is my alarm clock I'm awake now.

I am big sister to a lot of people. Not only the 3 I go home to every night but these cute little girls and boys at the Monday night crew. They are just like I was in middle school in a lot of ways -- both the girls and the boys the girls -- because they are going from elementary to middle and some middle to high school. So right now they are still finding themselves, which is too cute. I love going to talk to and help out younger children to tell them how to go green at such a young age. i think they have it good because they are the future its up to them how this world turns out so if we tell them what we know while they are till young they can teach it to other young people and even adults so that this world can become a better place i will teach all i know about going green as well as my sisters to1.

Braddock Ave.

This have to be the deadest street in pittsburgh

All you see is old men and dogs running around but Hey ,

Whats the difference between them anyway

Their huffing and puffing arguing over money

The man grabbed my arm "Hey Baby" , He said

My mouth all of sudden became dry

I dont know what it is im tasteless at this point

I wonder could he smell the fear on me ?

Fear was crowding the air around me

Im scared in the inside

I just want to get out of here

-Dana Bradley !

UNITED WAY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Every Thursday night I'm able to work with a group of middle school kids that enjoy learning about the environment. The United Way after school program gives grants to middles school for them to learn about green concepts and what their job is to help out. LEAP 2 has the chance to work with these kids, telling stories of our experience, teaching them what we know about green ideas, helping them get their ideas out there for every one to hear. Working with these kids that look up to me is an opportunity I'm thankful I had the chance to take. Being a senior is a job in itself, i didn't think giving my Thursday nights away would work out too well, but that i did I'm glad. It helped a lot. Now I look forward to Thursday nights to see these kids grow.

Free Style

An enormous shadow covers me
smelling the dead leaves
hearing the crunchiness and dryness make me thristy.
Cool breeze hits my face
something reaches out to touch me it's an branch pulling me toward the roots and trunk to where it's most sacred.
the bark aging so it's been here for sometime,
shadow around me, shadows surround me,
shadows are me..

RE-store

RE-store Habitat for Hummanity is a warehouse that builds affordable homes at a low cost for those in needs. They also collect used materialsand reconstruct them and uses it to build a home. RE-store has inspired me to recycle more. Instead of throwing away reusable things, why not just give it to someone who can make something out of it especially if they are going to help someone for a good cause. My experiences at RE-store were great. I helped organized materials so it would be eaiser dto find them. Also i painted some things so that they can you use for their homes and other products. My thoughts about RE-store is that they are a great organization. They are a non-profit organization so they use the money and the skills they come with to work. i realized that i should stop being selfish and give to those who can really use it instead of just wanting something just to have it. RE-store is a great place. I would love to go back and help out more on some things that they need help on. I would also recommend this organization to others.

www.habitat.org/how/who.aspx

my trip to CCI

One thing the SCA level two group this year were green buildings. We went to go see this building called CCI and took a tour. CCI purchased the building in 1993 and renovated an 80 year old building that is located on the Southside of Pittsburgh. The building is LEED certified and currently is at the gold level. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. When we first got to the building they took us to this room and the lights were out and I first thought, "Why in the world are the lights out?"
One of my fellow crew members asked and Indigo (the lady giving us the tour) said we use day lighting and when asked she said that is when we use the light from the day to light our building so we save money on our electricity.the she told us about the heating and cooling of the building. They have a vent at the top of the building because the heat rises and only makes one spot in the room warm and takes longer for the whole room to get warm so having the vent at the top mean the heat would have to fall and warming the room much faster and the don't need to turn their heat up as high to get warm. another way that they save money is turning the heat off during the weekends since no one is in the building there is no reason to keep the heat on. they recycle everything they use and they don't heat their stair way because they barely use them. I think the thing that i took away from this trip was that your freezer uses more energy when empty then it does full so you can also save money by keeping it full or putting boxes in your freezer

Street Free Write

The busy street of Smithfield.
As the days goes on this street is more crowded.
During a red light it is like a swarm of birds attacking a piece of bread,
but when the lights turn green they run away.
People making the wrong turn BEEP, the driver begins yelling "its not your turn!!!"
As I walk across the street I trip on the bumpy road that's ahead of me.
The wind blows heavily telling me "just keep moving on" and I step on the onto the smooth path.
I reach the other side of the street and the day starts all over again.
Peaceful, then crazy and noisy, and then everything gets sleepy and calm.
The cycle starts all over again.