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.