DC service trip week one

Two weeks ago, I was filled with excitement and anticipation as I prepared to go on the D.C. trip. My imagination ran wild and I had no idea what to expect. I imagined my room at the hostile would be a large space filled with people sleeping on the floor in sleepingbags, and I imagined that we would interact with the homeless community everyday. However, when we finally arrived on Monday afternoon I found that my imaginations were far from the truth. The hostile was clean, cozy and nice rather than huge and unwelcoming and, to my dismay, we really didn't get to interact with the homeless community as much as I had anticipated. However, what we did do was even more self-satisfying and rewarding.
The first experience where I actually interacted with them was on Tuesday when we went to Christ House, an organization that cares for homeless individuals who are too sick/injured to live on the streets but not sick enough to be admitted into an hospital. Here, we met with two funny and intelligent men (unfortunately, I cannot remember their names!). One of them helped us label and stamp the letters and the other entertained Mrs. D with calculus problems and thus caused the rest of us to cringe and sigh with disgust! However, although I despise calculus, this experience was truely rewarding because it was the first time I actually engaged in a conversation with an homeless individual.
My most defining and rewarding experience took place two days later at the YSOP dinner. Here, we cooked, served and ate a meal with individuals from the homeless community. At first I was worried that the conversations would be awkward, but as I sat at a table with two men (Joe and Phil) I found that I really connected with them and the conversation flowed easily. I don't think I will ever forget Joe and Phil, we talked about everything from school to sports to politics and we even shared our life stories! This was the experience I had dreamt about, except I never imagined it would be that much fun and rewarding!
Every part of the D.C. trip was so much fun! Mrs. Dichiaro was the best (euphemism for craziest!) chaperone ever and my red group (Sarah Stern& Fiona Taylor) kept her in line (just like we did in calculus). I am so grateful to the entire group of students that went with me because their positive energy motivated me to want to do more, and I am also grateful to our chaperones (Gil, Mrs. D, Sarah& Dr. Gustave--when he finally came!) for keeping us safe but still allowing us to have some freetime! Thanks, it was the best experience of my life!

Jonice Ward

Washington DC: David Gatlin

I honestly wasn't expecting anything fantastic from this trip. Since it was a school organized trip, I anticipated our tasks to be menial and tedious. I did not expect to meet someone who would change my thoughts entirely. Our first day in DC, we were allowed to explore Chinatown on our own. After dinner, Anna, Ali, and I explored the area - we saw interesting shops, enormous museums, and historic buildings. As we walked past a church, I saw a man sitting under his blanket, smoking Newports and watching us pass. I turned around to give him some money and greeted him with a smile and a huge "Hello." I began talking to him, and Anna and Ali soon joined me. David Gatlin had been homeless for several years, and his "spot" under the church had been his for quite some time. His only prized possession was an expensive bike he had bought in order to get around the city. At 56 years old, he had battled prostate cancer and won. However, he had developed colon cancer, which he was currently living with. He was a Vietnam Veteran and had fought on the battlefield for his country. It was sad to see that a man who had fought in a controversial war had been neglected and forgotten by the very people he had protected. Yet he took the time to ask us three Lincoln girls difficult questions about our perceptions of homelessness.

"What is your opinion of people that are homeless?"
"What is the difference between homelessness and houselessness?"
"What do you believe are the causes of homelessness?"
"What are the different steps that result in homelessness?"
"What are the effects of homelessness?"
"Do you think that most homeless people are alcoholics, drugees, or mentally ill?"

He asked us the most interesting things and after each of us said what we thought, he talked to us about the conventional stereotypes of homeless people. He described how he had gone to American University, Howard University, and Georgetown University and yet he was sitting on the stoop with no place to go. The scariest thought occured to all three of us - even as an educated person with a good family, there is always that possibility of being homeless. There are no exceptions to this fact. After twenty minutes, we had developed a wonderful relationship with David, who we visited regularly during our stay in DC. The last time we saw him, he called us our family. He told us how we had changed his life and that he would never forget us. I believe that that was our purpose in DC - to make a change in someone's life through conversation. I will never forget David or his kindness and love in DC.

Alexandra Lundgren

Washington DC - Week 2

Our trip to Washington DC has completely opened my eyes to the multifaceted challenges that are homelessness and hunger and ways young adults like us can help. 

On our first day of service, we were sent to Thrive DC, a kitchen that prepares and serves food for a loyal and unfortunately growing number of individuals. After serving salad during brunch and speaking with some of the, I was grateful for first interaction with the homeless community of DC. A few blocks away from Thrive, we visited Open Doors Women's Shelter. Because the shelter encourages its residents to explore employment opportunities during the day, we helped clean for their nighttime routines. The next day we visited Food and Friends, an amazing organization that prepares and delivers food to people living with HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses in the DC and surrounding areas. The facility was beautiful and our group had wonderful time working with their passionate staff to deliver delicious sustenance (and hope!) for these people during a very difficult time. That evening we returned to the Church of Epiphany for the Community Dinner. As the lead chiefs and organizers, our group of 16 embraced each role to put on an unconventional meal for 40 homeless individuals. After greeting each person and presenting them with a name tag, I was able to hear the stories of many individuals, including that of a woman named Mary. Mary shared with me how an unfortunate turn of events left her to reside outside the church each day. After listening to her story, she showed me one of the most stunning portfolios of artwork I have ever seen in my life. Flipping through its pages, I could not believe that someone with such amazing and unique talent was dealt such a sour hand in life. But Mary's determination to build a career in DC gave me hope that, with the help of organizations such as YSOP, homeless people can transition to a new home-owning life. 

I must admit that I began this experience believing I knew a fair amount about homeless people and their struggles. Since I was in elementary school, I have witnessed hundreds of desolate, impoverished, and hungry people while visiting my relatives in India. However, after coming to DC, I was struck that homelessness defies regional, ethnic, social and educational boundaries. I interacted with remarkable artists, college graduates, and overall determined individuals to create better lives for themselves. Through our site work and the Community Dinner, I truly feel like I was able to open my eyes and heart to the real and varied struggles of homeless people, and I hope to continue this understanding and service in my own community. Overall, this was an amazing week and I feel so fortunate to have taken part in it! 

And a big thank you to our amazing chaperones! 

-- Tara 

New Hampshire

Hi everybody, this is Roby. I went to the New Hampshire trip with Jess, Michelle, Sarah FK, Sarah T and Ms. Young, and I totally loved it! We did a lot of things: we helped elderly people doing whatever they needed us to do, since most of them had phisical problems and were not able to do certain kinds of work; we went to a lower school and we spent time with the kids in first grade and kindergarten; we painted the windows of the church; we prepared soup to be delivered to people in need; and we helped clean up the location for a summer camp -the Circle Program- and get it ready for when the girls will come. My favorite day was when we went to the lower school. I liked staying with the kids, and they were so cute! Especially when they asked questions like "Do you have computers in Italy?" or "Is Italy in the United States?" It was nice to see that the kids enjoyed having us there, they loved having new people spending time with them. And also the teachers were glad to have someone helping, we made their day much easier.
Everywhere we went we could feel how people appreciated what we were doing. Pastor Fischer of the Hebron Church was the one who gave us the names of the elderly people to help, and he chose people who really needed us. For example, one day Jess, Michelle and I went to Pat, a woman with some phisical problem (She didn't say what she had, but it was hard to walk for her). She lived alone, and our task that afternoon was to help her with grocery shopping and to bring the trash to the dump. A little detail: she had the trash of the whole winter in her basement; it was so much that it entirely filled Jess' pick-up truck! She really appreciated our help; probably if we didn't do it she would have collected also the rubbish of the whole summer in her basement! She even sent us a nice card with a letter to thank us. It was very satisfactory to see that our help made other people happier. They even wrote an article on the local paper about our trip there.
Besides work, we also had a lot of fun. We were staying at Michelle's house, right on the lake. We had no TV or Internet, but we didn't miss them at all, because we had so much fun playing every kind of games or just hanging out. We divided all tasks fairly, which made things even easier. And Ms. Young was one of us, both in working and having fun, and it was lovely to have her as our chaperone.

DC Week 2

I had a great time on the service trip to DC the second week. Going to different sites everyday not only made for continual new challenges and/or surprises but also opened my eyes to the many different forms of service. And each site was fun and rewarding in its own way. I don’t think I had a favorite, but I do know that I particularly enjoyed sites where I could work with the people I was helping to serve directly. That includes our group helping to clean Ms. Holms kitchen the first day, as a part of Elder Buddies, and watching her attitude towards our presence in her apartment change from dismissive to grateful and optimistic. She even expressed interest in having a group come help clean once a month, a huge step from a couple hours earlier when she tried to avoid us by saying we were supposed to come another day.  It also includes the time we all spent on Wednesday night cooking and eating dinner at the YSOP church with homeless people in the nearby area.  Not to say I didn’t enjoy my time at DC Central Kitchen, Food & Friends, or N Street Village, however the times I remember most vividly are when I could interact with people directly.

One point that has stuck in my head since I’ve been back is that service goes beyond the physical labor ones does. Karen from Elder Buddies told our group this the first day. She said that a lot of times we measure how much service we do or what we’ve accomplished by how many boxes we’ve moved or carrots we’ve chopped, when in fact, just sitting and spending time with someone to learn and understand more can carry just as much weight. I usually find myself guilty of tallying how many clothes I folded or lunches I bagged to assess the “amount” of service I did in a day. Now, after DC, I’ll look at service in general as extending beyond just physical activity and including things that may not be as easy to measure.

Thanks so much to Dr. G, Houda, Hilary Fagan, and Caroline Canning for being awesome chaperones!

Lydia 

Washington DC - Week 1

I had no idea what to expect when I embarked on the Washington DC trip two weeks ago. It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. The work was quite exhausting, but it was some of the most rewarding work I've done. 

One of my favorite sites in DC was Martha's Kitchen. This organization, which is so vast it covers an entire city block, covers everything from childcare and youth programs to grocery pick up and meal delivery. It was amazing to see how much a group of people can do! We helped to portion food for the bagged meals and to sort through edible donations. So much bread is donated to the kitchen that it often goes bad before it is used. It was hard to see food go to waste, but perishable items are hard to distribute quickly.

The most defining experience of the trip for me was the barbeque. Together with the other school visiting YSOP we cooked, served, and ate a meal with homeless community members. It was both rewarding and fun because I saw how easy conversation was, and what wonderful people they were! Learning peoples' individual stories was really interesting, and some great conversations took place - many about Obama, everybody loved him! I had a wonderful time and met fantastic people that we then saw around DC over the next few days.

YSOP in DC was a great experience. Upon returning, I have sought out opportunities for service work here in Rhode Island. I've been working at the Food Bank this week, because the DC YSOP trip had taught me that my time and work is valuable and that the work I do makes a difference.

-Ariel G

DC Trip Week 2

My experience on the trip to work with YSOP in Washington DC was full of surprises. My first surprise of the week was the day we arrived when I saw the incredibly clean and neat condition of the Youth Hostel where we were staying. It was much nicer than what I had been expecting. Then, that same night, while we were visiting the church in which YSOP is based we were split into groups and given our folders that determined the different sites we would be going to work at that week. This was my second surprise because I had not realized we would be working with different organizations that all addressed the issues of homelessness. The first day my group went to work with Elder Buddies. We went to a subsidized housing unit where we met an amazing social worker named Karen who explained the whole process to us. Our job that day was to help clean the apartment of an elderly woman who was unable to maintain her apartment by herself and was running the risk of being evicted. At first, this woman, Mrs. H., did not want our help. She was very insistent that we were not supposed to be there until Thursday and that all she wanted cleaned was her oven. Karen spoke kindly to Mrs. H. as we waited patiently in the hall and she eventually succeeded in convincing Mrs. H. to allow us into her home. The first thing that struck us was the smell. It was awful and then as our eyes adjusted to the lighting we could see that a lot more needed to be cleaned than just the oven. We immediately went to work cleaning the oven, cabinets (inside and out), counters, dishes and eventually the floor. I was surprised someone could live in such a filthy environment. The whole time we were there Karen, the social worker, talked with Mrs. H. and tried to make our presence in her home as positive as possible. By the time we were about to leave we had run errands, made noticeable impact in the messiness of the apartment, and had opened Mrs. H. to the idea of volunteers helping her to maintain her home. After we finished, even though a lot more work could have been done, the manager of the apartments came up to inspect our work. She was very happy with the progress we had made, and surprisingly so was Mrs. H. She kept thanking us and saying how when we first arrived she “was getting madder by the minute” but now that we had done such good work she would allow for volunteers to come in once a month. This news made Karen extremely happy and she also repeatedly thanked us and said how perfect the whole day had gone. After working so hard and in such a sad situation, an elderly woman living alone in a dirty apartment with no one to look after her, it felt really good to know we had made a difference. This experience was one of my favorites of the entire week because we were able to directly help and interact with the people we were offering our service to and we were able to see the happy and positive results of our actions. Over the rest of the week, the majority of our work was not as direct. We worked at DC Central Kitchen where I chopped at least a hundred green peppers, at Food and Friends where I unpackaged and repackaged tons of raisin boxes and helped assemble bagged meals, at Community of Hope where we attempted to help kids with their homework after school (even when they did not want to do it or “didn’t have any”), and at an organization that helped homeless women put their lives back together where we cleaned a kitchen, sorted clothes, and moved in new beds. Another great part of this week that I really enjoyed was the Community Meal. This meal was really special because we cooked, served and shared this meal with 40 guests who were part of the homeless community. This meal gave me the opportunity to get to know some really interesting people and hear their stories. I learned to play poker, was able to hear lively singing while I ate, and met an amazing artist who drew portraits with colored pencil that if you saw you would swear were a photograph. The entire trip was amazing and filled with pleasant surprises. I could not have asked for a better experience on my community service trip. I really want to thank all my classmates who were worked next to me through both the sad jobs and the fun jobs and I want to thank our chaperones for watching us and making us feel safe.

Thanks,
Lauren

YSOP Week 2

Our trip to Washington DC was a completely eye-opening experience. My group, the Yellow Group, had the opportunity to work at a variety of sites throughout the week. Our work at Thrive DC on Tuesday was our first interaction with the homeless community, as we served and prepared food for breakfast and dinner. Thrive serves around 400 people daily for breakfast and around 300 for dinner. At just one location, these numbers were absolutely staggering. From there, we walked down the street to Open Door Women's Shelter. Although we did not interact with anyone at this location, it was sad to hear the story of this shelter. They have 108 emergency beds available for women ages 18 and up, and every night they are at full capacity. Sometimes they even have to turn women away, with the exception of hypothermic and hyperthermic conditions. As we walked around the center cleaning walls and windows, we were able to see the beds where the women stayed each night. Most of the beds had been made entirely personal, with pictures on the walls, Bibles on the lockers, and comforters covering the beds. The next day, we had an amazing time at Food & Friends, an organization that prepares and delivers food for people in the DC area with life-challenging illnesses. The staff were so lively and excited to see us, that it made our experience that much better. We were fortunate enough to meet a girl named Rosa, who was both deaf and mute. We got to know her by writing notes back and forth on a pad of paper. For me, it was very encouraging to meet someone who did not let her disabilities challenge her. Dress For Success, our site for Thursday, we organized their facility. I was able to work with some of the clients who came in. These are homeless or low-income women who have been referred to DFS by their shelters and are looking to enter the work force. DFS provides them work appropriate clothing so they can go to interviews and feel confident in their appearance. Our final day in DC was perhaps the most difficult. Our work with Elder Buddies has left a lasting impression on me. We cleaned the apartment of an older woman who was mentally challenged. The room was filthy, infested with cockroaches, termites, and a few mice. It was so sad to see this woman, who was very sweet, fall apart when something was thrown away. I'm glad we had the opportunity to see this other side of living, and I'm also glad I had the opportunity to talk with her, but it was definitely challenging to be there.

I had an amazing time on the service trip. I really think that the only way to be fully aware of the issue of homelessness and its effect on the community is to work within it. It was very humbling to be in the presence of the people we met, and to see how positive they were. It was so easy to carry on a conversation with them, and seeing them on the street, I would not have known that most of them are homeless. In all, it was an amazing week, and I'm so grateful to have had to opportunity to go on this trip.

--Andrea

Washington DC Service Trip (Week 2) and Laurel Hill

The service trip to Washington DC was an extremely eye-opening experience and it was a great way to wrap up senior year. Each day, our group was sent to a different service site where we worked for the day doing various activities dealing with homelessness. On the first day, our group visited a kitchen called Thrive DC where we helped prepare food for dinner that night; that same afternoon, we went to an emergency women's shelter called Open Doors where we did a lot of cleaning before the women came into the shelter for the evening. The next day, our group visited a site called Food & Friends, an organization that prepares and delivers food to HIV-AIDS patients in the Washington DC area. All morning, our group cooked food and in the afternoon, we put all the food in bags to be sent to the homes of the patients. The next day, we visited a site called Dress for Success, which is an organization that provides work-appropriate clothing, shoes, and accessories for homeless women who are going on job interviews or are already in the workforce. At Dress for Success, we organized shipments of jewelry and we also had the chance to do some fittings with the clients who came in that day. On the last day, we did Elder Buddies, a program that helps elderly people who are at risk of being evicted clean their apartments. The apartment that we cleaned was absolutely filthy and the woman who was living there was mentally ill; this experience was very sad because this woman wasn't really fit to be living on her own, but she was alone, confused, and pretty much helpless in her current situation. The good thing about this experience, however, is that our group helped to open this woman's mind to the idea of volunteers helping to clean her apartment.

Although I really enjoyed the service sites every day, my favorite part of the trip was the Community Meal that we had on Wednesday night. All the girls from Lincoln made a big cookout-style dinner and dessert and then we served it and ate dinner with the homeless community who came to the YSOP headquarters that night. I thought that this was a really cool way to set up dinner because it was so different from the common soup-kitchen style meal that is more like a lunch-lady assembly line. All of the volunteers had great conversations with the people we met that night, and I will always cherish that experience.

Going on the trip to DC was a realistic glimpse into a completely different lifestyle from my own, and it has really encouraged me to get more involved in helping with the issue of homelessness. 

I also did a week a Laurel Hill before going to DC and I've returned to the school this week to work with Room 17, a 5th Grade classroom. I have absolutely loved my time at Laurel Hill; the kids that I've worked with are extremely enthusiastic in everything that they do and they are also very grateful for the things that they have, even though most of them do not have much. Like Jade said in a previous post, working at Laurel Hill is very rewarding but also frustrating because there is only so much that we can do for these kids. I feel like I have 23 new siblings that I want to bring home with me, but all I can really do is help them with their school work for a few hours a day. As fifth graders, they all have a great deal of academic potential and I hope that all of them will continue on a straight path until they obtain the success that they deserve, but some of these kids don't have great support-systems at home or sufficient resources financially. Hopefully their academic curiosity will carry them through these difficult situations. Before volunteering at Laurel Hill, I never thought I had enough patience to put up with kids and I never thought that I would enjoy teaching, but my time in Room 17 has completely proved me wrong.

I hope that you all are having great service internships as well. See you Friday!

Love,

Haley

Washington D.C- week 2

This past week I went to Washington D.C and helped the homeless community through the YSOP program. For four days, we split up into groups of about 4 people and went to different work sites around D.C. On Tuesday, my group went to an organization called Bread for the City, where we packed bags of food to give out to the hungry. On Wednesday our group went to Rachel’s women’s shelter, where we painted shelves, sorted clothing, gardened, and served food. While our first day was quite fun and rewarding, we felt as if our presence was not being utilized by the people at Rachel’s women’s shelter. However later that day, all of the groups came together to prepare a picnic dinner at the Church of Epiphany for the homeless. This night was perhaps my favorite night of all because I not only met some very fascinating people, but I was also able to see that homelessness can happen to anyone. On Thursday, our group went to an elderly woman’s home to clean up her apartment. This trip was organized through elder buddies, an organization that sends in groups to clean up apartments that violate the building regulations and are verge of eviction. Later that day, we worked with Thrive D.C and helped build desks for their new offices that will help them spend less money on rent. Although we did not get to serve the homeless community directly, we were able to serve and prepare food on Friday. Overall, the week was extremely interesting and rewarding. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and interact with so many intriguing people. It was an enlightening experience that showed me a new aspect of society.

Asha Tipirneni

I went on the second week of the Washington DC trip. It was truly a fantastic experience and am extremely happy that I went on it. Everything about the trip was eye-opening, which was the goal of our trip. The hostels were definitely not what I expected, they were better. I was very content with the way things turned out . The first day we were split up into groups and went off to our service spots.  My group and I went to “Bread for the City,” and it was a food pantry where people would come and get bagged food for them and their families. We were helpful and benefited the community. We were open to any job that anyone asked us to do. We left there feeling like we definitely made a difference and helped the homeless community. The second day of service was the Rachael’s Women Center. This was a bit more deceiving because the women were not at all pleasant and we didn’t get the feeling that they appreciated the work we were doing. We helped bag and organize clothes and accessories in the basement, painted doors, organized closets, picked weeds, helped serve food and picked up litter. Our third day of service consisted of going to Elder Buddies and Thrive DC. For  Elder Buddies we went to a woman’s apartment and helped her from being evicted. She was a hoarder, which is a disease of keeping everything and having clutter. We helped her clean and organize everything, there were 5 full garbage bags of stuff just from the kitchen and bedroom. That day of Thrive DC was not very rewarding we were supposed to help cook, however, we put a desk together because they were moving. The last day was probably my favorite day, we went to Thrive DC again. We helped prepare food and served it to 265 people. The time went by quick because we were focused and all busy on our own jobs-it was very efficient. I enjoyed myself very much on this trip and would definitely recommend it to underclassmen for their Senior project. I have a much different view of the world and homeless people in general. It is a good experience for anyone to go through. I feel like I was appreciated and know that I made a difference. It was overall awesome!

YSOP in Washington DC- Week 2

On my trip to DC, I got a greater perspective on the idea of homelessness. Although we were helping the homeless in some way at each of our service sites, I felt more successful and helpful at some than at others. For example, when we cleaned the apartment of an elderly woman in subsidized housing who was at risk of eviction, I felt more accomplished than when I unwrapped the plastic off of boxes of raisins. I think I felt more aware of the help I was providing when I got to see the people I was serving and their reaction to my help. My favorite act of service was the dinner at YSOP, where we cooked, served, and partook in a meal with 40 homeless guests. One thing that struck me last week was the range of the homeless people that we saw. It went from the "pregnant" woman covered in her own feces who spit on Alex, to an eloquent man sitting with his laptop dressed like a businessman. Overall, the week in DC made me think about how much work there is out there and how any little bit helps even if it doesn't feel like you're doing much. Also, actually spending time with the homeless, which I had never done before, was eye-opening because it made me realize how similar most of them are to people who have a home. 

HOME

I spent my service trip at HOME, which consists of many physical parts, like a saw and shingle mill, food pantry, garden/greenhouse, stained glass and jewelry buildings, and the learning center. All of these parts are present to assist people in making the transition from homelessness to successful independence. During my time at HOME, I mowed lawns, set down garden beds, weeded, planted broccoli plants, sorted metal, worked in the daycare, organized a closet, swept saw dust, and sorted lumber. What struck me the most about HOME is the uniqueness of the culture and community present. At HOME, there’s no division between those employed by HOME, those volunteering for HOME, and those whom HOME is “serving”. As a volunteer, I did not feel excluded or different from those who have been a part of HOME for a while. Another aspect that I liked about the organization was that I got to meet not only individuals, but families. On our first day at HOME, a couple of us briefly worked with a man named Jason and helped him move wood and sort metal. Then, we went to lunch at the main building where his wife Destinee is the main cook. The next day when I went to the daycare, I played with Emma, their four year old daughter. Through these interactions, I understood each of these 3 individuals better because I got to work with the people they care about and who make up their family. When first arriving at HOME, I had trouble really understanding how my work was benefiting people. For example, on the first day I spent a great majority of the morning mowing lawns. I didn’t understand how I was helping someone by mowing a lawn whose grass would be grown back by the time we were leaving; I felt that I needed to leave a more permanent mark. It wasn’t until our final day when I realized that our work was in fact benefiting others. Though a few of the things we did may have initially seemed trivial and unimportant to me, they certainly seemed important to those whom they benefited. By the time we were leaving, people were thanking us for our help with gardening, saw sweeping, and organizing and I realized that our service group really did make a difference. 

Grace

Second Week of DC

Hi everyone! 

I was on the second YSOP trip to Washington which I personally thought was a great success. On Tuesday, two groups combined and went to Bread for the City, a food pantry in DC which provides groceries for the homeless. The group was able to compose probably hundreds of bags of food and organize several shipments that arrived during our time there. I really liked working there because I felt as though I was helping people directly. We could see who we were helping, since they came in to get food while we were there. Wednesday, however, our group went to Rachael's Women's Shelter. We didn't feel as though it was very organized and didn't really feel like we were actually helping anyone directly, since one of the jobs we did was paint the inside of the closet. There wasn't a very positive energy there, compared to Bread for the City so we didn't enjoy our time there as much. That evening, however, was the Community Meal. This was probably my favorite aspect of the entire trip; I really loved hearing the stories and getting to relate more to each person's situation. It was very nice to be on the same level without the potential barriers that are around every day. Thursday was very busy; we went through Elder Buddies and helped and elderly woman who was a hoarder clean her apartment because she was at risk for eviction. She was really sweet, but it was slightly painful to have to throw things out because it was obvious how much it all meant to her. After doing this, we went to Thrive DC, where we put together the bottom half of an office desk during our time there. While we didn't feel as though we were helping homeless people directly, I think we were able to help Thrive better serve the community by taking care of some tasks that were looming over their heads. We finished our week at Thrive again in the morning, and we served breakfast to approximately 80 homeless people. This was another highlight and it was great to see the people we actually were helping. All in all, it was a very successful trip and it was extremely gratifying, if not a bit emotionally draining.

Thanks!

Abbey C.

2nd YSOP DC Trip

Hello Friends! I just recently caught up on my sleep from the midnight train ride and figured that I would share my experience in DC with you. All in all, I had a really good time and learned a lot about homeless people and their situations. The first day of service I went to a food bank called Bread in the City and made bags of canned food. By the end of the day, we had probably made about 400 bags of food and we had a good time doing it. We made an assembly line so we were super efficient. This was definately my favorite day because it really felt like we were making a difference. That night we had two guest speakers, who were both homeless. I really enjoyed hearing from them, and I would probably say that it was during this speach that my views of homeless people changed the most. The next day I went to Rachel's Women Center, which is a shelter for women. We bagged clothes to go to a thrift shop, and then we painted a closet. That night, we made, served, and then ate dinner with about 45 homeless people back at the YSOP church. I met a man named Shady, and a few days later when I was at another site I saw him and he remembered my name! Very exciting. The next day I worked with a program called Elder Buddies and we helped clean out a woman's apt so that she wouldn't get evicted. She was a hoarder and had unopened mail from the 1980's. After that, we went to Thrive DC and attempted to help them put together a desk. The final day we went back to Thrive DC and worked in the kitchen. I'm glad that I was able to go on this service trip because I learned a lot and feel like I really made a difference!

Love, Becca B.

Service Trip to Maine!

Hey! So Friday morning Chelsea, Cameron, Theresa, grace, Mrs.V, Mrs Bodell and i returned from our little journey into the depths of Maine. We spent the week in Orland, Maine at a place called H.O.M.E. which stands for Home workers organized for more employment, a fitting acronym seeing as how HOME helps to rehabilitate and teach people who have nothing. The general "mission" of HOME, or at least what i understand of it, is to provide shelter, food, lodging, work, and community to people who need help getting back on their feet. So, a person transitioning from homelessness to a state of having a home can stay at HOME and work until everything is finalized. But that's not all because families can use the soup kitchen aspect of HOME if they don't have enough food, or the grocery food is too expensive. HOME also has these workshops, a pottery barn, leather shop, glass shop and weaving barn that people can take lessons from and learn the trade. The things that happen at HOME are very exciting and really cool, even if the campus is a little run down and shabby. The work that we did changed with each day or even within the day. As soon as one project was finished we moved on to another -- the amount of work needed to be done was, and still is, endless.

Trip to H.O.M.E Orland, Maine

Our service trip to Maine this past week was an amazingly unique, enriching, and enlightening experience. There we worked in the shingle mill, saw mill, gardens, bargain barn, and soup kitchen. It was hard and tiring work that took most of our energy and gave us some new muscles, but was well worth the effort. In the community at H.O.M.E, there is no difference between the employees, borders, and volunteers, which made working and living there truly enjoyable. I have yet to experience the kindness, openness, understanding, and warmth that was shown to me and the rest of our group by the people at H.O.M.E in any of my other service learning trips. Although the facilities were rundown and in need of some serious repair, the people's enthusiasm and care for our well being as guests in their co-op erased all initial misgivings we definitely had upon our arrival. I would say on the whole the trip was a success, and I will never forget the memories I made with my fellow classmates and teachers.
Chelsea

Maine service trip to H.O.M.E.

Hey guys! So my group and I got back from Maine last friday and my experience at H.O.M.E. (Homeworkers Organized for More Employment) was definitely one that I will never forget. I met so many different people that live and work there, and after only four days, I felt as if I was already part of their community. Each day my group and I were split up into smaller groups, and we went to different places on the campus such as the shingle mill, the saw mill, the childcare center, the soup kitchen, and the garden. We did everything from raking, planting, weed wacking, lifting, organizing etc., and helped in any area where the directors needed us to be. H.O.M.E. consists of a variety of craft centers and work sites that all together make up a community where homeless individuals and families can go to seek shelter, to sign up for food donations, or to just see a friendly face to talk to, and because of its small size, we were able to contribute to all of these different areas as we worked. What I admired most as an outsider was that everyone there strives to help anyone that asks for help, and as the second largest employer in Orland, Maine (it actually only employs 40 people), they have become a huge part of the outside community. It felt good to be contributing to the up-keep and mainteneance of a place that allows for many people to get back on their feet and gives many back their hopes and dreams for the future. Overall, I can say without a doubt that my experience was a very eye-opening and worth-while one (although being constantly dirty and cold took some getting used to:)), and I will take my experiences with me for the future!
-Cameron

YSOP second week

Last week in DC with the YSOP program was a really great experience for me and I really feel like I have walked away with a sense of fulfillment and like I have accomplished something great. We were broken up into smaller groups and sent to different work sites every day. On the first day the red group (lydia, lauren and dee and later in the week ruthie) were sent to an old woman's apartment through the program Elder Buddies. Our job was to clean her home because she was at risk of being evicted. Although she was very resistant at first, we eventually were allowed into her home where we cleaned her kitchen. Her kitchen had clearly not been cleaned in a very long time. The smell was overwhelming and at first I thought I was going to throw up all over her floor. But after a few hours of work, we had cleaned up her kitchen. Lydia had the task of cleaning the pots and pans and throwing out the many jars on her counter that were filled with a questionable substance that looked like jelly fish. This was certainly not a glamorous job and her apartment still needed more work, but probably the best moment of the day was when she told the social worker we were there with that she would allow volunteers to come every month to clean her home. She was so angry when we first arrived and so resistant to our help and to see that change of attitude gave me a real sense of hope for her future. Elder Buddies is a really great program because it helps to prevent homelessness and provides services to a population that is in such great need.

YSOP, Washington, DC May 18-22

The week in Washington, DC was an amazing one filled with so much hard work for a variety of sites that provide services for a needy population. We worked in a food bank called Bread for the City; the DC Central Kitchen, that provides over 4700 meals for shelters throughout Washington; Christ Church, a medical facility for men with medical needs that are one step above a regular hospital; and Dress for Success, where women have the opportunity to get suits, dresses and accessories for their work experiences. I have done service here in RI for food banks, however, I never really interacted with the people that I served. It was eye-opening to actually sit and share a meal with a homeless person and to hear their story. The people with whom I spoke were intelligent, but just got some unfortunate breaks and made some bad decisions. Some were just born into that lifestyle and were having such a hard time breaking out.

The whole experience has motivated me to work even harder in our state and to create opportunities for the members of the new Freshman class to work together in the next four years. I hope work along side our students and to learn important lessons with them through service projects while here at Lincoln. I hope we can plan mini service projects throughout the next four years, and not simply wait for senior year.

Living in the Youth Hostel was a sobering experience. This community sharing was sometimes difficult, but an important part of the experience in coming out of my comfort level!

Special Olympics with Credit Union Association

Hi my classmates!
I am doing my internship in Pawtucket Credit Union (PCU). I am shadowing Mrs. Rojas -a Community Development officer. Last Friday, there was the Rhode Island Special Olympics took place in URI. Not only the officers of PCU but those of the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island came to help and to have fun with those who are a lot less fortunate than us. There were 1,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities and closely related developmental disabilities; meanwhile, there were approximately 500 volunteers. Our job was to assist the athletes since they entered the Old gym until they started to compete in the indoor track gym. We took the athletes to register and lined them in groups of each event or in teams. For teammates, we helped them put on team’s shirts and numbers in order. Then we either took the athletes into the indoor track gym to compete or waited for other teams to finish until it was our turn. Doing this job and communicating with the athletes, I realized that although the athletes are disabled, sometimes are over-emotional and are having difficulties in controlling themselves, they are very kind, naïve, friendly and passionate in what they are doing. They focused, tried hard and determined to get the medals. The athletes have their talents in sports and desire to have such an Olympics just like normal people do. Though we were worn out by walking back and forth, standing, energetically talking to the athletes all day, I could see the joys and excitement of the athletes as well as their families and I felt that it was so worthwhile to be a contribution that made the Special Olympics possible.
-Hana-

Cape Cod (May 18th-May 22nd)

CAPE COD GIRLS said...
Today, the cape cod girls went to Habitat for Humanity. Even though we had to wake up really early and had a 8 hour day, it was well worth it. We meet tons of people who live on the Cape all year round and want to help their community. We meet several women and men that build house every tuesday and saturday. They were very excited to see young new faces (they are all retired and enjoying life.) What surprised me the most was that when i asked the people what they did, i got a wide variety of professions. One man comes every tuesday but on the other days, he makes his own software. When i asked him why he is doing it, he simply replied because working with a chainsaw was fun. Another woman who was working there is actually going to recieve one of the houses and said that she has been working on these houses since april. It was nice to see the sense of community in this small team working to help others build a future.
It was a long, hard day but we all felt like we had completed something worth while. I can't wait to come back in the future to see the actually houses we helped build (we put about 20 window frame/door frames together). I am looking forward to tomorrow when we go to the WE CAN group which helps abused and unemployed women get their lives on track and feel empowered.

-Kathryn Veale (Cape Cod)

May 19, 2009 4:26 PM

CAPE COD GIRLS said...
Today, the cape cod girls went to We Can. Today was not a hard working day compared to yesterdays but todays meeting was one of the most interesting meetings I have sat in on listening to Arlene Kirsch who is the Directior of We Can. We Can is an organization that focuses on Women impowerment.
" Helping Cape Cod women help themselves" is the quote the mentors focus on to help out the women who have a little bump in their lives. We Can has a group called " Pathmakers" which is a group of women who meet with mentors as much as needed and sit with them and listen. The mentors are not there to fix anything that is wrong in their lives but they are there to listen, give them any type of advice they can give and also to be very supposrtive with whatever they decide to do with their lives. This program is to help boost the sel-esteem in women. Another group they have is for the younger women. Women between 18-25 yrs old. This is a group to help guide 18 yr olds pick the right careers and start ont eh right path before they start going int eh wrong direction. But I am really looking foward to activites planned for the day tomorrow.

May 20, 2009 10:55 PM

CAPE COD GIRLS said...
Today, the Cape Cod Crew had a great day enjoying two different activities. Waking up at seven thirty this morning the crew went to Mass Audobon to search for Horseshoe crabs.This is important for reasearch because this type of animal is going extinct because people are using them for bait and their blood for medicine. Our group of four split up into two and we searched every foot of the beach (at high tide) to count the number of horseshoe crabs. This event was alot of fun because we got to meet two wonderful women who were doing it with us, and it was very educational because we learned how horseshoe crabs mate and we actually got to see it! Following this activitie, we ate a quick lunch and went to the Family Pantry in Harwich Cape Cod. There we divided food into different categories and helped box them. Today was a great learning axperience and was very satisfying for the soal.

-Heather

May 21, 2009 3:47 PM

CAPE COD GIRLS said...
On friday of our busy week, the cape cod girls had a very exciting day! The first of our two activities planned for the day consisted of waking up at 7 and heading about a half an hour away to work with the national seashore. Our day began with meeting a number of park rangers who were thrilled to have us on site. Next Barbara Dougan, a Cape Cod National Seashore Education specialist, informed us that we would be working with a group of 35 fourth graders from a local school. Our group of 4 girls was then split and placed into three groups, each of which was paired up with a park ranger. We then were instructed in and helped to run three activity groups for the children. Although weary at first about our knowledge of the plants and creatures along the beach, the morning turned out to be nothing less than wonderful. Not only was it a great experience to work with the children, but I think that I speak for all of the cape cod girls when I say that we all learned a great deal from both the rangers and the students.
After leaving the site of the field trip, and having a quick lunch, the real fun began. We took a van with Pat, a park ranger, and headed toward Provincetown. In Provincetown we were able to see a fin whale that had washed up the night before. It was about 4 or 5 years old, and it was concluded that it had died while still out at sea. The whale was about 45 feet long! We were able to get right up close to the whale, and it was absolutely amazing! Once we had seen the whale we headed back to Harwich, and were able to see a few of the many gorgeous beaches along the way!


-MacKenzie

May 27, 2009 6:26 PM

Sara Fich NH Trip

Hey! We came back from Hebron on Saturday, after a great week. Each day was different, because we would help out different people and different groups each day. We raked, cleaned, planted, mowed, emptied a pool, washed dishes, polyurethaned walls, and about a million other things. We had a great time with everything, because everyone we helped out was so sweet and enthusiastic, and really appreciated our help. One of the most memorable times was the first day, where Sarah T., Ms. Young and I went to help a woman named Jane, who, in addition to having lost family members, was also undergoing chemotherapy. We helped her ready a garden for planting, and helped her empty her above ground pool. It took a lot of work to just find the right tools, and we learned some valuable lessons, such as "water is wet." Sarah even created a game of racing dandelions in the stream, which really brightened Jane's day. Throughout the week, we did so many things, making soup to deliver to those who needed it, painting the window frames in a church, and getting our hands covered in polyurethane when we readied a bathroom for incoming campers. The camp, called the Circle Program, is a camp for at risk girls. We even got to spend a day at the local elementary school, where we decorated the cafeteria and spent time in the kindergarten and first grade. As I said before, our help was appreciated, and we had so much fun doing our work.
We stayed at Michelle's house in New Hampshire, and, living together, managed to divide the tasks of cooking somewhat evenly, and had so much fun playing games, holding random dance parties, and even having a campfire. Every part of the trip was fun, and we hope to continue relations between Lincoln and Hebron.

Laurel Hill School, Room 4

So, I have been at Laurel Hill for 5 days so far and I have three left. I have been working in Room 4, a 5th grade class, with Mrs. Celio and her 22 students. All of the kids are great and have been very welcoming and friendly. So far, I have realized how lucky I am to go to Lincoln and have the caring family and friends that I do have. A lot of these kids come from difficult lifestyles and have little to no support at home. Being able to go to Laurel Hill everyday has been a privilege. Being able to help these kids, whether it be with their art projects, writing, reading, or just to be able to talk to, has been something I want to do more and more everyday. Being at Laurel Hill has also been very frustrating. When I drive home everyday I have a yearn to pack all 22 of the students in my car and give them a safe ride home, but I know I can't intervene with their lives. I want to bring some of them breakfast in the morning or buy each and every one of them their own pack of pencils. I always take my car for granted as something I will always have, I always opt to not eat breakfast when a lot of these kids don't have that choice, and I always have had ample amounts of pencils both in the classroom and at home. The way some of these kids live is unfair, the information these kids know about sex, drinking, and drugs, is insane, and the the way that I can't fix any of it on my own frustrates me. I know that the impression I make on these kids is semi-permanent. Some of them don't remember the name of their teacher last year, but they do remember meeting Margo and how she went to China, or Brie and that her real name was Gabriella and every single sport she played. I don't think I will ever know how big of a change I have made in their lives.

Hebron NH, Sarah Tenney

Hey there! It's Sarah Tenney. I just got home from the New Hampshire trip! Mechelle, Jess, Sara FK, Roby, Ms. Young, and I went to Hebron where we organized a trip through the church. Reverend Ficher helped us set up a week where we did several different things: helping elderly members of the community with chores and yard work they were unable to do, working at the church soup kitchen, helping at the local elementary school, painting the church, and fixing up a camp- The Circle Program for at risk girls- before they arrived for the summer. Although I had a lot of fun at each different place we worked, I had the most fun when we were able to interact directly with the people we were helping. Mr. Wayland was one of the elderly people we helped out. He had an amazing garden in his back yard. He had some back problems and couldn't bend down to plant the seed this year so we were able to do it for him. We also got to learn a lot about the different vegetables he grew and his techniques for planting them. He said he had grown up on a farm and had always kept a garden. I even got to drive his tractor! Another aspect of this trip was that we had no Internet or TV for the entire week. This turned out to be one of the greatest parts of the trip, we all brought along our favorite games and played Settlers, Pit, Uno, cards, and Sorry each week. The trip turned into a great bonding experience and a lot like summer camp! Although we only spent a week, I think our work had a lasting impression on those we helped, not only did we help with yard work or cleaning, but we also brought the people we helped laughs and had a great time no matter what we were doing. For example, Jane was a woman we helped- she needed us to do some yard work and help her drain her pool. When we were draining the pool there wasn't much to do but to sit and wait for the water to lower so we could clean it and while we were waiting I decided that we should race dandelions down the stream of water. Jane was laughing the whole time and we all had a lot of fun. She lived alone and I think she enjoyed our company more than anything. Later Reverend Ficher told us that everyone in town we had either helped or had herd the stories from our adventures. I think our time in Hebron showed that Lincoln girls can really make a difference in people's lives and that we can have fun doing it.

Greenbush Elementary

Hey everyone, it's Michelle Fontaine. I am doing my service project at Greenbush Elementary school in West Warwick, Rhode Island. I am currently shadowing and helping the art teacher, Mrs. Cosgrove. She teaches all day long and sometimes after school. Helping her has been a great experience because I get to see what it is like being an art teacher, but I also get to be around her students and get to know them. Even though it has been only four days into my senior project, I will be sad to leave them all because the students have been so kind and funny, I never want to leave them. The best part about being there is that I can use my art major skills in order to help the kids get to understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. I get to demonstrate activities, like finger painting and drawing. Currently all the grades are working on some amazing projects. The kindergarten classes are finger painting. The first grade and second grade are making line monsters. The third grade are making puppets. The fourth grade are making hot and cold pictures and finally, the fifth grade are one-point perspective drawings. I am able to help each grade get a fuller understanding of what they are doing and how to do it, which is a great feeling for me. Anyways I have 5 days left and I am hoping to make the best out of it.

Michelle Fontaine

Looking forward to hearing from all of you!

Several girls are already at work at Laurel Hill School this week. I will check in on them on Thursday. The principal there, Dorothy Smith, is very welcoming and this is a great school!

I am looking forward to hearing from the class of 2009 this week and hear about all of your internships. Good luck!

Mrs. Sweeney

Learning Through Service - 2009

Dear Seniors,

This blog will help you keep in touch during your service learning project. It is an open classroom allowing you to be your own teachers. Do not hesitate to write comments, add pictures and videos, and reflect on your project before, during and after your internship. Remember that you are in charge of your learning process.

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