SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!

This week is spring break. All the students at Pitt are off to thier vacation sopts, home, or on a mission trip. I elected to stay here in Pittsburgh where I dont have to pay for a hotel room, gas money for the trip home, or for extra food. Now granted, Oakland becomes very lonely on spring break, but there is en entire city left over full of people and work that still needs to be done in the East End.

At the UP this week, Justin, Duane, and Dustin have all left for Spring break. Most noteably for my job, Duane has left, leaving me a list of many things to do. I am currently researching corporations to supply us with volunteers and money. I have compiled lists of possible corporations who might be interested in volunteering to build our recording studio, and perhaps even corporations that might be interested in supplying the actual equipment for our Great Hall and the recording studio. My thought is, why ask local buisnesses for their used equipment when I could ask the Big Wigs for them to suply us with new equipment.

That said, I have also complied a list of 130 venues, clubs, Karaoke bars, and lighting and sound rental buisnesses in the greater pittsburgh area who might want to donate used equipment as a way to get a tax deduction. Hopefully we will be able to get some of the places to donate what we need so that we can put on some kickin concerts. (PS - if you have anything to donate and/or want to get some tax deductions... i know the place you can donate!!! Check out our website at www.unionproject.org)

I also have to catalog every single tool we own... that is not going to be fun... at all

Lastly, I have tried clay throwing these past 2 days.... and I am less then proficient... lets say I am quite horrible at it. Justin, one of the directors, says I just have to keep practicing. That is probably true, but still, I have absolutly nothing to show for my attempts on throwing. Today is a new day, I suppose i will try again.

In other news, yesterday I had an incounter with a man who came into the UP asking for money for bus fair. Now in Pittsburgh, people do this all the time. They come up with big elaborate stories, and tell me they are headed to some far off neighborhood outside the City limits, and that their car broke down, and they walked all 16 blocks to get to somewhere they could ask for help. Now this guy didnt look homeless, or like a panhandler, but it was so supicious his story, and for one, I had no cash, and I didnt really know what to do. I really wanted to help him, yet he got pretty mad at the staff at the UP and threw around they fact that he was a Christian and how we were not trusting christians, and yada yada about how he helps the hungry and works in soup kitches. He just made me feel bad. Just bad. I dont know what else i could have done in the situation. Even if I had money, I didnt belive his story. Does that make me untrusting? I dont know. It was just tough to be in a community center, and to profess I am trying to help the community, and then have to turn someone away because I dont belive they are asking for the help they really need. It is going to take a long time to be truly comfortale in East Liberty and to become part of the community. Like I said, todays another day. I'll just have to try harder.

Reed