DECEMBER!

December is... already here! This month I have done a lot of meeting with kids, catching up on paperwork and planning. A frustrating aspect to working with teens is that many meetings are cancelled, or no-shows. Right now I am working with 8 teens, but regularly meet with about 4. It is frustrating knowing that I would be a resource to their success and independence, but not being able to work with them due to not meeting or  not having any enthusiasm for working with me. Something that keeps me going is knowing that I am doing all that I can and having activities and worksheets and conversations prepped for when they do meet and are ready to work. I am trying not to have my enthusiasm and excitement extinguished by not being able to maintain (or even start in some cases) relationships with the youth I work with.

This month I have been able to visit home, which was much needed. Two days before I left for CT, my roommates (other AmeriCorps members) and I settled on an apartment. It's downtown, close to parks and it will be nicer to be in a city- feel again. Going home I was able to visit with my brother before he left for his 3rd term oversees in Afghanistan, my grandmother, and my parents. I was also able to go back to Boston. I surprised one of my teachers and showed up at the New Orleans Service Learning class (which I was very involved in in college). I was also able to visit friends from college who were scattered around Boston and catch up on what has been going on in the four months I have been in Denver. Time seemed to fly by and now I'm back in Denver.

Yesterday, AmeriCorps CBPYT had a split service day. Half of the team was in Bloomfield working and the other half was in Denver. I was working in Denver with the Salvation Army handing out toys, gift certificates and food boxes to those that had signed up. It was really nice to get into the giving spirit and see the good of organizations whose entire goal is to help others.

Christmas is coming, and as an avid holiday enthusiast, I am excited. Cards are being written, cookies being baked, and delicious food eaten. Potlucks have filled up my week, moving into my apartment and keeping in contact with those I love around me. 'Tis the Season!

Service Days

 November Service Days Part 2. 

The second service day was on Saturday November 17th working with the Epworth Foundation. They work every year putting together Thanksgiving baskets for those in need, delivering them by hand or by taxi. I arrived early in the morning and self-assigned into the assembly line.

 Each package contained a frozen turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, 2 boxes of mac and cheese, stuffing, rolls, cake mix, corn, gravy... all the Thanksgiving specials. I was on Mac and Cheese patrol, moving the boxes away from the frozen turkey as to not get them soggy and wet. Service at work! Here is a slideshow of last year's event. It was a much bigger event than I anticipated, and the number of volunteers that showed up was amazing.

Commemorating the spirit and generosity of "Daddy Bruce" Randolph, The Epworth Foundation and its generous sponsors have distributed more than 45,500 baskets of food to Denver-area families in need.

What Happens:

At midnight the Friday before Thanksgiving, 3 city blocks near Epworth will be closed off and a giant assembly line will be set up. Semi-trailers full of food will be hauled in by Wal-Mart. The food will be off loaded onto a conveyor system, where ove rthe next 18 hours hundreds of volunteers will help pack the food into boxes and the distribution will begin. Volunteers from Metro Cab will begin delivering food to the elderly and shut-in, while thousands of people will visit Epworth directly to receive their baskets. Community agencies will be present to communicate their services. More than 7,000 families will be helped.

Here is a slideshow of last year's event. It was a much bigger event than I anticipated, and the number of volunteers that showed up was amazing. 

Service Days

November Service Day Part 1. 

 Friday November 16th, AmeriCorps team CBPYT worked with Bright Beginnings in a service day to repaint their office interior and spruce up the space.

Bright Beginnings is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization providing early childhood education tools at no cost to parents. Materials focus from prenatal to birth to age three.

We spent all day taping, painting trim, moving boxes, eating bagels, and lining the walls with recycled newspaper and bonded as a team over paint fumes. 

It was nice to get to hear about what Bright beginnings does as an agency and feel like we were doing some benefit to the program. Some youth were able to volunteer as well, so it felt more like a community effort. Go Team!

 *side note* During lunch, I went to Falafel King. Which, I can honestly say blew my mind for a chain restaurant. The sauces were all non dairy and it was just what I needed for a break in the day.

November starts!

Annalise and I started our Independent Living Classes on the 5th at one of the youth housing programs we work with. We have about 5-10 youth that come each week. We have talked about what Independent Living Classes will be about, Nutrition, "What's Next" (after high school) and College 101, in addition to cooking Italian food. We have decided to make it International Year, and have a genre of cooking for each month. We made homemade pizza, chicken broccoli Alfredo  spaghetti and baked chicken. YUM! Next month we are diving into.. American cuisine. (we thought we would ease the kids into easy food before we spring falafel on them)

We also got to deep clean the kitchen in the basement... which was both good... and bad. Final outcome good though! Posters to come!

It's nice to have finally started IL classes instead of just talking about it for months. The work load for the class is not too bad, we have several binders at the office in which we can pull worksheets or ideas from. I enjoy cooking each week and seeing the kids eat and socialize.




November has been busy with meetings and working with some youth... along with rescheduling and... not meeting with youth. I was definitely warned about kids cancelling meetings and not showing up, but it is kind of disheartening knowing that I can help and support someone and not getting any take. I understand the issue of having one more social services person to talk to, but my role is more of a support and communicator for the youth. Bums me out that I work with 8 kids technically, but only meet with 4 consistently.

I have gotten into the groove of working in the Department of Human Services. Coming into the office, checking e-mail, attending meetings and documenting are things I have down pat. At times, the down time can be hard to fill, besides planning for our next Independent Living class, or month.

Other news... We have been dominating at trivia. We tried several places; Breckenridge, Rooster and Moon and Nicolo's Pizza. We seem to be best at Rooster and Moon.... (These are the two teams at Nicolo's on the 14th. 3rd and 4th. woohoo!)

More to come!

Culture of Poverty

Yesterday I attended Working Within the Culture of Poverty training facilitated by Micheline Brault at the Larimer DHS. There were about 30 professionals in attendence to learn more about the culture of poverty and how to use that as a lens to work most effectively and empathetically with this population.

We went over some very interesting information about the differences between those in poverty, those in the middle class, and those in wealth. Especially what their driving forces are and how they are all uniquely skilled to live in the economic status they are currently in. Driving forces (survival, work, financial), differences in food (quantity, quality vs. presentation), money (to be used, managed, invested) were some of the big things we hit upon as the "hidden rules of economic class".

Something I found very interesting when we were speaking of the skill levels in each class was a checklist we were asked to fill out "Could you survive in poverty/middle class/wealth?" Questions included:

I know how to live without electricity and a phone
I know how to move in half a day
I know how to get someone out of jail
I can entertain a group of friends with my personality and my stories

I know how to set a table properly
I talk to my children about going to college
I know how to use most of the tools in the garage
I know how to help my children with their homework and do not hesitate to call the school if I need additional info.

I can read a menu in French, English and another language
I support or buy the work of a particular artist
I know who my preferred financial adviser, legal service, designer, domestic employment service and hairdresser are
I am on the boards of at least two charities

While I did know how to "survive" more so in the middle class, I knew a lot about how to survive in poverty as well.. according to these checklist questions. While it did seem as if there was a bias towards wealth, I understood the point of having different lifestyles and how it can affect every part of your life, daily routines and perspective.

This training taught me a lot about the youth I am working with, being more tolerant to how these kids live in the present because their minds tell them it's all they have and realizing that every day is a struggle. It also taught me about some of the people I have had in my life and helped understand some of their mannerisms that I was confused on or didn't quite understand why they couldn't explain why the TV always had to be on. (Apparently because poverty is loud, TV masks it. Also, TV may be the only source of entertainment around with lack of money and resources so it can be a gathering for family, or time)

Nickel and Dimed is a really good book about living on minimum wage that I recommend.

Service Day @ Castro Elementary

Brand new week, almost to Halloween!

Last week was a success, met with three youth, and completed a day of service through Denver Urban Gardens working at Castro Elementary School.

Service Day on the 19th kicked off with a breakfast potluck YUM!

 



When we got to service day, we were set into teams, I was the Tree Team Leader. In charge of cutting overgrowth, removing unsightly brush and trimming trees and bushes as an issue of safety had arisen of kids hiding in the trees. My team was about 15 people, mostly AmeriCorps members along with some  community members and even some kids that attended Castro. We cut a large amount of brush around the school and in the kindergarten playground winterized the garden making sure it was prim and pretty.





AmeriCorps Tree Team!



Sheri, the Principal at Castro was walking around checking on volunteers making sure everyone was having fun and keeping their energy up. Darryl, the lead instructor and Ms. Jane instructed the teams of volunteers to make the garden we were installing went smoothly and we learned some new skills.

Teams included concrete, hole digging pole setting, crusher fine and tree team. 

Lunchtime arrived and we were greeted by a Congressman who spoke to us about the importance of volunteering and being a part of the community. He grew up down the street from the elementary school so it held a special place in his heart. Also, the wife of Richard T. Castro (who the school was named after) spoke of her gratitude of our work and dedication during the day. It was nice to see such efforts by the community to enhance the lives and education of their youth.





AmeriCorps members were able to mix concrete, spread out crusher fine material, assemble raised planter beds, fill up the beds with dirt, install irrigation in the beds, dig holes for the metal poles that will be a canopy, trim bushes and shrubbery as well as dig up trees and roots, and attach metal leaves to some of the poles.

Working from 12-6PM, over thirty volunteers were able to install a brand new section of raised beds for gardens that would eventually produce vegetables for the 4th and 5th grade salad bar. Placing in poles and garnishing them with leaves reading "Growth" and "Learning". We accomplished all they had set out for us and Castro Elementary now has a garden set in place for their future educational inclusion of gardening, vegetables, healthy eating and self-sustainability.

 






 Asia and Sam are working with some of the kids to fill up the planters. It was great to hear the excitement of the kids who went to the school, and the eagerness they had to help.

 





Halfway through the month

So I have finally gotten my background check! Hooray! This means I can definitely meet up with youth now by myself and make some headway on goals and relationship building :)

I have met four of the teens I will be working with and am excited to meet with them throughout the year and see some progress and changes.

I also found a new word today. I was looking up places to volunteer my time, to combine my passion for service and to get out into the community and found the Gender Identity Center of Colorado. Their mission statement is that they;

"Provide support, outreach, and advocacy for all forms of Gender Identity and Expression

Educate the public regarding Gender Identity and Expression."

Looking through their open volunteer positions I stumbled over the word cisgender. Now, I had never heard of that, so I of course googled it. This is what I found from Basic Rights Oregon;

         "You may have heard the word cisgender before, but you may not know what it means. 

Cisgender is a term used to describe people who, for the most part, identify as the gender they were assigned at birth.  

For example, if a doctor said “it’s a boy!” when you were born, and you identify as a man, then you could be described as cisgender. In other words, ‘cisgender’ is used to describe people who are not transgender.

          So why do we say ‘cisgender’ instead of ‘non-transgender’? Because, referring to cisgender people as ‘non trans’ implies that cisgender people are the default and that being trans is abnormal.  Many people have said ‘transgender people’ and ‘normal people’, but when we say ‘cisgender’ and ‘transgender’ neither is implied as more normal than the other.
        Using the word ‘cisgender’ is also an educational tool.  To simply define people as ‘non-trans’ implies that only transgender people have a gender identity.  But that’s not true.  Like sexual orientation, race, class, and many other identities, all of us have a gender identity. 
        Language is important; it defines human relationships.  That is why it’s important use language of equality and inclusion.  We’ll be covering this and a whole lot more in a trans ally education session at our upcoming trans justice summit"


This totally blew my mind. I loved it! I am a firm believer that no one should feel abnormal, and I never thought of what I would identify as in a gender identity realm. I hope that I can volunteer here as it seems a great support place for everyone, and I feel as though I can learn a lot.



In other news, this week at Independent Living Class, we have been circling the topic of Nutrition. We are focusing on portion control, food as energy, being aware of consumption and our bodies and also healthy foods. We actually introduced some kids to hummus for the first time, and they liked it! :)

Love who you want, be who you are

October is National LGBTQ History Month

Video about History Month

Daily LGBTQ support



LGBTQ Awareness and support is something that is close to my heart. A lot of people I know, including myself,  have struggled with the intolerance that still exists within mainstream culture and even within people in my environment. I think it is important to keep an open mind and not let ignorance and intolerance weigh you down. Love is true, natural and shouldn't be defined by what society deems "proper."

Love who you want, be who you are.

I watched Wanda Sykes speech  today and being proud is something that I admire about her. Remaining true to yourself and supportive of those around you are things that I have tried to encorporate in my life. There are many people who are not ready to accept those outside their norm, and can spread hateful thoughts. I have been trying to volunteer at The Center which is a LGBT Community Center in Colorado, and I encourage volunteering in an LGBT supportive environment. At my office I'm printing out the Equality and Safe Space signs to emphasize the importance of having a safe area, and spreading awareness of equality.

October :)

October is here and it makes me miss Autumn on the East Coast. Sure there are spikes of 80 degree weather which make me smile and dash into my closet for my spring dresses which I love, but I miss the crisp weather of fall, leaves crunching and people bustling on the streets in Boston. I should probably stop trying to compare Denver to Boston, becuase there are things to love in both of them. With time I will probably look to Denver as fondly as Boston. The social events in Denver are great though! Also, it seems most of my time is filled by food. No complaints!

I finally hit up CHOMP! held by Plants and Animals Denver to eat some delicious Vegan food. This month's theme was Mexican- which was delicious~! I spoke to some carnivores who sat next to me and spoke about the harmful effects of animal farming on the environment and then about corn consumption. I had delicious enchilladas, rice, guacamole. Topped it off with a sopapilla!!

  

I also won a free lunch to the VEGAN VAN! I will definitley be coming back next month for the Thanksgiving themed potluck!

--A few days later (10/5) we had our first Team Friday! WOOHOO! It was nice to see everyone together again and catch up on the month we just had. We spent a large amount of time doing Civic Engagement which I helped lead focusing on the area of fixing vs. helping vs. serving. The team read an article I found here http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2328 and we read the last part about her experience being attended to by a doctor. We came away with connections to how our youths may feel helpless and how service needs to be selfish in some manor for us to be invested.
--Also in team Friday, Laura our Supervisor pretended that everyone except for 4 members would be changing sites to have us stand in youth shoes for a moment (unknown to us) . Words like ; betrayed, angry, upset, lost scattered the refection board. Feeling how the youth do when their lives so abruptly change without control gave all of us some more insight into working with the youth who have such frequent and constant stress in their lives.
--Something else that went well at team Friday was the first ever Team Potluck!! I organized a Mexican Themed Potluck for this meeting and it went so well! Overall it was a great team Friday and I look forward to them all year!

   

I went to Cultivate Festival, held by Chipotle, on October 6th and it left me freezing! It snowed! I got to hear Best Coast and have delicious hot pumpkin lemonade while I walked around learning about the way to treat farm animals before you butcher them. I couldn't help but think of all of the animals that could be spared if people slimmed back their meat consumption.

              

   

Sunday the 7th was busy! I went to Golden and went on the Coors Brewery Tour, hit up a Food Truck Festival and ended with another successful potluck. I really enjoy hanging out with my AmeriCorps team. We all seem to get along and have a lot of fun together!

   

It seems a lot of my week was busy with Mexican food, which is quite alright with me! The night filled me with joy as we ate chili and rice and played CatchPhrase. I like the small traditions we have as a group. I'm organizing another potluck for our team service friday- Breakfast foods!!

Work Related news: I attended a meeting at Rocky Mountain Housing where Annalise and I will be teaching Independent Living Classes starting in November and I feel so ready to start working with kids.

My background check has not come in yet which stinks, so I'm until further notice planning for IL classes, researching fun activities to do in Denver and also catching up on my reading.

I'm excited for this month!

September update part 2

September has been filled with so many changes, it is only fitting that fall is just around the corner.

Some of the changes have been stressful, challenging and frustrating. However, I hope that they continue. Faced with adversity I will persevere... right? ;) When I feel stressed, frustrated or upset by hiccups in food stamps, roommates, lack of work at my job or length of time it takes me to get anywhere, I try to remember that this is when I am growing. I can learn techniques to help me through these and even focus on why it is bothering me so I can remedy the issue or just deal better. It may be my painfully optimistic point of view, but I am trying to take risks and be uncomfortable. Not to an excessive or unhealthy amount, but in a way that I can learn from my trials and tribulations and become a better me.

A few of my goals this year include really getting out there. Very vague.. I know. But in the sense of using resources for the teens I will work with, being creative with food stamps and cooking with a limited budget (again), traveling around Denver by bus and finding things to occupy my time that make me happy, I want to experience life. Denver is new to me- I want to take advantage of the time I have here and get into the community. On the flip side, a large goal of mine is to really focus on myself. This is my first apartment, and after living with 11 people 24/7 last year in AmeriCorps NCCC I am alone quite a bit, which is taking some getting used to. Exploring what I enjoy doing, how I like to spend my time and partaking in a lot of self care is something that makes my FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome anxious, but I think it will be good for me.

Alternatively, some of the changes had in September have been great. I have moved somewhere new and it went very smoothly. My room is exactly what I was looking for- with high ceilings and a walk in closet (what what!), and all the furniture I was able to purchase from the previous renter. Everyone in C.B.P.Y.T. is fantastic. We are a really great bunch of people. While playing the occasional Frisbee game, going to Thursday trivia nights, volunteering and just hanging out, I have made some connections that I am excited to explore this upcoming year.

Next month I will hopefully be getting a bike through Bike Depot's earn-a-bike program. Having a bike will enable more trips to Downtown and encourage my active lifestyle. I will also start working with kids one-on-one which will be a nice change of pace from being in the office all the time. Also, October means lots of pumpkin food/drink and HALLOWEEN!

September wrap-up

In my first month in Denver I...

- Moved into my first apartment... almost 2,000 miles from home
- Signed up for Foodstamps (With 800 a month and 400+ for rent.. it helps!)

        - on Colorado Peak https://peak.state.co.us

- Started volunteering at Girls Inc. as a tutor for 4th and 5th grade girls on 9/15

 "The vision of Girls Incorporated is empowered girls and an equitable society. We believe that girls have the right to be themselves and to resist gender-stereotypes, to express themselves with originality and enthusiasm, to take risks, to strive freely, and to take pride in success, to accept and appreciate their bodies, to have confidence in themselves, to be safe in the world and to be prepared for interesting work and economic independence."

- Performed trail mainenance with Denver Parks and Rec on 9/21 in Aurora at the Northfield Pond Park for Team Service Day with all AmeriCorps members in C.B.P.Y.T. We worked on building the trails up from being eroded, and worked on erosion and plant control.

- Volunteered for Project Homeless Connect on 9/26. Project Homeless Connect is a United Way sponsored event where professionals and volunteers come together to aid homeless Denverites to get services in one location. Some of these services include recieving physical therapy, haircuts and massages, attaining vital documents, signing up for food stamps, free clothing, connecting with housing information, childcare information, legal aid and veteran services. It was a great day and between 1,800-2,300 clients recieved links to services and goods.

It was really inspiring to see all of the volunteers and professionals offering time and services to help out those who are struggling. I hope to definitely come back next year and help.

- Helped out with the Family Crisis Center service day at Senior Resources Center on 9/27 working with elderly. The youth and AmeriCorps members socialized, sang the Hokey Pokey and Hound Dog, and created arts and crafts sports flags. I met a woman from Arkansas who used to be a foster mother so we had lots to talk about!

Great first month in Denver, great first month at Chafee!

Chafee Services at the Department of Human Services

Officially started as an AmeriCorps State worker on the 5th of September, but I wanted to give myself some time to settle into the office before I got this blog going.

As a C.B.P.Y.T. AmeriCorps State Corps member, I have been chosen to work with Chafee Services at the Denver Department of Human Services.

Chafee Services work with teens who are preparing for independent life and transitioning out of foster care. Throughout the year I will be paired with teens in the Denver area who need assistance applying for jobs, securing housing, furthering and/or finishing their education and working on other life skills before their cases are closed at age 21. Part of my job this year will also be to facilitate Independent Living classes with youth. I start my sessions next month and Annalise (the other AmeriCorps member) and I are prepping for the lessons, activities and cooking we will be encorporating into classes.

"Mission of Chafee Services: To provide and coordinate services for the well being and the protection of the residents in our community.  These services are provided through partnerships that help people move towards independence and realize their potential.

AmeriCorps members serve in the Independent Living Unit and mentor youth one on one who are transitioning out of foster care. This position includes a high level of collaboration with therapists and social workers at the Department of Human Services. Members also lead the Youth Advisory Board for Denver Human Services and help facilitate independent living classes through the Chafee Program and Rocky Mountain Youth International Housing. Check out their website http://denverchafee.org/ for more information. "

As soon as Annalise and I arrived at our desks we felt welcomed by the Chafee Team. Streamers, balloons, and personalized calendars and name tags adorned our shared cubicle and, of course, tons of Ameri-gear.

So far Annalise and I have been shadowing Chafee workers and social workers as they attend meetings and contact with the teens, sitting in on staff meetings at DHS and volunteering. We also have been able to attend Youth Advisory Board meetings to get a feel for what the teens would like to work on. We are antsy to start working with youth but trying to soak in all the information we can before we get started!

Beginning Stages

My 2012-2013 journey started when I was in my last AmeriCorps program. I was finishing my year of service with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, and was frantically trying to find something to to in my LAA ( Life After AmeriCorps). Applying to jobs, I found one that I was passionate about and in June I was accepted into C.B.P.Y.T. AmeriCorps.

Now... what is C.B.P.Y.T.?  And, why did I want to join another service program in AmeriCorps and why did I want another one with an acronym everyone questions?


C.B.P.Y.T. stands for Community Building Partnership with Youth in Transition. And I have found through my years in Connecticut and Massachusetts that I love service. It is very empowering and allows me to feel connected to community and gain perspective and skills. This year, I decided to move to Denver. By myself- across the country. Daunting to say the least, but this organization seemed to line perfectly with my ideal career path in social services and working with teenagers, a population I really enjoy working with.

Here is a background on what C.B.P.Y.T. is from their website;

"The mission of Community Building Partnership for Youth in Transition (CBPYT) is to:

• Support the essential bridges to adulthood through culturally appropriate resources
• Enhance services for youth to help those transitioning out of systems of care
• Help youth obtain good jobs
• Strengthen and augment family and social network support for youth
• Promote educational success
• Promote mental health and wellness
• Foster personal growth and self-identity
• Empower youth and promote personal responsibility"

"Community Building Partnership for Youth in Transition is a solution.  Our approach mixes youth empowerment, agency expertise, and services in a way that helps local communities impact youth in a successful, positive, and appropriate way.

CBPYT operates as an AmeriCorps program housed at Denver Human Services.  Through this program, AmeriCorps members mentor other youth who are currently transitioning out of foster care, homelessness, and other systems of care.  Our mentors work out of community agencies across the Front Range, where they serve for about 38 hours weekly.  After they complete 1,725 hours of service, they are rewarded with $5,550 to further their education.

The CBPYT AmeriCorps program works with various host sites in the Denver/Boulder area, including city and county agencies and non-profits, to support local community partnerships in meeting the needs of youth between the ages of 15 and 22 who are transitioning into self-sufficiency.

Members assist youth in the development of life skills in areas such as education, employment, housing, personal finance, cooking, personal care, healthcare, etc. One-on-one mentoring, group facilitation, program development, and service learning projects are a few ways that AmeriCorps members reach out to and work with youth."

The stipend of about 400$ per check and 800$ per month seems scary, especially when I have to afford rent and food, but I have found a conveniently located apartment which I have moved into and am applying for Food Stamps to help out my budget.

Lots of new things this year- I'm excited to take risks and adventures to see where I end up in 2013!

 http://cbpytamericorps.org/

www.americorps.gov