Saturday, August 31, 2013

Week 3 - Relationships in Communities

Week 3
     While working in the DeLand community, I was staying on campus in Nemec Hall. However, in preparation for the new school year and new tenants, I had to move out on the 27th and was able to finish up my hours at home in Sarasota. When I left the Boys & Girls Club I could feel a strong connection to the kids that I had been spending my time with. I noticed that between Chisholm and BGC, I have met a very large number of kids from DeLand, and that in whatever small way, I've played a part in their lives. This special relationship with these kids has provided a solid foundation for me to continue working with them and contributing to their lives throughout my four years at Stetson. Moreover, the experiences that I've had with them will help me with my future plans of starting a foundation for at-risk youth to express themselves freely through art and music.

Dameona
     Back home in Sarasota, I also felt a strong connection to the community as I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and All Faiths Food Bank. The work that is done at Habitat is so important to the SRQ community. Habitat provides the opportunity for families with few resources to "earn" a home by completing a required amount of hard labor (in hours). I felt honored to be able to play a small role in the work they do there. Similarly, the food bank provides a crucial service to homeless and low income families in SRQ. At all three sites, what I liked the most was knowing for certain that I was making a difference in the community. Perhaps one of the most important relationships formed was with other volunteers and Bonners. I truly enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded individuals who were all actively seeking solutions to problems in the community.

Week 4 - Project Reflection

Week 4

Took the kids bowling!
     After being at the Boys & Girls Club for a couple weeks, I think that this site definitely needs to be incorporated into the Bonner Summer Fellows Camp. A couple of high school youth groups have visited for a couple days and come to BGC to play with the kids. They loved it; the kids crave attention. I think that having a high school mentor come in for an entire summer would benefit the kids greatly and impact their lives positively. I think that there is an opportunity here to provide each kid with a mentor (kind of like a big brother program) that could help them improve in school, music, sports, or whatever else they needed. The campers would also benefit by being able to see the growth of the child.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Week 6


So this post is supposed to be about project evaluation and regrettably all of the projects at DCF were long term and the one here in Deland ended up falling through at the very last minute. On a lighter and more positive note though I did get to see and assist with the development of some really cool things at DCF!

The first was the Vivatrol program which had been approved by the State for more funding. We went through some of the applications from the clinics and had begun choosing which ones would receive the drug. While I was there we approved three more clinics to use drug!

Prevention month unfortunately got pushed back due to the importance of the reorg within the office but I made some progress on it by contacting key organizations and developing program proposals.

Lastly there was a lot of improvement and work that went into the reorganization of the office. When I got there the office was just in the developmental stages of their strategic plan. I had the opportunity to assist in developing and sharpening that strategic plan alongside my boss and we helped it grow and now it's within it's final stages. Woo hoo!



I ended up spending the last of my days at DCF looking up Florida Statute and updating the DCF substance abuse and mental health requirements, assisting in the Block Grant request, and attending strategic planning meetings.

Week 5

Personal reflection time!

    I really should have planned out my Summer better.. Where did it go?! 

  The internship is going well, I've been going on trips with some of the other employees. I went to French town which is a poor community in Tallahassee and sat in on a community conference. The conference was about the establishment of a sort of Sober house a few miles away. The sober house is going to be in connection with their community center where a lot of homeless and poor come to get help from social workers. Whats really cool about this sober house is that it isn't a emergency shelter or a transitional shelter but it us a more permanent living situation where currently men can come and live. They all go to NA or AA together and are drug tested regularly to make sure that no one is using within the building. There are apparently a lot of homes like this in South Florida but there's also a lot of abuse and no regulation.  So DCF is working on creating a program similar to LEED certification where you can get a stamp of approval or a rating through the state as more of a marketing appeal for SOME regulation. 

    A lot of the projects I'm working on are really cool and speak to me on a really personal level. Ive been working with employees on methadone clinics , prescription drug abuse, and underage alcohol abuse in Broward which is where I'm from. Ive had 5 people die back home from all of those things, all of who were under the age of 21. So, it's really cool to be able to work and try to help the community. However, I don't know if I could ever work for the State. The state is SO SLOW and I'm not sure if it's this specific office-probably not- but there's a lot of interoffice DRAMA. However, if I could get contracted through the office that'd be really cool or maybe be a provider for homelessness or substance abuse. 

   Not only had this internship and this summer in general made me realize that I need to PLAN better but that I need to being finding specific service sites that speak to me on a personal level. So, I think I'm going to start working more directly with homelessness and substance abuse issues within the area along with children. OK, I'm going to TRY to work with children. No promises though... 


B LOVE! 

Week 2 & 3

    Hey guys!
     
      I haven't been keeping up with my blog because there hasn't been too much happening with my summer of service. There were a lot of challenges finding ways to fill my day and gain hours at my CLA. I began summer working in the Neighborhood Center acting as a "floater"-filling bags, intake, answering phone calls, etc. I also met Nita Shmellick who runs The Community Foundation of East Central Florida. We met, and she asked me to help her with her foundations facebook and web page which has been proving more difficult than I had originally anticipated.. Nita and I also talked about community needs that I had been seeing on the site visits. I told her a little about family renew and she gave me some contact info to set up classes for those families.
     
     The most challenging thing I believe about being in DeLand was finding hours. I ended up going on some site visits with Hannah, Heather, Savannah, and Amber which was fun and interesting. I also worked at the Border Collie Rescue a bit on the weekends cleaning their shed and letting the dogs out with Anniarka. With all of that being said Ive also been building a lot of relationships through meeting community partners, working at the Neighborhood Center, and meeting the amazing Nita. It was refreshing for me to get out of the office and into the community to learn about the different providers in the area.
     
     By the third week I was really worried about my hours and the amount of time I had left at Stetson. I hadn't completed the amount I should have and I was starting to panic. It was then that I received a call from DCF (Department of Children and Families) that informed me I had been accepted into their internship program for the rest of the summer. After I received confirmation from Hannah, I packed my things and drove to Tallahassee where I've been working ever since.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Week 7

I believe that the project has been a success.  The Bulembu project as a whole started in 2006 and is continuing on until it reaches its completion, which is speculated to be 2020.  I think that our group has done an effective job at completing its objectives.  We have successfully finished two work projects, made lasting relationships with those within the Bulembu administration and with the individuals throughout the town.  I believe that this experience has challenged my thoughts and views on the world as a whole, and even in a way that I see that the world is not just one but many cultures and are each right and wrong in their own ways.  It has been hard to leave here, as the people in the town tell us that we are part of Bulembu now.  They tell us how the time we spent there has made us family, and I would agree that the toddlers and aunties I worked with feel as though they are now extensions of my own family.  The workers have touched my heart with their stories and dedication they feel towards the town and Swaziland as a whole.  It will be difficult to be home again after this trip, our lives and feelings towards each other in the United States are so competitive and rash compared to the people here.  We strive for riches while these people strive for family and to survive.  I can truly say that this trip has changed me in a positive and illuminating way that I would have never gotten by any other means.  I feel as though I have made a lasting impact here, although I can only hope that it was a positive long lasting impact.

Week 6

I feel as though the trip has been a success.  Our team has accomplished the goals that have been set for us, with both the first work project and the second.  I feel that we have been helpful in the care of the orphans. Our team has been here for six weeks and has been extremely flexible.  There have been times where the team has gone above and beyond in order to help.  I have built relationships that I feel will be lasting with workers, like Ivan and Charles, Aunties at the toddler homes, the children and with other teams.  The administrators, Aunties, workmen, teachers, and students have thanked us for our hard work, and for our willingness to do things we had originally not signed up to do.  The school thanked the girls for working in the preprimary school for a week because several teachers were at a conference. I feel as though we have accomplished our goal here, to serve however they needed, but I will admit that the project is ongoing.  Bulembu is working to become self-sustainable by 2020 and it has not been accomplished yet. The project goes beyond Bulembu it is for the whole of Swaziland. Although we could only help for six weeks, I believe we have left a lasting impact on the people and project here.

Week 1


I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this trip. I have been hearing about Bulembu, Swaziland for a while and now I finally get to go. I am looking forward to getting to work with the children and help them in any way that I can. Whether that is with school, being someone for them to talk to, or even someone for them to play with, I will be there for them. I am also looking forward to getting to work in the primary school in Bulembu. I’m hoping to learn about their school system and how they work with the children in an educational setting. These children have all gone through so many hard things in their lives and are different than many of the children that I have worked with in the past. I’m hoping to learn how to help them and teach them in school and be able to give them one on one time to help them with whatever they are struggling with. This experience will teach me so much about teaching and everything that I learn from the children, teachers, and other staff I can take back with me to help my future students in The United States. What I learn here are things that I would not be able to learn in a classroom back home.  I am so excited for this experience and I can’t wait for it to begin! 

Friday, August 23, 2013

S.o.S 7

This summer of service has been very enjoyable, I have learned a lot about a field I had zero experience in and met a ton of great people. The main organization I paired with was the East Volusia Mosquito Control, while there I was exposed to intergraded pest management and its relationship to public health. I participated in a wide variety of projects working within various functions of the department. My main role I took ownership over was a landing rate route in which I conducted adult surveillance and interacted with the public. I also worked on projects that related to catch basin treatment, helicopter marsh surveillance and monitoring of the department’s chickens for mosquito born diseases. Some things I learned this summer include time management, team work skills, and being able to quickly adopt , all these skills will help me get the most out of my senior year with Bonner.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

SOS Week 7

Volunteering is partaking in an activity without compensation and, therefore, is often accomplished to the bare minimum. Serving, on the other hand, is a gift one performs out of love for another living being and is undertaken with dedication and enthusiasm. Serving at the Indian River Medical Center absolutely changed my definition of serving. At first, I was not sure if I would be burnt out by the end of the summer from putting in so many hours in such a short amount of time at the same place. Yet, serving my time in such a dense manner actually made it a more worthwhile, rewarding investment. I met at least 100 new people - volunteers, staff, patients and families - and became close with many of them. We faced challenges together, the main one being the struggle for consistent communication between staff, patients and their family members. The reason for the lack of communication was simply because of the hectic schedule the doctors have to juggle. During surgeries and such, unexpected situations come into play and can cause a delay and/or extension of the time patients and their families have to be at the hospital. The volunteers and I tried to lessen this tension by communicating with the doctors, giving updated statuses to the waiting family members, offering them directions to the cafeteria, cafĂ©, or gift shop, and engaging in conversation with them. Many people appreciated the assistance and acknowledgement. In return, I learned a valuable skill of being comfortable in professionally and effectively communicating with “coworkers” and “customers.”
The best part about my summer of service was getting to know so many new, wonderful people and knowing that I contributed a large amount of my time and energy to making life easier for others. I strongly believe that living a stress-free life is the healthiest lifestyle, and I feel I reduced the stress of staff, patients, and families at IRMC by being positive and helpful in every way I possibly could. The “worst” part of my service was not actually a negative component, but was simply the fact that I wish I could have worked more in-depth helping people. Nonetheless, I have that to look forward to in my career in the medical field. 
The person who comes to mind when I think about their attitude towards my summer of service project is Maureen Luther,
the director of volunteer services at IRMC. She was never short of cheerful and kind, with both her words and her actions. She always praised me for my service and made me feel as though the work I was doing there, although simple, was important to many individuals. She inspired me to keep up my hard work by bragging about my “Audrey standard” and by telling me the positive things said by other staff members and volunteers at the hospital. I felt that my work was paying off and making the difference that I had hoped it would for others.
In the same way, a wonderful woman named Judy who worked in the cardiac catherization department would generously thank me for my service and for doing such an excellent job in the position of communicating with the families of patients who may be in raw emotional states due to unfortunate results about their loved ones. She always (and I mean always) had a cheerful, warm aura about her that could make anyone feel comfortable and safe. This, of course, is vital for a person who works next to unwell patients who need support and compassion. Also, Judy was very careful to make sure she always fairly tended to everyone under her care and was very precise about her communication of information. Judy is a true inspiration, and reminded me of who I consistently aim to be, showing me that it is absolutely possible.
Dedicating my summer to service rather than “selfishness,” as the statement phrases it, was somewhat scary. Two hundred and eighty hours of my summer would cut it straight in half. It actually consumed more than half of my summer vacation because I spread out my hours more liberally. I did come in contact with several people who were impatient or difficult to deal with, which made me somewhat uncomfortable, but I realized that it was an important, character-building experience. I also understood the reasons behind people’s emotions and I kept the patients and families in my prayers. I sometimes fear that I may be in their shoes one day, facing the reality that I have, or a loved one has, a serious medical issue. Yet, that only makes me more understanding of the patients and makes me want to work towards advancing preventative care and cures. Looking forward to a career in health is where my hope lies and is what gives me courage to work towards it through my education and experiences.
In my service, I occasionally get exhausted of the type of work I do because I am anxious to be in a higher position, such as the doctors. However, reflection helps me to connect the dots of my smaller tasks to the "larger picture” and the tremendous good that is done in other’s lives. I also realize that my service does not quite yet reach a global level, but my goal is that one day I will be able to serve others with medical care that will globally improve individuals' health. Working on a global scale, I can only imagine, will be extremely different than working in an American hospital. Even so, serving at IRMC, I was exposed to more elderly, sickly people with which I usually come in contact. I was given a glimpse into the lives they live each day - the pain, discomfort, stress, taking of medications, and probably countless other things I do not know about. My heart goes out to them and my compassion for people, in general, has grown substantially. As a result, I feel a greater calling to become a medical professional and to not waste any time in trying to help others. This explains my “community need, work challenge, or public issue” that I have "given the most deliberate, critical, analytical thought to this summer” and “one issue or challenge [I] would like to be a more respected authority on.”
Overall, serving at Indian River Medical Center was an easily enjoyable experience because of the wonderful people I was able to work alongside every day and because I was learning about my passion for health and helping people. By the time my last day of service came around and I got my hours signed off, it officiated an incredible accomplishment and stamp in my future in health care.

:)

Project Evaluation

The goals I set for this summer have been accomplished and I’m excited for it! Now let’s go through the checklist.

To make Border Collie Rescue’s database digital.

Check. We cleared out the living room where our friendly parrot Andrew is and turned it into an office. EJ also fixed up the computer and had all the essentials installed. We also found records from a few years back for other dogs that we can place in the digital records.

Learn the names and habits of every dog at the rescue.

Check. We have had so many dogs come in and learning their names was easy it was their habits that were tricky. You never know who's the fence jumper until they try it, so that’s why we keep them on a literal leash for a few days.

Adopt out dogs to gain more room at the rescue.

Check. We had about ten dogs who have found good homes. This summer was a success!

Organize and clean up around the rescue.

Check. We cleared out the front room to make an office. I also tried to organize the cabin out back that has been used for storage. With the help of Logan and Audri we managed to make a very large dent in the mess. Now you can walk around the cabin with no fear of being buried and find what you are looking for in minutes.

This summer was a success.   

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Personal Reflection

My time at the Border Collie Rescue has given me experiences that I would need for the future. This summer of service opportunity gave me the chance to learn how to be independent and responsible.

My supervisors trained me to take care of the rescue and actually left me in charge while they had to other responsibilities elsewhere. To my surprise it became my job to train the high schoolers who came to earn their volunteer hours.

This experience also gave me the chance to get to know my supervisors and hang out with them during the summer. Besides working with dogs, Ej and Lisa, made my days at the rescue. They gave me so many opportunities to prove myself to be an effective volunteer and I’m thankful for that. They trust me more with projects and work around the house and call me when they need help. It makes me feel very good to be depended upon.     

Monday, August 12, 2013

Week 7 of SOS

Hey all, I hope you had an amazing summer and fun SOS :) I really enjoyed mine. During the last week, I wrote and translated bunch of reports and other paper work at SOS Children's Villages.We only had a few more outside activities; so mainly office work and last minute bonding time. They were very pleased with my work and I really hope to help them out next summer. At Education USA, I still help conversation classes, and special classes for the CCC club (these are the high school kids who are trained for US college program). I only had a chance to have a few classes with them, but these few classes were lots of fun; the kids are really smart and enjoy learning. One day i showed them AlGore's fim on climate change and it was quite great the way we discussed it - they were all very interested in this subject. We also visited some websites (ecological footprint) and talked about some env. issues and individual responsibility. Not sure if I mentioned this, but I also prepared a presentation on Studying in the US, and the students really liked it; one of them is coming to Florida. :) I really do hope to come back and volunteer with these two orgs; these is a very special type of relationship we have developed during the past 2 years.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Project reflection and closure

I cannot believe that my SOS is officially over. It was such an amazing experience. Even though I have been a volunteer at Naples Equestrian Challenge for eight years I always enjoy going back and learn something each time I am there. 
My projects over the summer went great. Camp ran smoothly all 7 weeks, everyone had a good time, nobody got hurt and the kids always begged to come back for another week. All the tasks I was given as an intern turned out great. Missy always had a huge list for me to complete and the last day I was there she could think of no more jobs for me to do!! I am so glad I could help relieve some of the burden from her because she does so much to make the program run. 
This summer I started my SOS at NEC still being seen as that teen volunteer. By the end of the summer I am now seen more as an adult volunteer than as a teen volunteer.
Throughout the summer I took on more and more responsibility. As an intern I was doing lots of data entry. The program director was really happy because she usually cannot trust regular volunteers to do any of this because they mess it up. This is true. All of our volunteers try hard, but we have many that can’t alphabetize or make packets of information even with a model in front of them. I was entering numbers, statistics and information so that NEC could get a really important grant and so the instructors could know the levels and improvement scores of all their riders.
I went into the summer with a few goals. To run a safe and successful camp, make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities and to grow as a person. I know for a fact that I accomplished all of this and more.

I am so thankful to everyone who has influenced me this summer at NEC (including the riders and their families). I learned so much from all the staff and instructors there; Missy, Beth, Lea, Robin, Layne, Kim and Melissa. They all have their own unique qualities and way of doing things. This is great because I was able to witness all of this and I can bring back all these qualities and ideas to my CLA Hope Reins!!
Can't wait to see all of you :)
BLOVE

Week 7


It was so hard to say goodbye and leave Bulembu. The town became my home for the summer and the people became my family. I hope that I was able to make a difference in their lives, as they were able to make a big difference in mine. I learned so much about myself this summer that I could not have anywhere else. I had to overcome fears, work outside of my comfort zone, and do things that I had never done before. What I learned in Bulembu I can take back with me for working with children back home, and teaching in the future. The teachers and principal were so helpful in providing tips and feedback for teaching. Those are things that you can only learn through experience. I hope I was able to teach the kids something new. Whether that was through the math lesson that I taught or just from our conversations about The United States and my life and theirs. Bulembu is such an incredible town and the people there are doing amazing things. I hope that one day I can return to Bulembu to continue making a difference there. 

Week 6


Overall I think that our team made a positive impact on Bulembu. The work projects that we were asked to complete were finished as well as other projects. We painted two houses, inside and out, and helped with some smaller projects such as painting crosswalks throughout town. At the school I was able to assist the teacher with everything from teaching lessons, to helping watch classes while teachers weren’t there, and grading tests. Although at times it felt like I wasn’t making that much of a difference, the teacher told me that even the small things did help, such as keep the kids quiet during a lesson which allowed the teacher to get just a little bit more time teaching the kids rather than stopping the lesson to discipline them. In the toddler homes we were able to give the Aunties, who work so hard, a break and play with the kids or help them do laundry. To us it seems like little things that don’t make much of a difference, but to the Aunties it shows them our appreciation for what they are doing. With the older kids that I worked with I helped them with chores, talked to them, and played with them. Hopefully I was able to relieve, even just for a little while, the stress that they have to deal with because of their pasts. I was even able to reassure one of the girls who is traveling with the choir to Canada in September, that traveling is fun and that she shouldn’t be worried about flying on an airplane. I feel like I was able to make a difference in the lives of the people in Bulembu through the different projects that we worked on. 

Week 5


This trip has been such a fantastic experience. I have learned so much about teaching, the people and their culture, and myself. Most people here have little compared to what people have back home, but to them they have more than enough. The children value everything that they have and take pride in everything, even the little things. When they come home from school they immediately change out of their uniforms so that they do not get them dirty while playing. The group of girls that I was working with received a few different card games from a volunteer, they loved to play with them but they made sure to take care of them. They were careful to not bend the cards and always put them carefully away in the box and in their Auntie’s closet when they were finished with them. I think that we can learn from the way that the children and people in Bulembu live, by taking pride in and valuing everything that we have, even the little things. The people here not only value their belongings, but they value the people around them. Everyone stops to say hello and to have a conversation with you when you see them. When you say hello in SiSwati, you aren’t just saying hello you are asking how they are and having a small conversation. Everyone cares about each other they show it. We can also learn from this. Since we are so busy back home we let some things go and most of the time that’s stopping to spend time with the people around us and showing that we care about them. The people in Bulembu taught me and reminded me about so many important life lessons that I can bring back home with me. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Project Reflection

Organizing the rescue has been one of my goals and I can proudly say that it has been accomplished. We finally cleaned out the side room and have turned that into an alternative entrance for the rescue and an office. My supervisors live there and wanted to make the place feel more like a home and with the office the foot traffic would stay and stop there.

We are also in the process of installing a computer to keep all of the records. Thankfully one of the other volunteers is very tech savy and wanted to input the dog’s data of not only this year but past years since we found some old records.

My organization has also moved towards the lone cabin on the property which is filled to the brim with stuff. Thankfully, I had Audri and Logan to help me get the mess organized. Thanks guys! After a few days of constant rummaging, screaming in panic when a roach popped it’s head out of the box I was caring, and heaving heavy junk around I managed to make the room breathable and not something straight out of hoarders.

I found some cool stuff that my supervisors let me keep and also some stuff we could donate to other non-profit organizations. For the rest of the stuff I really want to do a yard sale and give needed profits for the rescue.

I’ve never planned to do this, but my supervisor had enough trust in me to look after the volunteers that came in during the summer and train them. They were great and actually hard working, which was appreciated since  a lot of the work would have taken days to finish by myself.

I even got to take a few of them out to the agility field to run their own dogs. It was loads of fun!

I’m also very satisfied with my progress with Kurt. He is an amazing dog, but secretly I would like to see him with a family since to me he is more of a cuddly family dog. Oh, well. He is so good that sometimes I don’t even need a leash with him. We just play ball and he knows to always bring it back to me.

Nanda, Rachael and I even took him to the beach to see how he would react and also to relax ourselves. Let's just say that Kurt is now a water dog. If I didn’t have a leash on him he would have swam out to sea.

This summer has been very productive and amazing. I can honestly say that this has been one of the best summers I’ve had besides that one time I went to Disney.

That’s all for now! Stay tune. Same Bat Channel. Same Bat Time!  

batman gif photo: Batman and Robin Dance batmanandrobindancin.gif

Relationships in the Community

While working at the rescue I was able to attend a few service dog demos and take the service dogs I’m training out into the town. The first one was awesome even though they failed to mention that it was at a church.

Oops. Well, at least the shirt they gave me was appropriate!

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The padre, father, pastor, or whaever other non-catholic religious leaders are called, told me and my other two supervisors that we were going to do a special trick with each of our dogs. Luckily my friend Annie taught Kurt how to hug for the laughs.

The padre practically melted when Kurt hugged him. I just pumped my fist in the air in victory, in my head of course and gave a large piece of hotdog for Kurt.

Now to perform this in front of a large number of people. Yeah, no pressure. These are church people. Church people are nice right?

Yes, they were. Once Kurt hugged the father, everyone wanted a piece of this ham.

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And who could blame them with a face like that.

My favorite part about this whole thing was the kids. I’ve never seen so many kids so excited during a sermon. They practically ganged up on Kurt, but he didn’t care.

One of the kids even stuck to his side for most of the sermon and just played with him. I had to learn to try and be patient with this kid especially when my supervisors were advising me that Kurt being belly up and being played with was a huge no-no when he had the vest on.

The kid was cute, and a total sass mistress.

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My second experience was with a deaf girl named Amanda. She was visiting from around the Miami area to receive one of our service dogs. She and I bonded for our mutual love of Pokemon and she started to show off all of her level 100 pokemon. Oh, and guess what? She actually caught them all.

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Exhibit A: Nerds Nerding Out.

She really started to open up with me and her mom helped me understand what she was saying when the signing got complicated. She wanted to be a Veterinarian and asked me a bunch of questions about college and Pokemon. She even taught me some signing words, but of course my short attention span only caught ‘Me Too’.

When I’m not handling Kurt, I’m handling my favorite little terror CJ.

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Dennis the Menace in his dog persona.

I took him to WalMart whenever we needed to make a run to the store and walked him around certain obstacles like kids or people in wheelchairs. Especially kids, he is sometimes wary of them.

We’ve also had a couple of adoptions seven overall. I’m just glad these dogs find themselves with people they could love on. Good old Summer is gone with her new owners, which means my sandwiches live to see another day! Now we don’t have to keep fixing the door too!

Double win!

That is all that I need to share! Aniarka out!

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Week 4


While working in the school I was able to plan and teach my own math lesson for the grade two class that I had been working with. They were just starting a new unit at the time about volume. I picked a day to do my lesson and the teacher gave me the topic, ironically they were learning about liters and milliliters, a measurement system that we don’t use in the United States. I used the format for lesson plans that I am used to using and discussed it with the teacher beforehand. When the morning came to teach the lesson I was a little nervous because the behavior of the children is unpredictable and I have never taught a whole lesson by myself to children before. A few things had to change last minute because of the materials available at the school, but the teacher reassured me that it would be fine. The lesson ended up going very well, the children were on their best behavior and I think the children had a great time. We used different sized bottles to measure how many liters and milliliters of water would fit into each one. After class the teacher pulled one of the kids aside to show me that they really did learn something from my lesson. It was great to know that I could teach them something and make a difference in their education. 

Week 3


Everyone here in Bulembu is amazing! The kids are incredible. I have enjoyed working with them so much, especially the toddlers. At school the kids can be a bit of a handful at times, but that can be expected due to their pasts. They also can be some of the most fun and energetic kids to be around. During snack time and lunch time I sit with some of the younger kids and they love to hear about life back home as well as tell me all about their weekends, but I think that their favorite things are teaching me SiSwati words and playing soccer. Everyday they would beg me to get my notebook so that they could write down more words for me. The toddlers are so much fun to be around and love to sing. We taught them so many new songs from our childhoods. After a long day at the school or doing work projects, the toddlers would always bring a smile to my face and brighten my day, especially when they would yell “Jess-ee-kuh” when I got to their house after school. The Aunties are just as amazing as the children. They give up three weeks of each month to live full time with the children. Many of them leave their own children and families to work in Bulembu. They are such welcoming women and have such big hearts. They are doing amazing work with the children. Everyone else in Bulembu is also so welcoming and always say hello and stop whatever they are doing to talk to you when they see you. The whole community is working towards one goal, becoming self- sustainable in order to provide the necessary love and care to orphaned children so that they can lead long and successful lives. This one goal brings everyone in the community together, which you can see whenever you talk to or work with anyone from Bulemebu.

Week 2


There have been a couple challenges since beginning our volunteer work in Bulembu. The children had the first week that we were here off from school. Since there was no school, I could not volunteer there so instead of doing that, I have been helping with the work project that everyone else has been doing. I am happy to help out elsewhere in the town, but I haven’t had much experience doing the kind of work that they wanted us to do. We had to work with a painter to paint a house that would later be used for teacher or staff housing. This project put me out of my comfort zone, but I fully embraced it and gave it my all. I had to overcome my fear of heights and climb rickety ladders to paint the tops of the walls. We ended up finishing the house, inside and outside, in about 2 weeks. Another challenge that I had to face was the language barrier between our team and some of the Aunties that we were working with. For about a total of about three and a half weeks we worked with the babies and toddlers in the afternoons. There are multiple aunties in each of the baby and toddler homes and many of them only spoke SiSwati. It was difficult to get to know them and talk to them when we couldn’t understand them and they couldn’t understand us. Some of the other Aunties who did know English would help translate for us, but it was more difficult to bond with them. Once they became comfortable with us they began to teach us some SiSwati words and tried their best to use the little bit of English that they did know to communicate with us. By the end of the trip we all had overcome the language barrier and have become great friends. 

Week 1


            I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this trip. I have been hearing about Bulembu, Swaziland for a while and now I finally get to go. I am looking forward to getting to work with the children and help them in any way that I can. Whether that is with school, being someone for them to talk to, or even someone for them to play with, I will be there for them. I am also looking forward to getting to work in the primary school in Bulembu. I’m hoping to learn about their school system and how they work with the children in an educational setting. These children have all gone through so many hard things in their lives and are different than many of the children that I have worked with in the past. I’m hoping to learn how to help them and teach them in school and be able to give them one on one time to help them with whatever they are struggling with. This experience will teach me so much about teaching and everything that I learn from the children, teachers, and other staff I can take back with me to help my future students in The United States. What I learn here are things that I would not be able to learn in a classroom back home.  I am so excited for this experience and I can’t wait for it to begin! 

St. Francis House Week VII

Project Reflection and Closure

It was incredibly difficult to leave the st. francis house. the women and clients i worked with have become family; we've been through the trenches together, dealt with the most mentally-ill clients who didn't even know how to help themselves, and dealt with our boss (which was a task in and of itself). i've grown so much as a person in this organization, and i even received a job offer after working there. i'm going to miss my clients dearly, because there is no better feeling in the world than having clients come back week after week, recognize you and get to know you, and getting to see them grow and prosper. i wrote a whole blog post about it, but there really is no better sight than seeing your clients succeed. it's been an emotional toll as well, a difficult load to bear if you know what i mean. i've learned this summer that this is without a doubt my career field of choice, because nothing makes me happier than social work.

 i'm really looking forward to coming back to deland and giving the neighborhood center some of these skills. i came back to visit and they're in some really bad shape, but i feel confident in my abilities to make a difference and bring them back to the high-impact influence they were when i first joined stetson. this summer has given me the tools necessary to become a highly significant person, and i am so thankful for this opportunity <3

St. Francis House Week VI

Project Evaluation

Throughout my time at the st. francis House, I learned so much and i know for a fact that i helped a massive amount of people (at least compared to what i'm used to seeing). Over the course of the past two months, the st. francis house saw easily over 1,000 clients, many of whom received their services from me. Our last week, I saw the largest group in my experience come for food boxes, and i didn't stop moving once during the entire two hour period. i've helped families put food on the table, i've helped clients receive snap assistance and social security cards and birth certificates and safelink phones. i've helped send clients back to their families, one to arizona, another to georgia, and another to the okeechobee region.
on the not so nice side, i've seen clients get baker-acted and arrested, but i've also seen those same clients come back and ask for a second chance. i've seen clients fall off the wagon and stand back up again, stronger. these past two months have given me the most incredible wealth of knowledge about this field, and most importantly for me, given me the tools i need to have an impact on the deland community.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Project evaluation

Over the past couple weeks I have had the opportunity to work on several large and small scale projects within all three of my CLA’s. Two of my CLA’s have included working with local government in particular the city of Deltona economic development office and the city of DeBary clerk’s office. While at the city of Deltona I worked on updating information on new businesses opening in the city along with working on an eco-tourism project related to the vast trail system within the city. My work at the city of DeBary included updating and providing suggests related to the employee hand book and job descriptions. Finally the CLA I have spent the most time working the Volusia County Mosquito Control Distract; here I have learned a lot about (IPM) integrated pest management. While here about 40hrs a week I worked on various projects ranging from landing rates, trapping, and lab work. As I reflect on these projects within my CLA’s I am very happy how this S.O.S has gone, I have gone through evaluations and received feedback throughout each stage of each project from my site supervisors. This has been extremely helpful in providing constructive feedback and ways to improve my skills along with providing the highest quality and level of service each CLA serves. It’s hard to believe the summer is almost complete, look forward to wrapping up my blog next weekJ

Project Evaluation

I can't believe that this summer is coming to an end. After seven weeks of camp the summer is over. I have learned so much this summer being the head counselor. Naples Equestrian Challenge has had summer camps for the last 14 years and there has never been head counselors. There was always an NEC employee that ran the inside of camp while the instructor taught lessons. This year my friend Sam and I were given the title of head counselor. We started planning for camp last summer and throughout the year. This summer before camp even started I was at NEC planning crafts, setting up the camp room and getting supplies. Sam and I fixed the counselor handbook we had made last summer, helped run the counselor training and came up with plenty of ideas for camp. During camp we were inside making sure crafts ran smoothly, all the kids ate and that there were plenty of games to play after lunch. Since there were 10 campers a week all with varying interests and levels of ability we had to make sure that the crafts were acceptable for all of them and that there were plenty of different games we could play outside. Sam and I worked closely with the instructor to make sure what the kids were learning outside was being reinforced inside the camp room. We also were given the task of MC at the weekly horse show. While the kids were riding we would talk about the week, what they learned and give individual descriptions of the campers as they were riding. The instructors always did this job so it was new to us.
I believe that this summer was great. Everyone said that it was the best year of camp yet!! Our jobs as head counselor took on more and more responsibility as the summer progressed, but I know that we handled it well. I am very pleased with the example we set as head counselors. Having head counselors allowed the instructors to focus on purely the riding aspect of camp, while we were responsible for the arts and crafts and safety of the campers and junior counselors once they left the arena. I know that we could have been more  patient with the other counselors, but that is something we worked hard on all summer and I will continue to work on. It is hard to step back and put yourself in their shoes when you are trying to watch 10 kids and simply want help with that. They worked hard outside with the kids all morning and maybe needed a few minute break, however Sam and I were just thinking about the safety of the campers and not the needs of the junior counselors as much. I know this is something I need to work on and hopefully will have the opportunity to next year. 
Another one of my "projects" this summer was volunteer coordinator for regular therapeutic riding lessons. This was not a new position at NEC just new to me. I believe I was successful in this as well. I always had ample volunteers that came back each week eager to volunteer. The instructor never switched up my choices of who was leading and who was sidewalking, which means I played matchmaker well. Most importantly all my riders and volunteers were having fun and staying safe which to me shows that my "project" was successful. I know that I could have improved in being more confident, but towards the end of the summer I saw that my confidence had really grown. 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Week 4- Project success

     Week fours blog post is supposed to be about project success, however I've only just begun my new CLA so I haven't had much time to work on my projects. My new CLA is at the Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse and Mental Health division. Ive been working with my supervisor on planning "Recovery Month." Recovery month is in Spetember and is a nation wide effort to promote prevention, treatment, and recovery for substance abuse. This month is also meant to highlight those who have successfully recovered from substance abuse such as young adults and veterans. For Recovery month we are hoping to implement drug and alcohol prevention training programs within elementary and middle schools through the use of local coalitions. My role currently has been putting together information on the program (Lifeskills Training) for a proposal the local coalitions.  Lifeskills is a evidence based program for drug and alcohol prevention. It's similar to DARE except lifeskills has shown MUCH better results and has a really good cost benefit. Hopefully this program can be implemented in Leon county schools with the assistance of local coalitions and the financial backing of DCF.

Here is a little Excerpt on what life skills is about: "LifeSkills Training (LST) is a school-based program that aims to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. LST is based on both the social influence and competence enhancement models of prevention. Consistent with this theoretical framework, LST addresses multiple risk and protective factors and teaches personal and social skills that build resilience and help youth navigate developmental tasks, including the skills necessary to understand and resist prodrug influences. LST is designed to provide information relevant to the important life transitions that adolescents and young teens face, using culturally sensitive and developmentally and age-appropriate language and content." -http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=109

     It would be really cool to try and propose that to a Volusia county coalition too right?

    The department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is going through a lot of reorganization which has given me an inside view of it's restructure and regrowth. My supervisor is having me help her and her unit with their strategic planning for this coming fiscal year. Which means working on their priorities and creating goals & tasks. Apparently, everything has to be written at an 8th grade level which can be checked on Word! I also went to a retirement get together and networked with a lot of the regional directors the other night which was awesome. I met the women who runs DCF Substance Abuse and Mental Health division in Broward (where I'm from) and talked a lot about the interconnection between sub/ment and homelessness. Homelessness especially in Broward is a huge problem, so she invited me to come down to Broward and not only take a tour but to also meet a whole bunch of Nonprofits who work with the homeless in our county.
     I've also been given some responsibility on a grant for coalitions to assist in substance abuse prevention marketing which is really exciting as a marketing minor. I'm working towards putting more time and effort into assisting that project as well to get as much experience as I can. Anyways, over all there is an abundance of projects that I have my hand in. All of them are more long term minus the Recovery Month project, so I hope to make great strides in helping them solidify it before I depart.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Week 7: Project Reflection and Closure

“Don’t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave”

How can it possibly be week 7 already. I feel like just yesterday I was packing my stuff into the car, with butterflies all over in my stomach, and beginning the drive to this incredible place. I had wondered if this was where I belonged, but goodness did it truly affect my life.
This week we had some really cool things happen. In addition to our normal camp magic, we had two special organizations come in. Flashes of Hope, an organization “dedicated to creating powerful, uplifting portraits of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses,” came to camp this week and pulled each and every camper out to take individual photos. It was an awesome thing for them to donate to some incredible campers who truly deserve to be reminded how beautiful they are. Then, Headbands of Hope provided headbands and buff bands for every single child at camp. This is an organization that provides bands to children who are fighting cancer and have lost their hair, to remind them that they are still beautiful and to keep up their confidence level and self-esteem. Richard and Kyle Petty also were both on camp this week, and for the first time since 2005, both drove the 45 racecar around Victory Circle. It was incredible moment for everyone there to see these incredible people remind us why camp exists.
The title of this blog prompt is “project reflection and closure,” but you know what, I don’t want closure. I know this chapter of my life is ending, but there are so many aspects that I want to remain a part of me for the rest of my life. I hope I never forget the many life lessons I learned this summer, the beautiful smiling faces or the giggles of the campers, or the many ways I learned to be silly and to be me. I also know that even as I leave this place, I will be working or volunteering to help these special kids feel normal for the rest of my life. As I said in blog 1, from the outside you can’t understand it, and from the inside you can’t explain.
“We are, we are not your ordinary family
But we can all agree that
We are, we are close as close can be

So it don’t matter what it looks like we look perfect to me
We got every kind of lover; we’re so lucky indeed
They can keep on talking it don’t matter to me cause
We are, we are family

So what?
We don’t look, we don’t act
We don’t walk, we don’t talk like you do
So what?
If we hang just a hang and no shame
We both do what we want to

Cause we come from everywhere
Searching for ones to care
Somehow we found it here
We found us a home”


Week 6: Project evaluation


“It’s not enough for you to do well, you want to do good. You want your life to matter. You want to live in such a way that the world will be glad that you did.” –Max Lucado

This has been a summer that has constantly been changing me and changing my campers. One week I wrote in my journal “8 beautiful little girls with a LOT of sass, keeping us on our toes! Didn’t realize how nice it was to be overstaffed until now with three more of them than us! I have some cute little babies holding my hand all of the time!”
At the end of cancer week I wrote, “What an absolutely beautiful week; so incredibly life changing. I had girls bonding over the location of their port, how many surgeries they had, the smell of the gas used to put them to sleep before surgery. One little girl at the age of 8 has had 36 surgeries already. Two became best friends. All are braver than anyone I know and have seen way too much for 7 and 8 years old.” One of the little girls was diagnosed with leukemia about a year ago and I had the opportunity to see the pictures of her sick. I burst into tears immediately. However, as sad as it was to see that, it was even more incredible to see how far she is come and to know all of the incredible things she has ahead of her. I cried so many tears over her and the beautiful little girls in my cabin. It was an awesome week.

So. What have I learned? Diseases know no boundaries. Even though a 15 year old boy was born with no arms and dealt with more teasing and bullying than any child could, he can still get leukemia. Even though it took him most of those 15 years for him to accept his body the way it is and to come to love himself, he can still get a disease that will begin to attack him in a different way. However, I also have learned that those labels don’t make a child. The child takes the labels and accepts them, but then pushes past boundaries and limits that society places on them. Just because one girl was told she would never be able to control her own wheel chair didn’t mean it would be true. She got a controller put in the head rest, and now wherever she leans her head directs where she goes. Just because a child will never be able to walk on their own, doesn’t mean that when you put him into the water he won’t hold up his own weight and walk across the pool. This summer I have learned to raise your expectations for these children, because they will do things that are more incredible than you could possibly imagine.

Week 5: Personal Reflections


“When you’re living in a way that displays your uniqueness and uses your talents in that purpose, you’re living in your sweet spot.” –Max Lucado

Every person at camp has a different set of skills and talents that are not perfect alone, but when you combine all of us together to make one unit, we end up with a group that can take on anything! This summer has truly allowed me to see more and more where my talents lie. I think that I have realized this summer just how much we take for granted simply because we can. Not everyone has the same opportunities that we do, but they all deserve as much of a chance to do things and be their own person. Things as simple as leaving camp to go to the grocery store or dinner at a restaurant now involve so much more thought than before. I am constantly wondering what a family would do if a child had a certain disability in a situation. It is crazy to think about having to change the diaper of a 14 year old, but it happens, and restaurant bathrooms do not make it easy. I think I am realizing more and more how important those adaptations are to me and how much I want to improve the quality of life for all of these people.
Another thing I have learned that sometimes it is really hard for me to do what is best for the kids, because sometimes it is the opposite of what my supervisors tell me. During neurology week we had a little girl who required a great deal of care because she had multiple diagnoses including autism and fetal alcohol syndrome. It was a really challenging case, that even though she was a truly beautiful child both inside and out, required a lot of supervision. When it was our cabins turn to go to the barn, she was not responding to any of the other 6 counselors, the 4 barn supervisors, or either of the 2 nurses. She had no interest in getting on that horse. I am allergic to horses and so generally as a rule I avoid the barn and wait outside so that I do not have a reaction. However, that day I happened to walk in to bring another camper their water bottle. When the little girl saw me, she began to call out for me and ask me to come where she was. My supervisor told me not to do so because I could have a reaction, but seeing her and knowing I might be able to get her on the horse became more important to me. I knew I might have to take my inhaler later, but it would be worth it to see her riding the horse and happy. There were a couple of other instances that week when people encouraged me to take a break or walk away from her when she needed me and I completely ignored it. Looking back, I probably should have taken their advice, and I admit that for some of the situations I was probably wrong. However, at the same time, I can honestly look back at the summer and say that I put the campers first in every single situation.
Just a few more weeks left, but plenty of time to rock! “Yeah team!”J