Blair House - Jordan Sigunick

My friend Ali works at a retirement home called the Blair House in my hometown, Bloomington.  I was allowed to volunteer with her for a shift, which equaled out to seven hours!  We first served lunch to the residents and then socialized with them – this included reading to an elderly woman who had lost her sight, playing bingo and card games, and just simply talking.  There were many concepts from this FCS course reflected in the activities.  Many of the residents were disadvantaged due to their age and the challenges that come with age.  Really, most of the individuals living in retirement homes are disadvantaged in some way – otherwise they would be able to live on their own without assistance.  For example, Margie (the blind lady) was telling me how all of her four children live in states other than Illinois, so not only is she having to adjust to living without vision, none of her children are around to assist her! 

            As for networking, Ali’s boss Mitch was very gracious about this assignment.  He had no problem letting me tag along on Ali’s shift.  When we were getting ready to leave at the end of the seven hour shift, Mitch told me to come back anytime I was in town and expressed his remorse that I couldn't be an employee of the Blair House since I only live in Bloomington seasonally.  Basically, I formed very good rapport with him and for that, I am happy and grateful. 

            I think the effect this type of service activity has on the community is just making the elders of one’s community happy and paying them the respect and attention that they deserve.  To make them happy made me happy, so it was a win-win situation!   I really enjoyed this assignment – it really made me want to make volunteer work a part of my everyday life.

Times Center by Resa Ware

1.     I volunteered at Times Center in Champaign County. This organization provides temporary shelter for men and a soup kitchen for lunch and dinner seven days a week. I specifically volunteered in the soup kitchen. I prepped the food, served, and helped clean up.

2.     We talked in class a lot about homelessness. I also picked homelessness for my brochure Times Center really called out to me when I was choosing an agency to volunteer with. The well being of individuals, communities, and families is at the core of Family and Consumer Sciences. This agency promotes the same. The shelter is only for men, but the soup kitchen is for anyone who needs or wants to eat. According to class notes, shelters for men and boys are limited. This shelter is very important in Champaign County and other counties should follow suit. When I served the food, mostly everyone was very thankful to have food. There were a few that wanted more and we were allowed to serve seconds and even thirds. I really like the fact that the people could keep coming back as long as we had food to serve. The concepts of FCS coincide with Times Center because it helps homeless men get back on their feet as well as feeding hungry people. Times Center reaches out to individuals and families and in the process helps bring the community together.

3.     I spoke with Jen quite a bit. She is in charge of the soup kitchen throughout the week and sets up volunteer opportunities. Andy is in charge of the soup kitchen on the weekends. I worked with him when I volunteered. I also talked with many other volunteers and Barb who worked the front desk. I learned that it is very hard to work in that field. Barb said you had to be firm, but have compassion for the well being of others. My educational background in FCS impressed many of the volunteers and employees. I have been volunteering there every Sunday and I enjoy connecting with people that work in the same field that I am studying.

4.     The activity I participated in helps keep homeless people fed and healthy. Shelter is one of the most basic needs, and this organization helps individuals in the community find temporary shelter or a warm meal whenever they need. Potentially, Times Center could help homeless individuals find a more permanent solution.

5.     I really enjoy volunteering for this organization. I learned that anyone could fall on hard times and need access to a shelter or a meal. I really enjoy helping others and seeing the gratification on faces when they are getting to eat that day. I also learned that it is really hard to cook a healthy meal in bulk. My cooking skills have definitely improved because of this experience. Overall, I loved volunteering at Times and I plan on continuing this experience.

Family Life Center- Ashley Lindsey

1.      Family Life Center/ Silk Purse

2.      The Family Life Center is a non-profit organization that is there for unplanned pregnancies. Even though a baby is a wonderful thing at any time in life and can be a disadvantage for many people for a teen it can be a very big disadvantage. This is why the Family Life Center has the programs and information available that they do. The Family Life Center offers counseling for mothers or couples who are expecting or who have had their baby. During the sessions videos are shown about the babies development during pregnancy and after during the first years of life. They offer information about adoption vs. keeping the baby and about adoption vs. abortion. There is counseling offered for someone who is at any stage and information provided about each decision.

3.      For privacy reasons I couldn’t work directly at the family life center, but the organization is paired with a resale shop right around the corner called the silk purse. During the visits to the Family Life Center moms are given coupons called “Mommy Coupons” worth various amounts of money. With these coupons mothers can go to the Silk Purse and buy things for them or their babies. Some items at the store are clothes for the mothers or children, any baby items such as strollers, car seats, cribs, high chairs, many items for a house such as plates and cups and other things. It is just like a regular resale shop except the mothers can use their coupons to help pay for things. There is a room that they keep certain things such as cribs, strollers and other items for mothers to choose from. Everything in the store is donated and most of the workers volunteer their time.

3.      While working at the Silk Purse I helped the girls who came in find what they needed   whether it was for them or their baby. I cleaned the items in the back and prepared them to be put on the shelves. I got to talk to the other workers and learn why they volunteered and what other things they did within the organization. Many were retired and just wanted to help out in their community and the Silk Purse allowed them to do that.

4.      Having volunteers at the Silk Purse helps for various reasons. Everything that comes in has to be cleaned and it can’t be put on the shelves until it is so having volunteers that can get more things cleaned allows for more options when customers come in looking for certain things. It helps the people who work there, the people who come in and in return in some ways does help the communities because the people who come in get the things they need and in return are in some ways better people. The basic need of clothes is met.

5.     The girls who came in were from various backgrounds and had many different stories. Getting to talk to them and help encourage them that even if they were going through a rough time things would get better were very rewarding to me. My main focus in my career is going to be helping teen moms get through the obstacles that being a teen parent comes with. I was a teen parent and I faced many challenges and obstacles over the years finishing high school and continuing my education. Being able to help teen parents, and see them achieve their goals, like I have will make going to work every day enjoyable.

Special Olympics - Ashley Payne

On Saturday, September 15, 2012, I volunteered at the Special Olympics Fall Festival at Lake Land College in Mattoon, IL.  The event was from 8:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. 

I learned many things from volunteering at this event, but I would have to say the main thing I learned is that people with special needs are people too.  I know that sounds bad, but I had never really spent a great deal of time with people with disabilities, so learning how these people think, act, and feel helped me realize that we are more similar than we are different.  We learned that concept in this FCS course a few weeks ago when the guest speakers with disabilities came to speak to our class.  They reminded us to put the person first, not the disability.  The Special Olympics helped me understand the importance of that principle and put it into action.  I also learned how loving individuals with special needs can be.  I cannot tell you how many hugs I received that day, from so many of the participants whom I had never met before.  I did not hear one unkind word spoken that day; everyone was so nice and helpful to one another.  This sort of demonstrates resilience, which is another concept we have covered in this course.  Being able to bounce back and still be optimistic despite adverse circumstances is a noble trait of individuals with disabilities.  They did not choose their circumstances; many of those individuals were born into them, like the majority of humans are. 

While volunteering, I was able to network with other volunteers, many of whom were like me, doing this for school.  One young woman, though, was not an EIU student, but a worker or volunteer (I didn’t ask) at a facility or school for individuals with special needs.  The girl who was my “Friend for a Day” knew this young woman from a summer camp she had previously attended, and gave her lots of hugs.  Many of the participants knew this young woman and wanted to be in her company.  The way she interacted and talked to these individuals was truly inspiring.  She knew exactly what to say to them and how to say it.  Individuals with special needs can be very sensitive, and she understood that and took that into account in everything she did and said to them.  By networking with her and seeing the way she cared for and seemingly loved those individuals with special needs gave me a new perspective on how I should conduct myself around individuals with special needs.  I hope I can take some of her empathy and compassion and share that the next time I encounter a person with disabilities.

The Special Olympics can and did have many affects on the community.  It had effects on not only this community but many others due to its participants traveling from cities far away to attend.  Because the event was open for the community to volunteer, it gave them a chance to give back and participate in service for their community.  Being able to communicate and interact with individuals with disabilities is another positive aspect of the Special Olympics because so much of the population does not have that opportunity on a regular basis.  Having this sort of event in a rather small town also gives the community something to be proud of.  Knowing that the Mattoon/Charleston area supports individuals with special needs gives me something to be proud of, and I just moved here!  The participants with special needs, of course, benefit from this event.  The staff at the event told us volunteers that the Special Olympics is like these people with special needs’ Christmas.

Overall, I am very pleased with my experience and proud of my volunteer time.  However, I am more proud of the fact that I learned so much about individuals with special needs.  Figuring out that these individuals are just like anyone else, only with a disability, was big for me.  Actually, the majority of those individuals were probably even better people than many of us who do not have a disability, making them at the advantage and us at the disadvantage.  I went into this volunteer experience thinking that I will do this for my class and be done, however, now that it is over and the aura of that experience has surrounded and exhilarated me, I am planning on volunteering at every Special Olympics during my time at EIU and beyond.  This event was to help individuals with special needs, but in the end, I truly believe it helps the people without special needs even more.

Project Link at Teen Reach by Kim Ruzich

Teen Reach

1.      I chose to volunteer my five hours of time at Teen Reach. Teen Reach is a program where teens between the ages of eleven and seventeen come to hang out after school.  Teens are able to receive homework help, participate in activities such as watching movies, arts and crafts, Play Station games, and recreational sports. Teen Reach also provides free transportation to and from the center, an after school snack, and volunteers to help supply teens with positive role models.

2.      The services that Teen Reach provides on a daily basis reflects many concepts we have covered in Disadvantage Family, such as, children in poverty, minority families, hunger, housing, and poverty measurements. Teen Reach significantly helps disadvantage families or families who are in poverty by providing a safe environment for after school care, individual help with homework, snack time, transportation, and positive role models. The teens are also able to build friendships with other teens and staff members while partaking in the multiple entertaining activities available to them.  

3.      While networking within the program of Teen Reach I gained experience with working with professionals who work at Teen Reach, the teens themselves, and the other volunteers who help out on a weekly basis. I was able to communicate with the volunteers about their experiences and converse about our majors. I will also be able to use this experience on my resume. I have two job interviews this weekend, dealing with child care. I will be able to use the experiences I gained and will explain to the directors how Teen Reach is much like their facilities.

4.      Teen Reach has a tremendously helpful but constructive effect on the community of Charleston. Teen Reach is available to all families and their teens. Teen Reach helps give the teens positive role models so that they too can learn how to make positive choices when it comes to school and other life decisions. Teach Reach can also provide the teens to ask their role models for advice, the professionals and other volunteers are always there for support.

5.      I really enjoyed project link. It gave me a change to make time out of my schedule to volunteer and help make a difference for young children. During my time at Teen Reach I watched Nightmare on Elms Street, colored, played a soccer game on Play Station, and listened to music. My overall experience spending time with the teens was incredible and I definitely plan on volunteering on a weekly basis.

Project LINK at ICCS by Felicia Magee

       I completed my Project LINK at the Illinois Coalition for Community Services (ICCS) in Charleston, IL.   Brenda Ingle, the program Director, was happy to have me for the day to help with follow-up calls to their clients. 

        My service activity reflected several concepts we discussed in class.

a)      Disadvantaged families – this agency serves many disadvantaged families in our community.  They provide assistance with food, clothing, transportation, temporary food assistance and many other services.  They have a website and Facebook page with more details.

b)      Hunger and food insecurity is becoming more prevalent in our community.  The number of clients is increasing everyday as the economy struggles to recover.

c)       Many of the clients seeking services from this agency are living in poverty.  The income is too low to sustain their need which is why they come to this agency for assistance.  Both absolute and relative poverty are represented in our community.

d)      Lack of healthcare was another issue identified during my service.  This issue causes problems with acquiring proper healthcare in a timely manner.  Clients struggle to find a primary care physicians and getting medications they need to remain healthy.  The call that I gave to Kathleen was a client going without prescriptions and much needed medical treatment.

e)      Women and disadvantage was also obvious in my service experience.  I did notice that approximately 90% of the calls I made were to women.  I also observed there were a lot of single parents.  Poverty doesn't discriminate when it comes to race and age because the clients were of different races and young, middle-aged and elderly. 

         My networking before this service activity was through my job.  Brenda, the Director of ICCS, is a member on our School’s Advisory Council.  When I saw this assignment, she was the first person to come to mind.  I emailed her and explained what was required and she was glad to have me work with them.  The office hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 2pm, so I requested a day off from my job to spend the day at the agency.  I networked with the clients during the follow up calls.  After all the calls were made, I spoke with Kathleen regarding some of the calls.  She was very knowledgeable about how to handle the many different situations the agency encounters.  I enjoyed meeting and working with her.  I would like to do something to continue to be involved with ICCS.  I plan to ask Brenda what I can do to help the agency.  One way I can stay involved is by donating time, food and clothes.  They have a small food pantry and provide clothes for their clients.

         The potential effect of volunteering can be very meaningful. My heart broke for the one client that Kathleen assisted me with and it touched me deeply.  It was an educational experience just volunteering one day and I was inspired by their efforts.  The effect one person can have on a community can be endless.  It is through acts of kindness and generosity that we can have the greatest impact in someone’s life.  Agencies like ICCS help people when they struggle the most.  The services they provide can change the course of a life for the better.  Hopefully, the clients will only need the services temporarily until they can stabilize their circumstances.  It is good to know this kind of agency is there to help make a difference in a community. As members of this community, we can all help make a difference by supporting these kinds of agencies.  We can volunteer our time, make donations of items needed, and reach out to those less fortunate.  We don’t know what the future holds so we must realize that we could easily be in their shoes and need services.

         I was given some files and an ICCS cell phone to call the clients.  I was asked to tell the clients we (ICCS) was following up with everyone to see how they were doing and to invite them to two upcoming free workshops.  This originally seemed like a minor task, but I was in for a rude awakening as the day progressed.

I reviewed the flyers with the workshop information, rehearsed my opening comments in my head and began making calls.  The first call was not answered so that was an easy one.  The second client I called answered but hung up on me before I could even get to the workshop information.  That was a bit discouraging since I was only beginning, but was encouraged by Kathleen that it would be fine.  So on I went to the next file.  There were some files with no phone number listed, several numbers that were out of service, others had mailboxes that were full and still others that just rang with no voice mail option available.  The one client that hung up on me was my only negative response.  For the most part, most people were very receptive and polite.  I proceeded through the files at a decent pace and had marked others for another call if there was no answer.  I was able to get a few more responses on the second round of calls. 

There was one call in particular that impacted me significantly during the day.  I asked the client how they were doing and they proceeded to explain their situation in great detail.   I immediately felt inadequate and helpless but listened intently for a couple of minutes.  After hearing details that I felt needed professional attention, I asked the client if I could refer them to someone to help them.  They agreed and I gladly turned the call over to Kathleen.  I was in no way equipped to deal with the client’s needs and was sad to hear about their dismal plight.  Kathleen handled the call professionally and was able to help them with referrals and will continue to try to find other assistance to meet their needs.

The highlight of the day was a client that I spoke with that was doing very well.  They had found a job and were very happy to hear about the free workshops.  They work 12 hour days but was still going to try to attend one of the workshops just to get the information.  Brenda said that was the goal of the agency, to be a temporary support system until the client can become self-efficient again.  Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen for everyone they serve.

Overall, this was a great learning experience and I enjoyed it very much.  Thanks Dr. Taylor for enlightening me through this project.

FCS 4840- Project Link- Teen Reach By: Morgan Sternal

I chose to volunteer at Teen Reach, located here in Charleston, IL. Teen Reach is a community service for youth between the ages of 11-17. It is an after school program that allows the youth to participate in activities that provide positive choices, reduce at-risk behavior, and improve future success. The program provides homework help, education on risky behavior, recreational sports, and cultural and art activities. All services are free including transportation from school and home.

The services that the Teen Reach program provides the youth reflect many of the concepts covered in FCS 4840 such as housing, families and children in poverty, and disadvantage women. This program helps disadvantaged single mothers by providing: affordable care, an after school meal, transportation, guidance, and help with homework, for their children. It is a place that children living in poverty can go to get: one on one help with homework, attention, guidance, food, and make friends. It allows children living in poverty to go somewhere where they can take their mind off their home situation and just have fun. This program helps all types of families, and the environment by providing a safe structured program for youth.

By networking with Teen Reach I not only gained the experience of working and helping with the youth, but worked with the professionals who run the program and met other students who volunteer there regularly. The day after I volunteered at Teen Reach I had to submit my student teaching application; I had to list the volunteering I have done since I have been in college, and I was able to write about my experience at Teen Reach. This looks good on my application, because I am a CTE major with a concentration in FCS.

The Teen Reach program has an extremely positive effect on the community. Teen Reach goes above and beyond helping the youth and their families by providing them with many

helpful services. The program also works to make the community a better place by working with the youth to make positive choices, reduce bad behavioral decisions, and improve future.

My overall volunteer experience went very well; I played with the children and helped them with their homework. I felt very welcomed and comfortable while volunteering at Teen Reach, and plan to volunteer their regularly. If you would like more information about Teen Reach you can use the following contact information.

 

Telephone number: (217) 549-2106

Web address: http://www.cordlink.org/search/index.php?action=programs&id=561