Sunday, September 2, 2012

Julie Martin- Week 7

My final week of SOS consisted of helping Alex Sanchez prepare for his first year teaching 3rd grade at Starke Elementary, spending time with the girl I mentor (helping her be a mom for the first time), and working of the "Big Idea" for Bonner Congress. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these. Alex had a great theme for his classroom (Airplanes) and it was a lot of fun being able to decorate and organize everything for his students. It was nice hanging out with the girl I mentor and watching her mature into a woman and awesome mom. I loved planning for the "Big Idea" as I got to work with Jennifer. I also made phone calls to make sure it was a going to be successful and I had the opportunity to speak with the new Bonners at their orientation about it. I already have a lot of support and many Bonners seem interested in service abroad. I hope students continue to be interested in the topic this year and get more involved in our "Big Idea" then ever before. Bonners can count hours for helping Jennifer and me with our "Big Idea" so if you are interested please contact either Jennifer or me. :)

Julie Martin- Week 6

I finished an old project I was working on with the Center for Business Excellence called Project- Self. They are young adults who mainly aged out of the foster care system who could use a little extra help with finances. These young adults must have a job or be in school to qualify for financial assistance and the money could be used for rent, monthly payments, etc. Basically my job was to contact these young adults (about 50) and do follow-ups, check to see how they are doing. I mainly served as an extra person for mental support. If they need anything though, I contacted the Center for Business Excellence and tried to get it for them. For instance, one young adult need his car fixed otherwise he had no transportation to get to work and therefore was going to lose his job. Then he would have more trouble with finances. Luckily, the Center for Business Excellence was able to help and get his car fixed. He did not have to pay for anything and he was able to keep his job.
 
This week was also very special because one of the girls who I mentor had her baby! She had a beautiful healthy baby boy on August 8th. Everything went well with her and the baby. She even texted me while she was in labor and I was able to go visit her in the hospital the very next day. It was so wonderful to be there and walk through that process with her! :)

Monday, August 27, 2012

This is Shannon's Summer of Service Blog and you should all go and read it. That is all.


http://indiasummerofservice.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Final Blue Lake Post (#7)

I am back in Deland now. Blue Lake is over. These past two and a half months have been INCREDIBLE! I made such close friends, several who will be in my life for eternity, and I have made  a large impact on a bunch of kids. The kids not just in my cabin, but all through out the camp looked up to me a lot this whole summer. I had great fun with the other counselors, and learned a lot from the faculty. While I do not intend to spend another summer at Blue Lake, I am unbelievably grateful that I was there this summer. I feel more prepared as a college student, and infinitely more ready to become a teacher. I learned a lot of great lessons from a lot of great people.

Blue Lake Entry #6

Session four is about half way over. The kids this session are extremely awesome! I love my cabin so much! They are a big group of goof balls! It is getting really sad because we are having to say goodbye to every one. Us counselors have been together for over two months (lifeguards over 2 1/12). We have grown so close. However, I am extremely homesick. I am looking forward to the flight home! I miss my family and Ashley SO much! Back to the kids.... I am leading the kids in the whole unit a lot this session. I ave been handed several leadership roles. The kids all seem to be taking fairly wel to my instructional methods. I really think I am getting to make a positive impact on a whole lot of students!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Weaving


Sometimes it's hard to come up with activities for the kids because not a lot of them like to participate despite hours of planing. However, one of the projects that we worked on this summer was a weaving frame. I got the idea from CityArts-in the cafeteria they have a similar sized framed from weavings kids have done and it looks like cool. For Wanskuck we decided to do a similar frame since we have kids dropping by for 3 hours straight so it's an ongoing thing. From the picture above you can see the different patterns and prints we got. We realized that this activity calms the kids down, which is great since they can get really hyper and rowdy 



Amanda, (girl above) is one of the sweetest girls from Wanskuck. One day, she took me to a corner and pulled out a little stuffed kitty (photo above) from her backpack and gave it to me. I asked her why me out of all the other teachers, and she raised her shoulders and said "because." It was really sweet of her and I kept it.


That same week, I visited RISD for an info sesh since I want to go there after Stetson. The photo above is a shot of their librabry, which used to be a bank. Just another reason why I'm dying to go there!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Courtney - Week 8

So technically my SOS is over... but I'm going to be doing a ton more hours. Last week, I took Big Emily to see Dark Knight Rises, it was fantastic. We had such a great time just the two of us going out and finding fun things to do. I got her back a little late, oops, but I got to talk with her case worker. I'm going to start working with her this summer and taking her to equine therapy. They asked me to drive her to her meetings and participate. I think that will be a great way for her to get out some of her feelings.  I'm also taking her horseback riding this weekend as part of her birthday present.

I've also had meetings with everyone and their brother concerning Bonner Orientation. We have everything in lists and ready to go for next week. I can't believe the new Bonners get here next week! All of this planning has really got me excited to start out this year.

NYC & Sound Sesh (week 4)


So I had the chance to visit NYC, which was AWESOME since i had never been! The first place that I went to was Times Square and it was packed!  


We went to the 9/11 memorial


Explored the city!


A little after coming back from NYC, CityArts partook of an event called "Sound Session" in Dtown where there was music, performances, food, and tons of fun! We were in charge of "Kid City." Our station  was the "Head piece" station where kids could walk by and create fun masks or head pieces. I helped a lot of girls make fun little head bands with feathers, glitter, yarn, etc. The other Cityarts kids were in stations in charge of musical instruments, flags, banners, and so on. We were there for about 3 hours, which went by super fast! 

There were so many things going on around us! There was a guy giving "drop in" music lessons to random people, so it was similar to a drum circle. There were break dancers right in front of us, there was food everywhere! we had a great time to say the least.




Monday, August 6, 2012

My fifth post... about to start session 4

Session three has ended, and now I am preparing for the last session. his session I was able to do a lot musically with the students. I worked with the top wind band, gave several private lessons, and performed four concerts. I was able to guide countless middle schoolers who looked up to me with the utmost admiration. However, I want to come home. I am exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. I just want to see my girlfriend again. I want to be home. This has been an awesome experience, but ten weeks is way too long to be completely isolated from every one. Every one else here is fairly local so they get to see their friends, family and significant others over breaks. If not then their significant other is here with them, or they do not have one. This has been a lonely road, I made a bunch of friends, but I do not have her. The awesomeness of this experience and the potential to inspire for another to weeks has been completely shaded by my heart sickness. 

Week 7(7/22-7/28):

The ending to an amazing summer of service at least logging hour wise. Once again we had campaigners and of course getting kids there is always the hardest challenge. We didn’t have as many as last week but the weather outside was pretty bad so that could have been part of it. Something interesting though this random guy knocked on the door of the YL house and asked if he could stay while it was down pouring outside. We let him in and started campaigners allowing him to get involved too. We did this pipe cleaner thing where you have two pipe cleaners one being God and the other you and you would intertwine them however you wanted exemplifying your closeness to God since getting back from camp. Since the one guy didn’t go to camp he started form the beginning of his life saying how he went to catholic school and then during college went to church and all but stopped when I believe his dad died. But he said that day he was close to God because of what happened and the chances of him asking for shelter from the rain and being a part of Campaigners with us. It is so amazing how God works through the lives of people not even involved in YL yet still through YL. I am super stoked for this school year and YL to start up again. I have no doubt in my mind this is going to be a year of many awesome memories and stories that will last a lifetime. Random insert: I would just like to say frisbee golf is awesome and should totally be a part of Bonner somehow someway. Alright that is all.  

Week 6(7/15-7/21):

The main focus of this week was to get kids to campaigners. Before I go on I guess I should explain what campaigners is though first. Campaigners is a more in depth version of club. We talk more about Jesus and read some bible verses, for the most part it is for Christians but really doesn’t matter if you are or not. It’s more of a discussion group for everyone to get involved in. Now being campaigners meets on Monday nights that doesn’t allow for much time to prepare or contact kids if they need rides or anything. But that never seems to stop us from getting them out of their houses. Granted it did take me literally wrestling a kid and pinning him to the ground to convince him that he can sit at his computer and play videos anytime and this is a time for him to be social and if all else get out of the house. Overall though campaigners was a success, we had about 10 kids show up and for the most part all talked and gave some sort of an opinion to a question we presented them. Overall it was just good to see the kids having a desire to stay involved. 

Week 5 (7/8-7/14):


I’m so tired…….. camp drained every ounce of energy I had and then I spent the next three and a half days working on a video of all the pictures/videos we took for a picture party we had on Thursday. Needless to say I put a lot of time in this week staring at my computer. But I finished the video in time and the party was a success. We had a good chunk of our kids that went to camp come and we just talked/laughed at stories we shared with each other. Thankfully after Thursday I got a bit of a break and rested (took a couple naps throughout the days) and was able to catch up on life. Over all a successful week keeping in contact with camp kids. This week is crucial because camp life is so much different from at home for these kids and it might be hard for them to adjust back to it. 

Week 4 (7/1-7/7):


CAMP!!!!!!! This was by far one of the best weeks of my life. There is so much I can say that happened during this time but it would take way to long to type it all out on here. But I would be more than happy to talk to anyone about it whenever or on facebook or something and share how this week impacted the kids we brought to camp as well as myself. Young Life has got it down on how to give kids the best week of their lives and present the gospel to them with ease and no forcing the thought. So yeah I love talking about Young Life so just give me a holler and we’ll chat about it. Never know you might want be a Young Life leader next year. 

Week 3 (6/24-6/30):

This week was exhausting but camp is tomorrow wooooo! So pretty much this entire week I drove kids to different houses including mine to do yard work and miscellaneous jobs to raise as much money as possibly for Young Life Camp. The camp costs kids $600, which is a crazy high amount for a week of camp but God provided. I had one kid start fundraising with me this week and raised $550 dollars, that’s amazing! Along with others making a ton of money for camp as well. I’m pretty sure I was with kids everyday from around 9 to at least 2 or 3. Lots of time with them… but the best part about when we did yard work/fundraising, it gave me great opportunities to just talk with the kids and gain a little bit of trust from them. Making them feel more comfortable at camp when we go. Camp tomorrow!!

Week 2 (6/17-6/23):

With two weeks left before camp my main focus really should have been on figuring how much kids had left to pay and helped them fundraise as much as possible. But this week I pretty much just hung out with kid’s everyday. We went to see the movie Brave that was surprisingly in my opinion pretty good. I also hosted a game night at my house with kids and introduced them to the game Munchkins (which is possibly the best board game ever created FYI) and we played for almost 3 hours. I have a xbox kinect so kids love coming over and playing sports and dancing games. Overall the week was exhausting for me being with kids 24/7 but I wouldn’t trade it for anything I love being a Young Life leader!

Week 1 (All summer beforehand):


So even though we have to do blogs for 7 weeks I’m condensing everything before this week into it as well. Because I’m staying in DeLand all summer and doing Young Life stuff all summer. Major highlight I went to the high school the last week they had school luckily missed the very last day as they had a food fight and I would have had no idea what to do (join in or be the parental figure). I picked up some kids for a lock-in at the YL and my car died going up the hill on Pennsylvania right before Clara. So three of my YL kids and myself had to push my car uphill for about a mile or so to the YL house. I was without a car for about a month, which sucked trying to do contact work with kids. Other then that just got in the swing of things balancing two jobs on top of YL stuff but in the end I just lift it up to God cause I wouldn’t be able to do it without him. 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Pollock Lesson (week 3)


At Fox Point we introduced our first official class by giving a Jackson Pollock lesson! We allowed the kids to completely be free with the paint by splattering it on their papers. We also gave them a small lesson about the famous artist. It was great, the younger kids seems a lot more engaged the older ones but it was a successful day nonetheless! 



Since we have a less structured program at Wanskuck we decided to do a bigger project with the kids! We spread a paper on the floor and had the kids splatter paint on it! It was awesome to witness their creativity and artistic freedom. It was a big collaboration project and they were very proud of it. 


This is a photo of Makayla, one of my favorite students at Wanskuck, she's a sweet heart and we love hanging out! She's very giggly too


I wanted to share one of my favorite coffee shops in Providence, it's called "Blue State Coffee" I arrive about an hour before going to work just so I can have breakfast here. It's delicious and all the food is organic and locally grown


Another awesome thing I got to do here was attend my first baseball game. It was a pawsox game and I'll be honest and say it was a little long and boring but it was still exciting to be part of such an Northern "New England" culture! 

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Darina-7


            Unfortunately, I did not get to complete the distribution partner outreach project that I’ve been working on; however, I did leave my boss with enough and am sure that the organization will soon establish a partnership with some of the churches I’ve contacted. 

During my last two weeks in DC, I got the opportunity to be involved with Beacon House Summer program. Beacon House is “a non-profit, community based organization that provides tutoring, mentoring, cultural, athletic, recreational and nutritional programs to at-risk children, ages 5-18.” I worked in a classroom of children that were about 9 years old. My first day felt very awkward (as I always do around children). I hung back a lot of the time and really had a difficult time approaching the kids as they engaged in computer games and Lego-building. By the third visit I was familiar with most of the kids and did not feel as stiff and uncomfortable. A very shy girl, Kayla, and a rather outgoing boy Michael became particularly fond of me and would always ask to be my partners when we went on field trips or to the park (we have a buddy system that keeps the kids together when they walk). Something that was new to me is seeing the kids are like one big family—well some of them are actually cousins but that’s not what I mean when I say this. They sometimes argue and they sometimes fight, but they all know where the other lives and are always cracking jokes and inviting each other to play. Such a happy and carefree community which makes me want to be a kid again.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Courtney- Week 7

So much going on. I have a bunch of pots in a bunch of different fires. All's quiet on the summer camp front, orientation is quickly coming together, and I have two amazing mentees. 

Orientation:
Welcome and info emails have gone out to our 25 incoming Bonners! Welcome bags are assembled, the booklet is slowly (and I mean very slowly) coming together, and most of the guest speakers have been booked! We are eagerly awaiting their arrival come August 15th!

Mentor:
First mentee- We went downtown to the new frozen yogurt place. It was fantastic. I am no stranger to the self-serve fro yo joints but this one is a bit expensive at .46 cents an ounce. My sweet mentee wanted to try ALL THE FLAVORS and suddenly her cup was filled with fro yo and toppings... it all totaled out to about $9 just for her snack. Awesome time though and she really enjoyed it so that's all that matters. I set us up an appointment to go horse back riding on the 11th before school starts up and we're going to see The Dark Knight Rises on Friday.  I am going to have to take some special classes to learn how to work with her but I know how much she loves having a mentor so I'm willing to do it. Also, the home says that she asks about me everyday and talks about her "best friend Courtney".

Second mentee- I picked her up and we went school shopping one day. As she's getting in the car, she told me that her cousin was really jealous that I was picking her up. We decided to do our school shopping, go home and pack up her goodies then get her cousin and go to the baseball game. We spent a lot of money school shopping... but she has everything she needs and a brand new backpack! I have never seen a child so excited over a backpack. Her cousin was very quiet, but he was really happy to be included and going to a game. The Suns lost :( but we had an awesome time!

That's about it here. I'm done with my hours! I will update about the end to this week on Friday :)

Monday, July 30, 2012

So we MET (2nd and 3rd week)


During our second week we were asked to volunteer at The Met school, a magnet school. Every year they have a summer camp so we were asked to Mentor 6 year-olds, and boy did I get attached! We spent every single day from 9 am -4 pm with the same group of kids. The theme for the camp were species in danger, one of the days we learned about siberian tigers so we made tiger masks and during recess we all ran around pretending to be tigers! It was fun and exciting to feel like a kid again!


Above, is a photo of some of my favorite girls. I was very very close to the one to my left and she called me Miss Jelly :) hahaha! Unfortunately our time with the kids was only for a week so it was sad to leave them, but we had to head back to Fox Point and begin at Wanskuck


In the beginning of my time here I was determined to work on art, so I bought 9 small canvases to continue my fetus series. I bought printed fabric from a thrift store and stretched the canvases with the fabric. And above is the result!  


I also found out through a friend from CityArts that RISD has a Nature Lab,  where they have dissected animals which is now one of my favorite places! One of the first weekends I went and pretended to be a RISD student and snuck into the lab and spent about 5 hours just sketching these fetuses. 


This image above captivated me the most, the fetus was in such position that it made me cringe and slightly sigh. I spent a lot of time with it. 


This is one of the sketches that I did. I wanted to share of this with you guys since this project alone takes up a lot of my time here besides the teaching part!



Sunday, July 29, 2012

Kou Week 7

Depositions. Depositions. Depositions. Can you guess what my week consisted of? Tuesday - Friday I watched 8 depositions and went through the transcripts of each one. My job was to put sticky notes on the important parts of each deposition so that the attorneys know which parts of the video to show to the jury. It was quite interesting hearing the farm workers describe their working conditions. They had to pay $3000-$4000 to come to the US. They had to pay for their own housing and food. Most of the time there was not any water available to them in the fields. It made me realize that there are farm workers working in these same conditions (or worse) and they are going unnoticed. Monday I worked on a flyer that described the rules for exemptions to the English requirement of the naturalization test.

Darina 6


I have been focusing on the outreach project and my routine tasks. Hence, I would like to share my experience at places I volunteer other than my CLA. When I came into Martha’s Table, all I knew is that they were a non-profit that offers free meals to individuals in the DC area. Pfft, boy was I underestimating their role in aiding the community. (Three of our Presidents and their families have volunteered there!) I was able to pull a lot of information about their mission from their website: At Martha’s table, volunteers and staff members offer Tutorial, educational, job training and recreational programs during the school year and in the summer for approximately 250 children and youth ages 3 months to 22 years old. They also offer Family support services, such as screening, referrals, groceries, and affordable clothing known as Martha's Outfitters. Martha’s Outfitters is thrift store and clothing distribution center. In addition, Martha’s table provides meals to the homeless everyday of the year at numerous sites throughout the city as well as meals for senior shut-ins and Collaborations with 200 other organizations to coordinate efficiently a variety of services. More than 10,000 people a year from schools, businesses, faith based groups and the community volunteer and learn about services and the value of helping their neighbors. I have gotten the chance to help in the kitchen by packaging and portioning food as well as helping to chop vegetables. There is also a children’s care. A lot of the kids are kindergarten or elementary age. I usually suck at being goofy or stern with kids so I tend to stay away from that. Another day I went on an evening food delivery. We handed out hot stew as well as PB&J, ham & cheese, and egg salad sandwiches to people as they lined up on the sidewalk. It was evident that most of these individuals were sleeping on the streets and were in need of a shower and a change of clothes. The cool part was that we had a lot of food so most people were able to take away four times the food that is usually given to each person. (At the end of the night, we estimated that about 45 people have been serviced at our site). From the line of people, I was struck most by two young girls. They looked about the same age as me, maybe even a year or two younger. They were Asian and did not speak much English. They also carried pillows and blankets in trash bags. I wish I could know their story. It’s distressing that individuals have to face such challenges of poverty right in the heart of our nation’s capital.

Darina 5


For the time being I have been focusing on an outreach project to Churches in particular zip codes. Getting started was by far the most tedious part. I composed a list of 98 churches and included their address and contact info. From there I reduced the list by deciding which churches were in better locations and more accessible to our volunteers. We are doing this because we need more distribution partners, meaning a place where our workers can drop off food for volunteers to pick up and distribute in a neighborhood that is closer to them or they are familiar with. We currently only have 9 distribution partners. After creating a final list I am still in the process of calling the churches and obtaining the contact info of the person who is in charge of voluntary services and would be willing to meet with my supervisor to further discuss a partnership. I have written a script that I try to stick to when I make the first call. Afterwards I follow through by emailing or mailing them a letter with more information about our non-profit and our proposal. I have learned that sometimes it takes a great deal of persistency and patience when it comes to finding the person I should get in contact with. Most church representatives will either turn me down right away and some are kind enough to suggest other churches, while others give me the contact information of a person in their church, however, that person never gets back to me. For the most part all individuals with whom I have spoken were very kind and chatty. J
Other than working on this project I am sticking to my old tasks which include leading orientations for new volunteers every morning and preparing route maps for next days meal deliveries. I like having established a routine and that my supervisor feels comfortable letting me take care of things or leave me in charge of his "duty phone". (The duty phone is somethething that volunteers who are out on deliveries call when they have questions or concerns).

Darina - 4

Every Tuesday we have a 2-3 hour after school volunteer program for summer school students. There are only about eight students. Most of them are in middle school and a few are in high school. For the past 4 weeks they’ve been helping with administrative tasks which is primarily filing. Not the most exciting stuff :/

This time we decided to do something that would be a lot more fun. The other intern and myself lead two learning activities. One was a worksheet that helped the students to better understand the tight budget of our average customer and how our organization helps save individuals a lot of money on food. One of the mission trip groups that was helping out in the kitchen earlier that day was also able to participate in this activity. In total we had about 30 students.

The second activity was a life size board game. We placed sheets of construction paper to mimic the spaces on a board game.  Students were divided into teams. The teams could move forward or backward on the board game spaces based on whether or not they answered the question correctly. They were given a nutritional question most of which were true or false. Many individuals were able to learn something about proper nutrition or about our service. The teams got pretty competitive and seemed to have a great time. At the end we gave them a quick survey to see if they enjoyed the activities. Most students said that they had a good time and would be willing to return as well as recommend this experience to a friend.

I really enjoy working with youth, particularly being able to educate them about nutrition in a fun way.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Ocean State Welcomes me! (1st and 2nd week)


So I think it is safe to start by explaining what !CityArts! is. So basically it's an organization, which provides free art education to children in Providence. In other words, they focus on what I'm passionate about! which is teaching art to kids who live in high risk areas, I'm incredibly excited to be here to say the least! Oh and what's also really awesome is that  Rhode Island School of Design aka RISD, which happens to be the number one art school in the country right now is only a short bike ride from my house! It is very convenient because some of the kids i'm interning with attend that school, which is where I'd like to go for my masters.


Anyway, I'm not much of a writer, so I will be showing lots of images! The beginning of my time here in Rhode Island was very exciting. I moved into this little apartment outside Providence, which is walking distance from !CityArts! (it's awesome).    


The day after I got here I started training. I met all the other CityArts fellows. There's kids that just graduated from high school, college, and grad school so there's a great variety of individuals, we have kids from Brown, RISD, Union. All of us also focus on different disciplines like poetry, theater, painting (like myself) photography, and others. During our first week we learned about our AmeriCorps term, we had Elementary school teachers talk to us and give us tips. There were many workshops and training sessions we were part of. Above is a picture of our "brainstorming" for possible activities we could do with kids. We also got the chance to visit the recycling center, which is the BEST PLACE on earth. You can find the most random stuff from left over plastic shape pieces to 12 foot wooden boards, It's great!  


After our first week of training we went to our sites! ours was FoxPoint , where we go to in the morning til noon and Wanskuck from noon til 4. These sites are both Boys and Girls Clubs, we have kids from 5 to 12 years of age. Above is a photo of a really sweet girl I worked with, we made collages and painted on them! We didn't do much our first week since we wanted to get to know the kids, but we played a lot of games to learn their names!


 This is a photo of the bridge I ride my bike through every morning, it's really nice! I'm not going to lie, it's been a little tough to maintain energy since i'm not too athletic and my bike ride goes through a few up-hills, but it's a great work-out!

Lauren - Week 7

I FINISHED MY HOURS THIS WEEK!!!! Today I finished my hours, and I could not be more proud. Doing an average of 50+ hours a week has been hectic, crazy, and insane. Although my time is drawing to a close with Halifax Hospice I still have a few days left and I know that during that time I will be able to reflect deeper on what I have done and what I have accomplished.

I can't wait until the end of this crazy week, however I know it will be a bitter sweet victory. I have committed myself to continuing to volunteer on Sunday mornings to make breakfast for the patients.

Lauren - Week 6

Last week was pretty good. Because I am up on my hours I was able to take a day off and go to the beach. I am almost done with my hours and I am having a difficult time staying motivated to come in everyday. That being said, I have been able to work on myself and reflect on how service has impacted myself and those around me. The CNA's keep asking me what I am going to do when I have finished my hours, and telling me that I need to go on a vacation. So I guess while I am finishing my hours up I should start planning!

On a side note I have also been putting together my Bonner Buddy welcome baskets and coming up with some pretty cool things for these new kiddos!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

End of Session 2

This session ends tomorrow. I am sad to say but I have not enjoyed this session as much. My cabin, while not being bad, was not good. This kids were just really immature and lacked self control or much respect. They were overall fine, I just struggled to click with them. However, I truly loved a bunch of the other campers in the camp! Musical experiences were awesome, and social life was good! I am REALLY missing my girlfriend now, but she sent an awesome care package so it's ok. I am starting to get really bad mood swings, and my negativity level is rising. I keep complaining too much when Im away from campers and making things sound a lot worse than they are. I have already been here for over six weeks, and im still a month away from coming home. This session break I do not actually get a break. I was assigned to work and watch over the campers who are late departures and early arrivals. I do not think this is going to be very good for my mental health. However, next session we switch to middle schoolers!!!! So that is going to be awesome! This group is going to be SO MUCH FUN! I am really hoping that some of the kids this past session were able to grow into better people because of me,  it has just been hard to see much change. I'll be back at Stetson before I know it! So I am going to try and make the best of the time I have left here!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Kou - Week 6

This week consisted of calculations of wage records and people who have needed help with food stamps so far this year. Like I've said in a previous post, there is a trial coming up in September. This week I had to create a spreadsheet for about 25-30 of the plaintiffs. I had to put in how many days a week they worked and how much they were paid (according to the wage record sheet). Then I had to calculate how much they should have been paid (according to the minimum wage for a farm worker) and calculate the difference. This was a difficult task because some of the wage records did not have the full name of the person so I had to take another wage record sheet, line it up with the sheet that did not have the full name, and go from there.
The next project I did was looking at all the people who needed help with food stamps and create a table and detail sheet for each one (41 people). Once I finished with that, I had to create a PowerPoint Presentation. I learned that people will falsify data when it comes to money and the Department of Children & Families isn't all that great.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Julie- Week 5


I finally finished collecting all of the surveys my bosses hoped for. It was definitely a challenge, but I did it! So many phone numbers are disconnected, temporarily out of service, or the wrong number (hotels, other companies, or people). If I got to the next level, no one answered the phone, it went straight to voicemail, or they don't accept calls from blocked numbers (I used my personal phone). If someone answered the phone, they wouldn't let me speak to their child, they would hang up, or they were not with their child at the moment (child wasn't home or the parent was at work) so they would tell me to call back at another time. I rarely got through to speak to the child. It was a long process. Other issues were they were too busy to answer a few questions or they only spoke Spanish. After I finished all the phone calls, I updated the excel sheet with all my notes as far as who I reached, whether the number worked and the new or different numbers (some parents gave me their high school student's cell number). I then emailed Dr. Schorr and Mrs. Davalos.

Also, I went to a baby shower for one of the girls I mentor. It was a wonderful time to spend with her and her loved ones.

Julie- Week 4


Dr. Schorr (who is overseeing my SOS project with FIT) was finally back from his trip so I updated him with everything I had done. Beth Davalos updated him as well and he seemed very impressed as Mrs. Davalos was happy. I then set up a time to talk with Dr. Schorr on the phone about my next steps. He wanted me to continue making phone calls to collect as many surveys as possible and then attend a meeting with him and Mrs. Davalos to discuss future projects.  I wasn't able to attend the meeting with them, but Dr. Schorr gave me a report. They wanted me to collect 11 more high school surveys and 7 more middle school surveys based on how many they already had in proportion to the other survey groups (elementary and parents). That way Dr. Schorr would have a good number to analyze for a final data report. So I started making more phone calls to collect more middle and high school surveys. I made hundreds of phone calls to finally collect 11 more middle school surveys and 7 more middle school surveys. I emailed Dr. Schorr and Mrs. Davalos throughout this time, giving them updates and asking them questions. I especially emailed Mrs. Davalos often with personal questions from some of the parents I spoke about the program and their needs.

Also, I spent a day with a girl I mentor and we had a great time catching up.

Julie- Week 3


I went to my first SLI and had a blast!! It was a lot of work on my part, but totally worth it!!! I had some reading to do to prepare and some phone calls and emails with the foundation (Nefisah Sallim). I found out my role is the activities coordinator, but BABs do a lot more than just that. We all act as a liaison between Bonners and the foundation and we especially work with the Bonner Congress Representatives. We helped lead the Bonner Congress Track Meetings at SLI, hosted the talent show, and performed a skit that we created about community service. I also was asked to lead two workshops, one on Community-Based Research (one of my springs projects) and one I chose from a list the foundation provided (Exploring Nonprofit Careers: Debunking the Myths). I helped out wherever the foundation could use an extra hand, which ended up being Nefisah Sallim with setting up and directing with students go to have their resumes reviewed. It was a fabulous time meeting other Bonners and deepening the relationships with Bonners from our program. I had the time of my life and was inspired by all the passion for social change. Bonners are absolutely amazing people to be around and learn from! When I returned, I emailed some Bonner about service to keep networking.

Also, I joined a Work on Purpose team through Echoing Green that tests materials through workshops or one-on-one sessions. It is extremely motivating and I look forward to being a facilitator soon (hopefully lead workshops for Bonner in the fall).

Julie- Week 2


I took all the surveys I collected from the previous week and entered them into survey monkey. Then I had a conference call with Beth Davalos. It was a strategic planning meeting that had many other people on the call like Monica Knight, Mrs. Davalos's boss. They talked about the funds and how to best spend the money to help the families in transition. Mrs. Davalos mentioned my project and what I was currently working on. She had me speak about what my thoughts were on the data I already collected. Beth Davalos will then be taking the data I collect and present it. She is very involved in the community and plans on getting the word out there in as many ways as possible. She already has written an article in the paper, been on 60 minutes twice, been on a panel, and attends numerous meetings. Mrs. Davalos plans on continuing to present the data in these ways. She even has one 60 minute session left to record. This information is extremely important to them to help others see the gaps in the services families in transition provides so they know where the money needs to be spent.

I then analyzed all the surveys (elementary, middle, high school, and parents). I forwarded the information to Beth Davalos so she could present it as I was going out of town (SLI). Otherwise, she wanted me to present the data or at least attend the meetings.

Also, I went to Deland's High School graduation where several of the students I mentor graduated. I was so proud of them and it was very nice to watch them celebrate with their families and friends.

Julie- Week 1

 I started going to some of the elementary schools in Seminole County to survey students in the Families in Transition program. I visited the Families in Transition office for the first time, which is located at a middle school. I talked with Beth Davalos as far as which schools I was supposed to go to and received the list of students to pull out of class. I went to Lake Orienta, Spring Lake, and then Pine Hill and interviewed about 100 students. I kept going back to the office to print more surveys as the ipad didn't work at the schools, so I couldn't get onto survey monkey. I went to Casselberry Elementary School too, but they didn't want me to pull out the students as it was the last week of school. Also, Beth Davalos gave me a backpack filled with silly bands, color pencils, and lollipops to hand out to the students after completing the survey. The students love that and all left with smiles on their faces. Beth Davalos wanted me to go to the middle and high schools too, but I couldn't due to final exams. I therefore, made phone calls to collect more surveys for the middle, high school students and parents. It was a challenge to get ahold of people though so I only collected about 6 surveys this way.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Lauren - Week 5

This week was a bit better than the previous. I have started to realize that the volunteers here are more greatly appreciated than I previously thought. Some of the CNA's (Certified nurses assistant) have started a school supply drive for me because they know that I am teaching in the fall and they wanted to thank me for all I have done this summer. It has been an interesting week needless to say. While I seem to be doing the same things day in day out, the patients are constantly at the forefront of my mind. I have gotten to know a few patients and it has been hard to see them pass, but great to see some of them go home after staying here for a while.

I have also had the opportuntity to share hospice with various friends and family members who may have not know what hospice was there for exactly. I am looking foward to the week ahead.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Kou - Week 5

Phew...what a week. After going through all the data in the dockets, it was time for me to go into the file on the computer and rename all the files so that they matched the files in the actual dockets. This is the lawyer's first "big" trial so she was not really sure how to organize the folder. At least now I know what to do when I take a case to trial. I had to locate the file in the docket, rename it Doc (whatever number) and retitle it so that it matched the docket index. I had to make folders for the disovery files, affidavit files, and every type of file you can imagine that has to deal with going to trial. It was a time-consuming task but I was assured that it was very important.

Kou -- Week 4

Week 4 was a short week: only two days. Monday was spent going through some files for an upcoming trial and making sure the data matched the data in the computer. The lawyer has about 30+ plaintiffs so this was a daunting task to say the least. I learned a lot though about how to organize court dockets and pleading files. Next week she wants me to organize the folders and the files on the computer so that they match the papers in the dockets. Yay! Until next week fellow Bonners.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Lauren - Week 4

This week was a little bit tougher for me, it didn't start that way, but it sure seemed to end that way. It all began when I was doing breakfast on Sunday by myself again, which would have been ok if it wasn't so overwhelming that day. Monday and Tuesday flew by, but when Wednesday (the fourth of July) rolled around I thought it was going to be business as usual for breakfast. Unfortunately while washing dishes a glass broke in my hand and cut my thumb. Let's just say I learned alot about workers comp that day. Thursday and Friday seemed to go on forever, but by Saturday things started to turn around again. Something cool was making strawberry and blueberry cupcakes to celebrate the fourth, while they were difficult to do with one hand wrapped up, it was totally worth seeing the patients reactions.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Darina - 3


Oops, I have fallen behind on my blogging. Time just seems to fly by!

Sometime during my third week I got the chance to go on a first-time client orientation. A great chance to go outside the office J
I accompanied one of the dieticians and we drove out to the homes of two different individuals. The goal is to meet with the person who will be receiving the free-meals or groceries and to go over the service, routines, and expectations.

The first stop was at an impoverished neighborhood to a woman in her mid-thirties.  She lived in a small apartment that was just a floor above a corner convenience store. She did not have air conditioning so the house was rather stuffy. We went over the details of the service she will be receiving.  She then talked about her children and even a little about herself. She had a great sense of humor and was very grateful when we were finished. 

The second stop was in a very tidy neighborhood where a 15 year old AIDS patient was living. The teen was rather quiet so we spoke more with his older sister. They were both enthusiastic about the grocery service. We also did a quick survey that asked how many fruits and veggies they eat, how many of those are organic, and would they eat more if there was a whole foods store in the area. We set some goals for the client. He really wanted to lose weight by eating healthier (less junk food) and drinking less soda.

I was glad I got a small glimpse into the lives of the people I aim to improve through Food and Friends.
On our way back, I asked the dietitian  what her favorite part of the job was. She replied that she really enjoyed having such a large diversity of patients. She works by helping set health and nutrition goals as well as match individuals with a meal plan that best fits them.

One of the really cool things about Food and Friends is that if one family member has a life challenging illness and is eligible for the service other family members in that household can also receive food. This can help the family save money and lead a more balanced and healthier diet.  

Courtney Week 5

All is quiet on the home front. I finally put the finishing touches on my part of the proposal for the summer program and I plan to meet with Savannah tomorrow to discuss it. Then we have another meeting next week with everyone involved to solidify some of the plans for the upcoming months.
I met my mentee yesterday. Her name is Emily (so now I have 'big' Emily and 'little' Emily). She is so fantastic. I am so ready to get started working with her and hanging out. The first meeting was just a meet and greet type of thing. We went over the requirements for the program, discussed her interests and possible activities, and then I drove her to her summer camp and we got a chance to talk some more. I forgot how much 12 year old girls talked.  I signed her in to her summer camp and she gave me a hug before I left.
The program only requires one hour a week for 12 weeks. I would love for more Bonners to get involved with this program and work in the group homes (which are all very close to Stetson!) or work one-on-one with a foster care child.  Male volunteers are matched with boys to mentor and female volunteers are matched with girls.  There are a lot of kids in the homes and the program is totally based off of a voluntary mentor and a child who wants a mentor. It has to be a mutual want, so no one is forced into the relationship.

Other than getting these things situated, I've been trying to compile a list of potential internships in the nonprofit industry for future Bonners. My goal is to have some semblance of a program organized when I graduate so the new Senior Interns can update it and give other people opportunities. Some internships I've found so far: Make-a-Wish Foundation, Foster Grandparent Program (highly encouraged!), and NASCAR. I've also looked at a few organizations in DeLand that might be good for internships like Haven Recovery, a substance abuse clinic that literally has internship-like positions all over Volusia County in law, counseling, nonprofit management, clerical duties, etc. I hope that someone will take advantage of these because the more I go looking for a job, the more they want experience!

To finish up the last couple of weeks, I've been working on Bonner Love packages for the newly instituted 'Bonner Buddies' program that Lead Team is heading up.  We are trying to welcome all the new students really early by sending them handwritten letters, gifts, etc.  Here's a picture of what I recently crafted.


Monday, July 9, 2012

Jay DeDon Week 3

I think I am losing complete track of time. I have been here for a little over a month now, and I am just now writing my week 3 post... I will stop calling them weekly posts and just label them as they are done. Session one is over!!! Those twelve days with the campers was INCREDIBLE!!!!! The eleven guys in my cabin were unbelievable, and it was extremely depressing to watch them leave. There were too many amazing moments to count! Everything from our counselor super hero dress up (Southern Magic), to our man downs, to our bed time reflection discussions. These fifteen year old kids shocked me with how mature they could be. Their willingness to participate in personal/philosophical discussions blew my mind. They formed into one open, cohesive unit. I truly was able to make an impact on these eleven guys and help develop them into better men. I was also able to help grow them musically by giving various types of lessons during my free time. They were all so willing to learn and open to new ideas. Aside from helping my guys, I was able to get some help as well. I had a free lesson with Dr. Rulli from University of Arkansas. This lesson was the most educational and inspirational lesson I have ever had. That one lesson with him helped me further my trumpet playing beyond what I could imagine! I now feel more set to be a music educator because of it. I am so sorry that I didn't write a blog every day because that would be the only way I could share enough of my experience. One day at Blue Lake is equivalent to three days in the normal world! This session was an unbelievable experience that has changed me for the better, and now I can not wait to get another cabin! Hopefully I can make as large of an impact on their lives too!

Jay-Week 2

Orientation is over, and now the kids have just shown up. Life is crazy hectic!!! The kids arrived here on Wednesday. I am still getting to know them, and so far they seem awesome! My days are jam packed with rehearsals, giving lessons, cabin meetings, games, monitoring, lifeguarding, and late night discussions. It feels so good to finally be working with students again, it has been over a month since my last time! It is starting to get really lonely though, I miss my girlfriend a lot. That is really the only not awesome part of this experience. I am surrounded by a whole lot of new friends, fellow Sinfonians, and 1400 incredible campers, but Ashley is missing. I am can't wait to fill every one in on how awesome this session turns out!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Courtney Week 4

This week I worked a lot on getting more programs for Orientation organized. It's really tedious, sending emails, waiting for responses and then reworking everything I've already planned. We have some great guest speakers coming in for orientation though!

I had a meeting with Traci to discuss Ambassadors and how to make it better next year/expand.

The proposal for the summer program is coming together even more now, so that's exciting! I am currently trying to put together a picture collage of Bonners hanging out, doing service, and showing off our organization that hopefully will be ready for the Org. fair at the beginning of the semester.

Hope you're having a great summer :)

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Lauren - Week 3

Week 3 was filled with a bit more paperwork, and a lot more baking. I have become somewhat of a cookie monster in the kitchen, and patients, nurses, and CNA's have taken notice of the kitchen mischief. In the last week we have had a few new volunteers join the forces and even though I have only been here for a few weeks they are having me do some training of the new volunteers.

My boss Debra has made it incredibly easy to always have fun and have something to keep busy with. At times in between shifts in the kitchen she will quiz me and help me get ready for my subject area test, and I will quiz her on the same questions to see if she knows any of them!

Overall I am having very positive interactions with the various people around the care center, but as it is with any other area you are bound to find that one person that you might not always see eye to eye with. This is something I am working to learn how to work through because as you might agree it can be difficult to maintain a positive attitude when you can't get along with someone.

I am so grateful for my experiences so far and can't wait to see where the next few weeks take me. Something that I learned this week was that regardless of where a patient is with the amount of time they have left they are still people, and still deserve the common courtesy of politeness, and gratitude for everything that they have done in their lives and all they have achieved.

Lauren - Week 2

Week 2 of my service at Halifax Health Hospice was eye opening. I never realized just how important it is for people to contribute to their community until I started doing full meal services on my own. It is difficult to explain the frustration and anxiety that goes into cooking for 10 people by yourself where everything has to be perfect and you are by yourself.

Whilst frustration however I have found a new appreciation for the those who do come in and help at this site. I have grown to appreciate each of them as people, as well as role models. Many of the people I have begun to establish friendships with are older and wiser, and there is something to be said for contributing guidance from your elders.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Kou Week 3

This week involved a lot of research. The first project was updating the unemployment benefits flyer. I had to look up the new regulations and procedures for receiving unemployment benefits and make a flyer for FRLS to post on its website and mail to its clients. The next project involved two steps. The first step was going through a chart of all the clients from this year and last year who were denied food stamps and looking at the reason why they were denied. Once this was completed, I had to make a chart so that the advocates and attorneys would know the top reasons for clients being denied food stamps. This was all part of the process for updating the food stamp benefits flyer. This flyer was more difficult because there was more information that needed to be included so that the clients of FRLS would not have that many difficulties when applying and keeping their food stamp benefits.
Towards the end of the week, I had to update the client contact list so that the managing attorney could send the client letters and follow-up with a phone call. It was a pretty hectic and busy week.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Jarian- Week 7

It is my last week at the cancer center and everyone is taking notice. I was told several times by several different people that I should ask for a job when I get back from Innsbruck. Even the boss has told me that I have done things much quicker than he would've ever expected. This week I put all of the chart reviews onto a spreadsheet, and I did an analysis report based on each of the topics in the review. I pointed out declining trends, strengths, points where corrective action was needed and points where preventative measures should be taken in order to prevent the topic from falling below unacceptable reviews. My last day on the job the staff threw me a lunch party, got me a card, and wished me the best of luck. I am so thankful for the seven weeks I have spent with the staff of the North Broward Cancer Center.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Jarian- Week 6

This week I finally finished thinning out all of the charts in the file room, so my boss gave me another task. Similar to the chart reviews that I did with the Radiology Department, I now had the job of evaluating the patient charts for the Oncology/Hemotology and Chemotherapy Departments. I started out by going back to the Medical Records Department, where I had to do chart reviews for the last 3 months of 2010. Then, I reorganized all of the charts that were in the medical records department under the cancer center section. I then came back to do the chart reviews for 2011 and 2012. My boss commented at how quickly I got the chart reviews done.

Jarian Week-5

This week I was still spending most of my time thinning out the patient charts in the file room so that there was more room in there to file away charts. I also spent a lot of time on the phone calling patients who have not come to the cancer center in a while to see if they were still around (as in not dead). It may seem like a very depressing job, and to some extent it really was. But the cancer data center needs that information to determine if people need other kinds of care, or if they need their patient charts anymore. The hardest part is having to hear from the spouse or daughter that the patient has passed away. Its a hard job, and something I didn't want to do, but, understanding that it was something that was necessary for the data center, I did what I could.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Jarian- Week 4

This week I have been given the task of thining out the remaining charts in the filing room. This was no easy task. I had to take each chart, look through them and take out what was old and not needed in the chart anymore. This was a very tedious job, and it kept me busy for the entire week. I am still not done with it all. But this task also had things to teach me about the Oncology/Hemotology department that I never would have learned in the Secretary's desk. I learned exactly where each item was in the chart (a tool that I will need later on in my several weeks here), I learned what labs were from which laboratory, and I learned how the Cancer Center used to run before I was there. While boring, the task was not only important for my learning, but it was important for the entire process of going paperless (which is the original intention of thinning out the charts in the first place). I am excited to see how my work progresses throughout the next few weeks.

Jarian- Week 3

It is week three and I have learned how to do most of the secretary's job (there are complicated things that I will not learn in 7 weeks), I have efficiently run blood up to the lab, I have found patient charts for the next days' office visits and chemotherapy visits, and I have found charts for the staff that need to look into something specific about the patient. But, of course, like every comfort zone, we must find ourselves out to grow. My boss just gave me a new (temporary) assignment. He determined that I was up to the challange of doing the Radiology Department's Chart Reviews. These charts were unlike the ones that I have become familiar with; however, after a few minutes of instruction and showing me where to find the topics of evaluation in the charts, I immediately set to work the Chart Reviews. They took me the entire week, but I finally finished it on Friday afternoon (missing Monday didn't help me much either). The chart reviews were interesting to me because it gave me insight not only on the things that Radiology looks at keeping track of, but it gave me a good base as to the inner workings of the Radiology Department.

Jarian- Week 2

When I think about service, and the service I am providing at the Cancer Center in North Broward Medical Center, I think about what I would define as two different types of service: Direct and Indirect. This week I was asked to clean up the file room by taking all of the old patient charts (2010 and older) to the medical records department. Then, I refiled all of the charts that were in the overflow cabinet. This task, which makes it easier for the staff to find charts and allows for the charts to fit nicely into the filing system, is what I would consider indirect service. I believe that direct service is working directly with the people who need the service. An example of this is working with children at the YMCA, the Little House Next Door, or at the Chisholm Center. Another example of direct service is Habitat for Humanity. Indirect service is service that helps the people who need service by making it easier for them to acquire the services, or by assisting the people who make the service possible for the people in need. An example of indirect service is the border collie rescue that trains the service dogs to make it possible for the people in need to have the service dogs in a timely manner. My job at the cancer center is definitely indirect service because I am helping the patients by making it easier for the staff (and the physicians) to do their jobs.

Kou Week 2

I began volunteering at Florida Rural Legal Services on Monday, June 18. This organization provides legal services to low-income families. On my first day, I made a few calls to Mexico to speak with some farm workers who were mistreated while working in the United States. Last Wednesday I was able to go to Immokalee with two of the paralegals and see first-hand the problems that some of the low-income families face. It was a tiring but emotional day. Most of the families that came in were migrant workers. There are not any legal services in Immokalee so Wednesdays are the only days that the families can come in for legal advice. Some families just came in to get something translated. Most of the people were either Haitian or Hispanic. It was an interesting week and I learned that most farm workers are underrepresented and treated unfairly.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Darina's Week 2


This week was more challenging than last. I had to memorize two introductory volunteer orientations. One is for volunteers coming to work in the kitchen and the other is for those going on food deliveries. Having to practice the orientation, I learned a lot more about the history and operations of the organization. There is no way this organization can not operate without the help of the volunteers. I got to do my first orientation on Wednesday. I think it went pretty wellJ. My public speaking skills are certainly improving.
I am also in charge of making maps for next day’s delivery drivers and making sure all of the foods are distributed correctly. Although this sounds simple, it takes a couple of hours.
On Tuesday we had a quick staff meeting and Whole Foods presented the organization with a check of over $22,000!
On Wednesday we had the annual in-house BBQ lunch for staff and clients. I got to see more of the individuals we serve. To qualify for the services there are no restrictions for income, however, most clients (around 80%) are below the poverty line and earn about $500 a month. I am glad I got to witness how cheerful and grateful they are. 
Throughout this week I got to meet more of the staff who are all very friendly and interesting. Two of them are in the Peace Corps.
I also figured out that my official title is Volunteer Services Intern (which sounds a lot fancier than it really is). My director also said that he will eventually have me working on a volunteer outreach project which I am really excited about.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

SOS Week 3

So some things that have been in the works the last 2 weeks:
1. A summer Civic Engagement Camp to take place Summer '13 at Stetson! Just had a meeting about this last week to get set up.
2. NEW BONNER ORIENTATION!!! Woo! I've been organizing, planning and emailing guest speakers to make this orientation the most effective yet. A few sneak peaks: a presentation by health services, a panel of community partners (please send me an email if you have a community partner that would like to participate in this panel), and hopefully a presentation by Coach Hughes, our new football coach.  Michael and I are working very closely on this to get it all set up.
3. Lead Team Orientation! I've been putting together the schedule and trying to make it the most beneficial training on how to be a mentor, the main goal of lead team.  We also want to be helpful to the rest of the organization so we need to figure out where that puzzle piece lies.
4. Finally, I've been solidifying some plans for the Ambassadors for the fall! Can't wait to share all of these new projects with you.

Another portion of my SOS is working with the Community Partnership for Children and mentoring young girls. I have not been formally set up with a mentee through this organization but I have another girl from my service site throughout the year that I've been working with this summer. Last week we went to the library, had dinner together and then went to a DeLand Suns baseball game. She really enjoyed it. We have a deal that if she reads 700 minutes this summer (5 days/week, 20 minutes/day) that we'll go play laser tag one day. It's so important to keep consistency in her life, so the next step is to make one day a week where the two of us go volunteer together. No idea what place will let me bring an 11-year-old but I'm going to start looking.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Kou Week 1

Week 1 of my summer of service started on June 8, 2012 (last Friday). I went on a civil rights trip with Stetson University College of Law for one week. We went to Memphis, Nashville, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham, and Atlanta. We visited some historic places such as the 16th street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park. We also got the chance to talk to some of the people who participated in the civil rights movement. It's amazing how the participants of the movement stuck with the strategy of non-violence even when they were being beaten and spat on.

What made me really open my eyes was how frightened these people are for our generation. Many of them stressed the fact that we have access to news 24/7 but yet and still many of us fail to educate ourselves. Instead of fighting for a social cause, we spend our time on Facebook or texting. One of the Freedom Riders also blamed our lack of education on the school system. The Freedom Rider's daughter was assigned to write an essay on the Freedom Rides and her daughter received an F on the essay. The teacher said that the student was a liar and the stuff in her essay never happened. The student's mother had to come to the school and tell the teacher that she was a Freedom Rider and the events in the essay actually happened.

This trip was an intellectual experience that motivated me to want to do something and further instilled in me the value of helping others fight for equality. Anyone who feels that everyone should have an equal chance should go on this trip.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Lauren - Week 1

Hey everyone!

This summer has been a whirlwind trying to find a service site, as unimaginable as that may be. I thought I was going to be working at a reading camp, which fell through then I went through 2 other sites trying to get things set up, but finally I found Hlifax Hospice.

Monday June 11th I started for the first time at Halifax Hospice working in the kitchen preparing meals for the patients. I have gotten to meet countless amounts of other volunteers, and have also started working to help make the volunteer department more electronically friendly.

Alot of what I have been doing has included cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for patients and then cleaning up the dishes and the kitchen. It is heartbreaking to see some of the patients when I am delivering their meals, however I know that by doing the little things and making their meals look presentable and beautiful it makes their days just a little bit brighter as well.

Courtney Week 2

This one is a bit late but it's from SLI which happened June 4-7th. We woke up at literally the crack of dawn and met at the CCE to travel to Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.  We flew into Knoxville and from there took the "funniest" car ride into Carson-Newman. The conference was awesome (except the dorm rooms but you really can't complain about free)! We had a great time learning Bonner chants, watching talent shows, and learning more about B-Love. Michael, Scarlett and I came up with some really great ideas for next year and I think it's great that we all have our own areas of focus. Not only do we have our own projects but we were able to work closely to plan out our entire year together. I think that this time was very important for us as a group.
Some of the most memorable moments were just spending time with our leadership group and enjoying Amanda Nix before she leaves us. Those times are so important to us as an organization. Here are a couple of videos I think you'll appreciate! One is an original song titled 'Bonner Love' by Rachel Yenko-Martinka which I think you'll all hear a lot of this year! Another is a video made by Carson-Newman titled 'St*ff Bonners Say'. Both of these are great and I hope you watch!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Jay- Week 1

      I arrived at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp last Friday, June 8th. At first I was unbelievably nervous about what kind of people I would be working with. I was part of the first wave of counselors to arrive, the lifeguards. We had to arrive early to do extra training in order to get our certification. Slowly but surely all twenty two of us arrived on campus. To all of our surprise by the end of the first night all twenty two of us had become one family, we were a unit. Now that we are on our seventh day at camp,  have spent countless hours in classroom lectures, in-water training, and late night study/practice sessions, it seems we have all been best friends for years. Last night the unit directors threw us a lifeguard graduation ceremony in honor of us passing all of our tests and exams. It was an awesome, and incredibly fun way to finish out our first phase of camp. Now today we start all of the preparation work. We have to clean the pools, beaches, and some other parts of campus in preparation for the students. On Monday the rest of the counselors will be here! However, the campers will not be here until June twenty-seventh! This seems like SUCH a long time!!! There is SO much information for us to learn, and so many jobs to be done in preparation.
      Despite the long wait, time is flying by extremely fast! Despite the regimented wake up, meal, and sleep schedule, time has become one big blur. I can not distinguish events that happened yesterday from events which occurred on day one!
      Well I have to get back to my family now, they need me for some tall people required work!!!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Darina Week 1

Today was my first day at Food & Friends Inc. “The mission of Food & Friends is to foster a community caring for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling” (official Food & Friends web). Another volunteer and I took the University bus to the Metro and then a shuttle from the Metro to the Food & Friends building. We were greeted by friendly staff and joined a quick orientation being given to a group of students from Ohio State University who are volunteering there for the week. We compiled personal meal packages for individuals based on their dietary restrictions or preferences. Cleanliness is very important! These packages are going to be delivered to people tomorrow by volunteer drivers. Some individuals have very restricted diets because they may be diabetic, vegetarian, have poor kidney function, can only eat soft or puree foods, can only eat mild foods, etc. We also met with our supervisor and talked more about the organization over lunch. Afterwards we did some more work in the kitchen and worked with a group of young students from Pennsylvania who were on a missionary trip. I am glad I get to meet and talk to volunteers from all over the nation. In addition, we get a small but cozy space in the office with a computer. There was a handmade sign on my desk that welcomed me! :D These first two weeks are what are known as “boot camp”. We should be learning various duties within the organization by taking part in them. Tomorrow we will be accompanying one of the delivery drivers and will get to bring meals to the doorsteps of many individuals. Later in the week we get to meet with other staff, volunteers, and dietitians I can’t wait!!! :D