Washington D.C Service Trip

Hello everyone,

For my senior act of service I decided to go on the Washington D.C service trip. I thought it would be a new and possibly challenging experience to go to a new environment such as D.C and preform various acts of community service. In Rhode Island, I have preformed multiple acts of community service and they have all had different impacts on my life. While in D.C, I realized my favorite kind of service act is working at soup kitchens or anything having to do with giving food to the homeless and hungry. Since there are not as many homeless/hungry people in Rhode Island, Washington D.C was a completely new experience and was actually very fun. My expectations for this trip were at an average level but from the moment we got there they seemed to continue to increase. The atmosphere in the city of D.C was a new and fresh and I especially liked walking around and discovering the city during the nights that we were there. However, the trip definitely kicked off after we were assigned our tasks for the week at YSOP.

Our service started off the second day we got there and I was in a team with Mrs. DiChiaro, Jill, Chelsea, Eliza, and Alex. We named our team S.O.S (Share Our Service) and we were told that we were going to be working with food all week. I had never worked at any sorts of soup kitchens before so I was a bit nervous but it actually turned out to be the most rewarding and enjoyable acts of community service I have ever done before. The places we served at were: S.O.M.E (So Others May Eat), Food for Friends, and DC Kitchen. Unfortunately, we missed the day we were going to go to the local food bank which was one I was looking forward to because I like working at food banks. I must say the most inspirational and enthusiastic place we served at was S.O.M.E. The fact that everyone was cheerful and eager to work towards a common goal in serving many homeless/hungry people of D.C made it so much more of a great experience for us as volunteers at a place we had never been before. After the first few minutes, we felt as if we were back at home and not hundreds of miles away. With that, I took away a gratitude filled experience. This made me think that if every place were just as enjoyable I would want to volunteer there all the time which helps them a lot. With welcoming and grateful people, comes a better volunteer outcome which (in this case) helped feed hundreds of people. If every organization can be like S.O.M.E then I feel as though people would volunteer more and problems such as hunger would be solved in a faster and more precise manner.

I am grateful and beyond impressed about the quality of this trip. If I could find soup kitchens in Rhode Island like the ones we serviced at in D.C I would volunteer more often which is among one of my goals for the next month.

Thank you all for such a memorable experience!

~Nikki F.

William D'Abate and Sackett Street School

I did my service project with Stacy at the William D'Abate Elementary School and Lilian Feinstein Elementary School at Sackett Stree. When Anita said that we could work with her friend Melissa Meyers (who the art majors work with a few times a year) I thought it sounded like a fun way to use my experience in art to help some kids whose art program is less than desirable. What I didn't expect was how much I would gain from the kids, the schools, and Ms. Meyers.
Our first school, William D'Abate, is in Olneyville and for the most part is a very underprivlaged student body. The kids at this school were really good and had far less disciplinary issues than at Sackett Street but their lack of an art room and art supplies is pretty low on the list of priorities. The neighborhood is tough, everyone around you speaks spanish, in many ways it feels like another country compared to the sheltered community of lincoln and the neighborhoods most of us have grown up in. At this school Melissa has a closet where she keeps supplies and a rolling cart to bring them from room to room. Our job was to help her get everything ready for each class and then Stacy and I would walk around the room as the kids worked and helped them with whatever questions they had about their project. The surprise at having these two older girls who weren't quite old enough to be real teachers never seemed to get old (at either school). The principal at this school was really friendly and involved in the school and he maked William D'Abate much more effective than the principal at Sackett. It was for this reason that we were only able to take pictures at D'Abate.
Our Second school was the school on Sackett Street. We were in for a culture shock here. Now for the most part I have to say the kids were really good and well behaved...however, there were several students with discipline and respect issues and they really stand out in my memory. In this school Ms. Meyeres has her own classroom but the support pretty much ends there. The principal in disengaged and though we never actually met her, the announcaments she gave in the morning and afternoon seemed incoherent. For a school with such a tough student body a principal lacking the skills to set discipline in place is an issue. With a more authoritative principal Sackett could be a really great school, so fortunately they will be getting a new one next year although no one knows who it will be. While most kids are good the kids who weren't were so far from what I have known it's hard to describe. They will directly defy what a teacher tells them to do, talk back, bully other kids, or just sit and refuse to do anything. It seemed to me that most of these kids just needed more support at home and at school but everyone seems more set on punishment or having them change school than anything. Lunch duty was really something...the teachers had whistles that were blown routinely (to no avail) and the kids were constantly screaming or being screamed at.
While the main focus of this entry has been on things that the schools or students lack, it is simply because we were so involved that we couldn't help but notice what the schools need. It's hard to know what kind of an impact our being there made on the kids, from the kids hugging us, remembering our names after only 30 minutes of class, and making us pictures, I think it is safe to say that even if we only helped for a few minnutes, it was a few more minutes of attention than most of the kids normally get in school.

An experience from my last day at Crossroads that evoked pondering...

Friday, May 28 was the last day Sarah and I would be at Crossroads. Friday was a sunny day. Lots of strollers were out and the families were enjoying the sunshine. Therefore, our turnout was not as high as we had hoped for. It being our last day and all we really wanted to say good by to DayShawn and Alia and their little sister. They never showed up.

There was a new mother who did show up, though. The mother looked to be about 15 or 16 years old and she was holding her little son. This was very sad for me to see because she was younger than both Sarah and I are and she had no one supporting her physically, emotionally, or financially. Where was the little boy's father? Where are her parents? I told her all about the activity (which was scrap booking) and showed her the demo Sarah and I had made. I enthusiastically talked to her for a good two minutes and all I got in return was a blank stare. I later learned that she only knew a few words of English. What is her future going to be like? She does not have a single person in the world that she can rely on. She does not have anyones couch to crash on. She is utterly and completely alone.

This is what I started thinking about: how easy would it have been that I would have been born into her position. I could have been that 16 year old girl. Any of us could be in that situation. What makes us different? Absolutely nothing. Therefore, why am I the one who gets to leave when 5:00 rolls around and go back to my house? This made me realize that if I were in that position I would want someone to volunteer her time to play with my little boy. I would want help. Therefore, this experience has taught me that it is not only unfair to sit around and not help but it is simply necessary that I do help. This one day at Crossroads has led me to believe that there are millions of people I could be right now. But I'm not. Since I am not, I have the opportunity to help. And that is what I know I truly need to do.

Oh District of Columbia...

Hello Hello!

So I’m going to be really honest here, because, you know, honesty is the best policy and such. I am also not going to summarize the entire trip and list my duties. Past posts probably already covered that. What I am going to do is express my true feelings about the service we preformed in Washington D.C., our lovely nation’s capitol.

I went on the DC trip for a couple reasons. One of which was to get away from Rhode Island; the other reason was that I thought serving the homeless would be good for me. I really have no desire to serve in my community. And it’s not even that DC is a different community, I just don’t think about service in a good way; this goes especially for the homeless. I don’t want to say I don’t care, I do, but I guess it is that I don’t care enough...point being I was pretty much surrounded by conceptions like ‘don’t give them money, they’ll use it for drugs’ or ‘he’s crazy, don’t go near him.’ (well, in New York, that’s kind of true, considering, like, 90% of the homeless there come from shut down physiatrist hospitals). I really counted on DC changing my mind not only about homelessness in general, but service in its entirety.

Okay, I’m not going to lie, I felt bad for most of the down-and-out people, but when I’m serving food to a homeless man who is talking merrily on his new looking touch screen cell phone, my previous misconceptions about homelessness were altered, alright. Then there was the guy dressed nicer than I was….I’m not saying I want them all to be dirty and destitute, but to have a cell phone you need both credit and an address, why was that guy at SOME (so others might eat)?? I really can’t get over it. Stop paying for the phone and buy food instead. But that is horribly insensitive of me.

Looking back, my perceptions of service and homelessness did change (like I will give money to the homeless I see- except that one on Thayer who just smokes all day) but something I didn’t expect effected me much more. The people who worked every day at those sights were amazing. They cant get paid that much, and some were volunteers, but still they came in and were nice, friendly, for the most part patient, and usually very happy! To do such meaningful work every day is really significant, and their attitudes (especially Michelle at SOME) were amazing. To see that level of destitution each day and continue joking, laughing, and having fun is really cool. After a while I’d get really jaded and bitter. Probably annoyed too. Of the entire trip, Miss Dot from DC central kitchen and Michelle were by far the most inspirational people I have ever met. Miss Dot had to be almost 80, can even drive anymore, but she was in that kitchen on a very hot day trying to teach some idiot volunteer how to properly and conservatively cut a tomato ( that volunteer being me, and I still can’t do it.). Good for her, you know? I admire that a lot, I wish I had that drive to help people, but if they don’t come to me and ask, I don’t seek out the needy. I probably should.

To conclude, I didn’t think I would learn anything from DC, but I kept an open mind and really enjoyed the work I did. I really admire the people involved with caring for the needy. I think I want to follow their lead and help, but not in the same way. They had hope for the future, maybe someday, hunger would be eliminated. Well, aside from going socialistic on the world (which I wont even get started on) I am going to go straight to the top of the political food chain one day and change things myself. Yeah, it’s a far set dream, but you never know….

I leave you now, with a song. Coldplay's Beautiful World; because even though it kind of sucks sometimes, life, and the world, are beautiful.



Looooove... Alex

Potbelly Manor & Fax House

Hello everyone. So I did my two weeks at two different places. I spent my first week at Smith & Abbys Potbelly manor in North Kingstown. It's basically a place that takes in abused animals of any kind, the kind of animals a shelter would not take in (for example: cows). It was really interesting to see how much work goes into taking care of a farm and how much money it takes. I spent a ton of time just playing and socialzing with the animals. It was not all fun though, I had to shovel poop from time to time too. All the animals have a "story." All the animals there are really sweet and loveable, but they've had really difficult lives.
My second week was done at the Fax house. The fax house is a state run place for aids, abused, and drug babies. They also had three toddlers staying with them while I was there and I spent most of my time playing with them. It's so much work taking care of 10 babies at a time! Most of these kids have had really tuff lives and they probably won't get any easier for a while. I really enjoyed my two weeks at both places!

Reflection on the DC Service Trip

Last week in DC was a learning experience for me. In the past I have done community service, but nothing like I experienced in DC. Typically I am used to doing community service where I have little to no interaction with the people that I am directly helping. On the first night of the service trip the group of Lincoln students prepared and served dinner to the homeless. We all worked in the kitchen to prepare chicken, vegetable stir fry, cole slaw, garlic bread, mashed potatoes, and brownies for dessert. The dinner from the preparations until the last person was out the door lasted about 4 hours. Not only was it a wonderful experience to see the people in our class on this trip work together to prepare the meal, but the most magical moment of the night was seeing everyone interact with a new friend. I took a few moments to myself and just glanced around the room and there was not one guest at our dinner that didn't have a smile one. It was a very heartwarming experience. The next morning my group was assigned to serve breakfast at Thrive DC. Again we prepared the food under the orders of a very strict chef, and we were able to serve around 150 people that morning. At Thrive DC I over heard a man telling a group of his friends about the wonderful chicken that he ate last night. Immediately we recognized the man and became reacquainted and he thanked us tirelessly for the wonderful meal. It was great to see first hand how much these people appreciated the work we were doing and how they passed the news along to their friends. Of course my group also painted a very long fence one morning and also chopped hundreds of potatoes, onions, and scallions, but the experiences I had directly with the people I was serving were the most inspiring to me.

This trip has inspired me to do more service in the future. Although I like the interaction during service, I also don't mind shopping thousands of vegetables because I know that no matter what, the people I am helping are thankful. Our generation has the ability to change many of the problems in the world, and every little thing helps.

Kelsey Puddington

Washington DC Service Trip

This trip was quite impacting and eyeopening. The sites I attended were much different from places I have been in Rhode Island. I found myself doing much work that was often hands on. I had never packed that many cakes, and sliced that many potatoes, ever. One of the sites that really impacted me was S.O.M.E, it was a kitchen where we fed two rounds of meals to the homeless. Now this was different from the other sites where we just packed the food; here we passed the plate down the line and eventually handed it to the people who walked in the door. It was amazing to see all the people who walked in the door, some were injured, others exhausted, and there were a few who were in good condition considering their situation. It was sad though to think that these were just the people who were aware of the service that S.O.M.E offered, and that others would go hungry that day because they were not educated on where the proper services were provided.
What really inspired me and excited me was the feeling I had at the end of the day. This would not have been possible if it wasn't for the team effort I took part of every day. As a team, Mrs. DiChiaro, Chelsea, Alex, Eliza, Nikki, and myself conquered the challenges and carried out our service as we attended each site. Working side by side these individuals not only made things more fun, but together we felt as we had accomplished something because we each had individual skills that worked to make an unstoppable team. It was clear when we did a job well done because we would be thanked over and over for our presence that day. It was clear that these tasks were not a one person job. Yes, these organizations exist but they mean nothing if they don't have people to help operate them.
In the end, this trip took my value of service to a whole new level. I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to serve another community and visit another community. This trip took the "number of service hours" out of the equation of serving for me. When you are doing something you enjoy and that benefits others, you totally lose sight of time. I sometimes wished we could spend more time at these places; we would work so fast and have so much fun doing it, the next thing we knew it was time to head back to the hostel. I hope that our experience impacts the underclassmen and that when we leave service will begin to play a larger part in the Lincoln community. We are such a small state, but we have so many girls in the community who are capable of sharing their talents to help serve others.

Thank you all who made this trip possible!

- Jill Soscia

D.C. Service Trip

For my service opportunity I choose to travel to Washington D.C. along with 20 other students to volunteer through the organization called YSOP. Staying in washington was a really interesting experience which opened my mind to the real statistics and challenges homeless people are faced with today. The service group I was paired with for the week consisted of Me, Melia, Gianna, Kara, Ruta and our chaperone Sarah.

Our first service position was at Martha's Table, an organization which is composed of three different programs all geared toward serving the community and helping the homeless. During the day our group worked for the program of Martha's Table called Mckenna's Wagon, this is a seven day a week mobile soup kitchen which makes and distributes meals for the homeless and brings them in a vehicle to the places the meals need to go. Due to the large number of people they feed(1200) we spent the day preparing and packaging food in order for it to be distributed. Although the work seemed tedious at first(Kara and I must have quartered at least 1,000 strawberries) it was clear that they appreciated all the help we were able to offer, they even made sure to thank us as well as let us know how much of a difference even the little things we did made for them.

Out of each service opportunity I had I must say that my last day at the organization Thrive D.C. was the most memorable because of how much I learned. The Managing Chef Kevin was extremely knowledgeable and prepared when it came to feeding the almost 200 men and women who attended the breakfast. He made use of all of our help by having us wash and clean dishes, prepare food for the next day, and serve the breakfast that morning. It amazed me how much work he did and how organized he was while working. The food he served was extremely well prepared and smelled great, he had many options which was important because not everyone likes the same thing. One of the tasks Ruta and I were assigned was to wash and thaw frozen fish and then once it was clean we had to soak it in eggs and then cover it in bread crumbs and put it on trays in preparation for the following day's meal. While the job was extremely smelly it really introduced me to the reality of preparing a meal for hundreds of people and also forced me to appreciate all the hard work volunteers like Kevin do to help others.

Overall the experience I had working with the homeless was great. I feel extremely lucky to have such an amazing life and family and after experiencing all that we did in Washington D.C. my life has changed for the better. I find myself having more compassion and understanding towards the homeless and I am eager to continue doing service this summer in Rhode Island.

-Mimi

Laurel Hill

For my service project I went to Laurel Hill Elementary School. I spent the past two weeks in Mrs. Hanley’s fifth grade class. During my time at Laurel Hill, I worked closely with each student helping them in English and math. I also assisted them with health posters that they created for the High School students from the MET. My class had the opportunity of having High School students from the MET come every Tuesday to teach them about health and fitness. Their assignment was to make posters displaying the information they learned throughout the weeks the MET students were there. I also had the chance to work with the kids in the gym, teaching them how to play basketball. This was especially fun because it was amazing to share something I love with kids who were so eager to learn. Over all, this experience is one that I know I will never forget. I feel as though I got to know each student personally and connected with each one on a personal level. I also had the privilege to watch a skilled teacher set high expectation for each of her students and support them in every way she could to have them be successful. I am very fortunate to have shared some time with Mrs. Hanley and her fifth grade students.

Jenna Lemoi

URI Equestrian Team

I know that this post might be some what late, but I just got back from Germany last night, and I am glad that I waited to write this post until now. Although I was in Germany to focus on myself and my own riding, I found myself thinking a lot about the URI Equestrian team, and how much they would have gotten out of an experience much like this one. The German system of riding is so much different then the system in the states, and so much more effective. A lot of the girls on the team only want to focus on jumping, and some think that drawing a good horse is the only way that you will be successful in riding in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and also in the other circuits that many of the girls compete in outside of the university. In Germany riders master both Dressage and Jumping, and they believe that a good rider can not be truly great without mastering at least the basic knowledge of these equine principles. I was very happy that I had the chance to volunteer with the URI Equestrian team because it gave me a great understanding of another side of the sport that I have never been involved in, and although I do not see myself ever switching over to the hunter/jumper ring from the dressage ring, I did find a lot of respect and understanding for the riders who do choose to compete in that field. I no longer as a dressage rider see the taboo of hunter/jumpers, as so many people in the dressage world do. This experience knocked me down to the bottom rungs of knowledge, as I could not offer much help to the riders except for the universal basics, which at first was uncomfortable for me because I am used to be asked so many questions and to give my opinion because in the dressage world, I know a lot. It was humbling to work with the URI Equestrian team, as well as a learning experience that I will not forget!

Jamestown Melrose Elementary School

Hello all!

I spent the past two weeks at the Melrose School in my home town of Jamestown. It is an elementary school of pre-k through 4th grade which I also attended. My time was primarily spent as a teacher's assistant in one of the fourth grade classrooms. I helped out where ever I was needed; some of my tasks included running errands, making copies, correcting assignments, and even teaching math lessons. Overall, I found the experience to be extremely rewarding. It reminded me of my childhood, something that I am pleased to have remembered in this transitional period of my life (from everything that I have known in my childhood to adulthood in college). There is one thing, however, that had the most profound affect on me and is what I would like to share with you all.

On my first day, the students walked in giving me skeptical looks. They didn't know who I was or why I was in their classroom. Gavin, one of the boys, asked Ms. Tuttle, (their teacher who I also had in the fourth grade) "Who's that?" Her response was, "This is Ms. Rounds." Ms. Rounds. That statement set me aback a bit. To me, someone with a Ms, Mrs, or Mr and a last name attached was an adult that I was to show respect. I had never thought of myself in this light before. Even though I am eighteen, which in our country marks adulthood, I had never thought of myself as an adult. I considered myself to be a child, relating more to the fourth graders called by their first names than the teachers called by their last name. However, with the simple statement of "Ms. Rounds," I became an adult in the eyes of those students and, to them, was more alike to the mature teachers than themselves. Because of this, I had an image to uphold and had to (in an essence) embrace my status as an adult.

Throughout the whole two weeks, this was the one thing that stood out in my mind. It is funny how such a simple thing could cause me to analyze myself and who I am. It is as if I went into the Melrose School as a child and came out an adult (ironic how a place that started my childhood education was able to complete it as well). Going into the project, I hoped that I would be able to learn more about myself, but I never imagined that it would impact me enough to change the roots of who I think I am. If only because of this, my time spent at the school was truly rewarding because it helped me not only reconnect to myself, but also aid me in a life altering transition.

- Liz

D.C Service Trip

The Lincoln School Service Trip to Washington, D.C was truly a unique and personally moving experience. This trip opened my eyes to the many issues that plague our nation’s capital, and really got me thinking about possible solutions to the overwhelmingly large problem of homelessness in a capitalistic society. In just five days, I learned so much about homelessness and the thousands of individuals affected by homelessness in the D.C area.
Although it is difficult for me to admit, I was one of those people with all of the horrible preconceived notions and stereotypes about homelessness. Simply put, I was ignorant to such a large and significant issue that our society is faced with. However, while in Washington, all of my horribly generic and uninformed notions of homelessness were blasted by the individuals that I met and spoke with at various sites around the city.
One thing that really struck me was that so many homeless men and women were so optimistic about their future, despite their unfortunate circumstances. I had many moments where all of the issues in my life seemed so trivial compared to the harsh reality that homeless individuals face on a day-to-day basis.
Another thing that really surprised me was the general consensus among homeless individuals about being treated as though they are invisible. This is something that I had never really thought about. Thousands of people in D.C alone walk by homeless people trying to sell the Common Sense newspaper and people stride past and act as if the homeless don’t even exist. Fortunately, Lincoln Girls were there to offer smiles and say hello while others mindlessly walked past. What was so shocking is that these seemingly insignificant little gestures meant so much to these people, and many homeless people thanked us for our smiles and blessed us for simply saying hello!
I walked away from D.C as a changed person. I met so many individuals that had truly incredible stories and rich histories. Successful people, depressed people, people from foreign countries and children alike are affected by homelessness. I am very aware of this now. So how are we going to fix this?

Thank you Mr. Gustave, Ms. DiChiaro, and Houda for being such great chapperones!

-Sydney

Washington DC.

My trip to DC was many things: humbling, rewarding, and very influential. I guess coming into the trip I was quite skeptical of a few things (that I'm embarrassed to admit now). However, by the second night I was really surprised by the people I met and the experiences that I was able to be a part of.

The first full day in DC, I traveled to Martha's Table with Gianna, Mimi, Kara, and Melia. We made over 200 PB&J sandwiches and packaged desserts. I was really impressed by this organization because they run their own after-school programs and daycare for kids. They also collect clothes and sell them to families for more affordable prices.
That night, we made dinner for a small group of guests. Most of our guests were homeless, but they had such interesting backgrounds and told us each very insightful stories. We held the dinner at the YSOP building in downtown DC. I met some incredible people at this dinner. One was named Sammy and he worked upstairs in the office for Street Sense, a newspaper published by the homeless to create awareness in the community. He told me that he was the sole survivor of a terrorist attack in Kenya (his home). He was stuck under ruble for three full days, until authorities found him and saved him. Now, he was in the United States trying to make some money for his family back home in Kenya. He told me that his life was never easy though, he always had to work very hard to make an earning, especially in the United States. He also expressed his desire to return home and see his family. What surprised me most, however, was that every person I spoke to was extremely intelligent. Sammy and I discussed the new immigration laws passed in Arizona and he told me about some books he had read (written by famous authors, who unfortunately I had never heard of). All our guests also seemed to convey the same message to me in one form or another: never give up hope, but keep fighting. That message really spoke to me and to my senior year. I had complained about so many things leading up to this trip. I had thought I was so unfortunate for so many reasons. And now, looking back, I'm ashamed of myself. People on the Washington DC trip taught me that there was hope for the future and they really taught me to appreciate what I have now. At the end of the trip, I felt privileged, but I also felt extremely honored to have met the people at YSOP and in the greater Washington DC community. Every single day they work to help people who are struggling; something that I personally dream of making a career of.

I would also like to thank Mr. Gustave, Houda, and Mrs. DiCharo for chaperoning the trip. Without your help, everything would have been impossible. Many sincere thanks!

Ruta Ziukaite

Laurel Hill

Every morning, the 2nd grade class at Room 3 begins with the greeting, "Buenos Dias!"
My class is 2nd grade bilingual class that contains a mix of regular and special-ed children. 9 out of 25 children are special-ed, and their problems include speech impairment, learning disability, and behavior problem. Despite their problems, all 25 children's eyes are glittering with joy and happiness whenever they greet to me.

The class contains two main teachers and one assistant teacher. The class is broken into different groups during math and reading in order to improve students' concentration and learning efficiency. During reading time, I worked with 3 groups with different English levels while in math I consistently worked with three children. It was interesting to see how children with different English level understand the book in different ways. Cristopher, for instance, has very low English level and he glances through pictures to assume what the story is about. Vijerpsis, on the other hand, is one of the brightest children in Room 3 and he is able to read the story in English, then tell me the summary both in Spanish and in English. It was fascinating for me to observe how each of 25 children in one classroom learns differently and how he/she affects the learning process of others.

Another great opportunity that I received in class was to teach math in Spanish. Currently the 2nd graders are learning about three digit numbers. In the first week students learned the three digit numbers that come one before, after, and in between other numbers. In the second week they moved on to the addition of three digit numbers. Working with a group of three children, Brayan, Alexandra, and Shirley, there were many times where I had to use Spanish in order to help them understand the concept. Brayan and Shirley are special-ed; Brayan has learning disability while Shirley has speech impairment, meaning that she cannot speak and read properly. Having two special-ed children in my group, I found my very low Spanish level to be helpful. (Occasionally I listed to teacher's explanation in order to learn some mathematic terms that I could use to children in my group. Not only I was amazed by my capability to explain math to bilingual children but I also realized with my heart that I must continue learning Spanish in order to help more bilingual children out there that contain great potential.

While being "Miss ChaeLin" at room 3, I also interacted with the three teachers, through which I had a chance to learn about hardship and difficulty of being a teacher. Every Tuesday, 2nd grade teachers attend a meeting with representative from Providence School in order to to report what they have taught and to plan for the next week's teaching. Through the meeting I was able to learn the rigorous structure of school as an organization. One of the main teacher, Mrs. Pazmino, informed me that teachers needs to be flexible in order to properly adapt to changes, both in academic and in terms of their position/payment, made from the executives of the school and supervisors sent from Providence School. Along with Mrs. Pazmino's helpful advice I also learned from Mrs. Cruz the importance of great organization skills. Every part of the classroom including all supplies like books, math cubes, and word cards, is perfectly organized and labeled. Therefore there was no case where teachers had to find anything. I was so grateful to learn many values from both main teachers and it was also interesting to see how the two teachers work together and fill in what each other is lacking. The great cooperation among three teachers was what really drove the class in Room 3.

It was a true bliss for me to get to know the stories about each child and also about each teacher. Each student had different personalities but Mrs. Cruz kept telling me about the great love and dedication that parents of these 25 students have. Although things would have been easier for the parents to return to their home country, (most of the parents are not able to read or write, and plus they know very little English) the parents decided to stay for the sake of their children's better education. Coming from different county and having observed hardship of my parents, I could really feel the deep love of the parents with my heart. Learning about their great love also motivated me to try to give all what I have to give at least a small help to children's learning.

Even now when I close my eyes, I can picture the 25 children's beautiful faces, the faces of two dedicated teachers, and beautifully organized classroom that is teeming with love and care. I still think that I was so blessed to have this opportunity and I realized once again that I must continue to learn Spanish and other languages in order to help many other bilingual children in United States who truly deserve great education.

I believe that the service opportunity at Laurel Hill must be continued in the future year. Lincoln has already established positive relationship with Laurel Hill and many students including me were greatly inspired by their interaction with children and teachers. I can promise that it will be an eye opening experience for anyone.

I was very happy being "Miss ChaeLin" for two weeks, in Room 3 at Laurel Hill. I exchanged love and joy with 25 children and three teachers, and this love and joy that I received will stay within my heart forever and they will encourage me to continuously serve for others. I cannot express more how blessed I am for such amazing opportunity.


- ChaeLin Suh

Elementary School Art Class

I had such an amazing time at Sackett Elementary School and William D'Abate Elementary School that I forgot the two weeks were for a school project. Nina and I spent each day shadowing the art teacher through her K-5 classes. The children were so excited to have us there and we were showered with hugs daily from the little ones. Ms. Meyers, the art teacher, taught her older classes about the color wheel and mixing colors, while she taught her younger kids about drawing family and self portraits. For each class we walked around and helped with any questions the kids might have. This is easier said than done when some classes spoke entirely in spanish. I have to say my knowledge of spanish colors is getting much better though. In the bilingual classes, I was amazed at how much the kids who understood us would help the ones who had trouble understanding english.
For the most part all of the kids we met were amazing and so eager to learn, but there were a few who were known as the "troubled" kids and were very ill-behaved. I tried to talk to them a few times but often they would just completely ignore me, and most times the teachers, and I would have to give up. Disrespecting the teachers was something that really shocked me at these school. At Lincoln, I could never imagine anyone acting in the way that these kids would react to some teachers. Although I believe that both of these schools are amazing and are filled with wonderful teachers, I realized how lucky I was to have the education at Lincoln that most kids are not fortunate enough to have. I really was blessed to grow up with two families, one at Lincoln and one at home.
I learned so much from our time at these schools. The children that we met taught me about the appreciation they have for little things. They are easily excited by the small things, whether it be receiving a pencil from a teacher, or having me graffiti their name on a scrap paper (not very well). I learned that I really loved being with and teaching these young children.This project gave me a look at the different types of school systems in Providence, and their pros and cons. I hope that I will have an opportunity like this again soon.
-----Stacy

Crossroads

I not only learned so much during my experience with Crossroads, but I also had so much fun with the kids! Marie and I met with Chontell the beginning of the first week and she gave us the freedom to plan all the activities for the families in the shelter for the next two weeks. She explained to us that half the battle of putting on a great activity is getting the family’s attention and making it fun. The kids that we worked with at the shelter ranged from 2 weeks old to about 15 years old. At first, I was very nervous it was not going to be the experience I thought it was going to be because these families are in one of the worst situations they can be in. The stress that comes with being homeless and unable to provide a home for your kids is so great.
Marie and I offered 4 activities over the course of the two weeks for the families. We had a Treasure Hunt, Olympics Day, Reading and Puppet making day, and a Scrapbooking day. Everyday that we did not have an activity planned we were busy planning for the others or at the shelter helping with whatever we could. Each activity got better and better as the weeks went on. We became so much more comfortable at the shelter and with the families. We created bonds with each family and especially the kids. We got to know their names and they got to know us. The kids were so full of life and excited to see us everyday. The most rewarding thing for me about my experience was to see the huge smiles on the kids’ faces as they were having fun with us. I would always look at their mother’s and I could see that for that one hour that we were having fun with their kids all the stresses of living in a shelter would go away and they couldn’t help but smile when their kids were smiling.
Dr. Kozel came to visit us on scrapbooking day, which was our last day. One mother was very excited about making the book because she and her two kids are victims of domestic abuse and the children’s father had their baby books so she had no pictures. Another family that was there loved doing crafts together and they made beautiful memory books. That mother told us that we really were able to bring fun into living in a shelter and really make some special days for them and her kids have been saving all the prizes we had given them. To hear that made the whole two weeks so meaningful to me because I was able to step out of my comfort zone and provide families who are in an overwhelming situation an escape from it all. Marie and I made them smile and made them forget about all the stresses in their lives for a little while. Chontell will also be able to use our activities again. I am so happy to know that during these past two weeks I helped people who live in the same state as me and that the activities I created will be used to excite families for years to come.
All the women who worked at the shelter really impressed me. They truly love what they do and believe in the cause. I really enjoyed working with them and it made me feel like I really accomplished something when they wanted to keep us for the rest of the summer as our project was coming to a close. It was a very rewarding experience especially because Marie and I planned it ourselves; we made the connections and we worked everyday to make our activities so great! All the work we did was greatly appreciated, but I believe that I took away more from the experience than they will ever know.

Sarah

Washington D.C.

In going to Washington D.C. my eyes where opened to both a new group of people and way of life. Within few minuets at the soup kitchen I went to with my smaller group, I realized that the people that worked or volunteered at this place where so thankful, appreciative, and excited that my smaller group of four students came to help. This first made me feel incredibly welcome and safe.

In all of the service I partook in over the course of our trip to D.C. there where two main themes that stuck out to me. One was that a smile can go a long way, whether it was to a homeless person sitting on the side of the road, or passing a lunch out to a person who needed one. A smile brightened there day just a little. Also treating any other person as if they where a human being. In serving the meals with a "hello" or "enjoy your day" the person on the other end of that plate realizes people do care!

The importance of both a smile and treating the people like they where human really hit me when I was walking down the street with a few other girls. A homeless man was sitting on the sidewalk asking for money. Unfortunately we did not have an loose change, but instead we looked the man in the I and said with a smile "Sorry we do not have any chain, but we hope you have a good day!" In return this man said "thank you for your kind words." This made me realize that the people living without a home or a meal have life a little tougher, but in the end all they want is took be acknowledged.

All in all I feel that over the course of the Washington D.C. service trip I have truly realized two different things. One is how blessed I am with a healthy and loving family that can afford to live the way I do. Secondly that I really enjoy helping out and being able to brighten up someone's day. Even though I am not solving anything, in just helping out a little a lot can be accomplished.

Thank you so much to Mr. Gustave, Mrs. DiChiaro, and Houda!

Best,
Eliza Jalbert

Washington DC

When we first got to Washington D.C., I saw around five homeless people on the streets just going from the train station to the hostel. There was someone in a sleeping bag on a bench in front of government buildings. This first sight definitely stuck in my head throughout the trip. We saw the White House the first night and then a conversation came up a day or two later that in this city, our nation's capital, there are leaders who have power over the whole country but yet there is such a juxtaposition in the same area. Just down the street from Capitol Hill are community members living on concrete sidewalks going around every day for soup kitchens or other places to live.
The worksites that I went to were The Milestone Place (a single room occupancy building), Thrive DC, and DC Central Kitchen. The YSOP Community Dinner and Thrive DC were both my favorite and also the most memorable service experiences in DC. After we prepared and served food to our "guests", I met Jerry and Burt. Burt seemed to be in his 40's and dressed like an average man. As we were talking over food, he mentioned that one of his professions was a chef/cook. This caught me off-guard but then made me actually realize that homeless people all have histories, families whether they be present in their lives or not, and are normal people (most of the time) just like the rest of us. Burt was educated, laughed at Jerry's jokes, interested in asking me questions about my life, and also knew about current sport topics. We had average conversations about things such as New England, seafood, Newport, and sports just like I could have with any other person even if they weren't homeless. The whole time at dinner, Jerry was laughing, telling jokes and riddles, and simply smiling.
The morning after the community dinner, I went to Thrive DC. I'm not sure the exact number of people they serve, but it was at least a hundred per meal. We served plenty of food and people still wanted more in the end. A couple people were taking advantage of the extra food and got fourth servings when some people had just come through the door looking for first servings of food. That's not what I will remember from Thrive DC though. Jerry and one other person from our community dinner the night before were at Thrive getting breakfast from us! As soon as I saw him, he still had a smile on and laughed at the coincidence. He even told the volunteer director at Thrive how good the YSOP dinner was the night before. The only difference between him and our group was where we had slept that night. At the end of the community dinner, he was smiling and when I saw him the next morning, he was still smiling. This gave me a new perspective about the homeless. The experience of working with organizations in Washington DC was remarkable. Instead of thinking of the stereotypical grungy homeless person, I now think of those average men and (few) women we met and conversed with at a community dinner or who we saw at a soup kitchen trying to provide for their family. These people who had a rough life in past years still have hope for a better life thanks to the help of these services.


--Andrea

Washington D.C.

Hi everyone,

My trip to DC was enlightening as I met people that changed the way I view homelessness and hunger. Each service opportunity challenged me and also provided an opportunity for my own personal growth. When I was younger and saw a homeless person, I would be scared & nervous. I didn't want to talk to them because they were dirty, smelled bad, and made me uncomfortable. This past week in D.C. changed my opinion completely. Although it sounds cliche to say this, it's the truth. For me, the two most humbling experiences all had to do with actually meeting homeless people and conversing with them about their histories. At the YSOP dinner on our second night in DC, we all met very educated people which honestly shocked me. A man named Dell moved to Washington in order to go to graduate school and after a stroke of bad luck found himself on the street. He wanted to study International Business and Security Studies, a very similar path that I would like to follow in school. Throughout the dinner, I realized that there were not many women and those that were there seemed to be mentally disturbed in one way or another. This saddened me because I would have liked to talk with the women but they were very quick to shut me down due to their condition. We also met a man named Bill who was truly inspirational. He had been homeless many times because of his family - he was so moved that we cared enough to be there cooking and serving him food. He kept blessing us and thanking us and asking questions about our future. We were all moved by Bill's story and after that night, I couldn't imagine Bill and Dell sleeping on the street. It saddened me to think that the only thing I could give them was a dinner and conversation. But, we learned that the lack of conversation when being homeless was worse than trying to find shelter and food. Feeling invisible and being regarded as nothing worsens the already lonely situation. My favorite day of service was at Thrive DC. I was able to greet the guests coming in the door to eat, shower, and use the computer lab. Half of the guests at Thrive DC were Hispanic and I was really excited to be able to speak Spanish to them. I was able to converse with many people including a young guy named Eric. (Gianna detailed his story in her post.) He was so smart and very politically aware, carrying on conversations about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, and religion in a very factual and open-minded way. The people that volunteered at Thrive DC were interesting also because they knew many of the guests by name as they walked in the door. I even saw two of the same people that I saw at the YSOP dinner. The head of Thrive DC, Nick, said that the most important job was to smile. That phrase embodies what I learned on this service trip; you can't always give money to people on the street but it's even more important to give time, service, energy, and a smile.

- Melia

Service in D.C

Hello Everyone,

This past week in Washington D.C was both an enriching and humbling experience. I had worked with the hungry and homeless in Providence before, but this trip really taught me more about the people we served. On Tuesday afternoon, we had a speaker named Alan who spoke of his experience being homeless. Before becoming homeless he had had a fabulous government job, a great house, and a family. He talked about how homelessness can strike anyone regardless of age, race, gender, or socio-economic background. It made me think about how comfortable I am in my lifestyle and how I would feel if it disappeared and I was left without a home. Most of the people who are homeless in D.C are educated, but due to their economic situation or other unfortunate losses have found themselves homeless. I was surprised at the segregation in the city. Walking around the Georgetown area it is hard to imagine any poverty, but walk a few blocks downtown and there are people sleeping in doorways. On Monday night, we all prepared a meal at the YSOP headquarters. We then served it and were able to sit down with our guests and share a meal with them. This was one of the most meaningful and interesting experiences on the trip. Meeting people who were homeless I was struck by how educated and informed most of them were. One man came to D.C to go to graduate school and found himself homeless so he is not able to continue his education. I met a man named Jackson who is 82 years old and remembers everything. He told me that people can give money, clothes, and food, but giving your whole self is the most important. I found that especially inspiring and now know that giving your time and self to serve those is need is the most important.

-Amy

Washington DC

For my service trip I went with a large group of girls to Washington DC to volunteer with the organization YSOP. On the first day we were assigned a small group to be in which we were to do our service with all week. In my group was: Melia, Kara,Mimi, Ruta, and Sarah as our chaperon ( Lincoln 2005 graduate). As many stories were shared and I met many new faces at each and every work site, a particular few incidences are the ones I feel are most special.

The first day we volunteered at Martha's Table ( a soup kitchen, thrift store, and day care), the second day was DC Central Kitchen, and the third day was Thrive DC. I have uploaded a news interview of DC Central Kitchen because out of all places, I felt as though this soup kitchen really knew what they were doing. They feed about 1400 hungry, homeless people each day and they do it with quite a twist. Their kitchen is extremely organized and they have a precise system that makes certain each day the hungry is getting fed without disappointment. The twist that they incorporate is on the staff. They train, hire, and implement actual homeless people to make the food and serve it to their peers. By doing this they are not only feeding the mouths of the hungry but also providing them with work opportunity and keeping them off the street during working hours.

On one of the first days I had been walking through the city from my service project and seen a homeless man on the street sleeping in front of the side door to a government building. He was completely asleep, snoring, and breathing heavily. The angelic look on his face was so simple and innocent that for the first time I realized he was just a regular guy like any of my family or friends, the only difference was that he was asleep on the pavement, instead of a bed, and had a stirofoam cup next to him for the collection of money. Later that day the YSOP leaders arranged for a speaker to come and tell us his life story. He told us how he was a comfortably wealthy guy with a good job that supported his two kids schooling and college tuition, his wife, and helped pay for vacations he would take. When his second child was going to college he and his wife got a divorce and he moved to a separate apartment. Soon after he lost his job and was evicted from his residence, that was the first time he turned to the streets. He said for 3 months he did not open his voice to talk to anyone and lived a life of solitude on the streets. One day he was reading a paper and laughed at something funny, when he laughed he jumped out of terror because he did not even recognize his own voice. The moral of his story was that homelessness can happen to anyone and can strike at any time. No one is invincible that is why everyone must help and be aware of the danger that can be around any corner.

A similar story was told to me on my last day of service at Thrive DC, a kitchen that also offered laundry services, showers, legal help, and a computer lab. One of the guys who came for breakfast was pretty young, around early 20's, and he had a mouth that could talk all day nonstop without taking a breath to breathe His name was Eric and when I walked up to him he was in a deep conversation with Melia telling her about school topics that he knew about. The facts and info he knew was astonishing, He must have been extremely smart. When we were talking he showed us a scare on the back of his head and told us that when he was 8 months old his birth parents tried to kill him, when he was found by a neighbor he was then brought to a foster home. He was adopted, along with 29 other kids, by wealthy family who already had 7 children of their own. He said they lived in a huge mansion in Maryland and had an even grander summer home in Florida. Due to the fact that the family consisted of 39 people he got lost in the shuffle and again became homeless.

The people I met made my view on homelessness change forever. For someone who has had such a traumatic life, they were so open to sharing their stories for the purpose of educating the public on the severity and vulnerability everyone has to homelessness. I feel great about being able to make 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed hungry mouths, and cooking 50 pans of past and I truly look forward to continuing servicing the needy in my community around home and in college. The stories I have learned have changed my view of homeless people and opened up a new way of thinking. No longer will I shy away from a dirty man begging for money on the street, but rather I will look him in the eye as a would with any human being, and give him the money I have in my pocket, because any little contribution can make a difference.

Thank you to my chaperons, girls in my group, volunteer organizations, and the community of DC for providing us with a truly life touching experience...

x0x0
gianna

A New Experience in Boston

Boston Trip

Monday May 17th to Friday May 21st, Gigi, Marilyn, Miriam, and I went to Boston for our service trip. Each day we had two activities, which included The Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston Rescue Mission, Community Servings, Nutrition Works, and Cradles2Crayons. Each place was different, yet very rewarding. The people were so nice and welcoming. They deeply appreciated that we were there to help, and were glad to help us and direct us in our work. We did so many things throughout the week, such as package food and other items, serve food to people straight out of Detox and prison, package meals for people with long term illnesses such as HIV, AIDS, and cancer, make pancakes for people at our hostel, pass out bags of food to people living with AIDS and HIV, and make clothing packages for kids who don't have any clothes.

This trip was so rewarding because we could really see that we were making a difference in people's lives. When giving out food to people that needed it, it felt so good for that one person to come back and say, "Thank you." I got the chills because that is when you realize that these people have practically nothing to look forward to, and that you probably just made their day. Many of them seemed shy and ashamed, but many of them were so happy and full of life! It was so inspiring to see that these people still kept a smile on their face, despite the difficulties and struggles they had to face everyday. They were also so nice! Some of them just began to joke around and start up conversations with us. We were having so much fun, it didn't even seem like we were doing any work. The people that we worked with were amazing as well. Sometimes, it was special needs kids. Other times, it was just other volunteers. We learned to work together, and it was great seeing other people that had their own needs helping others. This experience was just so humbling and amazing. I loved working with and for everyone we met.

This trip was so amazing. Our chaperones were great, and I loved seeing them get in on the action as well! I feel as though we accomplished so much, and I'm glad that the four of us could do something together. We are really a close group of friends, and doing it together meant so much more. As Miriam said, we also made so many new connections in Boston through our work, and I think we will definitely have to return to these places. We had a great time, and experienced so much through this trip. Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible. Hopefully other students will get ideas from our trip and make it even better in the future!

-Amanda <3

Children's Library, 5/17-5/21

For my service project, I volunteered at a children’s library in Westchester, NY. One task that I helped with was reading to children that were aged from eight weeks to eight years old everyday in the organized reading programs. Mother Goose time was a reading program for the babies that were eight weeks old where we sang and used puppets. Story Craft was another program, for the older children, where I read more difficult books to them and helped them play with puzzles and do arts and crafts offered by the library. I loved talking to them and learning about their favorite color, animal, or activity. I thought more about how I view the world and myself; as compared to the way the young children view their lives. My dreams are so different to theirs because my dreams are more difficult to achieve and require more skills, while their dreams are to get a new puppy or to learn how to ride a bicycle.

I also made fliers and brochures for the upcoming events at the library. The events were created to help get the children involved in the library. There will be reading programs over the summer, reading competitions, and reading games. I loved making the fliers because I feel like the children will be eager to attend the programs and will become more involved with their community library. I also enjoyed being creative and colorful to make the programs appealing to the children. Several children walked up to the fliers on display and asked their parents if they could attend the reading program where teens read to the children over the summer. It felt great to have had a part in making that program available to the children.

In addition, I learned how to look up books in the database for the children. One little boy wanted to read every penguin book in the library, so I helped him find each one. He was so happy that he gave me a big hug and said he would come back tomorrow. That made me feel like I made a difference. I learned that I have the confidence and people working skills that are required to perform tasks at the library without needing further assistance. It is important to be involved in the community because without volunteers, there would be little or no programs running in the library and the shelves would be in disarray. Then, the public would not want to go and use the facility.

Overall, I loved helping the children become comfortable with their library so that they will love to go there and read, relax, and learn. It was a really rewarding experience and I would be happy to go back and help again!

--Natalia

Boston Trip (May 17-21, 2010)- Miriam Tinberg

From Monday, May 17 through Friday, May 21, Marilyn, Gigi, Amanda, and I went to Boston to do a variety of service projects. We worked at places like The Greater Boston Food Bank, Community Servings, Boston Rescue Mission, Nutrition Works and Cradles2Crayons. This week of service was a fantastic and memorable experience for me, and everyone else in my group I believe. While at these places, we did many different things such as: sorting and packaging food, bagging frozen foods, cooking and serving food to outside guests, sorting, matching, and bagging children's clothes, and distributing bags of food to people living with HIV and AIDS.

Something that stuck out the most for me during this week of service, was the time when we socialized and interacted with the people in need. When we served food to the people who couldn't afford it at the Rescue Mission, and to the people with HIV and AIDS at Nutrition Works, that was when I could truly see our work paying off. Virtually every single person who came up to us for food looked like someone we would see walking alongside us on the street. And when they came up, a lot of the people started talking to us. We joked with them, we laughed, we held normal conversations that you and I would hold on a daily basis. It proved once again to me that we cannot judge anyone, especially not by their condition: whether it be their clothing, their body, their illnesses etc. They did not choose to be like that, and the least we can do is treat them the way they deserve to be treated. And I feel as though, on this trip, we really did treat them with care and respect. And at the end, many of them thanked us, and said things like "God bless you" very sincerely for helping them. In fact, one touching thing that happened was at the Rescue Mission, after a father and son had finished eating, and had put their trays away, the two of them walked back up to the serving counter just to thank us. It was such a nice gesture- and it showed how much they appreciated the work we were doing to serve them.

Overall, I am so glad that we chose to go to Boston for this service trip. I feel that we connected with our service work so deeply, because we essentially were servicing our home (in reality, Boston is close enough to be our "home). We showed that it is not necessarily mandatory to go far to feel fulfilled. In addition, I believe we made connections and built bridges to many different organizations and people in Boston, that students in following years could use as they create their own unique projects. I had such a good experience with this project, that I hope to be a part of the service projects to come, whether it be as a chaperone, advisor or guiding force in the planning stages.

Thank you so much to Mr. Gustave for all of the work he did to make this experience the best it could have been, and all of the faculty that chaperoned, and put up with us. :)

Miriam Tinberg

Video:

Playing For Change

Learning Through Service- 2010

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.

Mr. Gustave

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