Spotlight On Out of the Garden Project

 

Throughout the service year many members have asked what exactly I do at Out of the Garden Project; the job while easy to explain is very hard work.   In April of this year, our members participated in a service project at my current site, Out of the Garden Project.  While members were present at the warehouse they worked on packing mobile food pantry bags with foods from Second Harvest Food Bank which are distributed to families at our mobile food pantries as part of their food box.  Other members also assisted in loading up our cooler with recently donated produce from local stores.  This produce is also distributed to local needy families at our mobile food drops.  Members serving at Peacehaven Farm assisted their clients in re-packaging donated pizzas that are also passed out to these needy families. 

OOTGP started out as one family packing backpacks on their kitchen table for 6 families at their daughter’s school and has grown into the largest non-profit of its kind in the Piedmont Triad.   At this time, we package and distribute backpacks from donated foods to schools in Guilford County and also do the same in High Point with food donated by the United Way of High Point. We distribute 65-80lbs of food at mobile food pantries located in both Greensboro and High Point, we have developed a partnership with Greensboro Child Development to assist them in passing out foods to their needy families, and we are doing a summer feeding/enrichment program at  3910 Clifton Road that will allow children to be fed breakfast and lunch and participate in learning activities.    This year alone, the project is estimated to distribute more than a half-million pounds of food through the programs listed above.  With the Operation Backpack and the 18 per month free Mobile Food Pantries we serve more than 50 schools and 2,500 families monthly.  Each week during the school year we serve more than 15,000 meals in Guilford County. 

This site is some of the hardest work ever but it also the most rewarding.  It brings a smile to my face to see kids being so excited about the fresh foods that they are receiving.  This project has touched my heart and I truly believe in their mission as I know from experience we are all one pay check away from needing someone to help us. 

To learn more about Out of the Garden Project, please visit their website.

-Written by April, who serves at Out of the Garden Project. April will be returning to our program and OOTGP for a second year!

Malisha's Favorite Service Project

Each month we are required to attend service projects where we do varied projects to help out at a local organization and/or nonprofit group. Our April 2015 service project was held at Peacehaven farms, a local farm in Whitsett, NC that provides housing for developmentally disabled people. The Farm helps with teaching their clients life skills, social skills, and farming. We helped with raised gardens by covering them. We had a couple overnight freezes in April which could have been disastrous for the Peacehaven crops. We were also asked to turn the ground to make it easier for the clients to plant spring crops. It was really fun to get down and dirty with the Peacehaven clients and the Mayor of Peacehaven. We also played a game of group Feud, which was hilarious.

Learn more about Peacehaven by visiting their website here.

This post was written by Malisha, who serves at Greensboro Urban Ministry.

Homelessness vs. Criminality

The following post was written by Shawn, an AmeriCorps member placed at Greensboro Urban Ministry. Shawn is also a Probation/Parole Officer. Along with 2 other Probation/Parole officers that are members of our program, Shawn conducted a training for our group in May.

I thoroughly enjoyed conducting the training “How to deal with ex-offenders”. The first part of the training surrounded self-defense. This was not to instill a fear of ex-offenders but a tool to have for a possible need of protection. Many ex-offenders have violent pasts, anger issues, or mental health issues. Learning how to defend oneself is a very necessary tool when dealing with this group of individuals.

            The Americorps members and staff that were present were fully engaged and contributed to the fun, laughs, and learning that was experienced. Kristy, April and I demonstrated several moves and the members practiced the moves on their own.  Me: “ Defense stance, move!”  Amercorps members: “Get Back!”  This rang in my ears for the next 24 hours.

            As the training progressed I had the members think about the reasons for homelessness and how closely they were related or the same as the reasons why people commit crimes. Unfortunately, a significant  part of the homeless population are ex- offenders and often times  “being homeless” and “being an ex-offender” becomes synonymous.  In some instances, we must learn to separate the 2 and apply a course of treatment and referral that is appropriate.

            Playing devil’s advocate, should we treat them as the same if we determine that ending homelessness could reduce crime?  In actuality, the very people living on our streets are more likely to be the victims of crime rather than the doer. Statistically speaking, 20% of people who are homeless commit crimes. However, these crimes are usually acts of survival such as prostitution, shoplifting, theft, etc., They are usually acts that they feel will improve their situation.

            Let us not ignore the criminal activity at the homeless camps. This is a place where police are not called and criminals blend in while criminal activity goes undetected. As an Americorps member 1^st and a Probation Officer 2^nd. I can see both sides of the coin.  We should not treat homeless people as criminals and not all criminals will be homeless.  On the flip side if we can eliminate homelessness, we can reduce crime. There will be no homeless people to commit crimes against, homeless people will not have to break laws to survive and there will be no camps for the real criminals to escape. 

            In some ways criminality and homelessness blend together. However, both activities can definitely have different approaches to the solution and negative assumptions about either one should be set aside. I have only recently reached this conclusion after serving as an Americorps member.  Before my service my thoughts were consistent with the vast majority.  In Americorps, we are not only serving our community, we are learning and growing as individuals.

 

 

Spotlight on Step Up Greensboro

To give you an accurate picture of StepUp Greensboro, I’m going to need you to close your eyes. Imagine that you have just a few (or no) reliable people in your life. Imagine that you’ve been working dead-end, minimum wage jobs for your entire life. You never got your high-school diploma, and you might have spent the last 10 years of your life in prison and have little to no work experience. Every single job interview you go to ends in disappointment and rejection.  

Now, imagine yourself being told that there is hope for your future and that you are, in fact, employable. Imagine being told that you are a person of worth, who is now a part of a family that will be there to support you as you transition into a new life-system. This is a priceless thing to observe on the Monday morning of Job Readiness class week at StepUp Greensboro. Some are skeptical as we, the staff, introduce ourselves and give words of encouragement and welcome, but as the week progresses, they begin to open up and connect with the staff and their fellow participants.

StepUp provides an open window to people who feel that they are stuck in a dark place. Beyond learning how to write a resume or talk in an interview, you learn about who you are. You learn how to be a better person in all of your relationships and how to face fears with strength.

Working at StepUp has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has caused me to break outside of myself and move forward in life, for the sake of helping others do the same. It has helped me to be a more authentic person, and it pushes me to be a woman of integrity. I’m surrounded each day by the StepUp staff, who I now consider dear friends, and they speak truth to me and by example, they remind me to place others ahead of myself.  I’ve learned and am constantly digesting that it’s okay to fail at something and not crumble, but to learn and do better next time. I will forever be grateful for being placed here and know that there is a permanent stitching on my heart from this lovely place.

This post was written by AmeriCorps member Kerry. To learn more about Step Up Greensboro, check them out online at http://stepupgreensboro.org/.

Big Brothers Big Sisters + Black History Month

Why is Black History important for young people? Unfortunately, many schools exclude the contributions of Blacks.  This lack of information can be the driver for an accelerated down hill slope.  It may lead to a lack of a sense of culture, pride and heritage for African American children.  In turn, this may lead to an attack to an African American child’s self -esteem and self- worth, ultimately ending in a lack of motivation for success for the African American child. 

Black history is also important for children of all races and ethnicities. Learning the history contributes to cultural awareness, the broadening of perspectives of the lives of others, and understanding milestones.

Two organizations clearly understand the importance of celebrating and learning the accomplishments and plights of African Americans in history. Americorps Partnership to End Homelessness and Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Greensboro.

 

On Feb. 25^th , the two organizations partnered together to create an afternoon of fun and  education as they celebrated Black History month with the children of BBBS. The event was held at the BBBS headquarters in Greensboro, NC.  Approximately 16 children from the ages of 7-12 were invited to participate.  As an Americorps member, I was elated to Chair this event. The young group kept the Americorps members on their toes with their enthusiasm and energy. The older group amazed us with their knowledge and higher than normal level of maturity.  The children had to pick a buddy from the Americorps member to hang out with for the afternoon. Amber, with her bubbly and inviting personality was the first one picked. The order of events consisted of icebreakers, “get to know you time”, dancing, snacks and drinks, and a very competitive trivia competition.  Prizes were awarded to winners and non winners. Everyone was a winner that afternoon.  The Americorps members ages range from 18-63. It was extremely entertaining  to see them step out of their comfort zones as they did the Harlem Shake with their little buddies. Rythmless??? YES! But that did not inhibit them from making sure that the children were having a good time. We ended the event on the theme of “happiness”.  As we played Pharell’s “Happy” song, we went around the room as the children expressed what they were happy for or what made them happy. Certain eras of Black History can be depressing, so we wanted the kids to grasp on the “now” and how African Americans are moving forward.

The children (and the adults) had a blast. But most importantly they learned a lot about many facets of Black History during a very fierce and intense trivia competition. They learned how African Americans made a huge contribution to the development of the arts, technology, science, world trade, religion and philosophy.

Thanks to all of the Americorps members and staff at BBS who participated. Special thanks to Holly, Terri, Ms. Ruth, Breah,  and Magena for making this an awesome Black History month event. A very special thanks to Out of the Garden Project for providing food for the children.

NCCJ Interfaith Tour a Success!

It was a sunny and warm afternoon on January 22, 2015-- the day of the annual Interfaith Tour organized by NCCJ. Several of our members attended the tour as a training. We work with literally anyone who walks through the door, so we see a lot of diversity! The idea is that we can serve our clients better if we understand their culture and religion.

The tour started at Beth David Synagogue; the image below is Rabbi Havivi blowing a shofar.

Photo credit NCCJ of the Triad

We then headed to Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church. You wouldn't believe the smell of the incense!

Photo credit NCCJ of the Triad

Our final stop was the Islamic Center of Greensboro. We were so thankful of their generosity! After a very interesting talk by their imam, they served us a delicious meal! Here are a few of our members enjoying their time at the Islamic Center:

Ime and her mother & Laura

Shawn and Lisa enjoying the food

Shawn, Malisha, Ime, Lisa, and Laura in socks

Some of the girls + Will

Our members seemed to get a lot out of this tour and we highly encourage those that didn't make it to try again next year!
 
"It was a humbling experience to be welcomed into three different places of worship that represent faiths about which I knew little. All three religious leaders who spoke seemed excited to share their faith traditions with us, and eager for us to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding. It was powerful to be able to compare and contrast three religions, experience some of the diversity of Greensboro, and connect with people of different faith traditions." -Laura
"Honestly, the Interfaith Tour was not what I was expecting, but in a good way. I thought it was going to be long and boring, but it wasn't! It was awesome to see so many young people as well. For me, the Interfaith tour was such an eye opening experience. It was just nice to see other faiths, what they believe, and a glimpse into how they worship. I highly encourage anyone who didn't go this year and if they offer it again next year, take the time out and go. You won't be disappointed. I sure wasn't." -Ime
"I thought the interfaith tour was/is important because it dispels all the myths. We could ask questions and get the answer from the horse's mouth so to speak." -Malisha

"Being religious or non religious doesn't mean we can't work together for one common goal of peace or other global issues. Learning other faiths brings attention to generalizations and corrects assumed stereotypes. I realized that I have more in common with Judaism than I thought!" -Shawn
"It's a great thing when we can come together and learn about other people's religious backgrounds." -Will

A huge thanks to NCCJ of the Triad for organizing this event!


 

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Sure, I have donated multiple times to shelters and organizations for the holidays but never have I ever had the opportunity to deliver the gifts and see the faces of the recipients… until this year. It was the most heartwarming experience- to see a group of people bringing together their resources (which aren’t plentiful to begin with) so that strangers can have something to open on Christmas morning.

For the holidays, the AmeriCorps Partnership to End Homelessness adopted a family. The family we adopted was a friend of one of our members- the mother has lupus, cancer, and an aneurism. While struggling with her health concerns, she also has a large family including twin 4 year old boys, an 8 year old girl, and an 18 year old daughter who has a 2 year old of her own. They have been in a shelter the past year until two weeks before Christmas - Greensboro Urban Ministry's Pathways shelter helped them get permanent housing just in time for the holidays.

AmeriCorps members and staff, from l to r: Ime, Amber, Jonathan, Ruth, Juanita, Nardya, Malisha, Holly, and Todd

When the three carloads of gifts arrived at the family’s home, everyone’s mouth dropped. The children gave each of us a hug before we even brought in the first gift because they knew what we were there for. The appreciation on the mother’s face was so apparent and beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes multiple times. The kids were obviously excited, and like I said knew what we were there for, but they did not know the extent of just what was going on. The feeling of doing something for someone you have never met before and they can never repay you is the most amazing feeling.

Neighbors came out to see what was going on and I honestly started to feel a little uncomfortable. Here we are showering this one family with an abundant amount of gifts yet every other person around the neighborhood was in some sort of need of assistance too. That was by far the hardest part for me but just because you can’t help everyone, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help anyone. I think we as people forget that sometimes. Every little bit helps, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, and even if you don’t get thanked for it… it helped!​

WOW!

We didn't do this alone. It wasn't just our AmeriCorps program that brought tears to the mother's eyes, or made the 8 year old (Miracle) give out hugs. The employees of Kohl's on Wendover, Central Carolina Air Conditioning, the Pavilion Restaurant, and many individual friends and family members connected to our group donated to help "our" family. It made this experience even more meaningful knowing that this family was loved and supported by those in our community they would never even meet.

 

One donor in particular stands out. Hunter is the son of Nikki, an employee of Central Carolina Air Conditioning. When he heard about the family, he wanted to make a donation of his own. He gave his game system and all of his games to them. He also included his own money and a really sweet card. We made sure to put his gift aside to show the family at the end, so they knew who is was from. They agreed that Hunter must be an awesome kid to care so much and be willing to give up his own stuff for another kid's happiness.

Thank you to everyone who contributed and continues to support the work we do! We love our community!