Last Sunday, I officially accepted and will be heading to the Delta in early June (actually, I'm thinking about leaving a week early to see the states between California and Mississippi, but we'll see). It was really hard for me to click the "accept" button because that made it official. While it is definitely something I want to do, it was still hard for me to officially make such a big change in my life. But, from what I've heard, I won't regret it.
I emailed a couple people I felt I had connections to who will be in the Delta with me (people who graduated from SC and people who lived in Southern California) to say hi and see how they were getting to the Delta. If I can't find anyone who wants to come with me, I'll ask my friends from the area. The responses were nice, happy to hear from another corps member. I was the 155th person to accept a teaching position in the Delta. It's extremely exciting.
The two hard parts that remain between now and June are 1. letting my manager know that I am leaving. 2. Taking the Praxis II. I'm more worried about talking to my manager. I feel horrible, they just gave me a promotion effective 2.5 weeks ago. They're really trying to help me in my career path. But, TfA was the only position I applied for. If I didn't get it, I'd probably be staying longer. Additionally, TfA is a good cause. I need to go do something crazy like this. I need to go make a difference at this point in my life. I hope to get this done this week (I had such a perfect opportunity today, but I chickened out). The Praxis II, I'm studying for it. I need to brush up on some stuff, but I think I'll be okay in a month.
So begins my journey. It's going to be a difficult one. It's going to be a rewarding one. It's going to be a life changing one.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Teach For America
I know it's been a while since I last posted. A lot has been going on since then. Late last year, I decided that I wanted to apply for Teach for America. I've been tutoring for about 10 months now, and I really enjoy it. It feels worthwhile and I really wish I could give more time to it. I could have applied for the second deadline, but it would have been too rushed. I wouldn't have been ready. So, I decided to apply for the third deadline. The initial application was due in early Jan. www.teachforamerica.org.
As part of the application process, you can rank the regions you'd prefer to be in. I had a really hard time with this. While I would have liked to stay in LA, I also need a change. I've been living in LA my whole life, and many times I feel like I need a new adventure. I decided that I'd rank LA #1, a couple of fun-sounding cities #2, and everything else #3. In effect, I was letting Teach for America know that they could put me wherever they wanted.
They ended up letting me skip the phone interview and I had an interview in mid-Feb in downtown LA. It started off pretty badly. I left my house 45 minutes before the interview was supposed to start. It's only supposed to take me 15 minutes to get there... and I ended up being 5 minutes late! Too many one way streets in LA. Anyways, I came in kind of flustered and pretty much right after I came in, we started the 5 minute lessons. I ended up doing mine somewhere in the middle. I was super nervous and I think my delivery could have been better, but I was happy that my lesson fit perfectly into the allotted 5 minute time.
The rest of the morning we did some discussions on the readings, some tests on analytic skills, some essays, a Q&A session. To be honest, I was glad that I had only gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before (I had been preparing my lesson, and was having a really hard time fitting it in the 5 minutes). The lack of sleep seemed to make my thoughts more lucid, seemed to make me less afraid to speak up, and less nervous. We signed up for individual interviews and I was super flexible. I had taken off of work so it really didn't matter what time I finished. I got the last interview, three hours after the morning session ended.
I ended up going to Subway at the Bonaventure for lunch with someone I met that day. It's a super nice building. We went up the elevators and it was a bit scary as they are glass elevators and you're facing out into downtown going up and down at a pretty decent speed. We walked to the Walt Disney Concert Hall and to the relatively new cathedral. I like doing those kinds of things and since the person I was with hadn't seen them yet, it was nice to play tour guide.
After my 3 hour break, I went back to the interview site and studied a bit for the individual interviews. I was a little nervous, but not too much. I felt well prepared. I was sure to arrive 15 minutes early. I sat outside the fishbowl room and chatted a little with some of the other candidates.
It was my turn to speak with the Teach for America representative. He asked me a lot of questions you would except from an interview... about leadership and persistence, dealing with challenges, making presentations. We did a little role play and I thought I did pretty well (except for the fact that I kind of froze in the middle), but I had rehearsed it pretty well before. I felt like my answers were pretty good. The only reasons I felt they would reject me were that 1. I had quit 2 other jobs before the one I had and 2. I showed up late to the interview.
I left pretty happy with the way the day had gone. I left feeling like I wouldn't be surprised if the accepted me and I wouldn't be surprised if they rejected me. But, what a long wait! Over a month until I would hear back!
March 10. I was super busy at work, but the Teach for America response was in the back of my mind the whole day. I really didn't want to get distracted by it, so I left my phone in the drawer all morning long. I checked my phone at lunch and still no email. This was expected, they said they'd get back after 5pm EST most likely. 5 pm EST... still no email from them. 5:40 pm EST, my phone blinks to notify me that I've gotten an email. I still feel like I don't want to check it, afraid that I'll be rejected. "I'll wait until I'm finished with work," I decide. Approx. 7:00 pm EST, I get a text from my mom that Teach for America left a message on my home phone... congrats to the Mississippi Delta region!
What a relief! I got in! I was pretty happy and had a hard time focusing for the next hour or so. So much work to do too! I was happy and at the same time scared to move to a new place and curious about the grade and subject placement since the email didn't say.
I came home and learned that I was assigned to grades 11 and 12 math... which was expected. I have to take a couple of tests before end of April (I hope I pass!). It's a really exciting time. I feel like I should go visit before I make a final decision before March 23rd. But there's so little time. It sounds like a big adventure though. I have a friend in New Orleans and two friends in Florida, so there are familiar faces close by at least. I wish I could just quit right now and start preparing. 3 months before Summer Institute, that's not very much time and I don't even know exactly which math subject I'll be teaching. There's so much I want to do, I want to start a website for the class, I want to find out what book I'll be using, I want to read more about the region and the school district, how their standards are (I'm familiar with the California standards from my mom, but I have no idea what the Mississippi/Arkansas standards are like). I want to find out if there's a Junior League there (I joined this volunteer group called Junior League and I really like it a lot... it's a national organization). I want to read about methods for teaching math and try it out on the 7th grader I tutor. It's going to be a busy 3 months especially if I keep my full time job. But, I'm really happy. I'm looking forward to June. And part of me still can't believe that I really got in!
As part of the application process, you can rank the regions you'd prefer to be in. I had a really hard time with this. While I would have liked to stay in LA, I also need a change. I've been living in LA my whole life, and many times I feel like I need a new adventure. I decided that I'd rank LA #1, a couple of fun-sounding cities #2, and everything else #3. In effect, I was letting Teach for America know that they could put me wherever they wanted.
They ended up letting me skip the phone interview and I had an interview in mid-Feb in downtown LA. It started off pretty badly. I left my house 45 minutes before the interview was supposed to start. It's only supposed to take me 15 minutes to get there... and I ended up being 5 minutes late! Too many one way streets in LA. Anyways, I came in kind of flustered and pretty much right after I came in, we started the 5 minute lessons. I ended up doing mine somewhere in the middle. I was super nervous and I think my delivery could have been better, but I was happy that my lesson fit perfectly into the allotted 5 minute time.
The rest of the morning we did some discussions on the readings, some tests on analytic skills, some essays, a Q&A session. To be honest, I was glad that I had only gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before (I had been preparing my lesson, and was having a really hard time fitting it in the 5 minutes). The lack of sleep seemed to make my thoughts more lucid, seemed to make me less afraid to speak up, and less nervous. We signed up for individual interviews and I was super flexible. I had taken off of work so it really didn't matter what time I finished. I got the last interview, three hours after the morning session ended.
I ended up going to Subway at the Bonaventure for lunch with someone I met that day. It's a super nice building. We went up the elevators and it was a bit scary as they are glass elevators and you're facing out into downtown going up and down at a pretty decent speed. We walked to the Walt Disney Concert Hall and to the relatively new cathedral. I like doing those kinds of things and since the person I was with hadn't seen them yet, it was nice to play tour guide.
After my 3 hour break, I went back to the interview site and studied a bit for the individual interviews. I was a little nervous, but not too much. I felt well prepared. I was sure to arrive 15 minutes early. I sat outside the fishbowl room and chatted a little with some of the other candidates.
It was my turn to speak with the Teach for America representative. He asked me a lot of questions you would except from an interview... about leadership and persistence, dealing with challenges, making presentations. We did a little role play and I thought I did pretty well (except for the fact that I kind of froze in the middle), but I had rehearsed it pretty well before. I felt like my answers were pretty good. The only reasons I felt they would reject me were that 1. I had quit 2 other jobs before the one I had and 2. I showed up late to the interview.
I left pretty happy with the way the day had gone. I left feeling like I wouldn't be surprised if the accepted me and I wouldn't be surprised if they rejected me. But, what a long wait! Over a month until I would hear back!
March 10. I was super busy at work, but the Teach for America response was in the back of my mind the whole day. I really didn't want to get distracted by it, so I left my phone in the drawer all morning long. I checked my phone at lunch and still no email. This was expected, they said they'd get back after 5pm EST most likely. 5 pm EST... still no email from them. 5:40 pm EST, my phone blinks to notify me that I've gotten an email. I still feel like I don't want to check it, afraid that I'll be rejected. "I'll wait until I'm finished with work," I decide. Approx. 7:00 pm EST, I get a text from my mom that Teach for America left a message on my home phone... congrats to the Mississippi Delta region!
What a relief! I got in! I was pretty happy and had a hard time focusing for the next hour or so. So much work to do too! I was happy and at the same time scared to move to a new place and curious about the grade and subject placement since the email didn't say.
I came home and learned that I was assigned to grades 11 and 12 math... which was expected. I have to take a couple of tests before end of April (I hope I pass!). It's a really exciting time. I feel like I should go visit before I make a final decision before March 23rd. But there's so little time. It sounds like a big adventure though. I have a friend in New Orleans and two friends in Florida, so there are familiar faces close by at least. I wish I could just quit right now and start preparing. 3 months before Summer Institute, that's not very much time and I don't even know exactly which math subject I'll be teaching. There's so much I want to do, I want to start a website for the class, I want to find out what book I'll be using, I want to read more about the region and the school district, how their standards are (I'm familiar with the California standards from my mom, but I have no idea what the Mississippi/Arkansas standards are like). I want to find out if there's a Junior League there (I joined this volunteer group called Junior League and I really like it a lot... it's a national organization). I want to read about methods for teaching math and try it out on the 7th grader I tutor. It's going to be a busy 3 months especially if I keep my full time job. But, I'm really happy. I'm looking forward to June. And part of me still can't believe that I really got in!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Inspiring Woman
While volunteering last weekend, I met an amazing woman named Jorian Clair. Jorian has been blind for about 8 years, yet she doesn't let that keep her down. She's one belt away from becoming a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She's written a children's book and a novel. I hope my life is as interesting as hers was. She acted at the Pasadena Playhouse when she was a child. She lived in Honduras and Mexico and was a star on an international radio show. It's inspiring to know that she did this. It is something that I'd like to do... live in another country for a little while. It sounds so adventurous and I'm sure it changes your life. Jorian also sings and while I was with her, she sang a little sample. Check out her website www.jorianclair.com It has her biography, her novel for sale in pdf format, and some of her songs. She's looking to get her novel published so if you know of any good publishers...
While volunteering and meeting people, I felt like I was in a totally different world. It was nice, so many different people. They seemed like important people within the city. We met one woman who had a family-run publishing company. All her children are gifted and help create the products for their company. Their products were influenced by many different cultures since she grew up in a South American country that was very diverse.
I missed Ray Bradbury's speech that day, but it sounds like it would really have fit in with what I'm feeling right now. We heard his message was love - do what you love. It would have hit close to home. Hearing Jorian's story led me to believe that she truly did what she loved. I hope I am that lucky and that strong.
School On Wheels
I've been volunteering with School On Wheels for about 4 months now. It's a really great program that organizes volunteers to tutor children who are homeless/in transition. Unfortunately the location where I was volunteering will no longer be accommodating the families I have been working with.
I started off tutoring a fourth grader. I was mostly tutoring in math, but she left after only 3 weeks. They moved too far away for me to continue.
Then, I started tutoring a third grader in both math and language arts. She was really smart and she had a nice personality. She was especially good with Tangrams. Her spatial relationship reasoning was great. An hour was too short. Unfortunately, for the past month, I went to tutoring and her family never answered the door. I assumed that they moved.
At the same time, I was also tutoring a second grader. He needed help with math, but it was addition and subtraction. I realized it's really hard to teach addition and subtraction. You kind of take it for granted when you've been doing it for so long. This second grader was very friendly and liked to tell me stories about his days.
I'm not sure where we go from here. I may be tutoring at another shelter. But, it's starting to get late earlier and it'd be dark by the time I got to the location. It's a really good cause, though and I encourage you to view their website www.schoolonwheels.org. They have locations throughout Southern California.
Friday, August 29, 2008
I Turned In My Paperwork
I sent in my paperwork yesterday. They said it should get there by 3pm today. So now, it's really just waiting.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Alternate
So, I got my letter today and I am an alternate. I guess I have to wait it out. At least I wasn't rejected, right? It's hard having things up in the air though.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
I Had My NCCC Interview Today
I left for lunch at about 11:45, took a sandwich I brought in, and drove up the street a little. I thought it would best to do my interview from my car because it's quiet. I tried scheduling my interview from outside, and it was noisy. It was kind of a mistake to do it from inside my car because it got really hot!
An Americorps NCCC representative called me at about 12:05. He gave me an overview of the program and said to ask him questions whenever I had them. Once the overview was over, he started asking me questions about my experiences... why was I interested in the program? What excited me the most about it? He asked me questions to gauge how I could handle working with diverse people, how I could handle conflict, and things like that. He gave me an example of a scenario that could happen in NCCC and asked me how I would handle it. I felt things went well. Some of my answers may have been on the short side, but he was very friendly and talkative. I tried to highlight as much as possible my volunteer experience, but I also threw in my educational experience.
I had a couple of questions at the end of the interview. Were the campuses going to be Maryland and Mississippi? Yes... Denver is a fall campus. How many people serve in Maryland/Mississippi? About 240 in Maryland and 100 in Mississippi. It seems like it's a good sign that only a handful of people have joined the Perry Point Winter 2009 facebook group. How did they pick the teams? Is it random? No, it's based on diversity. I felt no need to ask him about everyone getting alternate status because I've heard of a lot of people getting accepted lately. He was very nice and said he'd add me as a friend on facebook so I can have his contact information and contact him if I have more questions.
So, he said it'll be up to 3 weeks before I hear back. I'm hoping I get in. It sounds like such an adventure. Volunteering has been my release lately. When I go tutor my student, things seem to get better. I calm down and the stress from work goes away because I focus on teaching. I'm hoping I get to do this full time... things have been stressful lately and I don't know how much longer I can do what I'm doing.
An Americorps NCCC representative called me at about 12:05. He gave me an overview of the program and said to ask him questions whenever I had them. Once the overview was over, he started asking me questions about my experiences... why was I interested in the program? What excited me the most about it? He asked me questions to gauge how I could handle working with diverse people, how I could handle conflict, and things like that. He gave me an example of a scenario that could happen in NCCC and asked me how I would handle it. I felt things went well. Some of my answers may have been on the short side, but he was very friendly and talkative. I tried to highlight as much as possible my volunteer experience, but I also threw in my educational experience.
I had a couple of questions at the end of the interview. Were the campuses going to be Maryland and Mississippi? Yes... Denver is a fall campus. How many people serve in Maryland/Mississippi? About 240 in Maryland and 100 in Mississippi. It seems like it's a good sign that only a handful of people have joined the Perry Point Winter 2009 facebook group. How did they pick the teams? Is it random? No, it's based on diversity. I felt no need to ask him about everyone getting alternate status because I've heard of a lot of people getting accepted lately. He was very nice and said he'd add me as a friend on facebook so I can have his contact information and contact him if I have more questions.
So, he said it'll be up to 3 weeks before I hear back. I'm hoping I get in. It sounds like such an adventure. Volunteering has been my release lately. When I go tutor my student, things seem to get better. I calm down and the stress from work goes away because I focus on teaching. I'm hoping I get to do this full time... things have been stressful lately and I don't know how much longer I can do what I'm doing.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Americorps Interview
I have my NCCC interview tomorrow at noon! I'm a little nervous but I feel pretty prepared. I've read over the packet and I've been keeping up with the postings on facebook/livejournal and somewhat myspace. When I called to schedule the interview, they told me that they'd be seeing how I can handle diverse people and adversity (from what I remember, it was 2 weeks ago).
So I prepared by writing down some experiences that show I have dealt with diversity and adversity in my past. I also printed out my application so that I have a reference when they ask me about my work/volunteer experience. Addiionally, I wrote down some questions I have.
Things are looking up. I've been reading that many alternates have been receiving acceptance letters, and new interviewees have also been receiving acceptance letters. On top of that, they extended the original deadline, so they must need more people. I am going to try to ask them about this whole situation though. Are they really opening up a campus in Mississippi? When will it open? I'll definitely put a new post up after my interview to let you know how it goes.
One thing I started thinking about while preparing was my RYLA experience. When I was a junior in hs, I was invited to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award). NCCC sounds like it'd be a lot like the RYLA experience and that excites me. It was one of the best experiences I've had. We spent a weekend in Idyllwild (where they have the space camp, near Big Bear). We were split into different teams, which were divided by contintnets. My team was Curacao I think. I still have my badge somewhere. We did a lot of team building and leadership activities:
Different people from different schools attended. I learned a lot, and I had a really really good time. I still keep in contact with one person from RYLA. We do stuff whenever we can. I definitely think this was one of the best experiences I had in high school. NCCC sounds a lot like this: leadership building, team building, diversity, but on top of this, you're changing the world. I am definitely looking forward to joining if they accept me.
Good luck to everyone who is applying! Hopefully we will meet in Maryland or Mississippi as the class of Winter 2009!
So I prepared by writing down some experiences that show I have dealt with diversity and adversity in my past. I also printed out my application so that I have a reference when they ask me about my work/volunteer experience. Addiionally, I wrote down some questions I have.
Things are looking up. I've been reading that many alternates have been receiving acceptance letters, and new interviewees have also been receiving acceptance letters. On top of that, they extended the original deadline, so they must need more people. I am going to try to ask them about this whole situation though. Are they really opening up a campus in Mississippi? When will it open? I'll definitely put a new post up after my interview to let you know how it goes.
One thing I started thinking about while preparing was my RYLA experience. When I was a junior in hs, I was invited to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award). NCCC sounds like it'd be a lot like the RYLA experience and that excites me. It was one of the best experiences I've had. We spent a weekend in Idyllwild (where they have the space camp, near Big Bear). We were split into different teams, which were divided by contintnets. My team was Curacao I think. I still have my badge somewhere. We did a lot of team building and leadership activities:
- Communication with legos - in a four person team, one person could view a Lego model (no one else could), one person on the other side of the room had a set of Legos and had to try to re-create the model that the first person could see. There were two runners who could talk to the viewer and the builder. The first team to have the builder correctly implement the model won.
- Trust - our teams held a stretcher. We had to fall off a gym bleacher into the stretcher. We were probably 10 feet off the ground level. This was one of the scariest things I've had to do, but it was a good experience. They didn't drop me!
- Logic/budgeting - we were given $100 fake dollars to buy supplies. Our goal was to build an apparatus that would prevent an egg, dropped from about 25 feet, from cracking. Any team whose egg did not crack could win (but place was determined by how much money the teams whose egg was in tact spent). Our egg didnt crack! But we didn't get first.
- Diversity - we did this activity where they asked different groups to come up and stand in front of the audience (like females, asians, males, caucasians, etc). They asked us to step forward if we had ever experienced XXX. They opened it up to us to discuss stereotypes that were directed towards our group. It was a very interesting experience. I really hadn't been in situations where we openly discussed stuff like this before.
Different people from different schools attended. I learned a lot, and I had a really really good time. I still keep in contact with one person from RYLA. We do stuff whenever we can. I definitely think this was one of the best experiences I had in high school. NCCC sounds a lot like this: leadership building, team building, diversity, but on top of this, you're changing the world. I am definitely looking forward to joining if they accept me.
Good luck to everyone who is applying! Hopefully we will meet in Maryland or Mississippi as the class of Winter 2009!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I Called And Scheduled My Interview
My interview is August 14th. It's so far away! That was the soonest they had. I should have asked them about everyone being alternates.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Americorps NCCC Alternate Ideas
So I haven't had my interview for NCCC yet, but I thought I'd look into backup plans in case NCCC doesn't come through. Here's what I've come up with so far. If you have interesting ideas, let me know:
Peace Corps - serve in third world countries, focusing in education, youth outreach, and community, information technology, business development, environment, agriculture, health, HIV/AIDS. Peace corps will give you living expenses to live like an average person in the country you serve.
Cross Cultural Solutions - volunteer in different countries from 2-12 weeks usually. You have to pay to participate in this program, though.
Americorps VISTA or State/National - There's many other volunteer opportunities through Americorps. I've heard from a couple of people that City Year is a good one. That is also for people ages 18-24. I haven't found any other programs that allow you to travel or have such broad experiences like NCCC, though.
Habitat For Humanity (domestic or international) - Help build houses around the world. I've participated in one in Glendale and I thought it was a really good experience.
Teach For America - Spend 2+ years teaching in areas that need you. Their website says they are looking for math/science people, but they take all majors. You don't have to have any teaching experience or any teaching classes. You can be placed in cities across the United States. While you are teaching, you usually get certification/credentials. Many people decide to stay longer than the required 2 years.
Peace Corps - serve in third world countries, focusing in education, youth outreach, and community, information technology, business development, environment, agriculture, health, HIV/AIDS. Peace corps will give you living expenses to live like an average person in the country you serve.
Cross Cultural Solutions - volunteer in different countries from 2-12 weeks usually. You have to pay to participate in this program, though.
Americorps VISTA or State/National - There's many other volunteer opportunities through Americorps. I've heard from a couple of people that City Year is a good one. That is also for people ages 18-24. I haven't found any other programs that allow you to travel or have such broad experiences like NCCC, though.
Habitat For Humanity (domestic or international) - Help build houses around the world. I've participated in one in Glendale and I thought it was a really good experience.
Teach For America - Spend 2+ years teaching in areas that need you. Their website says they are looking for math/science people, but they take all majors. You don't have to have any teaching experience or any teaching classes. You can be placed in cities across the United States. While you are teaching, you usually get certification/credentials. Many people decide to stay longer than the required 2 years.
Americorps NCCC Blogs
I thought it would be kind of cool to put together a list of blogs I found about Americorps NCCC experiences. Send me links if you have more and I'll update as I find more.
These seem like they are official NCCC blogs:
http://earthoneders.blogspot.com/
http://www.americorps.gov/ncccblog_2007/
Random blogs I found through facebook or Google.
http://travelingparrothead.blogspot.com/
www.chelseacarlson.blogspot.com
L0VEMYLIFE.BLOGSPOT.COM
http://ohtheplacesyoullgo-ari.blogspot.com/
http://pbentdoesnccc07.livejournal.com/
http://hoping-hopeless.livejournal.com/
www.ninazephyr.blogspot.com
www.adamfanning.wordpress.com
http://ameri-sarah.livejournal.com/
http://www.ballofdirt.com/journeys/19163.html
http://readbecky.blogspot.com/
http://www.ballofdirt.com/members/113881.html
http://www.whereislizz.blog.com
http://www.katrinahq.blogspot.com
http://meganhill.blogspot.com/
http://joshyearofservice.blogspot.com/
http://laurasophiakeir.blogspot.com/
http://glowingstars-neverland.blogspot.com/
http://news.webshots.com/album/526922161TVcsXr
http://news.webshots.com/album/231110633dstHfV
http://community.livejournal.com/americorps_nccc
http://toneverlandigo.blogspot.com/
These seem like they are official NCCC blogs:
http://earthoneders.blogspot.com/
http://www.americorps.gov/ncccblog_2007/
Random blogs I found through facebook or Google.
http://travelingparrothead.blogspot.com/
www.chelseacarlson.blogspot.com
L0VEMYLIFE.BLOGSPOT.COM
http://ohtheplacesyoullgo-
http://pbentdoesnccc07.liv
http://hoping-hopeless.liv
www.ninazephyr.blogspot.com
www.adamfanning.wordpress.com
http://ameri-sarah.livejou
http://www.ballofdirt.com/
http://readbecky.blogspot.
http://www.ballofdirt.com/
http://www.whereislizz.blo
http://www.katrinahq.blogs
http://meganhill.blogspot.
http://laurasophiakeir.blogspot.com/
http://glowingstars-neverland.blogspot.com/
http://news.webshots.com/album/526922161TVcsXr
http://news.webshots.com/album/231110633dstHfV
http://community.livejournal.com/americorps_nccc
http://toneverlandigo.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Americorps NCCC Letter
So I finally got a letter back from Americorps NCCC! I've been meaning to call them to check on my application but it's hard because they're on eastern time. Plus I've been forgetting to bring the number to work. I feel weird looking up the number at work. So, the letter basically says to give them a call within 10 days to schedule an interview. There's a bunch of question/answers, but most of that information is available on the Americorps site or through blogs. Their information seems out of date, too. They still have the Denver campus as a winter campus even though it's fall now. And they have the Charlston campus, but I think that one closed. It'll be interesting to hear what they have to say about the Mississippi campus and why everyone has been receiving alternate status.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Connect
My Experience:
I found about Connect through LA Works. It's a program where volunteers help seniors run errands. So, I signed up to become a volunteer. I met with a coordinator for coffee. We discussed some more about the program and went over some of the ground rules. There was a questionnaire to find out more about me. They wanted to know why I was interested in seniors, what my interests were, what my job was, etc. It sounded like a good program. Every other week, for 2-4 hours per week, I would assist a senior citizen with errands. Usually, this means walking with them to the store and helping carry their groceries back or taking them to their doctor's appointments. After this hour long meeting, I expressed that I was still interested in volunteering. So, I got an application form to fill out and had to get a LiveScan done to ensure that I did not have a criminal background.
About a month later, I attended an orientation, which was the coordinator telling me more about the ground rules over lunch. It was all pretty much common sesnse, like I shouldn't take money from the clients and I shouldn't go into the doctor's appointments with them. I should tell the coordinator if I felt funny about anything. So, I signed some forms saying I agreed to all of this. The coordinator told me that she had some clients that were potential matches. She described them to me.
About a month and a half later, I am still not actively volunteering in the program. She never found a match for me. Still waiting. I'll update more on this program if I ever start.
I found about Connect through LA Works. It's a program where volunteers help seniors run errands. So, I signed up to become a volunteer. I met with a coordinator for coffee. We discussed some more about the program and went over some of the ground rules. There was a questionnaire to find out more about me. They wanted to know why I was interested in seniors, what my interests were, what my job was, etc. It sounded like a good program. Every other week, for 2-4 hours per week, I would assist a senior citizen with errands. Usually, this means walking with them to the store and helping carry their groceries back or taking them to their doctor's appointments. After this hour long meeting, I expressed that I was still interested in volunteering. So, I got an application form to fill out and had to get a LiveScan done to ensure that I did not have a criminal background.
About a month later, I attended an orientation, which was the coordinator telling me more about the ground rules over lunch. It was all pretty much common sesnse, like I shouldn't take money from the clients and I shouldn't go into the doctor's appointments with them. I should tell the coordinator if I felt funny about anything. So, I signed some forms saying I agreed to all of this. The coordinator told me that she had some clients that were potential matches. She described them to me.
About a month and a half later, I am still not actively volunteering in the program. She never found a match for me. Still waiting. I'll update more on this program if I ever start.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Rebuilding Together
Description (from laworks.com):
Volunteers will help to rehabilitate homes of low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners so they can stay safe, warm, and independent in their own homes. Typical projects include priming, painting, drywall, cleaning, smoke alarm installation, faucet replacement, and landscaping. Both skilled and non-skilled workers needed from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 and Saturday, May 3. We will work on approximately 7 homes in the Pasadena area. Among the projects we take on is rebuilding the Altadena home of Victor Wright and his family. Victor was a John Muir High School football player in 1976 whose spinal injury sustained while attempting to tackle an opponent left him paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a respirator. Despite physical challenges, Wright has managed to complete an Associates Degree at Los Angeles City College and help found Family of Friends International, a non-profit organization.However, severe health problems and financial difficulties are taking a toll on the family. Our plans are to renovate the bathrooms, repair the floor and handicap ramp, and make the home more accessible for Victor and his family. Please join us to help the Wrights and other deserving families this Spring. RT Pasadena will provide breakfast, lunch, beverages, a t-shirt, and our eternal gratitude to volunteers. RTP has rehabilitated over 155 homes and non-profit facilities in the Pasadena area over the last twelve years with an estimated value of $2 million dollars in repairs, and is part of the nation’s largest volunteer organization preserving and revitalizing low-income homes and communities.
My Experience:
Rebuilding together, formerly Christmas in April used to be one of my favorite events in high school. I used to participate in the Monterey Park event, but this year I decided to go to Pasadena. I went to the northern part of Pasadena around 8 on a Saturday morning. People were already there, sorting items that were found in the garage. I helped to this for a little while. We put stuff into three piles: one that was definitely trash, one that was definitely keep, and one that we weren't sure of. The owner of the house was an older woman. It seemed like her daughters were the ones who were houes captains, but I'm not really sure.
After being there for 45 minutes to an hour, we laid out plastic on the cement and started to scrape paint off the trim of the garage. We did this for a while until the wood was pretty smooth. Then we collected the paint chips (using the plastic on the cement) and threw this trash away. We laid out some more plastic on the cement and began painting. There were two colors. The trim was one color, and the walls of the garage were another. I ended up painting with a paint brush but others were using rollers. There was one girl who was there with LA Works. A couple other people found the listing through Volunteer Match. Others were there with an Architecture company. I think we did a pretty good job painting the house, although I did see some inconsistencies when we were done. For instance, the rafters in the back were painted a different color from the rafters in the front. All in all, this remains one of my favorite events.
Rough Timeline:
8 am - 9 am Sorted through items found in the garage
9 am - 9:15 am Laid out plastic
9:15 am - 10 am Chipped off paint from the wood on the garage
10 am - 10:15 am Collected plastic and replaced with new plastic
10:15 am - 11:30 am Painted the house
11:30 am - 12:15 pm Ate lunch and bought lemonade from the kids on the street for Big Sunday
12:15 pm - 3:30 pm Finished painting the house
Volunteers will help to rehabilitate homes of low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners so they can stay safe, warm, and independent in their own homes. Typical projects include priming, painting, drywall, cleaning, smoke alarm installation, faucet replacement, and landscaping. Both skilled and non-skilled workers needed from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 and Saturday, May 3. We will work on approximately 7 homes in the Pasadena area. Among the projects we take on is rebuilding the Altadena home of Victor Wright and his family. Victor was a John Muir High School football player in 1976 whose spinal injury sustained while attempting to tackle an opponent left him paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a respirator. Despite physical challenges, Wright has managed to complete an Associates Degree at Los Angeles City College and help found Family of Friends International, a non-profit organization.However, severe health problems and financial difficulties are taking a toll on the family. Our plans are to renovate the bathrooms, repair the floor and handicap ramp, and make the home more accessible for Victor and his family. Please join us to help the Wrights and other deserving families this Spring. RT Pasadena will provide breakfast, lunch, beverages, a t-shirt, and our eternal gratitude to volunteers. RTP has rehabilitated over 155 homes and non-profit facilities in the Pasadena area over the last twelve years with an estimated value of $2 million dollars in repairs, and is part of the nation’s largest volunteer organization preserving and revitalizing low-income homes and communities.
My Experience:
Rebuilding together, formerly Christmas in April used to be one of my favorite events in high school. I used to participate in the Monterey Park event, but this year I decided to go to Pasadena. I went to the northern part of Pasadena around 8 on a Saturday morning. People were already there, sorting items that were found in the garage. I helped to this for a little while. We put stuff into three piles: one that was definitely trash, one that was definitely keep, and one that we weren't sure of. The owner of the house was an older woman. It seemed like her daughters were the ones who were houes captains, but I'm not really sure.
After being there for 45 minutes to an hour, we laid out plastic on the cement and started to scrape paint off the trim of the garage. We did this for a while until the wood was pretty smooth. Then we collected the paint chips (using the plastic on the cement) and threw this trash away. We laid out some more plastic on the cement and began painting. There were two colors. The trim was one color, and the walls of the garage were another. I ended up painting with a paint brush but others were using rollers. There was one girl who was there with LA Works. A couple other people found the listing through Volunteer Match. Others were there with an Architecture company. I think we did a pretty good job painting the house, although I did see some inconsistencies when we were done. For instance, the rafters in the back were painted a different color from the rafters in the front. All in all, this remains one of my favorite events.
Rough Timeline:
8 am - 9 am Sorted through items found in the garage
9 am - 9:15 am Laid out plastic
9:15 am - 10 am Chipped off paint from the wood on the garage
10 am - 10:15 am Collected plastic and replaced with new plastic
10:15 am - 11:30 am Painted the house
11:30 am - 12:15 pm Ate lunch and bought lemonade from the kids on the street for Big Sunday
12:15 pm - 3:30 pm Finished painting the house
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Americorps NCCC Application
So I ended up applying for Americorps NCCC for winter 2009, which would start in Jan 2009. The reason I decided to try applying now is the winter campus is Perry Point, MD and I think it'd be cool to spend 10 months on the east coast. Also, you can apply once per year, and they consider Fall 2008/Winter 2009 to be one year. So, I can apply again for Fall 2009. I don't know. I'm kind of confused on what I want to be doing. I thought it wouldn't hurt to apply and just see what I feel like when I hear yes or no back. I'm pretty sure it'll either be a yes or I'll be an alternate. I've heard that a lot of people have been getting alternate though, so it doesn't look like my chances of getting in right off the bat are very good. I've heard that they are going to be opening up a new campus in Biloxi Mississippi for winter 2009. Some people have been thinking that the alternates will be assigned to go there. We'll see.
Here are the steps I've taken so far to applying:
1. Visit the Americorps website
2. Read more about NCCC
3. Check out the NCCC job description
4. Create an Americorps account
5. Fill out an applicationm which includes 8 sections: Basic Information, Education, Experience and Skills, Community Service, Motivational Statement, Criminal History, References
6. Submit the application to a specific job listing
7. Now, I'm waiting to get something back from them in the mail. I've read that it takes 3 weeks usually. It's been about 2.5 weeks so far.
Here are some sites I found that have more information on NCCC. It's interesting to read blogs and discussion boards about NCCC.
1. Americorps NCCC livejournal
2. Americorps NCCC facebook - there are also other Americorps NCCC groups devoted to specific classes. Some of them, like the Denver 2008 discussion board has a lot of interesting information containing questions people had before they left to serve.
3. Americorps myspace
Here are the steps I've taken so far to applying:
1. Visit the Americorps website
2. Read more about NCCC
3. Check out the NCCC job description
4. Create an Americorps account
5. Fill out an applicationm which includes 8 sections: Basic Information, Education, Experience and Skills, Community Service, Motivational Statement, Criminal History, References
6. Submit the application to a specific job listing
7. Now, I'm waiting to get something back from them in the mail. I've read that it takes 3 weeks usually. It's been about 2.5 weeks so far.
Here are some sites I found that have more information on NCCC. It's interesting to read blogs and discussion boards about NCCC.
1. Americorps NCCC livejournal
2. Americorps NCCC facebook - there are also other Americorps NCCC groups devoted to specific classes. Some of them, like the Denver 2008 discussion board has a lot of interesting information containing questions people had before they left to serve.
3. Americorps myspace
APLA Food Sorting
Description (from www.laworks.com)
Volunteers assist in the preparation of grocery and produce bags. AIDS Project Los Angeles, a non-profit AIDS service provider, is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by HIV disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective public policy. The Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) is APLA's food bank. We provide food and other basic necessities to low-income men, women and children who are living with HIV/AIDS. APLA is the largest AIDS service provider in the country. Our food bank is the largest food bank of its kind in the United States. Weekly we prepare thousands of bags of groceries and produce for our clients.
My Experience
I went to the AIDS Project Los Angeles site on a Wednesday to sort food. It was in sort of a shady area. There was a strip club right next door. When I walked into the warehouse, there were already people busy at work. There were numerous carts with 12 paper bags each. We had to pack 6 different foods into these bags. There were a couple of canned vegetables, some milk, oatmeal, and some kind of canned fruit. I think I packed one cart by myself, and then the project leader decided it would be more efficient if he had each person be responsible for packing one kind of can. So, we formed somewhat of an assembly line, passing carts down the line, and filling the bags on the cart with whatever food we were responsible for. We did this for about 45 minutes or so. Then we did about 5 minutes of cleanup - flattening the cardboard boxes and putting them outside.
Some people left at this time because there wasn't that much more to do. I ended up staying to help pack vegetables. There were 100 bags that needed to be packed with carrots and potatoes, so about 6 of us put on plastic gloves and counted out the potatoes and carrots. I ended up leaving after being there for about an hour and a half. It was a good experience, but it's hard to get out there on a Wednesday after work.
Rough Timeline:
6 pm - 6:15 pm Packed one cart of bags myself
6:15 pm - 6:45 pm Participated in an assembly line style packing strategy (I packed milk)
6:45 pm - 7:00 pm Clean up
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm Packed vegetables
Volunteers assist in the preparation of grocery and produce bags. AIDS Project Los Angeles, a non-profit AIDS service provider, is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by HIV disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection, and advocating for fair and effective public policy. The Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) is APLA's food bank. We provide food and other basic necessities to low-income men, women and children who are living with HIV/AIDS. APLA is the largest AIDS service provider in the country. Our food bank is the largest food bank of its kind in the United States. Weekly we prepare thousands of bags of groceries and produce for our clients.
My Experience
I went to the AIDS Project Los Angeles site on a Wednesday to sort food. It was in sort of a shady area. There was a strip club right next door. When I walked into the warehouse, there were already people busy at work. There were numerous carts with 12 paper bags each. We had to pack 6 different foods into these bags. There were a couple of canned vegetables, some milk, oatmeal, and some kind of canned fruit. I think I packed one cart by myself, and then the project leader decided it would be more efficient if he had each person be responsible for packing one kind of can. So, we formed somewhat of an assembly line, passing carts down the line, and filling the bags on the cart with whatever food we were responsible for. We did this for about 45 minutes or so. Then we did about 5 minutes of cleanup - flattening the cardboard boxes and putting them outside.
Some people left at this time because there wasn't that much more to do. I ended up staying to help pack vegetables. There were 100 bags that needed to be packed with carrots and potatoes, so about 6 of us put on plastic gloves and counted out the potatoes and carrots. I ended up leaving after being there for about an hour and a half. It was a good experience, but it's hard to get out there on a Wednesday after work.
Rough Timeline:
6 pm - 6:15 pm Packed one cart of bags myself
6:15 pm - 6:45 pm Participated in an assembly line style packing strategy (I packed milk)
6:45 pm - 7:00 pm Clean up
7:00 pm - 7:20 pm Packed vegetables
Monday, July 7, 2008
Raising Readers Children's Literacy Festival
It's been a while since I've posted here. Thought I would catch up on some of the events I've participated in.
Description (from www.laworks.com):
We are looking for energetic volunteers to help out in a variety of ways at this year’s festival. Activities include, setting up in the morning, manning activity booths, dressing up as storybook characters, selling books, helping to serve food and beverages, and cleaning up at the end of the day. The festival will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2008 on the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica. Volunteers will work in shifts between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm. Each volunteer will receive a colorful Raising Readers t-shirt!
Connections For Children, a child care resource and referral agency, focuses on child development, advocacy for quality learning experiences, and providing community resources for families, teachers, and caregivers. For the past seven years, our agency has presented Raising Readers – A Literacy Festival at Santa Monica College, a fun-filled day of activities.
My Experience
On April 26, I helped out at the Children's Literacy Festival at Santa Monica College. I helped out for about 4 hours. The morning was pretty busy. We did a lot of set up - helped unload chairs and placed tables around a grassy area. We covered the tables with table cloths and helped some of the booth volunteers unload their equipment. There was a little book fair in one corner of the quad area where they were selling a lot of Scholastic books and some of the volunteers were setting this area up.
The children started arriving around 11. There were various booths for them to visit. One lady had a big tent with bean bag pillows and blankets. The children sat in this area while she read them stories from over-sized kids books. There was another station where children could make home made orange juice. Kids were playing with bubbles at one table, and making jewelry at another. There was quite a bit of live entertainment as well. There was a live band consisting of two men and a boy about 11 years old singing kids songs and urging the audience to join in. They passed around musical instruments for the kids to play with. Clifford the Big Red Dog was there as well. The mascot from the Santa Monica pier was there. I felt sorry for the people dressed up in those suits. That day was pretty hot. The event was nice. It gave the kids things to experiment with and it was free.
For more information on the organization that sponsored this event, visit http://www.cfc-ca.org/
Rough Timeline:
9 am - 9:30 am Registration and setting up big tables on one side of the grassy area
9:30 am - 10:30 am Set up smaller tables for kids booths and covered them with table cloths
10:30 am - 11:00 am Random tasks, helping people in kids booths set up
11:00 am - 12:30 am Participated in the event
Description (from www.laworks.com):
We are looking for energetic volunteers to help out in a variety of ways at this year’s festival. Activities include, setting up in the morning, manning activity booths, dressing up as storybook characters, selling books, helping to serve food and beverages, and cleaning up at the end of the day. The festival will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2008 on the Santa Monica College campus in Santa Monica. Volunteers will work in shifts between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm. Each volunteer will receive a colorful Raising Readers t-shirt!
Connections For Children, a child care resource and referral agency, focuses on child development, advocacy for quality learning experiences, and providing community resources for families, teachers, and caregivers. For the past seven years, our agency has presented Raising Readers – A Literacy Festival at Santa Monica College, a fun-filled day of activities.
My Experience
On April 26, I helped out at the Children's Literacy Festival at Santa Monica College. I helped out for about 4 hours. The morning was pretty busy. We did a lot of set up - helped unload chairs and placed tables around a grassy area. We covered the tables with table cloths and helped some of the booth volunteers unload their equipment. There was a little book fair in one corner of the quad area where they were selling a lot of Scholastic books and some of the volunteers were setting this area up.
The children started arriving around 11. There were various booths for them to visit. One lady had a big tent with bean bag pillows and blankets. The children sat in this area while she read them stories from over-sized kids books. There was another station where children could make home made orange juice. Kids were playing with bubbles at one table, and making jewelry at another. There was quite a bit of live entertainment as well. There was a live band consisting of two men and a boy about 11 years old singing kids songs and urging the audience to join in. They passed around musical instruments for the kids to play with. Clifford the Big Red Dog was there as well. The mascot from the Santa Monica pier was there. I felt sorry for the people dressed up in those suits. That day was pretty hot. The event was nice. It gave the kids things to experiment with and it was free.
For more information on the organization that sponsored this event, visit http://www.cfc-ca.org/
Rough Timeline:
9 am - 9:30 am Registration and setting up big tables on one side of the grassy area
9:30 am - 10:30 am Set up smaller tables for kids booths and covered them with table cloths
10:30 am - 11:00 am Random tasks, helping people in kids booths set up
11:00 am - 12:30 am Participated in the event
Monday, April 21, 2008
Senior Social
Description (from www.laworks.com)
The seniors of Culver Village Retirement Assisted Living want you! The elderly citizens of this charming seniors' home love to receive visitors, but don't often get them. Here's your chance to make a difference and develop a rewarding relationship with someone who will deeply value your company. On the second Saturday of every month, we have a party at the Village, where you have the opportunity to meet and talk with a number of the residents. It is a lot of fun, and hopefully you'll make a new pal whom you'll want to visit on a regular basis. Please join us and see what a little friendship can do for a life... yours and someone else's! Culver Village Retirement Assisted Living houses 110 seniors. They provide health services, exercise programs, social activities and a community gardening program for their residents.
My Experience
On Sunday, I went to a senior social in Culver City, again through LA Works. Again, we waited around for probably 25 minutes before the leader showed up. Before the leader showed up, I ended up talking to a coordinator for a popular television show. She was really nice and pretty laid back. We talked for 10 minutes before the leader showed up. When she came through the door, we helped her pack some prizes, and then brought the prizes, some sugar wafers, and bingo equipment into a big rec room for our bingo social. There were probably about 30 seniors in the room. They all seemed pretty happy. They were into playing bingo. Some of us called out/organized the bingo numbers. Some of us passed out prizes. Some of us verified numbers when the residents won. Some of us sat with the seniors and helped them. The residents were really nice and seemed to enjoy the game. I want to go back in the future... maybe donate some prizes. I'm realizing that the people you meet at these events are really good people. Both the volunteers and the people you interact with.
Rough Timeline:
10 am - 10:30 am Waited for leader, sign up, set up
10:30 - noon Ran bingo - called out numbers, passed out prizes, helped some of the residents mark their numbers
The seniors of Culver Village Retirement Assisted Living want you! The elderly citizens of this charming seniors' home love to receive visitors, but don't often get them. Here's your chance to make a difference and develop a rewarding relationship with someone who will deeply value your company. On the second Saturday of every month, we have a party at the Village, where you have the opportunity to meet and talk with a number of the residents. It is a lot of fun, and hopefully you'll make a new pal whom you'll want to visit on a regular basis. Please join us and see what a little friendship can do for a life... yours and someone else's! Culver Village Retirement Assisted Living houses 110 seniors. They provide health services, exercise programs, social activities and a community gardening program for their residents.
My Experience
On Sunday, I went to a senior social in Culver City, again through LA Works. Again, we waited around for probably 25 minutes before the leader showed up. Before the leader showed up, I ended up talking to a coordinator for a popular television show. She was really nice and pretty laid back. We talked for 10 minutes before the leader showed up. When she came through the door, we helped her pack some prizes, and then brought the prizes, some sugar wafers, and bingo equipment into a big rec room for our bingo social. There were probably about 30 seniors in the room. They all seemed pretty happy. They were into playing bingo. Some of us called out/organized the bingo numbers. Some of us passed out prizes. Some of us verified numbers when the residents won. Some of us sat with the seniors and helped them. The residents were really nice and seemed to enjoy the game. I want to go back in the future... maybe donate some prizes. I'm realizing that the people you meet at these events are really good people. Both the volunteers and the people you interact with.
Rough Timeline:
10 am - 10:30 am Waited for leader, sign up, set up
10:30 - noon Ran bingo - called out numbers, passed out prizes, helped some of the residents mark their numbers
Park Cleanup
Description (from www.laworks.com)
L.A. Works is expanding and solidifying our partnership with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) by providing much needed volunteer help monthly to several parks in their jurisdiction. We want to begin with Franklin Canyon Park. There is a great amount of work to be done at this site and we feel it will be the beginning of an important relationship with MRCA
You will be participating in a major upgrade in this park and every month the tasks will vary. Tasks will include but not be limited to:
Maintaining the trails;
Invasive plant removal;
Rock replacement;
Slope regrading;
Erosion protection;
Planting native plants;
Painting benches; etc...
This will be an ongoing effort, tackling different areas in this huge park at different times. We will also be assisting the park to become more disabled accessible by widening trails and removing steps in certain areas to improve accessibility .
My Experience
On Saturday, I went to clean up a park in the Beverly Hills/Hollywood area with LA Works. It was definitely a good workout. We got there and ended up standing around for an hour before we actually got started. I was talking to a couple of interesting people. There was one 14 year old who was very friendly and liked to ask everyone questions about life. What would you do if you could had all the money in the world? Where would you move if you could live anywhere? There was a musician who was cool... very easy going. There was a man and his daughter who I ended up talking to. Most of us got shovels. We spread out across a couple of trails and dug up the weeds to widen the path for hikers. Some of the weeds were really hard to dig out. The second half of the morning, we worked on a trail by the lake. Some volunteers found a big stump to dig out. The hikers that walked by were all very appreciative of our work. By the end of the day, I could tell I was going to be so sore the next day. Indeed I was.
Rough Timeline:
9 am - 10 am Organized and tried to find a good spot to work on
10 am - 11 am Worked on digging weeds out on one slope of the park
11 am - 12:30 pm Went by the lake and dug up weeds
L.A. Works is expanding and solidifying our partnership with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) by providing much needed volunteer help monthly to several parks in their jurisdiction. We want to begin with Franklin Canyon Park. There is a great amount of work to be done at this site and we feel it will be the beginning of an important relationship with MRCA
You will be participating in a major upgrade in this park and every month the tasks will vary. Tasks will include but not be limited to:
Maintaining the trails;
Invasive plant removal;
Rock replacement;
Slope regrading;
Erosion protection;
Planting native plants;
Painting benches; etc...
This will be an ongoing effort, tackling different areas in this huge park at different times. We will also be assisting the park to become more disabled accessible by widening trails and removing steps in certain areas to improve accessibility .
My Experience
On Saturday, I went to clean up a park in the Beverly Hills/Hollywood area with LA Works. It was definitely a good workout. We got there and ended up standing around for an hour before we actually got started. I was talking to a couple of interesting people. There was one 14 year old who was very friendly and liked to ask everyone questions about life. What would you do if you could had all the money in the world? Where would you move if you could live anywhere? There was a musician who was cool... very easy going. There was a man and his daughter who I ended up talking to. Most of us got shovels. We spread out across a couple of trails and dug up the weeds to widen the path for hikers. Some of the weeds were really hard to dig out. The second half of the morning, we worked on a trail by the lake. Some volunteers found a big stump to dig out. The hikers that walked by were all very appreciative of our work. By the end of the day, I could tell I was going to be so sore the next day. Indeed I was.
Rough Timeline:
9 am - 10 am Organized and tried to find a good spot to work on
10 am - 11 am Worked on digging weeds out on one slope of the park
11 am - 12:30 pm Went by the lake and dug up weeds
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