Whan speaking with Trevor Nicholas and Sache’l Williams about their work at For a Better Bronx and the South Bronx Community Gardens the word “relationships” comes up a lot. Not the kind of relationships that the average Sophomore college student(Trevor will be a sophomore at The Borough of Manhattan Community College this fall) or Senior High School student ( Sache’l will be a starting her last year at New Explorers High School) tend to talk about. They aren’t discussing the latest gossip of who’s dating who; they are talking about building relationships with the diverse members of their community. They are so wholeheartedly committed to the idea that when I bring up the fact that their work would look good on scholarship and college applications, they stare at me like I’m crazy.

Oh, they’re doing this because they believe in it and expect nothing in return? I nod sheepishly and scribble in my notebook.

For a Better Bronx is an organization committed to teaching the community about environmental health and taking steps to reverse the high amount of pollutants in the area. The South Bronx Community Gardens is tied in closely with their work and it is the program that Trevor and Sache’l work with the most. Trevor started while in high school as an intern through For a Better Bronx. Sache’l started a few years after him, as Trevor’s intern. Though they both entered the program to earn a little extra money, they quickly became proponents of the work these organizations do and through Trevor’s mentorship, they have both become leaders of their community.

Trevor, especially, is committed to the idea of using the South Bronx Community Gardens as a way to promote heritage and build community. “We have people from all ethnicities from all around the world living here. We can learn from each other,” Trevor says.

Trevor also see the gardens as a tool for promoting environmental and social justice. The South Bronx Community Gardens program was initially started in the 1980’s as a reaction to the influx of drugs and gangs into the area during the seventies. Trevor is proud of the gardens’ history of pushing out those elements and reclaiming the neighborhoods for the working class families who live there.

Sache’l, on the other hand, seems interested in the For a Better Bronx’s commitment to educating people about the dangers of the environmental impact on the high traffic area that the Bronx has become. Due to the many bridges and highways that run through the Bronx in particular, the amount of pollutants is much higher in that borough. She, along with Trevor, has hosted many workshops focusing on asthma. Sache’l also believes that one of the great benefits of The community Gardens is that the space will be a refuge for asthma sufferers.

Sache’l is also committed to using the gardens as place to get organic vegetables to low income families that can’t necessarily afford the steep costs of Whole Foods and other natural foods stores.

The creeping wave of gentrification, however, is threatening The South Bronx Community Garden’s mission. “The trendy people come in and start to take over,” Trevor claims. “ They forget about the people who really need this,” Sache’l adds. It is a story that is all too familiar with the lower income wage earners of New York and, as the divide between the rich and the poor continues to grow more expansive, a story that is quickly becoming familiar all over the country.

Trevor and Sache’l are two generous and sweet kids. Like many Americans, they are worried about the dangerous impact humans are having on this planet, but more specifically, they worry about their neighborhood, their borough, their people, and their community. Not settling for sitting on the side lines and complaining, they are out there everyday doing their part. Though Trevor is quick to point out, “ We make time for fun, too.”

When asked if there is anything else to add, Sache’l enthusiastically exclaims, “ come on down and check it out!” I think I will.

Where:

Courtlandt Community Gardens: 158^th Street between Cortlandt and Melrose

Padre Plaza/Success Garden:541-545 East 139^th Street

By Justin Gray

In a world of talkers and complainers Alejandra Kennedy is a doer. She volunteers while both working and attending college full-time, and even finds time to facilitate change. "You can't keep complaining— if you want change you have to do something."

At Lehman College where Alejandra attends classes, she, along with a group of friends, noticed there were no organizations that were inclusive of all students. "At my school they have these clubs, they have the Muslim club, the Dominican club; everyone was separate. We decided to start a club where everyone was included regardless of race, sex, or sexual orientation." As a result, Alejandra co-founded the Circle Club, an all-inclusive club that is dedicated to inclusion and diversity. The club participates in community service, including tutoring high school students, and participating in cancer walks, and the annual AIDS Walk.

Even though Alejandra is not a Business major, that didn't stop her from lending her organizational skills to the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance of Accounting (ALPFA). ALPFA's goal is to expand the number of minorities in the finance and accounting fields through building relationships with Fortune 500 companies. As the Director of Membership she recruits new members and helps to organize events such as the Business Boot Camp and Project Professional, both of which teach college students about professional skills, including how to interview, how to create a resume, and how to dress for office work. Not only did not being a Business major not deter her from joining, but the prospect of being  only one of two African-Americans in the organization didn't turn her away either. In fact, it was one of the reasons she joined: "I would see a lot of African-American students who were interested in the organization but wouldn't join, because its membership was predominately Latinos."

At her current place of employment, Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), Alejandra is a Training Specialist. BELL is a non-profit organization that provides free after-school tutoring and summer school for children in low-income urban communities. Alejandra oversees the training of the tutors for the children.

For the average twenty-one year old woman, school, work, starting an organization, and recruiting other students would be enough on their plate. But Alejandra is not an average young woman; she has just added volunteering for the Free Arts NYC program to her schedule. The Free Arts program uses art to help heal families and children who have suffered from substance abuse.

With her work and volunteer experience this young woman could choose any career path, however, she has chosen to be an elementary school teacher.  "Maybe I won't be able to change the world, but maybe I can spark an interest in the person who will."

By Chloe Mister