Wrapping up in NOLA

As we said goodbye to New Orleans, we reflected on the impact this trip has had on ourselves over the past week. We all came on this trip for a variety of reasons, but in the end, we hope the NOLA community benefited the most from our efforts.

Despite all the smiles we shared, there is still a lot of work to be done. Many homes in the region we were working in are still uninhabitable. Taking a quick walk around our two build sites, the devasation is still present...

Our hope is that the new measures put in place to protect homes that have been re-built will create a sustainable future for this community. Seeing the houses we worked on change so much in so few days was a great feeling.

To sum up, this experience was unforgettable and we owe a lot of gratitude to a number of individuals and organizations who made it possible. Thank you to Camp Restore, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity and the ASB program for all your hard work and support during this great adventure. We hope our hard work, dedication and enthusiasm made a difference for the NOLA community!

Food Security at Winnipeg Harvest

Today our ASB family travelled to Winnipeg Harvest to work and learn with University of Manitoba students. Our group was very excited to meet our new friends and it had been a popular topic of conversation throughout the week.

We worked alongside the wonderful students from U of M, as we sorted potatoes and split peas and learned about the advocacy of the Winnipeg Harvest incorporation. We learned that Winnipeg Harvest's ultimate goal is not to grow but to close -- meaning hunger would no longer exist. We learned about "food security" and "oppression". This sparked a lot of conversation within our group as we reflected with the U of M students back at the University, and then again back at the hostel. We agreed that we are all passionate about these issues but may have differing ideas about solutions.

It was wonderful connecting with the U of M students and we appreciated them welcoming us into their Winnipeg home. We even got to ride the bus halfway home with a few. We have created lasting friendships and memories from our day.

Back at the hostel we completed some "wrap up" activities including journal swaps and "touch the back". We then celebrated Adam's birthday with chocolate cake and serenades at midnight!

We're sad to leave our home here in Winnipeg and the wonderful community and friendships we have created, but we are excited to share our learning with the Western community and our friends back at home.

xo
Team Winnipeg

Fundraising for YOU!

Today we spent raising funds for the Youth Action Centre at Youth Opportunities Unlimited at Covent Garden Market and CitiPlaza. YOU provided us with everything we needed to set up our fundraiser, which we were so thankful for as we had a busy week with our service projects and team activities. We all worked together to set up an eye-catching display of our auction items and started to as for donations. A team went over to CitiPlaza to set up their display and began their fundraising as well.
At first, we had trepidations about approaching strangers to donate to Youth Opportunities Unlimited. We had not been in the position where we had been the ones raising the funds before and all felt kind of shy in our approach. We used various strategies to get people’s attention (some more creative than others), and thought it was interesting to see the various reactions that people had when asked for donations. Some people engaged with us and asked us about our fundraiser. Some people talked to us just to have someone to talk to. Many people ignored us and would avoid making eye contact at all costs. Most people simply stated “no” when we asked if they wanted to donate. A few people made large contributions. Many people gave what they could. A couple people challenged our cause and did not believe that our cause was making an actual difference, to which we respectfully disagreed, having engaged with the youth in the programs and understood the impact the organization had on their lives. It made us reflect on our own reactions to being asked for donations, and many of us remarked that we are going to make an effort to engage somehow with those who ask us in public places for donations, as we realize now it is a challenging task. We were proud to be able to raise $808 in cash for Youth Opportunities Unlimited today, and have secured a few great bids on our auction items. We can’t wait to see how much we raise when our fundraising is finished tomorrow. We will be fundraising at Covent Garden Market tomorrow from 12:00 – 1:30pm. Come stop by and donate what you can!
We finished the afternoon with a discussion with the staff of YOU. We got to discuss the impact of the learning on the team and our reflections on our experiences with the youth and the programs at YOU. We are thankful for the support of the staff at YOU as they have been so welcoming, encouraging and supportive of our Community Service Learning experience.
The team enjoyed a nice (filling!) dinner at Spageddy Eddy’s and enjoyed another great reflection about our experiences. We discussed how this experience will change us, and some of us weren’t sure exactly how it would impact us in all aspects of our lives. Our lives may not change drastically as a result of this experience, but we will each take something from it – a new skill, a new understanding, a new perspective, a new appreciation, a new view of the world and our society, and definitely a new group of friends. It is definitely going to be difficult to say goodbye tomorrow!

NOLA Gettin' er Done

Another hard day at the office, but NOLA 2013 is just cruisin’. Our house is progressing at lightning-fast speeds, so much so that the group split up to tackle the foundation at a brand new build site down the street. It was probably the most psychically- challenging work we’ve been given so far, but it was nice to experience how much effort goes into laying the foundations of a house from the ground up.

This involved digging trenches through dirt, rocks, bricks, old pipes and our main nemesis of the day – clay. How does clay form in the ground, and why is it so heavy and stick to everything? These are the types of philosophical questions we pondered…

Back at the main homestead, operation roofing, windows and panels was progressing nicely and our efforts were starting to show. We even installed some brand new stairs! It’s amazing how far we’ve come in so few days, but determination can be a powerful ally.

Arriving back at Camp Restore for the night, we enjoyed some delicious Gumbo soup (a Cajun staple) and had a great reflection period covering the many things we learned. With each passing day, this group seems to be growing closer and closer together. And our penchant for awesome group photos continues!

And one more thing … True to our motto, when you get a break, you got to go to sleep fast!

Adventures at The Madison

Today, we were able to wake up later for a trip to The Madison. Once we arrived, Lindsay, our volunteer coordinator gave us a thorough introduction on the history and purpose of the building. Only two years ago, it was a low income residence. The residence was not maintained although rent continuously increased.

Realizing the dire situations that these residents were in, Siloam decided to purchase The Madison and adopted all existing residents. They created a sustainable business model by pooling the buying power of the residents' welfare cheques, leveraging volunteer labour, and donations. They are weeks away from finishing renovations and they provide various services in the building as well.

Our task today was to beautify the building's interior. We were divided into three groups. Grace and Eve helped with the cleaning duties, Leon scraped paint off windows, Zoe and Nicole painted the door frames, and Jessica, Adam, Sonya, Ciji, Qi, and Dennis painted 6 floors worth of staircases. It was a lot of physical labour, but we were provided with a satisfying lunch. After lunch, a resident named Chris invited us to his room to show us his graffiti-themed artwork. We were amazed at the level of intricate detail and his passionate dedication for his work!

We finished up our work, and began our reflection session. Lindsay joined the discussion about the definition of success and explained to us the struggles of Siloam. We had a healthy debate on the role of non-profit organizations and governments in a capitalist society with regards to solving the problem of homelessness.

We exchanged cards and said our final goodbye to Siloam. During the short period of time that we worked together, we bonded like family and it made saying goodbye very difficult. Despite the briefness of our conversations with the staff, volunteers, and patrons, we realized that we learned an incredible amount regarding the reality of societal ills. We hope to take this profound experience home with us and keep it in our hearts forever!

Discovering Our Own Backyard

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an end.”

–      Neale Donald Walsch

 

Living on the edge of our comfort zone has become somewhat of a mantra for the London Backyardigans. The thought of encountering uncomfortable situations in our own hometown may seem strange to some but it has now become a regular occurrence for the team.

For the last two days the Backyardigans have cheerfully beard the sleet and snow and trekked across town to the YOU Recycling and Woodshop facility to work along side local youth; however, the task that awaited us was rather unusual, and somewhat painful (depending on who you ask). Upon our arrival the facility manager Rhonda informed us that we would be ripping pages out of books and separating the them from the hardcovers to be sent to a landfill. I think few would have expected our values to be challenged so strongly, especially so early in our experience. However, the Backyardigans rose to the challenge and sorted through approximately 10,000 books worth of history, foreign policy, English literature and various other subjects. 

Some of the students also had the opportunity to don some steel-toed boots and work in the woodshop. The facility has received a contract to create 1000 wooden maple leaves to put on gift baskets for Canada Skates.  The Backyardigans diligently traced out the leaves on wooden planks and took turns sanding down the decorations. 

While these unorthodox activities taught us many lessons, some of the most enlightening experiences occurred during our dialogues with the youth who were kind enough to share some of their stories.  Perhaps the most surprising realization for some was noticing the similarities between the youth and the student participants; a humbling reminder of the unexpected routes life can sometimes take us on.

Our week with YOU has already surpassed our expectations and as our time with them draws to a close we could not be more grateful for the opportunity to break out of our “Western bubble” and look for new ways to serve in our own back yard.

 Over the next day and a half we will be running a fund raiser in the Covent Garden Market and CitiPlaza with the hopes of raising enough money to pay for 1200 meals (or $4500) to individuals who visit the Youth Action Center. We will be auctioning off some delightful goodies as well as accepting donations in exchange for travel mugs. Everyone who attends will receive a complimentary voucher for a free coffee!

We hope you will be able to come out and support us!

Cheers,

 The London Backyardigans

 

Pasta Making & Memories

Today concluded our time with Siloam Mission as we worked with the kitchen staff and other volunteers throughout the day. It was difficult to finally say goodbye to the wonderful people at Siloam after getting to know them and working with them, but it was also exciting to think of our upcoming service work at the Madison and Winnipeg Harvest.

Before we ate breakfast, Sonya, Nicole, Zoe, Dennis, Grace, Adam, Leon and Jessica worked in the kitchen doing food prep and service, while Ciji, Qi and Eve met and talked with patrons in the drop-in area while cleaning off tables.

After breakfast Nicole, Sonya, Qi, Eve, Ciji, Zoe, Dennis and Jessica began lunch prep and service, while Leon and Adam worked in the basement to organize and rearrange donated food products. We then all had lunch. The rest of the day consisted of kitchen cleanup and donor care.

We were also fortunate enough to be able to learn how to make fresh pasta today in the kitchen, which is something we were all excited about and it turned out to be delicious!

Throughout the day we began to recognize some of the patrons who also remembered us as well, and it was nice to see familiar faces and put a name to some of the people we didn't know only a few days ago. Our group felt more involved in the Siloam community and felt a sense of belonging by the end of the day.

After our day at Siloam and our group reflection, we ventured around downtown Winnipeg in search of a new restaurant for dinner, but ended up taking the bus back to our hostel where we then went to out favorite little restaurant in town, Stella's. We had a great dinner there and shared stories about the day and our hopes for the next few days.

We continue to learn and grow from the inspiration that is Siloam, the staff, volunteers, and patrons. We feel connected to this Winnipeg Family, and are already missing them.

xo
Team Winnipeg

Cold Snow, Warm Hearts

One sentence thoughts from our experience so far...

"What is privilege? It's being born smart and healthy, with loving parents. Everything else is extra." -Leon

"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart ." -Eve

"Privilege is something that can both separate us and bring us together." -Ciji

"True service works to preserve the dignity of those whom it helps." - Zoe

"This experience opens your eyes to experiences and people you wouldn't normally meet. Then it goes beyond that and teaches you things you didn't even know about yourself". Cheese

"Siloam is a beautiful place, but even more beautiful to those who don't need it anymore and yet still return to help." -Adam

"This experience is leaving me with unanswered questions about why certain things happen when others don't. What we thought was a challenging task can be accomplished with a snap of fingers while simple situations can turn out to be more complicated than expected. It's all about perspectives, I'm honoured I'm getting to know the other side." - Grace

"How much you earn, how educated you are, what you wear, what car you drive does not matter here. The more you smile and offer helping hands to others define how rich you are." -Jessica

"No matter where we stand in life, we can always do something to brighten someone else's day. Whether it's providing a meal or simply smiling at someone, any act of kindness could go a long way." -Qi

"'With great power comes great responsibility.' The weather may be cold here but our hearts are so warm to melt all the snow." -Dennis

"We slowly learn the richness of unconditional love for PEOPLE and titles like THE homeless, THE educated, and THE privileged have moments of nonexistence as we share meals, laughter, and compassion with beautiful souls." -Sonya

NOLA Builds and Bonds

Arriving at our build sight bright and early, the mood was both enthusiastic and nervous. For many of us, the thought of rebuilding a home for a family in need carries a lot of responsibility. It wasn't simply a house we were building, and with this mindset we accomplished more than we ever imagined.

Staff members from Habitat for Humanity stopped by and presented us with a certificate congratulating Western's six years of service to the New Orleans community. In addition, they provided us with signs promoting their BUiLD campaign. Why do you build?

"I build because I have the tools to help."

"I build because what was once broken can now be fixed."

"I build because everyone deserves a place to call home."

"I build to be the change."

These responses evoked a number of emotions from our team members. Most importantly, it helped us realize that everyone contributed something truly valuable to the community, to the team and to ourselves. It was a very fulfilling day!

We cut wood. We installed windows. We measured siding. We painted walls. We installed weather guards. We nailed roof tar. We climbed up ladders. We climbed down ladders. We reinforced support beams. We installed insulation.

And we smiled!

Our First Day with YOU!

Optimistic. Gumby. Involved. Grateful. Vulnerable. Inspired.  These are just some of the words brought up when discussing our feelings about heading into our experience at Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU).

After travelling downtown via the LTC (a first time experience for some!), we spent our first full day together getting to know the various services and enterprises YOU has to offer, which are plentiful. 

YOU helps youth “get the skills they need to play a game they otherwise couldn’t possibly win”.  Supporting over 3000 youth a year, YOU provides services that compliment and build upon one another – meals for those who need them, aid for those struggling from mental health, resume building, transitional housing, and the acquisition of transferrable skills from social enterprises such as the You-Made-It Café.  It is a truly integrative and support-oriented organization.  YOU also works with a large number of community partners, including Meals on Wheels and WOTCH Community Mental Health Services at LHSC.

For the next two days, our team will be working in YOU’s recycling and wood shop social enterprises (check back tomorrow for a post on that) and then Friday and Saturday we will be running a fundraiser at and around the Covent Garden Market – our goal is to raise $4500 towards providing meals to those who visit the Youth Action Centre (that’s over 1200 meals!). Donations will be accepted in exchange for travel mugs and other cool things and we will be auctioning off some incredible treasures. A free cup of coffee is guaranteed if you come out to see us!

We are so excited to continue our partnership with YOU for the rest of the week, and hopefully beyond!  Stay tuned for more details on our fundraiser, and we hope to see you there…