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!