The event I attended this week was the showing of the documentary "Invisible Children." This movie was about all the forgotten children living in the Uganda who have lives full of heartbreak and despair. Many children are abducted each day into the rebel army and are brain-washed into becoming killing machines. The children who have not yet been abducted do not feel safe sleeping in their own homes, and so they make the long trek each night to sanctuaries in the basements of hospitals. There they are packed in like goods, every inch covered with a human body. But, they would rather do this every day then have there be a chance of being abducted. The film was shot by 3 young men who went to Africa not knowing what to expect, and having their lives changed by it. They interviewed children and mothers; everyone had a different story to tell. Through this movie, the men hoped to spread the word about these invisible children and to bring in help from the viewers.
With community service being such a large part of Loyola College, I often hear stories about someone helping out their community or even those outside of their community. So, it is no wonder there is a Justice Club at Loyola who wants to aid the children of Uganda. The members of the group, along with the makers of "Invisible Children" hope to do as much as possible to help. This concept connects with the Baltimore Sun article "Serving Up Hope." The article tells the story of Galen and Bridget Sampson, a couple who opened a restaurant that hires former felons and drug users. The purpose is to help these men and women transition back into society without judging them. This is their way of giving back to their community, just as the filmmakers and Loyola students want to give their time and effort to the children in Uganda. In both instances, each person is selflessly helping those in serious need.
In the poem "End of April" by Phillis Levin, the speaker talks about someone no longer in their life and the absence of them breaks their heart. This same message was portrayed in the film many times. One particular example is when one of the filmmakers was interviewing a boy, Jacob, who had lost his brother to the rebel forces. The filmmaker asked him if he could see his brother one more time, what would he tell him. Jacob begins to speak, and then just breaks down in tears. It is evident from his raw emotion that the loss of his brother has given him such a heartbreak. The memory of his brother continues to live in his heart, but it gives him a great sense of sadness to think of him.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Non-profit and Community Service Fair
This afternoon, I attended the Loyola College Non-profit and Community Service Fair. Over forty-five different organizations were present. Each table consisted of a different program, including teaching and helping children and families. All of the tables had a representative who actively participates in the organization and are passionate about it. This fair shows how committed Loyola College is to the Jesuit mission of service.
Every table was filled with brochures which included many different ways to get involved. Most tables were very versatile, appealing to students of different majors. I spoke to a representative for Teach for America whose major was political science but recently taught a history class in Baltimore. Many tables also emphasized post-graduate opportunities, however small service activities were offered.
Several tables caught my eye. The first table I stopped at was Jesuit Volunteer Corps. The representative recently finished a year of volunteering and strongly encouraged others to do it. This service programs offers several categories to participate in, including children services, senior services, education, health care, substance abuse, and many more. They are stationed all across the United States and require one or two years of service. They treat the service as a full time job, volunteers work forty hours a week and have two weeks of vacation time. This organization believes a year of service can make a world of difference.
Another table that I was interested in was The Children’s Home. This is a non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to provide services to children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, or are in need of supervised care. Their services are both short and long term and are provided to children of all races and religions who are eight to twenty-one years old. They want to build on the strengths of those served to promote success. The Children’s Home was established in 1863 and every year it tries to expand, by improving and adding new services.
The article “Serving up Hope” is about a deli, which is centered on the same Jesuit ideals as Loyola College. After receiving a $48,750 grant from the Baltimore Community Fellowship Program, Galen and Bridget Sampson started Dogwood Deli in 2006. They hire former drug users and convicts as a way to help them get back on their feet. Instead of them resorting to dead-end jobs at minimum wages, they fairly pay their employees to learn culinary skills. Galen Sampson is a chef who teaches them and after schooling they can work in the deli. He always wanted to make a difference by using his skills to help others. Two former drug users, Jennifer Brock and Tyrone Lewis, were offered jobs which helped them stay sober. They praise Galen and Bridget and are thankful for their jobs as well as the respect they receive.
Instead of Galen Sampson using his culinary talents to benefit himself by having a high paid job, he chooses to help others. Sampson follows the Jesuit mission of serving others by using his skills. The non-profit and community service fair focuses on the same mission. Every table offered job or service opportunities that are centered on using a college education to help others. The Sampson’s goal was to make a difference, which is the common goal between non-profit and community service organizations.
Community Service Fair
I attended the Community Service Fair in McGuire Hall this afternoon. There were over thirty non-profit organizations there to introduce Loyola students to groups and organizations we can work with. The goals of many of these organizations are to support or engage in activities without any profit. The main goal in bringing a fair like this to Loyola is to show graduates that there are opportunities to engage in service after college. Since this value is very important to Loyola, the idea of giving to others, opportunities beyond what’s done here help bridge the gap between service done here, to withhold a Jesuit education, and service work that can be done for the greater good—larger than just here.
The Community Service fair was recommended to me by the CCSJ office because I have worked in local hospitals, for a non-profit organization at home. It helped to support patients that could not afford to stay for treatments or overnight visits. There were programs at the fair in the medical field just like the one at home, also in areas such as business and education. The people working at this fair today are just like the Sampsons. They each give time and passion to either fighting for a cause they believe in, or attempting to improve the community they live in. The Sampsons are also extraordinary examples of the lifestyle a Jesuit education Loyola teaches—by living for others. The article “Serving Up Hope” is just about that, Galen Simpson and how he changed his life and career to assist the drug addicts and convicts of his community. In the article Sampson says, “A lot of this has to do with my belief and my faith” Mr. Sampson and people working for non-profits spread values and ideals like these every day.
People like the Sampsons are most likely who; Phillis Levin speaks about in his poem “End of April”. I think that this poem is about loving everyone even if it hurts. The pain and suffering as well as the risks the Sampsons suffer helping the needy in their neighborhood is outweighed by the feeling when someone succeeds. And finally, in “B. Traven”, the character Justino is similar to a person that the Sampsons would try to help. Even though things didn’t work out for him, the Sampsons or even those working and giving time to non-profits have values that would encourage and support the start of a new life.
The Community Service fair was recommended to me by the CCSJ office because I have worked in local hospitals, for a non-profit organization at home. It helped to support patients that could not afford to stay for treatments or overnight visits. There were programs at the fair in the medical field just like the one at home, also in areas such as business and education. The people working at this fair today are just like the Sampsons. They each give time and passion to either fighting for a cause they believe in, or attempting to improve the community they live in. The Sampsons are also extraordinary examples of the lifestyle a Jesuit education Loyola teaches—by living for others. The article “Serving Up Hope” is just about that, Galen Simpson and how he changed his life and career to assist the drug addicts and convicts of his community. In the article Sampson says, “A lot of this has to do with my belief and my faith” Mr. Sampson and people working for non-profits spread values and ideals like these every day.
People like the Sampsons are most likely who; Phillis Levin speaks about in his poem “End of April”. I think that this poem is about loving everyone even if it hurts. The pain and suffering as well as the risks the Sampsons suffer helping the needy in their neighborhood is outweighed by the feeling when someone succeeds. And finally, in “B. Traven”, the character Justino is similar to a person that the Sampsons would try to help. Even though things didn’t work out for him, the Sampsons or even those working and giving time to non-profits have values that would encourage and support the start of a new life.
Climb for Habitat
Coming back from a long weekend with my family, I was worried of what i would be able to find as my event to do for this blog. Soon after checking the news-hound, i received a message from habitat for humanity. Reading through it i saw that they were desperately in need of volunteers to help convince people to climb for donations or buy raffle tickets for the multitude of raffles they have. Seeing at the end that it was one of my friends from the rock-wall, i replied stating i would be able to help if they needed any, witch of course soon later was returned with a request to go monday night.
Walking over to the FAC i wasn't sure what exactly i was going to be doing, since all i think about when i hear habitat for humanity is building houses. Right next to the rock-wall was a table all set up with all these prizes, from tee-shirts to rock climbing shoes (witch i really hope i win), and a sign up sheet to rock climb for donations. The main purpose of this table was to get as many people to buy a few raffle tickets for one of these great prizes that ranged from one dollar all the way to 10, depending on the raffle prize you wanted win. The sign up was basically another incentive for people to have others pay to see them rock climb.
I learned that even though habitat for humanity is primarily building houses it also needs a lot of fundraising for the building and sponsoring of the houses. This years goal is just around twenty thousand dollars. Habitat does many different little small fundraising functions like this are; habitat and LoCo basketball night, Habitat and LoCo soccer night, buy a brick build a house, and hammer a nail competition. One of the bigger festivities is the rowing for habitat fundraiser. The crew team joins with habitat to raise money for both by getting bigger companies and having kids find others donate money for the number of people they get to row on the many practice machines they bring out in a elongated period of time. The proceeds from this go to habitat and partially to the crew team for there help.
This is a great example of the jesuit education we receive here at loyola because it is bringing us to help out the world while working behind the scenes. I feel this is a great part of what the jesuits teach because it's not just the recognition we receive for doing these good things but also the being able to step back and not being recognized for our actions. As in the poem we need to help others whatever the consequences are.
Christopher Place
Recently, I started volunteering at Christopher Place, a transitional home for recently homeless men. Christopher place is an organization run by Catholic Charities whose mission is to provide the men there support to overcome their homelessness and help them to find stable employment, housing, and to put them back on their feet. At Christopher Place, I worked in the Employment Center. There, I helped the men to set up e-mail accounts, browse job ads in newspapers and online, work on resumes, and send faxes to potential employers. In working with these men, I really learned something about myself. They helped me to see how lucky and fortunate I was to have so many opportunities that I sometimes take for granted. Also, they showed me that even someone who is homeless and jobless can have a great deal of self worth and a great attitude. These men were energetic; they really wanted to work hard to turn their life around. I saw this particularly in one man, Anthony. Together, we completed and faxed (to his new employer) a direct deposit form that we needed to complete his application. Once that fax was sent, it was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was able to step back and see all that he had accomplished--he went from living in a transitional home to obtaining a job. He will now have stability in his life. As Anthony put it, "That was the final nail in the coffin. Things are starting to look up again." It was incredible to be part of something that moving for Anthony. It really motivated me to keep working and to keep pushing these men to do their best, because success does happen. We all saw, myself included, that this is not just a dream but a reality; they only need to push themselves to make it happen.
All three of the works for Wednesday’s class tied into my experience at Christopher Place. In B. Traven, the character Justino really reminded me a lot of the men that I had worked with. Anya describes him as someone who “would rather be a movie actor or an adventurer, a real free spirit…but things didn’t work out for him.” (p. 59). This was the feeling that I had gotten from a lot of men at the employment center. These men were really free spirited, loving to tell stories about childhood and joke with one another. I felt almost like while they were happy to be there, they would rather have been somewhere else. They, like Justino, have had things go wrong in their life and probably have gotten a few bad breaks. The great thing about these men is that they are working to better themselves and their situations by utilizing resources like the employment center. In End of April, I found another line that really made me think of the men at Christopher place. That line was “Broken, but not shattered” (line 3). This line really struck me, and tied into the point about Justino. These men really have fallen on hard times. They are a broken egg, but they simply refuse to stand by and let themselves become a shattered one. They will work to better themselves, hoping that one say they can become whole again. Lastly, the Baltimore Sun article probably tied in the best with Christopher place. “Serving Up Hope” is an article Galen Sampson, a chef who uses his deli to teach culinary skills to former convicts and drug addicts. The skills learned in the deli help them to secure jobs once they leave the program, and eventually help them to get back on their feet. I feel that Galen’s deli and Christopher Place are very similar organizations—they provide a positive atmosphere to help at-risk men to get their lives back in order. They provide for them the tools to help themselves in terms of obtaining a career, something that will help them stabilize their chaotic lives. I feel that by working in the employment center I am, like Galen, using my talents to help others better themselves. It is refreshing to see that people al around the city, and the country, are putting the Jesuit Ideals of cura personalis to work in an attempt to help the marginalized of our society.
All three of the works for Wednesday’s class tied into my experience at Christopher Place. In B. Traven, the character Justino really reminded me a lot of the men that I had worked with. Anya describes him as someone who “would rather be a movie actor or an adventurer, a real free spirit…but things didn’t work out for him.” (p. 59). This was the feeling that I had gotten from a lot of men at the employment center. These men were really free spirited, loving to tell stories about childhood and joke with one another. I felt almost like while they were happy to be there, they would rather have been somewhere else. They, like Justino, have had things go wrong in their life and probably have gotten a few bad breaks. The great thing about these men is that they are working to better themselves and their situations by utilizing resources like the employment center. In End of April, I found another line that really made me think of the men at Christopher place. That line was “Broken, but not shattered” (line 3). This line really struck me, and tied into the point about Justino. These men really have fallen on hard times. They are a broken egg, but they simply refuse to stand by and let themselves become a shattered one. They will work to better themselves, hoping that one say they can become whole again. Lastly, the Baltimore Sun article probably tied in the best with Christopher place. “Serving Up Hope” is an article Galen Sampson, a chef who uses his deli to teach culinary skills to former convicts and drug addicts. The skills learned in the deli help them to secure jobs once they leave the program, and eventually help them to get back on their feet. I feel that Galen’s deli and Christopher Place are very similar organizations—they provide a positive atmosphere to help at-risk men to get their lives back in order. They provide for them the tools to help themselves in terms of obtaining a career, something that will help them stabilize their chaotic lives. I feel that by working in the employment center I am, like Galen, using my talents to help others better themselves. It is refreshing to see that people al around the city, and the country, are putting the Jesuit Ideals of cura personalis to work in an attempt to help the marginalized of our society.
Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party
On Monday November 10th, I, along with all of the athletes here at Loyola attended a lecture titled “Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party.” This very informative lecture was geared towards warning the athletes of behaviors and situations in which they would not want to be in, and especially since we are a representation of the school, we would not want to bring an undesirable name to the school. Along with this lecture, the readings for this week of “B. Traven Is Alive and Well in Cuernavaca” a novel by Rudolfo A. Anaya, a poem “End of April” by Phillis Levin, and an article from the Baltimore Sun “Serving Up Hope” each contribute in their own way to this topic of sex and alcohol.
The lecture starting talking about one of the main things that goes on almost every college campus; alcohol abuse. The lecturer discussed about how dangerous it is at parties now because people just fill up their cups and they are not sure how much alcohol they are actually taking in. Without keeping track of how much you have been having, allows for someone to get “wasted instead of buzzed” as she said. What comes with being wasted is poor decision making along with a chance of receiving alcohol poisoning. We were warned of the horrible consequences that could come if we ignore the signs of alcohol poisoning in a friends and may leave them to die instead of making them sleep it off. The though of being responsible for such a thing made the entire crowd silent. Like in the poem “End of April” the author mentions in reference to the robin’s egg “What had been there/ is gone now/ and lives in my heart.” This could also be taking in reference to a friend who was with us and now because of alcohol poisoning now only resides in our hearts. This feeling would definitely be a horrid experience for anyone to go through and would be unbearable for most.
The next topic was about some of the sexual decisions we may make while under and no under the influence of alcohol. We were explained to how the first part of the brain to be affected by alcohol is the one that controls our judgment. The decisions we make under the influence of alcohol may not be the ones that we would make if we were sober, like having sex with someone randomly at a party. Another decision that may be affected is whether a condom is being worn while in the act, which is a much more important decision. You cannot be sure, for a guy, if the girl you are about to have sex with is on birth control, and for both people, you are not sure if the other person has some sort of sexual transmitted disease. Either of these, pregnancy or contracting an STD, could be detrimental to some person and affect them for the rest of their lives, with no second chance. Lucky, in the article “Serving Up Hope”, drug addicts Jennifer Brock and Tyrone Lewis were given a second chance with becoming part of the deli run by the Sampson’s. With the kindness and willingness of this family, Jennifer and Tyrone were not labeled because of their habit. Also, from the novel “B. Traven Is Alive and Well in Cuernavaca” Justino was portrayed as someone how make these kinds of decisions because of being described as someone partying with alcohol and always with women at this side. It is interesting to wonder if the character is aware of all of the possible consequences that could come from mixing alcohol and sex.
Overall, the lecture was very informative and gave you a good scare to make such decisions if you were ever in a similar situation. The readings for this week also helped tie some of the ideas mentioned in the lecture together to really allow me to understand the point being made for the “Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party” lecture.
Community Service Career Fair
I attended the Non-profit and Community Service Career Fair in McGuire Hall this afternoon. There were over 35 different non-profit organizations and services programs that were being introduced to Loyola College’s students. The different programs that the fair offered, varied from teaching or taking care of children, to feeding the hungry, to working as a camp counselor, and much more. The main purpose of this fair was to help post-graduates find a job or engage in service programs right after they graduate from school. In addition to that, the programs covered a variety of different majors and fields such as medical, education, business etc. which Loyola students can greatly benefit from for their future careers. Although I am not old enough to really participate in these organizations right now, I was thoroughly interested in particular programs and in what some of the representatives of those programs had to say. Pretty much all of the representatives that I had spoken to, have participated in their service programs since they were young. Since I really enjoy working with children, I visited several of the service programs that involve working with children at summer camps or at schools. A table that I visited was for the Christian Appalachian Project. One of many services that this program offers is the opportunity to help develop children physically, emotionally, and/or intellectually. In order to accomplish this, the service emphasizes the role and importance that family members play in a child’s life, and offers adults the opportunity to learn more on parenting and educating their children. By simply talking to the representatives of these programs, I was able to tell that they are extremely passionate about what they do, whether it’s participating in the service program themselves or simply telling another person all about it. The thing that I found amazing while I was walking through the fair is that there actually are people in the world who are willing to dedicate their time and effort to making a difference in their community. Not only that, but they are willing to dedicate their own time to something that does not give them personal benefits or compensation. I personally think that people like that in today’s society are very hard to encounter, but Loyola believing a true Jesuit Education has fortunately provided its students with many opportunities to make a difference in their community, or even to get a head start on a future career that they may be looking into. The community service career fair exemplifies one of Loyola’s main Jesuit beliefs in giving back to communities and serving social justice.
The article “Serving Up Hope” featured in the Baltimore Sun can strongly tie into Loyola’s Jesuit values on social service and justice in the community. “Serving Up Hope” is about a chef named Galen Sampson and his wife Bridgett that help former convicts and drug users get back on their feet and towards a positive career path. In order to do this, Galen teaches them his culinary skills so they can help him out in his deli, and provides a positive atmosphere and conditions for them to work in. The article states that Lewis, a 43-year old former drug addict, says that his meeting with the Sampsons gave him “the strength to enter rehab once again and stay clean.” This shows that the Sampson’s generosity to provide jobs for these men and women is really making a huge difference in their lives. In the article, Galen states, “‘I’ve always wanted to give back,’ says Sampson….‘I’ve always been searching for a way to apply myself and my skills to make the most difference.’” This is one of the Jesuit ideals here at Loyola College; using your skills and talents to make a difference in society and to help others who are in need. Diana Morris, director of the Open Society Institute in Baltimore, praises Galen and Bridgett for what they have done for these ex-convicts and drug addicts, and says that although he “could do millions of things wit his life,....this is exactly the kind of person we want to identify.” Rather than Galen using his recognizable culinary skills for his own personal benefit, he instead chooses to help those in need of getting their lives back on track.
Just like Galen and Bridgett do at their deli, the Non-Profit Community Service Career Fair helps students find jobs in their fields of study while simultaneously making a difference in their communities. Both Loyola College and the Sampsons have their strong commitment to social justice and passion for serving the community in common, as well as their ideals in using their skills and abilities to make a difference in a rapidly changing world.
The article “Serving Up Hope” featured in the Baltimore Sun can strongly tie into Loyola’s Jesuit values on social service and justice in the community. “Serving Up Hope” is about a chef named Galen Sampson and his wife Bridgett that help former convicts and drug users get back on their feet and towards a positive career path. In order to do this, Galen teaches them his culinary skills so they can help him out in his deli, and provides a positive atmosphere and conditions for them to work in. The article states that Lewis, a 43-year old former drug addict, says that his meeting with the Sampsons gave him “the strength to enter rehab once again and stay clean.” This shows that the Sampson’s generosity to provide jobs for these men and women is really making a huge difference in their lives. In the article, Galen states, “‘I’ve always wanted to give back,’ says Sampson….‘I’ve always been searching for a way to apply myself and my skills to make the most difference.’” This is one of the Jesuit ideals here at Loyola College; using your skills and talents to make a difference in society and to help others who are in need. Diana Morris, director of the Open Society Institute in Baltimore, praises Galen and Bridgett for what they have done for these ex-convicts and drug addicts, and says that although he “could do millions of things wit his life,....this is exactly the kind of person we want to identify.” Rather than Galen using his recognizable culinary skills for his own personal benefit, he instead chooses to help those in need of getting their lives back on track.
Just like Galen and Bridgett do at their deli, the Non-Profit Community Service Career Fair helps students find jobs in their fields of study while simultaneously making a difference in their communities. Both Loyola College and the Sampsons have their strong commitment to social justice and passion for serving the community in common, as well as their ideals in using their skills and abilities to make a difference in a rapidly changing world.
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