Last Service Learning Day

Thursday was my last day working at NGR as a service learner. I had pulled an all-nighter wednesday night to write a paper and I was pretty loopy. I spent some time harvesting arugula and green onions at the Wise Words Community Garden, and then I spent some time packing and labeling things for the baskets. Brock (the executive director) ordered the Nola Green Roots veggie pizza from PizzaCare for us for lunch and it was soooo good. It had beets, arugula, pesto and some other stuff on it. If your ever in the mood for a good pizza hit up Pizzacare on Tulane they are big supporters of NGR and get their veggies from us. Anyways, I told them I would be happy to continue volunteering for them when I can, and off course I am an official member and get my basket full of fruits and veggies twice a month. Two new people had just been hired during my last week and I think the organization finally found some people who will fit in nicely and do some good stuff (they had some turnover issues during this semester). That's really all I suppose. Going to write my paper now! Woohoo!

Frustration

I don't know about you guys, but often times I have felt a bit frustrated with my service learning site because I feel as though they expect way more out of me than I can really provide, especially with having a full time job, trying to make ends meet, and going to school full time as well. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the work that I have done this semester and feel as though I have truly made a difference, but I have often times been overwhelmed with the expectations that have been placed on my shoulders.

I went in knowing that I was going to be "Coordinator of Computer Literacy" for the semester, but the job description wasn't necessarily thoroughly thought out nor discussed. At times, when I felt lost, I feel as though students (as well as other volunteers who I was overseeing) would get frustrated with me because I may not have known something, thus causing me to become frustrated with myself and, at times, with those who run the organization. Over time, I have become much more chilled out and comfortable with my job and that frustrates me too only because it's nearing the end of my time there and I FINALLY got the hang of everything.

Oh well, I guess it's a working progress for all, but this has definitely taught me to be much more patient and open-minded. As I've said before, despite frustrations, I will definitely miss working with my incredible students.

Peace.

Deck the shelves

NGR is on its way to opening a store at its main offices where it will sell plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, and homemade food items such as tarragon infused olive oils, pestos, and hibiscus tea. I am very interested to see what happens when the store opens. I feel like the market the store is going to appeal to are the yuppy hippies (like me, I mean lets admit it). And so they will be buying things, supporting the mission of the non-profit, which is getting fresh foods into neighborhoods that desperately need it. This model for non-profits, self-sustaining, is definitely a good one in these days of decrease donations and fierce competition for grants. But I would also be interested to see, because of its location and the ED's connection with the community, if the store builds a consumer base of the low-income residents of the New Orleans neighborhoods plagued by food deserts. I am sure it will end up a mixture of both, as the coop in the marigny is becoming. And this mixture may be the most important thing that comes out of these types of ventures; bringing together people of different means, different beliefs, races etc.

Gender Socialization and "Sexualization"

I wanted to share this article with you all. Studying gender is another academic interest of mine. Recently I was doing some research with a professor on the "sexualization of girl's clothing" from the early 1990s until present day. I came across this article which discusses the sexualization of toys. Cuuuh-razzzy!

http://www.beautyredefined.net/my-sexy-little-pony-how-toddlers-are-taught-sex-appeal/

Update

So, things are still going fairly well at my service learning site. I am continuing to love the daily interactions with my students, as they always have new stories to tell me. I had a conversation with a lady who migrated from Scotland to the United States in the 1940s and how she quickly adjusted to being "white" in America. I think yall may know this already, but my passion is learning and discussing race, racism, and white privilege in America and it was just interesting to hear someone explain to me how you "become white" in the United States. We went on to discuss her experiences witnessing (not necessarily first hand) the Civil Rights Movement (I obviously told her my academic interests which is why this discussion started in the first place). She vividly remembers hearing about Little Rock Nine, MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech, sit ins, Montgomery Bus Boycott, etc.

It was interesting to hear about this from someone who is not a person of color (or a white person) because I don't often hear the opinions and feelings whites might have about this since today race is not considered an issue anymore (read Tim Wise's "Colorblind" or "White Like Me" and it'll deeper into the belief that race is no longer an issue and is a thing of the past). She made it a point to let me know that she was for racial integration-- mainly because she's religious and believes that God made everyone to be equal and have the same rights. We went on to talk about Ruby Bridges and the things she witnessed during that time as well.

There are ALWAYS interesting conversations at IWCC and I am really going to miss interacting with these awesome individuals on a regular basis.

See yall tomorrow!

If ONLY work ethic was the problem...

Check this out.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/newt-and-trump-announce-will-turn-poor-children-into-apprentices.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

Nonprofit Frustrations

Like I always say, I love working at the Hope Lodge, and volunteering there has really made me feel like I could work at a place like this one day! But like any work place and organization there are some frustrations. I have also learned that when you're working with a nonprofit, especially one that is national or global and more corporation-like, there comes with it more rules to follow, and red tape to keep you from doing what you really think is best for the people you serve. For example, the Hope Lodge is just one of many Hope Lodges around the world that are funded and run by the American Cancer Society. This is great in so many ways, but it also means that more and more rules are made and enforced in order to avoid running into problems.

One of the biggest events is the annual Homecoming, which is a gathering of present and past guests to have a night of great service, a nice dinner, and entertainment. People work so hard to make it happen for the guests (which are usually around 100 people), and one of the most anticipated parts is the Silent Auctions. Businesses and other donors love to give nice items and every year they send the items months in advance, specifically for the silent auction. But sadly, this year, even after many people have already donated items, ACS has said we can't do the silent auction because it's technically raising money on Hope lodge property, which isn't allowed because it is a non-profit. I understand the restriction, but it's still frustrating that something people love to give to and what guests look forward to every year can't happen because of a silly rule. I'm sure my view is flawed in some ways, and I'm sorry if this sounds bitter, it's just something I've observed and I wanted to share it.

4H?

Tuesday at Anna's we broke away from our usual routine and had a guest 4H teacher come in to have a session with the kids. Instead of feeding the kids dinner and getting them back to working on their homework directly after, they got to eat their dinner as a lesson was taught by our guest teacher. Growing up, I was never a part of any type of program like Anna's Arts, and I don't think I had ever heard of 4H. I feel that the demographic of the students at St. Anna's is ideal for a program such as 4H because I know that these kids benefit from the subject matter. Our guest 4H teacher, Ms. Susan (who was great and very well-liked by the kids), had prepared an interactive lesson that taught the kids the ins and outs of good health and good hygiene. It is sad, but many of our kids come to us with stained clothes that obviously were not washed, hair that is dirty and un-groomed, and many of our students have evident signs of decaying teeth. It is easy to over look these little things once you are working with the child and getting to know them, however, it is such a touchy subject that I don't think any of the volunteers feel comfortable mentioning anything to the student or to the parents when they come to pick them up. Obviously, we don't want to offend anyone or make implications that parents are negligent. I honestly believe that most of it is just that the families don't have the means to pay to wash clothes, buy toothpaste, etc. so these things have been put on the back burner. The great thing about Ms. Susan's visit was that the kids learned basic hygiene standards like showering or bathing every day, cutting your finger and toe nails, washing your hands often, brushing your teeth, and so on. At the end of her lesson she even did a little quiz about things she went over and gave kids the chance to win prizes such as hand sanitizer, toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, shampoo, and many others. Overall I think it was one of the most beneficial days for the kids!

Chauffeur for the day

When I went to do my service work on Tuesday I got to do something different than I normally do. Normally I work at the desk, and do little chores around the Hope Lodge, but I got approved to be a driver for the shuttle. The shuttle is one of the most helpful aspects that the Lodge offers because a lot of people come to stay during their cancer treatment and can't afford to bring their cars, so they're stuck in a new place without a way to get around. The shuttle brings those without cars all over New Orleans to their appointments (which can be downtown or in Metairie or anywhere else) and then they call and we pick them back up. Also, even though we're not supposed to, we bring them to the grocery store and other places to pick up the necessities because it's one of the only ways they can get the things they need. I really enjoyed doing this yesterday because it allowed me to talk to the patients one-on-one and hear their story, and when there were multiple people I got to hear about all of the things that they had to go through that day, and just to be a listening ear.

Also, on December 10th, we're having a Homecoming for all of the patients who stayed there to return and see the friends they made while they were there. So if anyone is interested in volunteering let me know!!

Front lines vs. Behind the scene

Just did some more development related work for NGR. Turns out the last development lady quit (nobody told me, I was so confused about where she went!) and they just hired a new person. He graduated from my high school three years before me, then Loyola. He is like practically my age! It gives me confidence, hope. I can do this type of work! I am qualified (or will be shortly when I get that stupid piece of paper). Anyways, that makes me feel good. I drafted up a donation request letter and did some research on an Americorps grant we want to apply for. Grant writing is SO complicated and frustrating. Especially federal grants. They are certainly not going to make it easy to get that money- no such thing as a free lunch. For real. I don't know why I am attracted to this kind of work. Maybe because it puts me in pressure situations, where I work best. Maybe because its so vital- non profits don't exist without their grant writers. Maybe because its almost like a puzzle that must be figured out. Maybe because I would rather decipher contorted directions than deal with the actual people suffering from social injustice face to face. Being behind a desk in an office is easier psychologically then being out there on the front lines of non-profit work. Interesting things to think about, eh?

Workin in da garden

This morning I went to Wise Words Community Garden and harvested for an hour. There was a NOLA Green Roots member there and I really should have struck up a conversation with her, she seemed very nice. But it was very early (7 am) and I was in a pensive mood. We harvested arugula, green onions, mustard greens and some peppers. I wish I had talked to the member because it was my chance to try to get to know the group of people NOLA Green Roots serves. Alas, hopefully I will have another chance. I went back in the afternoon and did some office work; reorganized their filling system, added events to their online calendar. I learned today that NOLA Green Roots is going to build another garden, to be run and managed by a private development company. This is the model which the ED wants to use to expand the business; NOLA Green Roots uses their expertise to build and start community gardens which it then hands over to be run by someone else. This is truly aligned with their mission; building sustainable communities through gardens. Right now NOLA Green Roots has built three gardens and manages them all (from which they get veggies and stuff for their members). But I think we need gardens everywhere! So using their expertise to start new gardens is a great idea.

Ahh... I think I may have ran him away.

The last week has been pretty crazy for me! First, our enrollment has doubled-- we started off with about 6 or 7 students overall and now have about 14 that come. It's crrrrrazy! Thankfully, there are some other volunteers who are covering other shifts throughout the day. Initially, I was the only instructor, working Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am until 12:30pm. Now, because of this insane upward motion (of students), we now have a Monday morning shift (8:30am-12:30pm) and Tuesday/Thursday afternoon shifts (2pm-4pm). Again, thankfully we have some other dedicated folks that are willing to come in and help out. Otherwise, we would have to turn students away and that's DEFINITELY not what we want to do.

As discussed in class a couple of weeks ago, I was having trouble with one of the students who was saying some unnecessary things about other students in the class. Well, I took your advice and confronted him about the issue. I was very polite about it, and I was definitely extremely professional. For the most part, I THOUGHT he took it well, but then I assumed he didn't because he was not showing up to class after that. Well, this past week, I was informed that he formally withdrew himself from the program-- without an explanation. Now, I'm sitting here feeling completely terrible about the whole thing. Did I run him away or something? I talked to my boss about it and she said that these kinds of things are bound to happen and suggested that I not sweat it. Well, being the education advocate that I am, I can't help but feel bad at the fact that I may have run someone off-- meaning, I took away their education (in a way...????).

Anyway, with finals around the corner, I am excited to be almost done with my service learning! I AM EXHAUSTED! However, I will definitely miss my students and co-workers and I plan on working with them again when I return from England next year!

Peace,

J.C.

WWLTV St. Anna's link

sorry, forgot to attach it! Here's the story link:

http://www.wwltv.com/on-tv/wwltv-reporters/paul-murphy/Treme-Church-Vandalized-With-Hate-Messages-Graffiti-134151083.html

Vandalism

This past Thursday at Anna's Arts was very exciting. I knew it was going to be a big day because our director had notified all of us that the primary funders of the Anna's Arts program were coming to check up on the effectiveness of the program. However, I was really shocked when I pulled up to the church and saw a WWLTV van in the parking lot. I went in and was informed that St. Anna's chapel had been victim to a hate crime just a few hours earlier. The church doors are unlocked during daylight hours for parishioners to come in a pray, and apparently, Thursday, the church had some uninvited visitors. People came in and carved swastikas into wood work, drew swastikas and racial slurs onto prayer cards, and desecrated a statue of an angel by breaking its fingers off and marking it with graffiti. It was extremely unreal that this happened. I'm not sure why this was done, they possibly were mocking the episcopalian church for its accepting nature of varying races, genders, and sexual orientations. Whatever the case, it was definitely unnecessary and created for a very hectic day with the kids! I hope the funders were pleased with what they saw, but with a TV crew in the middle of one of our classrooms our kids were very hyped up! Anyways, I'm sure I will hear whats going to happen with our funding, and hopefully it is good news!

Also, here is the link for the WWLTV story on the vandalism:

In the Kitchen at Anna's

Today for service learning, instead of working with the kids on their homework like I usually do, I worked in the kitchen making dinner. The volunteer that usually does the cooking wasn't there today, so kitchen duty was all mine. Before today I never realized how much work goes in to feeding 20-25 kids. The director, Katie, plans the meals, and she really puts a lot of work into feeding the kids a healthy, balanced meal. I spent basically the entire three hours today in the tiny St. Anna's kitchen just to prepare all of the food and clean the pots and pans. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it.
As the kids waited in their little line and got their plates and thanked me for the meal it really made me feel good. At first I didn't feel like me cooking was going to be a big deal, but it definitely was. Katie thanked me over and over again because cooking for that many people is not an easy task, and apparently, no one really likes to take it on. I feel really good about today, and I feel like I really was a big help.

Zen of Green Onions

I suppose I am cutting the green onions so that New Orleanians without regular access to fresh foods can have the health (and soul) benefits of fresh, healthy, locally grown foods. That is the big picture. Also, it is quite meditative to do repetitive motions like that for periods of time.

When I was living on the Ashram in Virginia we all had to work in the kitchen or housekeeping a few hours a week, I loved working the cutting veggies shift. You could meditate while you worked! It was good for the soul. Working in the garden is also good for the soul, and that is one of the things NOLA Green Roots provides garden members- the chance to do some meditative communing with good ol' mother nature.

I spent today harvesting a ton of arugula from the Wise Words garden in Mid City. It is beautiful, there are tons of beds bursting with stuff and a huge chicken coop with little ladies prancing all around. The arugula spelled wonderful as I harvested it. My back was killing me in about 1 minute though, and I thought about people who have to do backbreaking labor like harvesting all day everyday. I thought about migrant workers, and sharecroppers back in the day. I said a little prayer (or whatever you might want to call it) giving gratitude for all the amazing opportunities I have had in life, and tried to send a little positive energy out into the universe.

Changing it up

I haven't been doing any development work lately, for some reason. I have the sneaking suspicion that Deidre, the development lady, is avoiding me. I have been doing basket prep and garden work lately. I like this work cause it doesn't tax my brain so much, but its hard to make the connection with social justice when I spend 3 hours cutting green onions.

More on what I was talking about it class: I am perplexed by the executive director. He is intelligent, a good businessman. A terrible communicator. And weird. I feel like with my limited experience I could teach him some things about being a boss and a communicator.

Things I have been wondering about: NOLA Green Roots is combatting food deserts and building sustainable communities through gardens. I wonder, of all there members and volunteers, how many are actually the at-risk communities the non-profit proposes to help. When I worked at Global Green, we found that the people who were gonna work with us or who were interested in what we were doing weren't the same people we were targeting (as, were not poor or working class). You have to make a real concerted effort to reach that group, and I wonder if NOLA Green Roots is being succesfull at that.

Income Inequality

http://video.pbs.org/video/2160792049

Really interesting video on income inequality.

AWESOME video "A Call to Men"

In case you guys have never heard of TedTalks, this site shows lectures of all kinds. Since last week and this week's lessons focus on "gender," I thought I'd share this great video on "masculinity" and what is expected of men. It's a bit long, but it's great!

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td1PbsV6B80&feature=player_embedded

Let me know what yall think!

Service Learning this week - Opening up a new world!

Each week, my service learning experience gets more and more exciting! This week, my students have been working on how to navigate the internet, but more particularly, how to use sites like google and bing in order to use other sites and gain valuable information. You guys should have seen the glow on their faces! It’s like they were introduced to a new world! It was amazing. Many of them had never heard of google or bing. (Of course, I assumed that everyone at least knew about the sites.) Taking it slowly, I showed them that sites like google and bing will open up new horizons. I explained to them that using these sites was like going to the grocery store, going to the produce section, and having the opportunity to choose your favorite tomato (out of 100 of them). Thank God it made sense to them because when I explained it to my friends, they seemed confused. Haha.

Another thing that we focused on was using online maps—i.e.: google maps and mapquest. When I explained what these sites do, again, they were so excited. Apparently some were still using the maps you buy in stores. This, of course, makes it easier on them as they can go from A directly to B (by using search engines and what not). One student mentioned that she would use this for her weekend trip. I was thrilled.

I’m not sure if I told you guys what site we use to learn the material. We are using a program called LearnerWeb (www.neworleans.learnerweb.org). You won’t be able to look at it without signing in, but if this might be something that interests you, let me know and I will give you my log in information so that you can play with it!

Again, each week gets more interesting. This week, by seeing the excitement in my students’ faces, the fact that I am making a true difference in someone’s life was reconfirmed yet again.

Until next time,

J.C.

Peace.