Southwest Service

For two weeks on Southwest Service we’ll serve the communities of Santa Fe, discovering the growth and fulfillment that come from helping others as we work side by side with the people of the Southwest.

We’ll meet in Albuquerque and drive to Santa Fe, where we’ll dedicate our time and energy to helping local service organizations and reaching out to the Native American and Hispanic communities. Our projects will include volunteering at the largest food bank in Northern New Mexico, serving the elderly, homeless and hungry; working with local outdoor organizations to preserve the beauty of the Southwest; and mentoring local youth. All of these projects require enthusiasm, focus and flexibility, as well as a strong work ethic and a willingness to be challenged physically.

During the late afternoons and on the weekend, our group will explore downtown Santa Fe and the nearby town of Taos, where we’ll learn about the history and culture of the desert Southwest. We’ll enjoy hikes to the prehistoric ruins at Bandelier National Monument, the incredible geological formations at Tent Rocks and more. At program’s end, we’ll celebrate and reflect upon our two weeks of rewarding service in America’s Southwest.

“I loved this entire trip and could not have asked for a better experience! Thank you!” Abby Gilbert, Wellesley, Massachusetts

Highlights

• Teach reading skills to children
• Volunteer at a food bank
• Restore local trails & gardens
• Explore Santa Fe & Taos
• Visit Bandelier & Tent Rocks National Monuments

Grade

For students who will finish grades 8-12 in June 2013
Multiple groups organized by grade

Call us (413-458-9672) to check on current availability

Start and End Location

Starts and ends in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dates

2 Weeks

Sunday, June 23 to Friday, July 5
Sunday, July 7 to Friday, July 19
Sunday, July 21 to Friday, August 2

Fees

$3395

What the trip fee includes:

• All meals, group gear, accommodations, activities and transportation during the trip

What the trip fee doesn't include:

• Personal gear and clothing (see packing list)
• Airfare to and from the trip start and end (see flight and travel details)
• Trip insurance (recommended; learn more about the benefits)

“My leaders' non-stop efforts, kindness and dedication to our group and service inspired us all.” Jackie Soscia, North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Trip Details

Service Hours

40 hours of service

Students: Is this trip right for you?

Southwest Service requires a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard as summer service volunteers. Participants should be eager to take part in a variety of summer service projects and be ready for both the challenges and rewards that service work offers.

Keep in mind that your enjoyment of this trip will hinge on certain factors:

1. Your motivation. Service work is not always easy—you must be motivated.
2. Your commitment to teamwork. Overland trips require compromise, patience and selflessness. Support your trip leaders and your trip mates, and you’ll find that you have a great experience.

Please note that some of the service opportunities your group pursues will depend on the needs of the community and available service opportunities. We ask for students’ flexibility in the service projects we pursue in Santa Fe.

“Bravo! Well done! Livvie has grown tremendously from this summer experience.” Jane Johanson, Summit, New Jersey

Itinerary shown below subject to change

Day 1: Trip Start

We'll meet in Albuquerque and drive an hour north to Santa Fe where we can settle into our comfortable accommodations at the Institute of American Indian Arts. After we’ve settled into our rooms, we’ll spend the rest of the day getting to know one another.

Day 2: Railyard Stewards Community Gardens Project

Today, we will volunteer with Railyard Stewards at the former rail yard that has been converted into one of Santa Fe's favorite public gardens. As we work, we’ll learn about the flora of the high, western desert. When we're not pursuing volunteer opportunities in Santa Fe, we'll explore downtown and the surrounding foothills as a group – typically during late afternoons. Each evening we’ll prepare dinner together, and share our highlights of the day over dessert. In this way, we'll look back over the rewarding day of service to the community and reenergize for the next day of outreach.

Days 3 & 4: Trailwork with Santa Fe National Forest

We'll partner with the Santa Fe National Forest trail crew for several days of trail maintenance. We'll hike each morning to our project site where we'll be rewarded with beautiful views as we help improve the area for visitors. Our work may consist of clearing brush from the trail, trimming vegetation, removing loose debris from the trail, installing erosion control devices and even re-routing sections of the existing trail. Park rangers will work alongside us the entire time to ensure that our work is truly benefiting the trail networks.

Days 5 & 6: The Food Depot and Food for Santa Fe

Thursdays and Fridays are busy for food organizations as they prepare to serve the community on the weekends. So, we'll lend a helping hand to The Food Depot, the largest food bank in Northern New Mexico (distributing an average of 200,000 pounds of food each month), at the end of the week. We'll also volunteer at Food for Santa Fe, an all-volunteer organization that gets food from places like The Food Depot and distributes it to individuals and organizations in need around northern New Mexico. We'll help inspect and organize donated food at the organizations’ warehouses, doing everything from sorting vegetables to bagging bread and loading it into delivery vehicles. Through working with these two organizations we’ll gain a strong understanding of how non-profit businesses and volunteer groups can work together to improve a community.

Day 7: Bandelier National Monument

New Mexico has so much to explore and the weekend is a great time to do so. We’ll drive to Bandelier National Monument to visit ancient pueblo sites, some nearly 850 years old. We'll explore the area on foot, a perfect way to experience the preserved homes that are symbolic of the American Southwest.

Day 8: Taos

Today we’ll drive to Taos and go hiking. We'll choose a trail as a group, hoping to find a beautiful viewpoint over the valley and the surrounding area. Beyond hiking, we may also visit the many nearby pueblos and downtown Taos to get a feeling of the local history.

Day 9: Railyard Stewards Community Gardens Project

On Monday, we will continue lending our time and energy to the many volunteer organizations that are striving to make a difference for the Santa Fe community. We will head back to the gardening project at the local railyard. Just as we did last week, we’ll continue to explore everything that Santa Fe has to offer - ice rinks, farmers’ markets, museums and parks.

Days 10 & 11: Aspen Community Magnet School

We will have the opportunity to work with young school children at the Aspen Community Magnet School. In the mornings, we’ll work with children in the classroom and help them develop their reading skills. During the afternoons, we’ll get outside and do other fun, co-curricular activities around the school.

Day 12: The Food Bank and Tent Rocks National Monument

During our last full day together in New Mexico, we'll help out one last morning at The Food Bank. After our work, we'll drive to nearby Tent Rocks National Monument and hike together through the amazing landscape. We’ll return to Santa Fe and head out to for a final dinner in the city, celebrating all of our accomplishments and hard work over the last two weeks together.

Day 13: Trip End

We'll drive back down to Albuquerque and say goodbye to one another after 2 weeks in the American Southwest.

“I am thrilled with the opportunities Overland provides for my children. Even though they don’t realize it at this point, their world has become larger, and they have been able to have incredible experiences.” Stephanie D’Costa, Scarborough, Ontario

Accommodations

12 nights total

• All nights are spent in a dormitory in double or triple rooms in Santa Fe.  Students will have daily access to showers and laundry.

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Preparing for the Demands of Service

Southwest Service combines meaningful person-to-person mentorship and demanding outdoor service, that requires dedication, selflessness and hard work.

Packing for Your Program

• On service programs we travel light —we cannot emphasize this enough.
• Please stick to the following guidelines when packing for your program; your group will have access to laundry on a weekly basis.
• Be sure to bring comfortable clothes that can get dirty, paint-splattered and worn while volunteering.
• Be sure to tag all items with your name, address and phone number.
• Please do not bring any type of knife or multi-tool (e.g., Swiss Army Knife, Leatherman).

Luggage

• Backpack or Duffel Bag
  One medium-sized duffel bag between 3,000-5,000 cubic inches (50-80 liters). If you decide to purchase a backpack, find your backpack size by measuring your torso length and your hips. We recommend getting fitted at a store where you can try on a number of different packs. We recommend checking out duffel bags from Patagonia, EMS, REI and L.L. Bean.

• Day Pack
  For weekend excursions and day hikes. The day pack should be a regular school backpack with two shoulder straps, large enough to fit a rain coat, water and snacks.  It must be worn on both shoulders (satchels and one strap bags will not be appropriate for day hikes and weekend excursions). Use your day pack to carry essentials on the plane (but do not use this bag as additional luggage space).

Clothing

• Hiking Boots
  For some service work and while hiking in Taos. They must be over the ankle hiking boots as required by the Santa Fe National Forest in order to volunteer.

• Sturdy Sneakers or Tennis Shoes
  One pair--comfortable shoes to wear around all day while volunteering in Santa Fe
  

• Sport Sandals
  Optional--flip-flops or Crocs are a great option

• Waterproof Raincoat
  Your rain jacket must be waterproof -- not just water or wind resistant. The summer is the wet season in New Mexico.

• Long Pants
  One sturdy pair for service work

• Fleece Pullover
  One only

• Comfortable Shorts or Skirts
  Two--one pair of shorts must be suitable for day hikes

• Shirts
  Five short-sleeve shirts or tank tops and one long-sleeve shirt. Synthetic shirts recommended, as synthetic material dries faster and is more lightweight than cotton.

• Underwear
  Seven pairs

• Socks
  Five pairs

• Pajamas
  One pair

• Bathing Suit
  Optional

Gear & Miscellaneous

• Student ID
  Current school identification or driver's license (if you have one)

• Toiletries
  All travel size

• Water Bottle
  Any kind, to stay hydrated out in the sun

• Leather Work Gloves
  One pair, for trail work

• Sunglasses & Hat
  With visor (e.g., baseball hat)

• Sunscreen (SPF 30+), Chapstick (with SPF protection) & Insect Repellent (two bottles)

• Camera/Batteries/Memory Card
  Optional, but great for documenting the trip. Make sure you bring a large enough memory card (1 to 4 GB).

• Personal Journal & Pen
  Optional

• Spending Money
  $50/week is a suggested amount for souvenirs, gifts and necessities (like more sunscreen if you run out, stamps and envelopes to mail letters).
  

Cell Phones, Electronics and Personal Property

Please note the following important policies:

Our programs offer the opportunity to strengthen independence and self-reliance. To maximize these benefits, we do not permit phone calls to or from our students (except in the case of emergency).

If it is important for your son or daughter to be able to call you while en route to Overland, we recommend that you purchase an inexpensive prepaid cell phone. Please do not send an expensive smart phone like an iPhone or BlackBerry. On arrival we will collect all phones but we have found that safeguarding these phones is problematic given that our programs move from place to place. Despite our best efforts over $25,000 in phones have been lost, damaged or stolen in the last two years alone. We regret that due to the expense involved in replacing these items, we take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever for phones, electronics or personal property brought by students and we will not make any reimbursements for lost, damaged or stolen phones, electronics or personal property.

 

FAQs

Why is the program based in Santa Fe?

Santa Fe is an ideal setting for our groups because of the city's small size, diverse population and stunning landscape. On top of these factors, Overland has found many great service opportunities that our groups have enjoyed for many years.

Can I do laundry?

Yes. The group will have daily access to laundry at their accommodations.

How does the group get to Albuquerque from Santa Fe?

The leaders will drive students in vans from Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) to our accommodations at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. The trip is approximately 90 minutes long.

What is the weather like?

The high desert environment of Santa Fe is hot with monsoon rains in the summer. We do most of our work outdoors in the early mornings to avoid the late afternoon heat.

What is the hiking like?

The hikes are designed for beginners. Tent Rocks & Bandelier National Monuments are popular and accessible destinations for visitors to the American Southwest. The trails are relatively short (one to three hours roundtrip) and offer plenty of moments to take a break for photos, snacks and time to admire the scenery.

What does the group do at night?

The group will return to their accommodations at the end of the day after volunteering and exploring. They'll prepare and cook dinner together most nights. After dinner, there will be time to journal, write letters home, play board games and spend time together. The groups will typically go to bed at an early hour to then wake up early to try and beat the heat associated with the American Southwest.

Will the group have the opportunity to sample local cuisine?

The group will go out to a restaurant at least once during the trip to sample food from the Southwest. Beyond this meal out, the group will also visit farmers' markets to sample local foods as well.

• Expectations, Cell Phones & Electronics
• Travel Information
• Mail Stops
• Helpful Reminders