Service, Amid Colors and Coquis, in Puerto Rico
Alumni volunteer Ann Sweeney serves with Global Volunteers “to learn about other cultures, build relationships with people, and contribute to others in areas of need.” A 10-time volunteer, starting in 2006, Ann returned from her Puerto Rico Service Program in March 2024 with more unique insights about the value of international travel. “We get to know each other and broaden our views of the world,” she asserts. Read on to learn what keeps Ann on the road as a volunteer.
by Ann E. Sweeney
Vivid memories of my first trip to Puerto Rico include vibrant colors, melodious coquis (a singing tree frog), and passionate people. Before arriving in San Juan and journeying to Aguadilla for a one-week volunteer service program through Global Volunteers, I understood little about Puerto Rico. I knew it’s an island in the Caribbean, a commonwealth of the United States where many people speak both English and Spanish, and friends who have moved from Puerto Rico to the states to attend school or to work usually identify themselves as proud Puerto Ricans.
Surprisingly, I did not know much about the complex history of Puerto Rico, nor its impact on the remarkable people living there. This lack of knowledge and previous mind-expanding volunteer experiences in Cuba and Haiti motivated me to join this service program, which began in 2022. New service programs also entice me because of their fluid and evolving nature within each day that generally stretches my ability to be flexible outside my comfort zone. With each new program, it feels like we are learning together how best to serve a particular community.
Suddenly, my senses attuned to the beauty of Puerto Rico and its people as I set off on a public bus from the airport in San Juan to the bus terminal along the waterfront of Old San Juan, the day before the service program began. When the first bus broke down, other passengers politely explained that another bus would arrive in about 45 minutes. With the second bus came an opportunity to sit with Diana, in her 80s, who was born and raised in San Juan, served in the U.S. Army in the 1970s. As we rode together, she showed me photos of her son, who served in the U.S. Navy, and told stories of dancing and social gatherings with friends; pointing out places to visit along the bus route.
A self-guided walking tour of Old San Juan found me wandering along the waterfront and blue cobblestone streets to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of a bustling historic area. In the middle of my walk, I discovered the Cathedral San Juan Bautista where a beautiful Mass in Spanish in one of the oldest buildings in Puerto Rico was underway. Throughout the walk, I saw rows of houses and office buildings each painted a different bright color. After exploring many architectural gems and historic sites, a restaurant on the waterfront beckoned me to rest a while and enjoy the surroundings with the sun glaring across the shimmering blue-green water.
“Suddenly, my senses attuned to the beauty of Puerto Rico and its people.”
Ann Sweeney
Riding the public bus back to the airport provided a chance to observe so many local people engaged in lively conversation – students in uniforms riding home from at least three private schools, workers after completing their tasks of the day, and shoppers returning home with bags of goods. What a surprise when Diana from the morning bus got on the afternoon bus, waved from the front of the bus, and eventually found her way to the back of the bus to sit with me again.
On Saturday afternoon, a radiantly smiling woman in a Global Volunteers’ t-shirt with a sign appeared outside the baggage claim area of the airport, my team’s meeting point. What a delight to meet Yanira Ocasio, our team leader for the upcoming week! Yani exudes compassion, joy, love, and warmth the minute you meet her. She introduced me to her husband, Luis, who is equally joyful, loving, and warm. Both seemed full of boundless energy from the start. After lunch and gathering the remaining volunteers, we were off in a white van traveling from San Juan in northeastern Puerto Rico enroute to Aguadilla in the northwestern corner of the island. The ride hardly seemed like 2.5 hours as we enjoyed the conversation and scenery on the way.
The first hours in Aguadilla allowed time to acquaint ourselves with other members of the team, the guest house, the local hotel, and our first delicious meal from a talented local chef. Early Sunday morning, our team convened for orientation and a description about the week ahead. Yani’s outstanding leadership skills and demonstrable passion to serve made it hard to believe she was leading just her second team for Global Volunteers. From morning to night, Yani displayed her joy and love for her community while continually working to address needs of the local people and volunteers. She brought her authentic, creative, curious, empathetic, and resilient self to her leadership role every day. In her ministry of outreach to people, Yani is an incredible example of someone who understands that building and nurturing relationships is often as important as the work accomplished together.
Monday morning came early with breakfast at the guest house, a team meeting filled with anticipation and excitement, and transport to the Asociación Pro Bienestar Barrio Marías de Aguada, Inc. and Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz to start our daily assignments. Asociación Pro Bienestar operates a Community Food Center, hot lunch meal program, community garden, courses on agriculture and meal preparation, kiosk with snacks, and thrift store with clothes and home goods. Pro Bienestar’s goal is to promote food security and is the first response to communities in the area in the face of a natural disaster. Hogar is a children’s home that provides a safe place to live for up to 15 abandoned, abused children and/or victims of domestic violence from anywhere on the island.
The Community Food Center at Asociación Pro Bienestar became my place to learn, sweat, and serve alongside dedicated employees and volunteer colleagues for the entire week. With a warm welcome from directors Domingo (Mingo) and Nancy daily, we received guidance primarily from Gladys (Cookie) and Maria in the warehouse. These efficient staff ensured we understood the assembly line and all items to include when packing boxes for distribution every Tuesday and Thursday, which reach over 500 low-income families monthly. Boxes included one can of beef; two small cans or one large can of salmon; two cans each of mixed fruit, kidney beans, mixed vegetables, pears, and spaghetti sauce; one bag each of almonds, cookies, garbanzo beans, raisins, and walnuts; two bags each of chili and rice; and one cleaning or hygiene item.
“My senses remain attuned to the memories of the multi-colored, picturesque sunsets over glistening waters; soft breezes with the swaying of palm fronds; lovely sounds of Spanish spoken all around… tiny, croaking frogs known as coquis that make sounds like songbirds.”
Ann Sweeney
As the week progressed, so did our productivity in completing boxes, which allowed us to shift some time to stocking shelves of food and hygiene items for the next boxes to pack. While work continued, we felt great affection from Gladys and Maria as we learned a bit about their lives, and the tremendous need for these food boxes in the communities served by the Community Food Center. We also witnessed their creativity and resourcefulness trying to find enough available boxes along with spaces to stack boxes ready for distribution. Volunteering for one week illuminated the economic situation facing Puerto Rico, and efforts by local non-profit organizations to lessen the impacts of increasingly high costs of food on these families, while striving to improve the quality of life of communities.
After up to four hours in the Community Food Center each morning, we walked up a short hill to the kitchen building where more dedicated employees and a couple of volunteers prepared hot boxed lunches for low-income people in the community. The lunch program impacts 100 bedridden people, elderly people, and people with functional diversity who do not have the resources to pay for three daily meals. Gratefully, we enjoyed these same freshly cooked meals that brought us closer to the flavors and foods of Puerto Rico. One day after lunch, the hard-working group in the kitchen invited us to join in a birthday celebration centered around a colorful handmade cake and singing.
An activity or discussion with Yani every day enlightened us about the culture and history of Puerto Rico. Residents are still feeling impacts of the devastation of two major hurricanes that struck the island in September 2017 and earthquakes in January 2019. First, Hurricane Irma hit mostly the east coast of Puerto Rico. Within two weeks after Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria directly hit the whole island causing major devastation. Effects were catastrophic and widespread resulting in the collapse of critical infrastructure for prolonged periods. Earthquakes in the southern coast followed in early 2019. Evidence of people impacted in northwestern Puerto Rico abounds with tarps on roofs of homes and people still displaced years later. The per capital income in Puerto Rico is $15,637 in 2022 dollars with over 41 percent of persons living in poverty on the island according to the most recent census data.
Activities to learn more about the area included a stroll in downtown Aguadilla, stop at a public square, and tour of an art museum in town. Two guides at the art museum shared a stimulating presentation about the history of the area, introduced us to a diverse collection of Puerto Rican art, and responded to a variety of questions.
One afternoon, we visited a small museum operated by the Ramey Air Force Base Historical Association to preserve the history of the former Borinquen Field/Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla that operated from the late 1930s until the early 1970s. The base began as a U.S. Army base for the U.S. Army Air Corps and then became a U.S. Air Force base as part of the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. After its closure, the base converted to a joint civilian-military airport involving the U.S. Coast Guard and other military units.
Another afternoon, we visited Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla. The name of this beach derives from work done by the U.S. Air Force at this former military port to dock rescue boats to retrieve downed crews from aircraft that did not reach the runway at the nearby military base. This beach is now well known as a favorite beach of residents, snorkelers, surfers, and swimmers.
After team meetings and incredible supper meals delivered from chef Frank, we spent time with local people interested in conversational English. Motivated students showed up with ideas of their own about what they wanted to practice. Jacelyn, an eight-year-old, arrived with her mother and older brother to engage in conversational English. When asked of any particular interest, Jacelyn produced her lesson book from school ready to focus on a “spelling bee” page of 40 words. Her intensity in pronouncing each word, repeatedly saying each letter in each word, and using each word in a sentence caused us all to cheer for her. After the English session, we danced with Jacelyn to the song “La Bamba” playing from a nearby cell phone.
Elian in his mid-20s desired to learn more vocabulary and to practice speaking in preparation for an upcoming trip to the states to find a job to assist his father for several months. Elian too displayed focus and intensity as we expanded his vocabulary of culinary terms in his area of training and heard about his other interests to find a job in security or warehouse work. Another evening with Elian, several of us discussed writing a resume and practiced a job interview. Both students inspired us with their clarity of goals, motivation, and commitment to learn more English.
Soon the week drew to a close with touching farewells at our work assignments and a team celebration dining together at a restaurant near the waterfront of downtown Aguadilla. Our dynamic team tried to capture key memories in the lyrics of two songs to the tunes of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.” The second song ended with “We will always remember the love and joy you shared.”
Another van ride across the island the next morning and we found ourselves at the airport in San Juan not quite ready to leave. Travel experiences – particularly through volunteerism to areas outside tourist sites – are opportunities to connect with other humans who have experiences often much different from our own. We get to know each other and broaden our views of the world. As these wonderful people of Puerto Rico opened their hearts to us in this short week, we realized there is still so much to learn through the lenses of local people.
My senses remain attuned to the memories of the multi-colored, picturesque sunsets over glistening waters; soft breezes with the swaying of palm fronds; lovely sounds of Spanish spoken all around; fragrant smells and interesting names of various foods; multitudes of birds singing; tiny, croaking frogs known as coquis that make sounds like songbirds; crowing of roosters throughout each day; several minutes of paradise lying in a hammock with a view of vast waters; varying terrain from mountains to valleys to beaches with stories behind their names; and lush vegetation bearing amazing flowers and fruit. However, the faces and voices of the people that entered my life in Puerto Rico are those that engulf me these many days later – vivid images of beautiful people full of kindness and love.
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