This will be one of my shorter blogs due to the holidays.
I was supposed to do an interview with Sarah on Wednesday, but it got canceled. However, I have mostly been working on last minute details for the Healthy Holiday event that is just one week away!!! Missy and I have been in contact all week talking about the fliers and exactly what should be mentioned on them. She is even making business cards for us!
I have been checking in with my friends who are participating in the food aspect of the event because I don't want to let any concerns they may have slip through the cracks. I am having coffee with one girl this week who wants to go over some of the food details, she is a perfectionist and is worried about making just the right thing. I ran into another participant on Saturday who wants to go over her section on 'healthy fun.' She is getting her masters in Social Work and one of her teachers wants to use her idea for another project. I am definitely blown away by how many people want to participate in this event and are willing to help out.
My Mom, who is addicted to knitting scarves, donated about 25-30 scarves to the event. They are tied with a ribbon, so thoughtful.
We are planning on holding a clothes drive, possibly at the Polish Home Hall. If we do not use all of the scarves for the Holiday event, we will hand them out during the drive. We are prepared to host the drive after the semester is over due to time restraints.
I have e-mailed both Carol and Sarah about locations for the drive and am waiting a response. I also mentioned it to Gail in an e-mail I sent asking for a moment at the CCBB meeting to talk about the Holiday event.
Tomorrow, Monday after class, the ladies and I will be passing out fliers for the event and then attending the CCBB meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to stand up and talk about it for a decent amount of time.
The rest of the week will be full of scrambling to get last minute things done, meetings, and possibly a re-scheduled interview with Sarah.
words - 381
hours- 5
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
planning the healthy holifday event
Last week was mostly about recapping what I have been doing and making sure that all the Healthy Holiday participants are getting ready for the event on December 7th. I got another co-worker to say she will participate in the food part so now I think I have everything covered other than ‘healthy finances,’ which I will do. The areas for food that will be presented are appetizers, soup, main course, sides, and dessert. Stasi is doing appetizers and Missy is doing desserts. We will spend the first half of the event discussing food and the other healthy areas; the second part will be devoted to book reading and distribution along with other activities. We want Nick to play Santa and we want to have door prizes as well.
Now for the hard part, promoting the event. As with the vegetarian class, Sarah says it is hard to get people to attend events. Missy is working on a flier that will mention the free food and recipe cards as well as the book distribution. The Polish Home Hall is closer to many of the neighborhoods than the MCEEC (environmental center). I am hoping this means people will be willing to take a stroll down the block and enjoy a Holiday event.
The CCBB meeting is this coming Monday and I am going to e-mail Gail to see if we can have a moment to stand up and talk about the event. Seeing that no one from these meetings came to my veggie class (do I sound bitter?), I don’t know how to get these people to attend things that they do not put on.
I need to think of a good way to talk about healthy finances without offending anyone or discussing ideas that seem impossible. I know that I am going to discuss divvying up money and not going over it, as well as coupons for things. If children are there, I will suggest they male their parents a coupon book. I would like to research something more creative though and that is what I will be doing this week.
I am going to meet individually with some of the event participants to talk about what they are contributing. My friend Ivy is doing the ‘healthy fun’ area and I know she wants to go over her ideas.
As for the interviews that I am to be participating in, I hope that there are some next week because I am running out of time and have only been to a few. At least I know that I am going to be taking a lot of photos that will be used and that is of great importance to me. I want to know that I have helped document information that will be used historically.
Sarah did end up interviewing Betty Welley last week; I look forward to hearing how that went over. It seems that a lot of these interviews happen at the last minute and then Sarah texts me the morning of and sometimes I just can’t do it. I guess this is just how things happen sometimes; doing the best I can for the part of my final project.
I am going to stay positive and keep trying until the very end, I want to see success stories wherever possible!
words: 552
hours: 6
Now for the hard part, promoting the event. As with the vegetarian class, Sarah says it is hard to get people to attend events. Missy is working on a flier that will mention the free food and recipe cards as well as the book distribution. The Polish Home Hall is closer to many of the neighborhoods than the MCEEC (environmental center). I am hoping this means people will be willing to take a stroll down the block and enjoy a Holiday event.
The CCBB meeting is this coming Monday and I am going to e-mail Gail to see if we can have a moment to stand up and talk about the event. Seeing that no one from these meetings came to my veggie class (do I sound bitter?), I don’t know how to get these people to attend things that they do not put on.
I need to think of a good way to talk about healthy finances without offending anyone or discussing ideas that seem impossible. I know that I am going to discuss divvying up money and not going over it, as well as coupons for things. If children are there, I will suggest they male their parents a coupon book. I would like to research something more creative though and that is what I will be doing this week.
I am going to meet individually with some of the event participants to talk about what they are contributing. My friend Ivy is doing the ‘healthy fun’ area and I know she wants to go over her ideas.
As for the interviews that I am to be participating in, I hope that there are some next week because I am running out of time and have only been to a few. At least I know that I am going to be taking a lot of photos that will be used and that is of great importance to me. I want to know that I have helped document information that will be used historically.
Sarah did end up interviewing Betty Welley last week; I look forward to hearing how that went over. It seems that a lot of these interviews happen at the last minute and then Sarah texts me the morning of and sometimes I just can’t do it. I guess this is just how things happen sometimes; doing the best I can for the part of my final project.
I am going to stay positive and keep trying until the very end, I want to see success stories wherever possible!
words: 552
hours: 6
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Post veg class
Last week was a pretty great week even though I was nervous about teaching my class at the cove center. On Thursday, Missy and I went to Brooklyn with the intention of passing out newsletters but there was no one at the Bay-Brook offices. Instead, we went to FedEx and made copies of the veg class fliers to pass around. We also made copies of vegetarian recipes from my cookbooks. It was a rainy day, but we went to the same locations we had previously dropped fliers and hoped people would pick them up and attend!
On Friday I met Sarah at the high school in Masonville that was formerly called Benjamin Franklin high school. We met three students in the library and Sarah had a list of questions and a tape recorder. My job was to transcribe the questions and answers for documentation purposes. There were two boys and a girl, all 16. Sarah asked them about their opinions on the local parks and housing circumstances. I thought the kids gave great answers. They talked about people littering and how if one kid behaves poorly, others often follow. They said that the neighborhoods seemed to be getting worse and that drugs were a big part of it. They all seemed familiar with fellow students selling drugs as a way to make money.
All three of the students parents worked out of the area and had transportation to get there. They didn't feel there were any jobs available in Brooklyn and said that most kids go to Wal-Mart for groceries and shopoing necessities. It was a great experience talking with the children. I think it meant a lot that they had been asked to participate in the interviews. Sarah and I both let them know what a stand up job they did answering questions.
Friday I took off work and finished up my vegetarian class info sheet. I still had to make the worksheet for participants to fill out. I also bought some snacks at Whole Foods for the event and picked up the vegan cupcakes and brownies while at work on Friday.
I was hoping more people would come to the class, but I am still happy with how it went. Missy had helped me so much during the week and put together a cooking basket that someone could win. She met me early to set up as well! There was a table for treats and another with veggie cookbooks and recipes for pick up. I was really hoping Chip could make the event, Missy was even going to pick her up. She was too sick and felt bad about not making it.
I handed out the worksheets and was pretty nervous about my speech. I feel that I did alright, but I hope that I provided enough information that made sense. I wanted to speak in a clear voice and not say "like" too much. Making eye contact with my audience was another area I tried to succeed in. Other than my classmates and teacher, there were only a few unknown attendees. I will sat that the woman who won the basket really deserved it and was very appreciative. She was a fairly new pesca-tarian and was thinking about giving up fish. It was great to talk to her and explain the veg lifestyle. I also told her about One World and encouraged her to visit. Hope she does!
Everyone was great about my speech and enjoyed the desserts. Ying-Lee, the woman working at the Cove center was very excited about the class and had her husband come. They are also planning on trying out One World. At least I made some connections and got to practice my public speaking skills.
Unfortunitely, when I got home that night I deleted all the pictures on my camera by accident. I was fiddling around trying to fix the focusing on the camera and I hit a "format" button that deleted everyting! I even called my Dad in case there was a magical way for retrieval. Not so much.....oh well, Missy has some pics and they will go on the website.
Good stuff all around!
words: 694
hours: 20
On Friday I met Sarah at the high school in Masonville that was formerly called Benjamin Franklin high school. We met three students in the library and Sarah had a list of questions and a tape recorder. My job was to transcribe the questions and answers for documentation purposes. There were two boys and a girl, all 16. Sarah asked them about their opinions on the local parks and housing circumstances. I thought the kids gave great answers. They talked about people littering and how if one kid behaves poorly, others often follow. They said that the neighborhoods seemed to be getting worse and that drugs were a big part of it. They all seemed familiar with fellow students selling drugs as a way to make money.
All three of the students parents worked out of the area and had transportation to get there. They didn't feel there were any jobs available in Brooklyn and said that most kids go to Wal-Mart for groceries and shopoing necessities. It was a great experience talking with the children. I think it meant a lot that they had been asked to participate in the interviews. Sarah and I both let them know what a stand up job they did answering questions.
Friday I took off work and finished up my vegetarian class info sheet. I still had to make the worksheet for participants to fill out. I also bought some snacks at Whole Foods for the event and picked up the vegan cupcakes and brownies while at work on Friday.
I was hoping more people would come to the class, but I am still happy with how it went. Missy had helped me so much during the week and put together a cooking basket that someone could win. She met me early to set up as well! There was a table for treats and another with veggie cookbooks and recipes for pick up. I was really hoping Chip could make the event, Missy was even going to pick her up. She was too sick and felt bad about not making it.
I handed out the worksheets and was pretty nervous about my speech. I feel that I did alright, but I hope that I provided enough information that made sense. I wanted to speak in a clear voice and not say "like" too much. Making eye contact with my audience was another area I tried to succeed in. Other than my classmates and teacher, there were only a few unknown attendees. I will sat that the woman who won the basket really deserved it and was very appreciative. She was a fairly new pesca-tarian and was thinking about giving up fish. It was great to talk to her and explain the veg lifestyle. I also told her about One World and encouraged her to visit. Hope she does!
Everyone was great about my speech and enjoyed the desserts. Ying-Lee, the woman working at the Cove center was very excited about the class and had her husband come. They are also planning on trying out One World. At least I made some connections and got to practice my public speaking skills.
Unfortunitely, when I got home that night I deleted all the pictures on my camera by accident. I was fiddling around trying to fix the focusing on the camera and I hit a "format" button that deleted everyting! I even called my Dad in case there was a magical way for retrieval. Not so much.....oh well, Missy has some pics and they will go on the website.
Good stuff all around!
words: 694
hours: 20
Sunday, November 8, 2009
One week till the veg class!
I have one week left till the vegetarian class! I need to do a lot of promoting this week, which makes me nervous. Sarah said that it has always been hard to get people to come to the classes and there is no way to guarantee a good turn out so who knows what exactly will happen. I am also spending my own money on the desserts that will be provided and I hope to not have to little or too many.
We did our block clean up this week and it went really well! The kids always recognize us right away and there are about four who always want to help. When we got there, school was letting out, and I heard Brandon (one of the kids) ask his Mom if he could help. She said he could once he dropped his stuff off. Chip’s granddaughter always wants to help also. She is a little redhead, about 5 years old. She carries around a tiny bag, just her size. Brandon was asking us if we get paid to clean up the block and I explained to him that we volunteer and want to help keep the block clean. Chip was telling him that if he sees his friends throwing trash on the ground he should tell them not to mess up their own neighborhood.
I feel like Missy and I are getting to know Chip a lot better as well. She was telling us about a $900 BGE bill that she couldn’t pay for and that seemed unfounded. She also wants to attend the next CCBB meeting and Missy is going to pick her up. We told her that if she could attend my class or the healthy holiday event, we would make sure a ride was available.
The neighborhood was a mess from Halloween, but as a whole I think it looked better. One alley that had been covered in a blanket of litter at one point, looked so much cleaner than it had the first time we attacked it.
On Friday I was supposed to do an interview with Sarah down at the Cove and got up very early to get there on time. I had my computer with me for transcribing and my camera in tow. When Sarah got there I asked her about the interviewee. She was telling about a woman that started to sound very familiar. She was also telling me that the woman was super co-dependent and probably wanted a ride to the Cove.
Turns out, the interviewee was Betty Welley! Sarah had called Betty the night before to remind her about the interview and she said she had forgotten. She also asked if she could have a wake up call!! Sarah told her no because she didn’t want to enable her into not doing things for herself. Well, Betty stood us up. I was so mad, I had been waiting all week to be a part of the interview process and she wouldn’t answer her phone or get back to us at all. Sarah was really upset as well because she had rescheduled another interview to fit Betty in and we could have been talking to the other people.
Sarah and I talked about the Holiday event and the possibility of Missy and I passing out newsletters this coming Thursday. My name is in the newsletter for the veggie class, which is pretty exciting!
As a whole, I feel really good about my three projects. The vegetarian class is all planned out and Missy will be there to help me with any issues that arise. I am leaving work at three and want to make sure I get there with enough time to set up.
I will be happy if I can attend about three more interviews for the watershed project and I know I will get the specified pictures taken.
I am the most nervous about the Healthy Holiday event because it involves so many other people, providing food for people, and needs to really promote healthy and affordable living. I would hate for it to be a flop or for those who are participating to slack off. I have asked very reliable people, who seem up for the challenge and that helps curb some of my fears.
words: 717
hours: 13
We did our block clean up this week and it went really well! The kids always recognize us right away and there are about four who always want to help. When we got there, school was letting out, and I heard Brandon (one of the kids) ask his Mom if he could help. She said he could once he dropped his stuff off. Chip’s granddaughter always wants to help also. She is a little redhead, about 5 years old. She carries around a tiny bag, just her size. Brandon was asking us if we get paid to clean up the block and I explained to him that we volunteer and want to help keep the block clean. Chip was telling him that if he sees his friends throwing trash on the ground he should tell them not to mess up their own neighborhood.
I feel like Missy and I are getting to know Chip a lot better as well. She was telling us about a $900 BGE bill that she couldn’t pay for and that seemed unfounded. She also wants to attend the next CCBB meeting and Missy is going to pick her up. We told her that if she could attend my class or the healthy holiday event, we would make sure a ride was available.
The neighborhood was a mess from Halloween, but as a whole I think it looked better. One alley that had been covered in a blanket of litter at one point, looked so much cleaner than it had the first time we attacked it.
On Friday I was supposed to do an interview with Sarah down at the Cove and got up very early to get there on time. I had my computer with me for transcribing and my camera in tow. When Sarah got there I asked her about the interviewee. She was telling about a woman that started to sound very familiar. She was also telling me that the woman was super co-dependent and probably wanted a ride to the Cove.
Turns out, the interviewee was Betty Welley! Sarah had called Betty the night before to remind her about the interview and she said she had forgotten. She also asked if she could have a wake up call!! Sarah told her no because she didn’t want to enable her into not doing things for herself. Well, Betty stood us up. I was so mad, I had been waiting all week to be a part of the interview process and she wouldn’t answer her phone or get back to us at all. Sarah was really upset as well because she had rescheduled another interview to fit Betty in and we could have been talking to the other people.
Sarah and I talked about the Holiday event and the possibility of Missy and I passing out newsletters this coming Thursday. My name is in the newsletter for the veggie class, which is pretty exciting!
As a whole, I feel really good about my three projects. The vegetarian class is all planned out and Missy will be there to help me with any issues that arise. I am leaving work at three and want to make sure I get there with enough time to set up.
I will be happy if I can attend about three more interviews for the watershed project and I know I will get the specified pictures taken.
I am the most nervous about the Healthy Holiday event because it involves so many other people, providing food for people, and needs to really promote healthy and affordable living. I would hate for it to be a flop or for those who are participating to slack off. I have asked very reliable people, who seem up for the challenge and that helps curb some of my fears.
words: 717
hours: 13
Monday, November 2, 2009
A reality show at the CCBB
Last week started off well and sort of went into a lull by Friday. Missy and I stayed after class on Monday to talk about our mutual projects and how to keep the clean up days going well as well her future interview with Chip. Even though I won’t be doing the interview with her we discussed the kind of questions she should ask that aren’t negative towards the rough neighborhood, yet still get a well rounded assortment of responses. I think that is one of the toughest things about working in Brooklyn, trying to reach the people without making them feel that you are looking down on their hardships or that you are going to jump right in and “fix” everything. As with the clean up days, we have to encourage the kids to want to help keep things clean all the time, not just when we are there. Chip seems good about cleaning up her front yard on a regular basis and picking up trash whenever she can. So far, she is the only one on the block that has really spoken to me about maintaining the block.
Missy and I went to the CCBB meeting, which was amazing! Amazing in the way that I felt like I was on a reality show, there was suspense, and yelling, and no opinion was left unturned. The first part of the night was devoted to Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld. I must say that this past Monday had the best turn out for a CCBB meeting to date! The Commissioner was really nice and he was very down to earth and personable with the locals. I found out that his mother was one of the first residents of the Brooklyn Homes and that he had lived in Brooklyn at one time with his family. He definitely had a connection to the area and you could tell this mean a lot to residents. The main area he talked about was the murders, he told a story of going to Israel and having those who lived there ask him if Baltimore was really like The Wire. He said that Baltimore is often judged the most on its homicides and he is trying to change that stereotype. 2008 marked a 30-year low in homicides; he said that we finished 2008 with 4,000 robberies! Sounds like a lot to me.
He also talked about the gun trials we have here in comparison with New York. If a person in NY is found with a gun on them, they go to jail. This is the case in LA as well, while here you can be set free. Changing this law is one the Commissioner’s number one goals in the coming years. People in the room discussed a recent shooting near Patapsco road and 9th street. The person show was in the hospital, but the shooting represents a problem that won’t seem to go away. Bealefeld let people in the audience ask questions, discussions over kids riding dirt backs was a big to do! They ride the bikes right in front of cars or people walking, don’t wear helmets, and don’t get penalized even though dirt backs residing on home property is illegal. People were very worked up. One of the best things about Bealefeld was that he was going to COP walk the next day, Tuesday, which I think is a great way to let a community know you really do want to be involved, make your presence known.
The second part of the night was super reality show! Carol had told Missy and I about port contractors trying to build a holding area in the Brooklyn area to transport scrap metal and similar products. The port would be located on the tip of the Fairfield Industrial Peninsula, close to a 50 ft channel with deep waters. There would be a storage unit built for the temporary housing of dry-bulk, break-bulk, and liquid bulk. While the guys were giving their presentation it was stopped every few minutes with locals yelling out questions and calling the guys out on what they were saying. I would have to say that the community is not in favor of this proposed plan. One of their main concerns being that the site would just end up being a junk yard of sorts and that trucks would be driving hazardous materials through the neighborhoods. It was stop/start for the next thirty minutes and I must say; the locals knew their info. When the guys presenting would list specifics, someone would call out and counter them with info on the negative impact such a plan could cause. It was pretty amazing to see the community come together in this way.
One of the pros of the plan would be job opportunities, but only if people living in the Brooklyn area had access to such jobs. There was even a lawyer for the contractors present and she was not shy. When locals would yell out their opinion, she lashed right back with her super professional lawyer talk, as I would call it! Missy and I just looked at each other and Carol shot me a few interesting glances too. Can’t wait to see what happens!
Other than that, the week was a bit of a bust. We did tell Gail that we would have a donation box for the firehouse at our Healthy Holiday event. I felt this was a good compromise since we couldn’t take the firehouse as one of our main projects.
Chip didn’t want to do the block clean up and no one came to my running group, again! I was feeling a bit down and just focused on my vegetarian outline most of the week. I want to present the most realistic information possible that is interesting without being overwhelming. Speaking of the class, I stood up and talked about it at the meeting and left fliers for people to pick up. A couple people told Missy they would go and apparently one of the CCBB members is vegetarian.
I did get a hopeful e-mail today though; Sarah told me that we would be doing an interview this Friday at 9:00 a.m. I will take some photos and do some transcribing. I am thrilled. She also gave me a list of five locations to photograph, finally! I have wanted this information so that I can at least get some work done on my own without continually hounding everyone. I am feeling better having some legitimate plans for the week.
words: 1089
hours: 12
Missy and I went to the CCBB meeting, which was amazing! Amazing in the way that I felt like I was on a reality show, there was suspense, and yelling, and no opinion was left unturned. The first part of the night was devoted to Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld. I must say that this past Monday had the best turn out for a CCBB meeting to date! The Commissioner was really nice and he was very down to earth and personable with the locals. I found out that his mother was one of the first residents of the Brooklyn Homes and that he had lived in Brooklyn at one time with his family. He definitely had a connection to the area and you could tell this mean a lot to residents. The main area he talked about was the murders, he told a story of going to Israel and having those who lived there ask him if Baltimore was really like The Wire. He said that Baltimore is often judged the most on its homicides and he is trying to change that stereotype. 2008 marked a 30-year low in homicides; he said that we finished 2008 with 4,000 robberies! Sounds like a lot to me.
He also talked about the gun trials we have here in comparison with New York. If a person in NY is found with a gun on them, they go to jail. This is the case in LA as well, while here you can be set free. Changing this law is one the Commissioner’s number one goals in the coming years. People in the room discussed a recent shooting near Patapsco road and 9th street. The person show was in the hospital, but the shooting represents a problem that won’t seem to go away. Bealefeld let people in the audience ask questions, discussions over kids riding dirt backs was a big to do! They ride the bikes right in front of cars or people walking, don’t wear helmets, and don’t get penalized even though dirt backs residing on home property is illegal. People were very worked up. One of the best things about Bealefeld was that he was going to COP walk the next day, Tuesday, which I think is a great way to let a community know you really do want to be involved, make your presence known.
The second part of the night was super reality show! Carol had told Missy and I about port contractors trying to build a holding area in the Brooklyn area to transport scrap metal and similar products. The port would be located on the tip of the Fairfield Industrial Peninsula, close to a 50 ft channel with deep waters. There would be a storage unit built for the temporary housing of dry-bulk, break-bulk, and liquid bulk. While the guys were giving their presentation it was stopped every few minutes with locals yelling out questions and calling the guys out on what they were saying. I would have to say that the community is not in favor of this proposed plan. One of their main concerns being that the site would just end up being a junk yard of sorts and that trucks would be driving hazardous materials through the neighborhoods. It was stop/start for the next thirty minutes and I must say; the locals knew their info. When the guys presenting would list specifics, someone would call out and counter them with info on the negative impact such a plan could cause. It was pretty amazing to see the community come together in this way.
One of the pros of the plan would be job opportunities, but only if people living in the Brooklyn area had access to such jobs. There was even a lawyer for the contractors present and she was not shy. When locals would yell out their opinion, she lashed right back with her super professional lawyer talk, as I would call it! Missy and I just looked at each other and Carol shot me a few interesting glances too. Can’t wait to see what happens!
Other than that, the week was a bit of a bust. We did tell Gail that we would have a donation box for the firehouse at our Healthy Holiday event. I felt this was a good compromise since we couldn’t take the firehouse as one of our main projects.
Chip didn’t want to do the block clean up and no one came to my running group, again! I was feeling a bit down and just focused on my vegetarian outline most of the week. I want to present the most realistic information possible that is interesting without being overwhelming. Speaking of the class, I stood up and talked about it at the meeting and left fliers for people to pick up. A couple people told Missy they would go and apparently one of the CCBB members is vegetarian.
I did get a hopeful e-mail today though; Sarah told me that we would be doing an interview this Friday at 9:00 a.m. I will take some photos and do some transcribing. I am thrilled. She also gave me a list of five locations to photograph, finally! I have wanted this information so that I can at least get some work done on my own without continually hounding everyone. I am feeling better having some legitimate plans for the week.
words: 1089
hours: 12
Friday, October 23, 2009
This week has been more productive, thank gosh! Missy and I met a couple times and she is really helping me out with the vegetarian class now too. She made a flier for the event that we are going to post at the Cove and around Brooklyn. We decided that we will have a raffle and make a basket with a vegetarian cookbook in it as well as some cooking utensils. Nothing over the top, but a nice idea and will probably help bring people to the event. We are going to have recipe print outs for everyone to take as well. I am pretty excited about it all, nervous mostly about promotion. As much as I want all of my friends to attend and support me, it is the members of the community I want to be there the most.
As for the Healthy Holiday event, I am lucking out in the volunteer department. My co-worker Liz, a cook, agreed to discuss a healthy version of meatloaf. I am so happy about because this seems like an affordable dish that can feed a large family. She mentioned using oatmeal instead of bread to enhance its nutritional value. Oatmeal is a super food!
The weather was just right for the ‘clean up the block’ week. It took me a long time to get in touch with Chip, but she finally picked up the phone and said we could come by at three this past Thursday. Staci joined Missy and I this time as well. The bad news is that less adults helped, the same woman who would not help last night, refused once again. She just stood on her porch watching. Chips daughter said she couldn’t help because she had “too much work to do in the house,” although I never saw go inside and walked around yelling for her Mom most of the time. She did run off to the library to return books, the was scolded by Chip because she got two movies and wasn’t supposed to. There is so much yelling going on all the time. Everyone seems so annoyed with one another and Chip tells me who is good and who is not.
The good news is that all the same kids helped and remembered working with us a few weeks ago. The youngest girl, Jade, put her gloves right on and started sweeping piles into the dustpan I was holding. Two of the same boys joined and I made sure to tell them what a great job they were doing. I even asked the one boy, I think Brandon, if he remembered what nature was. He responded that it was glass. I told him again what it was and then asked him to repeat it back to me. Over the next hour he told me a few times that it was “trees, water, rocks, vegetables that you grow, flowers….” I told him I was going to ask him the next time we were there.
Chip loves to tell me stories while we are cleaning up. Not only did I find out she has only been living in her house for 8 months, she casually told me that she is Wiccan. She said….. “essentially I am a witch.” She then told me that people misjudge witches and that they actually do not believe in any devil. Her shirt said “my other house fell on your sister.” A reference to witchery and the Wizard of Oz. She is a character and I really like her. She is pretty ill too, has had biopsies for cancerous growths and has lung issues. Her voice sounds like a man from all the smoking. She is also involved in custody hearing over one of her granddaughters.
The block wasn’t as trash laden as I had thought, the alley was a disaster though. We definitely spent the most time in the alley. One yard was filled with trash, I mean covered to the point where you could barely see the grass!! Chip said that she and a couple others had picked up some of the trash in front of their homes since we had been there. Good news indeed. Some people just don’t care though, teenagers were yet again milling about while we worked.
The oral history project has hit a few barriers, which I am not pleased about. After giving my schedule to Sarah a few times, she is still scheduling them during my school and work hours. There are two interviews taking place next week that I would love to be involved with and just can’t due to scheduling. I know that I have all of November to turn this situation around. Also, I have been emailing Glenn (the head of this project) about photo locations without hearing back from him. I did give Carol my schedule, though, and she said she would help me out with the scheduling. Sarah felt bad too and we are going to try and make things work better in the future. I just want to be as involved as possible.
The running group is set to meet this Sunday, hope it isn’t raining.
words: 859
hours: 10
As for the Healthy Holiday event, I am lucking out in the volunteer department. My co-worker Liz, a cook, agreed to discuss a healthy version of meatloaf. I am so happy about because this seems like an affordable dish that can feed a large family. She mentioned using oatmeal instead of bread to enhance its nutritional value. Oatmeal is a super food!
The weather was just right for the ‘clean up the block’ week. It took me a long time to get in touch with Chip, but she finally picked up the phone and said we could come by at three this past Thursday. Staci joined Missy and I this time as well. The bad news is that less adults helped, the same woman who would not help last night, refused once again. She just stood on her porch watching. Chips daughter said she couldn’t help because she had “too much work to do in the house,” although I never saw go inside and walked around yelling for her Mom most of the time. She did run off to the library to return books, the was scolded by Chip because she got two movies and wasn’t supposed to. There is so much yelling going on all the time. Everyone seems so annoyed with one another and Chip tells me who is good and who is not.
The good news is that all the same kids helped and remembered working with us a few weeks ago. The youngest girl, Jade, put her gloves right on and started sweeping piles into the dustpan I was holding. Two of the same boys joined and I made sure to tell them what a great job they were doing. I even asked the one boy, I think Brandon, if he remembered what nature was. He responded that it was glass. I told him again what it was and then asked him to repeat it back to me. Over the next hour he told me a few times that it was “trees, water, rocks, vegetables that you grow, flowers….” I told him I was going to ask him the next time we were there.
Chip loves to tell me stories while we are cleaning up. Not only did I find out she has only been living in her house for 8 months, she casually told me that she is Wiccan. She said….. “essentially I am a witch.” She then told me that people misjudge witches and that they actually do not believe in any devil. Her shirt said “my other house fell on your sister.” A reference to witchery and the Wizard of Oz. She is a character and I really like her. She is pretty ill too, has had biopsies for cancerous growths and has lung issues. Her voice sounds like a man from all the smoking. She is also involved in custody hearing over one of her granddaughters.
The block wasn’t as trash laden as I had thought, the alley was a disaster though. We definitely spent the most time in the alley. One yard was filled with trash, I mean covered to the point where you could barely see the grass!! Chip said that she and a couple others had picked up some of the trash in front of their homes since we had been there. Good news indeed. Some people just don’t care though, teenagers were yet again milling about while we worked.
The oral history project has hit a few barriers, which I am not pleased about. After giving my schedule to Sarah a few times, she is still scheduling them during my school and work hours. There are two interviews taking place next week that I would love to be involved with and just can’t due to scheduling. I know that I have all of November to turn this situation around. Also, I have been emailing Glenn (the head of this project) about photo locations without hearing back from him. I did give Carol my schedule, though, and she said she would help me out with the scheduling. Sarah felt bad too and we are going to try and make things work better in the future. I just want to be as involved as possible.
The running group is set to meet this Sunday, hope it isn’t raining.
words: 859
hours: 10
Monday, October 19, 2009
Better late than never!
I am blogging a little late for last week, but here it goes…. This past week was kind of a bust in some ways for many reasons, but I suppose that that happens from time to time. I blame the rain and the fact that I got pretty sick and chose not leave my bed for a couple of days.
Missy and I met last Monday after class to discuss some of the specifics for the “clean up the block days” and the ‘Healthy Holiday’ event. There are so many little things to try and portion out to various volunteers. I have done a lot of e-mailing/networking for the holiday event too. I confirmed with one co-worker who will choose a topic and present for it. Also, a girl I ran into who just moved back into town wants to volunteer and I have been updating her about what the topics are. Missy has chosen to demonstrate about a healthy dessert and I am sort of waiting to see what other decide on so I can pick up whatever is left.
Carol and Sarah wanted me to meet with them and Glenn on Wednesday to go over the oral history time-line, but I was just too sick and had to cancel. The meeting was last minute anyway, so everyone understood. Glenn is preparing a list of areas for me to photograph, which I am excited about.
Finally, on Thursday, Missy and I went to the Bay Brook offices to help out with newsletter distribution. It was pouring rain, but we managed to drop off newsletters to about ten sites. Places such as the library, a recreational facility, a popular convenience store, the soccer pavilion, and churches. We got pretty turned at times yet I think getting lost just helps us remember the area better for the next time.
We couldn’t do our clean up AGAIN because of the rain! Missy and I took a peek down the block helped clean a few weeks ago and it was awful. Trash was everywhere and I am pretty certain a trash bag from our first clean up day was still perched in front of someone’s house. We have been calling Chip a lot to check in though, we don’t want her to think we have abandoned out initial efforts. Her daughter answers the phone a lot and is somewhat “interesting” to deal with. She tells us where Chip is, but it is pretty brash about it all.
Sarah sent me a card in the mail to thank me for my work within the Brooklyn community. She sent Missy one too, positive reinforcement goes a long way and this was such a nice gesture.
Running group was called off because I didn’t want to push myself after being sick all week. However, I am glad I chose to take care of myself, I feel better prepared for this week and said no when I needed to. I got few hours, but I can catch up this week.
I am about to e-mail Glenn about the necessary images and plan on resuming the clean up day this Thursday with Missy.
words: 525
hours: 7
Missy and I met last Monday after class to discuss some of the specifics for the “clean up the block days” and the ‘Healthy Holiday’ event. There are so many little things to try and portion out to various volunteers. I have done a lot of e-mailing/networking for the holiday event too. I confirmed with one co-worker who will choose a topic and present for it. Also, a girl I ran into who just moved back into town wants to volunteer and I have been updating her about what the topics are. Missy has chosen to demonstrate about a healthy dessert and I am sort of waiting to see what other decide on so I can pick up whatever is left.
Carol and Sarah wanted me to meet with them and Glenn on Wednesday to go over the oral history time-line, but I was just too sick and had to cancel. The meeting was last minute anyway, so everyone understood. Glenn is preparing a list of areas for me to photograph, which I am excited about.
Finally, on Thursday, Missy and I went to the Bay Brook offices to help out with newsletter distribution. It was pouring rain, but we managed to drop off newsletters to about ten sites. Places such as the library, a recreational facility, a popular convenience store, the soccer pavilion, and churches. We got pretty turned at times yet I think getting lost just helps us remember the area better for the next time.
We couldn’t do our clean up AGAIN because of the rain! Missy and I took a peek down the block helped clean a few weeks ago and it was awful. Trash was everywhere and I am pretty certain a trash bag from our first clean up day was still perched in front of someone’s house. We have been calling Chip a lot to check in though, we don’t want her to think we have abandoned out initial efforts. Her daughter answers the phone a lot and is somewhat “interesting” to deal with. She tells us where Chip is, but it is pretty brash about it all.
Sarah sent me a card in the mail to thank me for my work within the Brooklyn community. She sent Missy one too, positive reinforcement goes a long way and this was such a nice gesture.
Running group was called off because I didn’t want to push myself after being sick all week. However, I am glad I chose to take care of myself, I feel better prepared for this week and said no when I needed to. I got few hours, but I can catch up this week.
I am about to e-mail Glenn about the necessary images and plan on resuming the clean up day this Thursday with Missy.
words: 525
hours: 7
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Oral Histories and the Running Group...
I started off the week by meeting with Missy to discuss where we are going with our individual projects as well as the areas we are working on together. Specifically, we are trying to plan for the ‘Healthy Holiday’ event that is set to take place in early December. After meeting with Sarah last week it was made clear to me that this event will take a lot of outside effort from volunteers. We are hoping to have lessons and activities that move beyond holiday recipes and touch on finances and safe fun. There is no way I can do this all on my own. I am hoping that Staci may have an interest in this event as well as some of my friends who are looking to get involved with volunteer work. I also know that once November approaches, time is going to move very fast and the event will be here before I know it.
I have also been trying to get the word out about the running club that is set to begin this Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Meyerhoff Soccer Pavilion in Brooklyn. I have a feeling that it will be scarcely attended and I will have to better promote it for the following Sunday. I have not started a club before and want to make certain I get the information out to as many residents as possible. We shall see!
The biggest news of the week centers on my experience with Masonville Cove residents who are contributing to an oral history project led by Glenn G. Page from SustainaMetrix. Carol and Sarah asked me to participate in their oral history interviews so I recently attended an interview at the Cove Recreational center this past Wednesday. There were two men to be interviewed who grew up in the Masonville/Brooklyn area. They were so excited to be a part of something that would document their history and Glenn has an exuberant personality while doing the interviewing. The interviews are based on a book of generalized historical questions, created by the SustainaMetrix. I noticed that if Carol or Sarah started to ask questions that directed the interview into a serious tangent, Greg was very successful at steering everyone back on track. This was a great skill to watch because I know that it is so easy to get off track. Glenn suggested that we can do follow up interviews that are just based on stories, however, it is important to get all the groundwork covered.
I had brought my fancy camera to the interviews and Glenn asked me to take as many pictures as possible. When we were finishing up he asked me if I would be the main photographer for as many as interviews as I can attend, as well as photograph the landscape and construction taking place throughout the Masonville Cove. Pretty exciting! He even said that he would purchase an extra hard drive for me to back up all the images on. I will be labeling the events and the specifics of each photo. I feel so professional.
Glenn and Carol plan on hosting an event at the Polish Home Hall that celebrates the history of the watershed area and Masonville Cove. The pictures I take will be shown at the event and some may even be streamed through a television at the Cove Recreational Center. We are trying to schedule a follow up with the two guys, whose names I will specify in my next entry, for next Friday.
A quick update about the running club: I raced from work to Brooklyn after picking up two friends on the way. Unfortunately, no one showed up! It is my fault though because I did not promote it enough. Even after trying to post about it on Craigslist, I realized I had not hit the right button because I tried to check it days later and couldn’t find it. My friends and I still ran around the area though and came up with a generalized route. I was in touch with a guy named Chris who is interested in helping me get the group started and he said he is definitely coming next week. I am going to make some fliers this week and at least post them at the Cove center. We shall see!
word count: 720
Hours: 12
I have also been trying to get the word out about the running club that is set to begin this Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Meyerhoff Soccer Pavilion in Brooklyn. I have a feeling that it will be scarcely attended and I will have to better promote it for the following Sunday. I have not started a club before and want to make certain I get the information out to as many residents as possible. We shall see!
The biggest news of the week centers on my experience with Masonville Cove residents who are contributing to an oral history project led by Glenn G. Page from SustainaMetrix. Carol and Sarah asked me to participate in their oral history interviews so I recently attended an interview at the Cove Recreational center this past Wednesday. There were two men to be interviewed who grew up in the Masonville/Brooklyn area. They were so excited to be a part of something that would document their history and Glenn has an exuberant personality while doing the interviewing. The interviews are based on a book of generalized historical questions, created by the SustainaMetrix. I noticed that if Carol or Sarah started to ask questions that directed the interview into a serious tangent, Greg was very successful at steering everyone back on track. This was a great skill to watch because I know that it is so easy to get off track. Glenn suggested that we can do follow up interviews that are just based on stories, however, it is important to get all the groundwork covered.
I had brought my fancy camera to the interviews and Glenn asked me to take as many pictures as possible. When we were finishing up he asked me if I would be the main photographer for as many as interviews as I can attend, as well as photograph the landscape and construction taking place throughout the Masonville Cove. Pretty exciting! He even said that he would purchase an extra hard drive for me to back up all the images on. I will be labeling the events and the specifics of each photo. I feel so professional.
Glenn and Carol plan on hosting an event at the Polish Home Hall that celebrates the history of the watershed area and Masonville Cove. The pictures I take will be shown at the event and some may even be streamed through a television at the Cove Recreational Center. We are trying to schedule a follow up with the two guys, whose names I will specify in my next entry, for next Friday.
A quick update about the running club: I raced from work to Brooklyn after picking up two friends on the way. Unfortunately, no one showed up! It is my fault though because I did not promote it enough. Even after trying to post about it on Craigslist, I realized I had not hit the right button because I tried to check it days later and couldn’t find it. My friends and I still ran around the area though and came up with a generalized route. I was in touch with a guy named Chris who is interested in helping me get the group started and he said he is definitely coming next week. I am going to make some fliers this week and at least post them at the Cove center. We shall see!
word count: 720
Hours: 12
Sunday, October 4, 2009
So much done in one week!
So much happened this past week that I needed all of Saturday to gather my thoughts and rest. I spent three days in Brooklyn so I will discuss each visit!
On Monday, Missy and I attended our second CCBB meeting. I was nervous because I hadn’t contacted Gail in a while and I thought she might be upset with me for that. Working with Bay Brook organization has really taken off and therefore taken up a lot of my time. They have a lot of needs and I have a lot of flexibility, which is great. I even got nervous because I tried to smile at Gail and I thought she was giving me a dirty look back! I nudged Missy and asked her what she thought, but she said not to worry and that she would do the talking after the meeting if I wanted. In the end, things were fine, but I don’t want to let anyone down. A woman giving a presentation about identity theft led the first half of the meeting. She talked about shredding mail and how to protect your credit cards. There are a lot of older people that come to these meetings and they had many questions and comments. Gail also mentioned a passing of an older lady who was well liked in the community. She started to tear up while talking about her and so did others in the room. I even remembered the woman, she was at the last CCBB meeting had a hunched over walk. It made me think about community and how each person who becomes a regular in community activities marks there place, has a purpose, and is worth remembering. This is what helps make “place” what it is.
There was one disturbing incident that took place during the meeting, I’m sure Missy touched on this as well, involving a Latino man. During one of the lulls where people ask questions, a Latino man stood up and discussed starting a non-profit organization for Latinos in the community. He said that he wanted to help bring business to the area and was looking for help or a space to begin the process. One member of the board immediately scolded him for speaking too soon and not waiting till the very end of the night. Everyone else just looked perplexed, almost annoyed. Someone sitting down mentioned that Latino business was not exactly what they meant in regard to bettering the community. It was upsetting to watch because the man was made to look foolish and left without much direction for his idea. Luckily, Carol from Bay Brook, said that he could come to her office and she would talk to him about finding a location for meetings, etc. I guess this incident was a reminder that all communities have their biases, concerns, and pre-judgments about people.
After the meeting, Missy and I talked to Gail about raising money for the Firehouse and other projects we were working on. Gail was happy to talk about all that and my worries were gone. However, I left the meeting with a stale taste in my mouth based on the incident with the Latino man.
On Thursday, Missy and I went to Bay Brook for our first ‘Clean up the Block ‘ event. Carol had purchased large black trash bags, gloves, and a push broom. We knocked on Chips door and told her we were ready to go. What an experience we had, at first it seemed that not too many people were going to get involved. Chip, however, was rearing to go and started rounding up neighbors and children. There were a handful of teenagers who showed no interest in participating and stood around eating from the very same UTZ chip bags we were picking up from the ground. I will say one thing about this block, they love to yell. Chip and her daughter were yelling at everyone, telling them to pick this up or that. The lady that lived next door to Chip announced that she was not going to help at all because we picked a time that she wasn’t happy with. She wanted us to choose a time before three, but we were aiming for a time where the kids could get involved after school. She made a big stink about and stood on her porch watching everyone else sweep and clean. Another lady yelled at the concept of picking up trash off peoples lawns that were not participating, or not home. She said if they didn’t want to help they shouldn’t get anything done for them.
Watching the kids get involved was the best part, but for some it was not without a fight. The boys were very helpful in both sweeping and carrying the dustpans to our overflowing trash bags. I talked to one boy about what to pick up and what to leave behind. I said that rocks were a part of nature and they should be left behind, he asked me what nature was and I told him “everything that was here before we were.” He was probably six years old and had failed kindergarten once. It was sad to have to talk to explain to these children the basics about our earth. I am guessing that many of them have never left the Brooklyn area. I gave encouraging feedback to all the kids involved and thanked them for being such great helpers.
Apparently, Chip says we will run into syringes and dope bags if we clean up certain areas. I am glad we have gloves. She was wearing a shirt that read “We all have problems, mine are just bigger than yours.” Amazing!
The street looked so much better after the clean up. We got about eight bags of trash. Chip was happy with the results, but wanted us to come back the next day and help more. We told her we would leave her with the materials for further clean up, but wouldn’t be back until the following Thursday. Looks like we are going to try and help out with block clean up every Thursday, if possible.
Carol, Missy, and I loaded up Carol’s car with trash and took it to the dump. We discussed adding an extra trashcan to each block because you can only have three trash bags per can. Not sure the formalities of such a plan though.
After the clean up, Missy and I went to the firehouse with Bill (Gail’s husband). He showed us the kitchen and then suggested items that the kitchen was in need of. Large tables being the most urgent and plastic silverware and plates. It wasn’t as bad as I had thought and we may just try and add some fundraising on to one of our other events.
Lastly, on Friday I met with Sarah at her home to discuss several different events and start planning for them. She still wants me to teach the vegetarian class at The Cove and we picked a date, November 14. I gave her my outline for the class and she liked it. I am going to make a work sheet to go along with it so that people can fill out the information I give them during my presentation. I am excited about it, but also nervous.
The Healthy Holiday event is a go also! This event is even bigger and will require more volunteers, which I am trying to round up. The slogan for the event will be “Healthy Food, Healthy Holidays, and Healthy Fun.” We know we want people to leave with a menu idea, have cooking on site, games, and budgeting ideas. I am hoping to round up enough people so that each volunteer focuses on one area. Otherwise, I will really be in over my head.
The running club is a go too, it starts next Sunday. I need to get the work out though, which may be hard before the first meeting. As of now, the running group will meet at 3 p.m at the soccer pavilion in Brooklyn. I have a route that Sarah printed out, but so far it looks confusing. I am hoping that running it makes more sense of it. Sarah wanted me to do the running group two days a week, but that is just too much. I am getting nervous that I am saying yes to everything and will tire myself out if I don’t pace myself.
Sarah also mentioned that The Cove is doing interviews with people who used to live near the watershed and asked if I would like to come to a meeting about them. She is hoping I can do some oral histories. I am going to a talk on Wednesday that will shed more light on this project.
I am excited that so many of my ideas are really happening. I had no idea I would get this far so fast. I am a bit overwhelmed though and don’t want to take on too much. I think this week I will focus mostly on planning the specifics for the veg class, the clean up day Thursday, and rounding up people for the Holiday class.
Hours: 14
Words: 1533
On Monday, Missy and I attended our second CCBB meeting. I was nervous because I hadn’t contacted Gail in a while and I thought she might be upset with me for that. Working with Bay Brook organization has really taken off and therefore taken up a lot of my time. They have a lot of needs and I have a lot of flexibility, which is great. I even got nervous because I tried to smile at Gail and I thought she was giving me a dirty look back! I nudged Missy and asked her what she thought, but she said not to worry and that she would do the talking after the meeting if I wanted. In the end, things were fine, but I don’t want to let anyone down. A woman giving a presentation about identity theft led the first half of the meeting. She talked about shredding mail and how to protect your credit cards. There are a lot of older people that come to these meetings and they had many questions and comments. Gail also mentioned a passing of an older lady who was well liked in the community. She started to tear up while talking about her and so did others in the room. I even remembered the woman, she was at the last CCBB meeting had a hunched over walk. It made me think about community and how each person who becomes a regular in community activities marks there place, has a purpose, and is worth remembering. This is what helps make “place” what it is.
There was one disturbing incident that took place during the meeting, I’m sure Missy touched on this as well, involving a Latino man. During one of the lulls where people ask questions, a Latino man stood up and discussed starting a non-profit organization for Latinos in the community. He said that he wanted to help bring business to the area and was looking for help or a space to begin the process. One member of the board immediately scolded him for speaking too soon and not waiting till the very end of the night. Everyone else just looked perplexed, almost annoyed. Someone sitting down mentioned that Latino business was not exactly what they meant in regard to bettering the community. It was upsetting to watch because the man was made to look foolish and left without much direction for his idea. Luckily, Carol from Bay Brook, said that he could come to her office and she would talk to him about finding a location for meetings, etc. I guess this incident was a reminder that all communities have their biases, concerns, and pre-judgments about people.
After the meeting, Missy and I talked to Gail about raising money for the Firehouse and other projects we were working on. Gail was happy to talk about all that and my worries were gone. However, I left the meeting with a stale taste in my mouth based on the incident with the Latino man.
On Thursday, Missy and I went to Bay Brook for our first ‘Clean up the Block ‘ event. Carol had purchased large black trash bags, gloves, and a push broom. We knocked on Chips door and told her we were ready to go. What an experience we had, at first it seemed that not too many people were going to get involved. Chip, however, was rearing to go and started rounding up neighbors and children. There were a handful of teenagers who showed no interest in participating and stood around eating from the very same UTZ chip bags we were picking up from the ground. I will say one thing about this block, they love to yell. Chip and her daughter were yelling at everyone, telling them to pick this up or that. The lady that lived next door to Chip announced that she was not going to help at all because we picked a time that she wasn’t happy with. She wanted us to choose a time before three, but we were aiming for a time where the kids could get involved after school. She made a big stink about and stood on her porch watching everyone else sweep and clean. Another lady yelled at the concept of picking up trash off peoples lawns that were not participating, or not home. She said if they didn’t want to help they shouldn’t get anything done for them.
Watching the kids get involved was the best part, but for some it was not without a fight. The boys were very helpful in both sweeping and carrying the dustpans to our overflowing trash bags. I talked to one boy about what to pick up and what to leave behind. I said that rocks were a part of nature and they should be left behind, he asked me what nature was and I told him “everything that was here before we were.” He was probably six years old and had failed kindergarten once. It was sad to have to talk to explain to these children the basics about our earth. I am guessing that many of them have never left the Brooklyn area. I gave encouraging feedback to all the kids involved and thanked them for being such great helpers.
Apparently, Chip says we will run into syringes and dope bags if we clean up certain areas. I am glad we have gloves. She was wearing a shirt that read “We all have problems, mine are just bigger than yours.” Amazing!
The street looked so much better after the clean up. We got about eight bags of trash. Chip was happy with the results, but wanted us to come back the next day and help more. We told her we would leave her with the materials for further clean up, but wouldn’t be back until the following Thursday. Looks like we are going to try and help out with block clean up every Thursday, if possible.
Carol, Missy, and I loaded up Carol’s car with trash and took it to the dump. We discussed adding an extra trashcan to each block because you can only have three trash bags per can. Not sure the formalities of such a plan though.
After the clean up, Missy and I went to the firehouse with Bill (Gail’s husband). He showed us the kitchen and then suggested items that the kitchen was in need of. Large tables being the most urgent and plastic silverware and plates. It wasn’t as bad as I had thought and we may just try and add some fundraising on to one of our other events.
Lastly, on Friday I met with Sarah at her home to discuss several different events and start planning for them. She still wants me to teach the vegetarian class at The Cove and we picked a date, November 14. I gave her my outline for the class and she liked it. I am going to make a work sheet to go along with it so that people can fill out the information I give them during my presentation. I am excited about it, but also nervous.
The Healthy Holiday event is a go also! This event is even bigger and will require more volunteers, which I am trying to round up. The slogan for the event will be “Healthy Food, Healthy Holidays, and Healthy Fun.” We know we want people to leave with a menu idea, have cooking on site, games, and budgeting ideas. I am hoping to round up enough people so that each volunteer focuses on one area. Otherwise, I will really be in over my head.
The running club is a go too, it starts next Sunday. I need to get the work out though, which may be hard before the first meeting. As of now, the running group will meet at 3 p.m at the soccer pavilion in Brooklyn. I have a route that Sarah printed out, but so far it looks confusing. I am hoping that running it makes more sense of it. Sarah wanted me to do the running group two days a week, but that is just too much. I am getting nervous that I am saying yes to everything and will tire myself out if I don’t pace myself.
Sarah also mentioned that The Cove is doing interviews with people who used to live near the watershed and asked if I would like to come to a meeting about them. She is hoping I can do some oral histories. I am going to a talk on Wednesday that will shed more light on this project.
I am excited that so many of my ideas are really happening. I had no idea I would get this far so fast. I am a bit overwhelmed though and don’t want to take on too much. I think this week I will focus mostly on planning the specifics for the veg class, the clean up day Thursday, and rounding up people for the Holiday class.
Hours: 14
Words: 1533
Saturday, September 26, 2009
research and the neighborhoods
This past Thursday I met Missy at the Brooklyn Enoch Pratt Library. She showed me where the files are for newspaper articles about Brooklyn and Curtis Bay. While she was doing her own research, I looked up various articles about the environmental issues surrounding the area. I found recurring information about Wagners Point, an area where chemical companies were located. At one point there were homes throughout Wagners Point, however, when residents started getting sick the area was considered a dangerous place to live. Many of the articles described the experiences and feelings had by those who had to flee the area. Even though residents were attached to the area, they knew they had to leave for safety reasons. I even came across an article about Betty Welly, a woman I had interviewed last Spring for the Club4100 project. Missy and I discussed the possiblity of me using the research I find for her potential website.
After doing research, Missy and I decided to drive to Wagners Point and see where the neighborhood was once located. I took photos of the area, specifically the construction taking place and the Petapsco Waste Water Treatment Plant. This plant now sits on the location where homes used to be.
We also went to the office for the Bay-Brook organization I will be working with to see if they needed help with anything. Because they were having a slow day it didn’t up being necessary, besides I was going to be there the next morning anyway.
On Friday I found out that Sarah’s husband was in the hospital and she wanted me to call her boss, Carol, to see if I should still come down to the office. Carol wanted me to help organize photos from various events and houses throughout the community. I spent most of the morning creating new files (events, residential neighborhoods, outdoors, and one just for the Polish Home Hall) I re-organized many of he folders and wrote specific descriptions for each picture, hopefully this will make events from the past easier to find. Looking at all the pictures helped me become more familiar with the area and seeing the transformation of the Polish Home Hall was pretty great.
Carol is awesome! She is so interested in her job and excited to have me be around. I was able to talk with one of her employees, Josh, about the photos and I felt like I was a real intern because I spent some time in the office. A few different ladies came through, one being the treasurer of the organization, and I got to meet her as well.
Carol suggested that I change my idea about a vegetarian class into a “Healthy Holidays” class. Even though I kind of have my heart set on the veg class, I said ok because she told me she thinks more people will come that way. She also said I can use the Polish Home Hall which is pretty great. I will still mention the vegetarian lifestyle and have healthy desserts after the class. Carol says that Missy and I can use the Hall for any events we want. She wants to help us in any way she can, I am so grateful.
I was telling Carol that I want to have some projects that I feel are my own and that can be used for my all-around final project. She informed that I should just tell her my ideas and she will see what she can do. I mentioned ‘clean up the neighborhood’ days and she lit up right away because a woman right next door wanted to have regular clean-up days on her block. We decided to go and talk to the woman right away, she goes by the name Chip. The block that she lives on is pretty cluttered with trash, residents who don’t work, and children who are not in school. Carol went right up the house, children were hanging out on the porch. She asked for the owner to come out and Chip came through the door. Carol told her I was interested in helping to clean up the neighborhood and she started talking to me about how much trash was around and that she ideally wants a clean up day three days a week! I told her I can help her start somewhere, and as of now we are planning on cleaning up the block next Thursday. Missy is also going to participate! Meeting a resident of Curtis Bay puts me on the right track for getting to know the community. Carol says becoming a familiar face with one person has a domino effect and I agree.
Hours worked- ten
Words typed- 779
After doing research, Missy and I decided to drive to Wagners Point and see where the neighborhood was once located. I took photos of the area, specifically the construction taking place and the Petapsco Waste Water Treatment Plant. This plant now sits on the location where homes used to be.
We also went to the office for the Bay-Brook organization I will be working with to see if they needed help with anything. Because they were having a slow day it didn’t up being necessary, besides I was going to be there the next morning anyway.
On Friday I found out that Sarah’s husband was in the hospital and she wanted me to call her boss, Carol, to see if I should still come down to the office. Carol wanted me to help organize photos from various events and houses throughout the community. I spent most of the morning creating new files (events, residential neighborhoods, outdoors, and one just for the Polish Home Hall) I re-organized many of he folders and wrote specific descriptions for each picture, hopefully this will make events from the past easier to find. Looking at all the pictures helped me become more familiar with the area and seeing the transformation of the Polish Home Hall was pretty great.
Carol is awesome! She is so interested in her job and excited to have me be around. I was able to talk with one of her employees, Josh, about the photos and I felt like I was a real intern because I spent some time in the office. A few different ladies came through, one being the treasurer of the organization, and I got to meet her as well.
Carol suggested that I change my idea about a vegetarian class into a “Healthy Holidays” class. Even though I kind of have my heart set on the veg class, I said ok because she told me she thinks more people will come that way. She also said I can use the Polish Home Hall which is pretty great. I will still mention the vegetarian lifestyle and have healthy desserts after the class. Carol says that Missy and I can use the Hall for any events we want. She wants to help us in any way she can, I am so grateful.
I was telling Carol that I want to have some projects that I feel are my own and that can be used for my all-around final project. She informed that I should just tell her my ideas and she will see what she can do. I mentioned ‘clean up the neighborhood’ days and she lit up right away because a woman right next door wanted to have regular clean-up days on her block. We decided to go and talk to the woman right away, she goes by the name Chip. The block that she lives on is pretty cluttered with trash, residents who don’t work, and children who are not in school. Carol went right up the house, children were hanging out on the porch. She asked for the owner to come out and Chip came through the door. Carol told her I was interested in helping to clean up the neighborhood and she started talking to me about how much trash was around and that she ideally wants a clean up day three days a week! I told her I can help her start somewhere, and as of now we are planning on cleaning up the block next Thursday. Missy is also going to participate! Meeting a resident of Curtis Bay puts me on the right track for getting to know the community. Carol says becoming a familiar face with one person has a domino effect and I agree.
Hours worked- ten
Words typed- 779
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Running and Moon Bounces!
This past week I had one trial and error during my internship and one success story. Sarah, me current mentor, informed me that a race was going on in the Brooklyn area. She thought it might be a good idea for me to attend the race and talk to people about starting a runners group. I was very excited because I hope to make this group one of my main projects. She told me that the race started at 2:30pm and I got there about 3:00. There was only a couple of guys milling about and I soon found out that not only was the race starting at 5:00pm, but that it was a high school race. I thought maybe Sarah had came and gone and was a bit confused so I left. While I am not opposed to working with high school kids, I am hoping to start the running group with people who are over eighteen, less legal possibilities. Sarah and I talked and she had been told the wrong time so it wasn’t a big deal that I left. She also said that some of the coaches were members of running organizations and would be interested in a Brooklyn running club. Great news in the end! I’m getting their e-mails sent to me this week and will get in touch with them.
The success story involved Missy and I working at an event called ‘Led Sled.’ Located near a soccer pavilion in Curtis Bay, the event featured vintage cars and activities surrounding them. There was a tent area dedicated to Curtis Bay and the Mason Cove recreation center that I am hoping to teach at. Raffles were held for prizes and there was food and games. Luckily, the event started at three so I made it in time once off work. Missy and I were in charge of the moon bounce, yes, that’s right! It was an interesting experience for sure. First, we were located at the five and under, but Missy left me to help with the moon bounce for older kids. She looked very stressed because the kids were playing so rough and once the bigger volunteers left it became somewhat out of control. Most of the kids who I oversaw were rowdy, but no fights broke out. Missy was glad when her bounce had to be deflated because it started to tip over with kids in it!
It was nice to see all the parents out with their children, the event brought locals and people from other counties. I got to talk to parents while there kids were bouncing and asked them if they lived in the area. I also got to talk with Sarah’s boss; she is one of the head coordinators for the Curtis Bay organization. I told her that I would be willing to a number of necessary jobs and she seemed very interested in utilizing me. I may do some basic computer work as well as work on a project taking oral histories of locals as a way to preserve stories based around the cove itself.
Sarah suggested I come down to one of her two offices this week to start my research on the vegetarian class I hope to teach. She thinks it will be a good way for me to continue meeting new people and getting my face out there. I think it is a great idea. It makes me feel that I am really participating in what I am doing. My goals for the week are to e-mail the running people and to make an informative outline about a vegetarian lifestyle. I have been looking up information on how to start a runners group too. I may have to start posting my info at the cove center or soccer pavilion to see who is interested as well. I am glad that I have some ideas in mind for my projects though, I was nervous as to where my internship would leave but there seems to be plenty of work to be done which is good.
hours worked: 8
words: 678
The success story involved Missy and I working at an event called ‘Led Sled.’ Located near a soccer pavilion in Curtis Bay, the event featured vintage cars and activities surrounding them. There was a tent area dedicated to Curtis Bay and the Mason Cove recreation center that I am hoping to teach at. Raffles were held for prizes and there was food and games. Luckily, the event started at three so I made it in time once off work. Missy and I were in charge of the moon bounce, yes, that’s right! It was an interesting experience for sure. First, we were located at the five and under, but Missy left me to help with the moon bounce for older kids. She looked very stressed because the kids were playing so rough and once the bigger volunteers left it became somewhat out of control. Most of the kids who I oversaw were rowdy, but no fights broke out. Missy was glad when her bounce had to be deflated because it started to tip over with kids in it!
It was nice to see all the parents out with their children, the event brought locals and people from other counties. I got to talk to parents while there kids were bouncing and asked them if they lived in the area. I also got to talk with Sarah’s boss; she is one of the head coordinators for the Curtis Bay organization. I told her that I would be willing to a number of necessary jobs and she seemed very interested in utilizing me. I may do some basic computer work as well as work on a project taking oral histories of locals as a way to preserve stories based around the cove itself.
Sarah suggested I come down to one of her two offices this week to start my research on the vegetarian class I hope to teach. She thinks it will be a good way for me to continue meeting new people and getting my face out there. I think it is a great idea. It makes me feel that I am really participating in what I am doing. My goals for the week are to e-mail the running people and to make an informative outline about a vegetarian lifestyle. I have been looking up information on how to start a runners group too. I may have to start posting my info at the cove center or soccer pavilion to see who is interested as well. I am glad that I have some ideas in mind for my projects though, I was nervous as to where my internship would leave but there seems to be plenty of work to be done which is good.
hours worked: 8
words: 678
Friday, September 11, 2009
First weeks of Interning!
My first few weeks of interning were a bit chaotic because I didn't really know where to begin. Missy and I decided to attend the CCBB meeting to meet people and see what was going on the community. We had both e-mailed Gail, who sits on the board, so she would be expecting us. She was super excited to hear we were coming and even wrote our names in the time-sheet for the night.
While at the meeting we heard about many concerns related to the Brooklyn area. Trash pick up and recycling were of great concern because the neighborhoods were not given recycling bins which meant not many people were recycling. Having one trash day also meant that people would put their trash out a week ahead of time and it would start to overflow on lawns.
Apparently, prostitution and roaming drug vehicles are a great concern. CCBB wants to have nights where people gather together and walk the streets to let those causing disruption know that the neighborhood id aware and going to make their presence known. This is something that I would I like to do at least once, Gail said that having more faces out on the streets helps the area.
A few other areas of concern are restoration of the polish home, park clean-up, and raising money for the local firehouse to obtain equipment they may be short on.
Missy and I were introduced and got up to explain our internship. We let everyone know that we are more than willing to help on various projects and not to hesitate asking for help when needed. I think the group was well responsive and couldn't believe we were older than 23. I explained that I have lived in Baltimore for 8 years, but never gotten that involved with a community the way I was hoping to with the Brooklyn area. Gail also explained that we had worked on the Club4100 project and gave positive feedback about the event.
One of the best parts of the night was meeting Sarah Humphrey. She is the volunteer and outreach coordinator for the Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Coalition. She discusses a lot of environmental projects that were being doing by the organization and I became interested in focusing my attention on the BCBC. I wrote to her the next day and explained my internship project and how wonderful it was meet to her. I then offered up the idea of me contributing my time to some of the projects. We agreed to meet later in the week so I could pick up fliers for a “weed warriors program” they were putting on.
I went to the Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Coalition on September fourth, a Friday. A small office in a townhouse, I found myself surrounded by maps and posters of previous events and those yet to come. Sarah was so happy I came and explained where I would be going to pass out the fliers. She asked me if I had time to take a tour of the neighborhood and I of course said yes. We went up and down the streets through Bay Brook and Curtis Bay. We passed the schools and businesses I would be dropping off fliers to. She drove me through the area they call the “projects” as well as pointed out the homes that had been redone by Habitat for Humanity. The difference between a well-kept house and one that needed to be rehabbed was rather astonishing.
Sarah and I discussed some of the different projects I could begin thinking about. Teaching a class about vegetarianism, planning a race, starting a running group, and getting involved with park clean up were all likely possibilities. I am very excited about all of those ideas because they are all passions of mine!
I delivered the fliers to the various locations, got turned around a bit though.
Sarah and I have been e-mailing and I told her I was available to do any small projects this last week during my free time. She asked me if I would be willing to iron decals on t-shirts for the weed warriors event. I agreed and met her on a Thursday afternoon at her home. Because Sarah has three young children se is definitely pressed for time and was grateful to have me there helping out. I spent about two hours ironing and all was successful. The weed warriors event, pulling weeds from a local park, was set to take place on September 12th.
Sarah asked me to come up with an outline for the vegetarian class so that we can bid for a time at the Masonville Cove Center this October. The building where I hope to be teaching is an eco-friendly construction built above the cove. It is made entirely of recycled material and runs on solar power! It is a great place to host classes and other events. I hope to spend as much time as possible there during this internship.
Word count: 837
Hours: 11 hours
While at the meeting we heard about many concerns related to the Brooklyn area. Trash pick up and recycling were of great concern because the neighborhoods were not given recycling bins which meant not many people were recycling. Having one trash day also meant that people would put their trash out a week ahead of time and it would start to overflow on lawns.
Apparently, prostitution and roaming drug vehicles are a great concern. CCBB wants to have nights where people gather together and walk the streets to let those causing disruption know that the neighborhood id aware and going to make their presence known. This is something that I would I like to do at least once, Gail said that having more faces out on the streets helps the area.
A few other areas of concern are restoration of the polish home, park clean-up, and raising money for the local firehouse to obtain equipment they may be short on.
Missy and I were introduced and got up to explain our internship. We let everyone know that we are more than willing to help on various projects and not to hesitate asking for help when needed. I think the group was well responsive and couldn't believe we were older than 23. I explained that I have lived in Baltimore for 8 years, but never gotten that involved with a community the way I was hoping to with the Brooklyn area. Gail also explained that we had worked on the Club4100 project and gave positive feedback about the event.
One of the best parts of the night was meeting Sarah Humphrey. She is the volunteer and outreach coordinator for the Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Coalition. She discusses a lot of environmental projects that were being doing by the organization and I became interested in focusing my attention on the BCBC. I wrote to her the next day and explained my internship project and how wonderful it was meet to her. I then offered up the idea of me contributing my time to some of the projects. We agreed to meet later in the week so I could pick up fliers for a “weed warriors program” they were putting on.
I went to the Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Coalition on September fourth, a Friday. A small office in a townhouse, I found myself surrounded by maps and posters of previous events and those yet to come. Sarah was so happy I came and explained where I would be going to pass out the fliers. She asked me if I had time to take a tour of the neighborhood and I of course said yes. We went up and down the streets through Bay Brook and Curtis Bay. We passed the schools and businesses I would be dropping off fliers to. She drove me through the area they call the “projects” as well as pointed out the homes that had been redone by Habitat for Humanity. The difference between a well-kept house and one that needed to be rehabbed was rather astonishing.
Sarah and I discussed some of the different projects I could begin thinking about. Teaching a class about vegetarianism, planning a race, starting a running group, and getting involved with park clean up were all likely possibilities. I am very excited about all of those ideas because they are all passions of mine!
I delivered the fliers to the various locations, got turned around a bit though.
Sarah and I have been e-mailing and I told her I was available to do any small projects this last week during my free time. She asked me if I would be willing to iron decals on t-shirts for the weed warriors event. I agreed and met her on a Thursday afternoon at her home. Because Sarah has three young children se is definitely pressed for time and was grateful to have me there helping out. I spent about two hours ironing and all was successful. The weed warriors event, pulling weeds from a local park, was set to take place on September 12th.
Sarah asked me to come up with an outline for the vegetarian class so that we can bid for a time at the Masonville Cove Center this October. The building where I hope to be teaching is an eco-friendly construction built above the cove. It is made entirely of recycled material and runs on solar power! It is a great place to host classes and other events. I hope to spend as much time as possible there during this internship.
Word count: 837
Hours: 11 hours
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Just Setting up
Here is my blog! I will be working with the Brooklyn/Bay Brook communities on several projects that have yet to be determined. I have great contacts and luckily I have already had a good interaction with the Brooklyn community last semester when my class organized an event at Club 4100. I will be writing a more specific update as to what I have done the last two weeks very soon!
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