Northerners tend to flock to Tampa during the winter months for relief from the cold. So, you can imagine our surprise when we arrived on a deceivingly bright, sunny afternoon only to discover that it was 20 degrees colder in Tampa than in Boston. While waiting for our Care Force Reserves to arrive from City Year Greater Philadelphia, we had ourselves a pretty nice little Sunday at Home Depot and Target. We bought a wide variety of colorful beanbags, chairs, and snacks, which we strategically packed into our full van in lieu of airbags. Then it was off to Crabby Bills, a seafood shack on the bay with gorgeous views of the sunset. We indulged in such local delicacies as “conch balls” and fried alligator nuggets, all of which tasted like chicken. From there we headed inland to the lovely Embassy Suites, excited by the prospect of an espresso machine and omelet chef each morning.
These tasty luxuries, along with a week of clear, blue skies motivated us to begin our days early at Shaw Elementary School, our service partner for this last T-Mobile Huddle-Up event of the year. The staff of the Shaw Elementary School was amazing! They gave us a tour of the school, which resembled a cross between a summer camp and college campus, then gave us our own office for the week with daily cookies and drinks. Care Force One was waiting for us in a field out back, so we immediately unloaded our trusty tape and tarp, and put them to work. Home Depot soon arrived with over 200 pieces of wood to cut for the largest construction project ever attempted by Care Force, a monster 12’x20’ outdoor stage and bench seating for 100 students! Aside from the size, additional challenges arose due to Florida’s hurricane and handicap regulations which stated that each of the 60 legs must be cemented into the ground, each frame must be attached to all adjacent frames with hurricane braces, and there must be a 15’ handicap ramp. Luckily, the dirt was mainly composed of sand so we were able to strike a balance between pain, from feeling as though we’d been running on the beach for hours, and joy, from feeling like small children digging sandcastles. Between gridding out the exact location to dig each hole, cutting wood, sketching blacktop graphics and murals, and taping off rooms and outdoor portable classrooms to paint, we kept ourselves extremely busy! There were breaks of course for activities such as: being introduced to the entire staff of the school, who graciously gave us a standing ovation; helping the T-mobile champions fill up an entire classroom with supplies they had raised; and savoring a delicious ice cream buffet and dessert reception that Shaw’s staff put together for the T-mobile and Care Force project leaders.
We arrived at Shaw before sunrise on event day where, to our delight, we found ice covering all of our outdoor supplies. As we completed some last-minute prep, we heard the musical sound of “Fired up!” coming from the distance. This meant it was time to bring in the volunteers. The teachers lined their students up outside to power greet the volunteers, giving high-fives and cheers as they passed. When everyone was sufficiently fired up from a round of powerful PT, we got to work. The enthusiasm, creativity and diligence exemplified by these 150 volunteers was incredible, and an inspiration to each of the students and staff at Shaw Elementary. Talk about going out with a bang! By the end of the day the cafeteria looked brand-new, the Huddle-Up zone looked like every kid’s dream room, the blacktop was covered with colorful games, seven outdoor classrooms were painted a new Belgian chocolate color, the school had been completely re-landscaped, and I was able to do a backflip on a rock-solid stage with rows upon rows of beautiful benches beside it.
Many a tear was shed during the closing ceremony and we were treated to a very touching performance by the children’s choir who sang multiple verses of “YOU, YOU, YOU! We appreciate you; we think you are…” followed by a rhyme to “cool, great, neat, etc…” All of these components ensure that this project will definitely not be forgotten, and we are delighted to say that T-Mobile employees enjoyed their day so much that they are returning to Shaw to do more service in upcoming months! Now that’s a ripple!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Care Force Chronicles: Baltimore Edition
To say that October 28th was a windy Tuesday in Baltimore would be an understatement – ask Team Care Force (TCF) SCM Allison Goldstein about her salad that Baltimore’s inner harbor took! Flying salads aside, as the team settled into our new (temporary) home in downtown Baltimore, we awaited with great anticipation some support, in the form of six CMs (and one SCM) from City Year Washington D.C. and City Year Greater Philadelphia.
Later that evening, united with our comrades in service, we carbo-loaded in Baltimore’s Little Italy in preparation for a powerful week of difference-making at Morell Park Elementary/Middle School!
The next morning, we arrived at Morell Park bright and early, armed with can do-attitudes and enough tape and tarp to cover the cafeteria and front hallways of the school; which, consequently, is exactly what we did that (not quite so windy) Wednesday.
On Thursday we re-visited those very same hallways, to do some serious priming over a yellow hue similar to that of Mountain Dew –yes friends, that was a shameless Pepsi shout out! TCF SCMs were joined by Dorothy Wong, Alison McGil of CYGP and Matt Ware of CYDC; TCF SCM Tom Wingert sliced and diced on the miter saw outside with the help of CYGP’s Claire McEachern, Dave Weinstein, and CYDC’s Kellen Singleton.
Friday’s prep began with a little silliness, as the team donned some fake mustaches to breakfast at the hotel (in celebration of Halloween). We carefully avoided crumbs, but gladly accepted confused glances from other travelers- apparently business travelers in Baltimore do not dress up on Halloween.
The students and teachers got a kick out of the mustaches; while Joel might have scared small children with his creepy dark glasses, black wig, and black mustache -- although, to be fair, the man who delivered topsoil seem unsettled by Amy’s gray mustache and mini sombrero.
After a hard day’s work, the team enjoyed a nice seafood dinner on the waterfront downtown, per Tom’s suggestion. HQ’s Jaimee Goodman joined us for what turned out to be quite a memorable meal. The food was delicious, yet could not compare to our server who surprised us with his patriotic introduction (insert AmERICa joke here) and offbeat personality. We parted with Eric after he inconspicuously (lest his manager see) offered us (sweet) Obama T-shirts he was selling from his car.
The team woke early on Saturday, eager for a full day of community service with CSX and Morell Park volunteers. Caffeine and music prepared us on our drive to the school, though no one’s energy seemed to match that of Joel’s on this particular morning.
Guided by a powerful morning program, in which CSX representative Tori Kaplan presented the school’s principal with a $10,000 check to make various repairs to the school, including replacing the gym floor, the team led volunteers through an inspirational day of service.
Our friends from Philly and D.C. complimented TCF well, and successfully lead over 50 volunteers through a truly transformative day. We completed many projects over the course of a few hours, which entailed: painting the front hallways; painting the cafeteria; re-painting a mural of the school’s mascot (an eagle); building five cubbies and five bookshelves for classrooms; painting four large murals in the gym; building eight mural benches; and building and filling ten garden plots (with signs for each grade in the school) with soil.
The team left Baltimore energized by our service, yet still unable to match Kellen’s D.C. hype. CYZ spoiler – get ready for site shout outs, because D.C. is bringing the heat!
Later that evening, united with our comrades in service, we carbo-loaded in Baltimore’s Little Italy in preparation for a powerful week of difference-making at Morell Park Elementary/Middle School!
The next morning, we arrived at Morell Park bright and early, armed with can do-attitudes and enough tape and tarp to cover the cafeteria and front hallways of the school; which, consequently, is exactly what we did that (not quite so windy) Wednesday.
On Thursday we re-visited those very same hallways, to do some serious priming over a yellow hue similar to that of Mountain Dew –yes friends, that was a shameless Pepsi shout out! TCF SCMs were joined by Dorothy Wong, Alison McGil of CYGP and Matt Ware of CYDC; TCF SCM Tom Wingert sliced and diced on the miter saw outside with the help of CYGP’s Claire McEachern, Dave Weinstein, and CYDC’s Kellen Singleton.
Friday’s prep began with a little silliness, as the team donned some fake mustaches to breakfast at the hotel (in celebration of Halloween). We carefully avoided crumbs, but gladly accepted confused glances from other travelers- apparently business travelers in Baltimore do not dress up on Halloween.
The students and teachers got a kick out of the mustaches; while Joel might have scared small children with his creepy dark glasses, black wig, and black mustache -- although, to be fair, the man who delivered topsoil seem unsettled by Amy’s gray mustache and mini sombrero.
After a hard day’s work, the team enjoyed a nice seafood dinner on the waterfront downtown, per Tom’s suggestion. HQ’s Jaimee Goodman joined us for what turned out to be quite a memorable meal. The food was delicious, yet could not compare to our server who surprised us with his patriotic introduction (insert AmERICa joke here) and offbeat personality. We parted with Eric after he inconspicuously (lest his manager see) offered us (sweet) Obama T-shirts he was selling from his car.
The team woke early on Saturday, eager for a full day of community service with CSX and Morell Park volunteers. Caffeine and music prepared us on our drive to the school, though no one’s energy seemed to match that of Joel’s on this particular morning.
Guided by a powerful morning program, in which CSX representative Tori Kaplan presented the school’s principal with a $10,000 check to make various repairs to the school, including replacing the gym floor, the team led volunteers through an inspirational day of service.
Our friends from Philly and D.C. complimented TCF well, and successfully lead over 50 volunteers through a truly transformative day. We completed many projects over the course of a few hours, which entailed: painting the front hallways; painting the cafeteria; re-painting a mural of the school’s mascot (an eagle); building five cubbies and five bookshelves for classrooms; painting four large murals in the gym; building eight mural benches; and building and filling ten garden plots (with signs for each grade in the school) with soil.
The team left Baltimore energized by our service, yet still unable to match Kellen’s D.C. hype. CYZ spoiler – get ready for site shout outs, because D.C. is bringing the heat!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Care Force Chronicle: Nashville, TN
by Allison Goldstein
Tuesday, August 19th
At 5:00am the US Airways check-in line was so long that we almost missed our flight, but the team and I arrived to Nashville on-time. Wil and Ernesto picked us up and escorted us to the hotel. We checked in, grabbed some lunch and headed to our service site, a local public high school the Nashville School of the Arts (NSA).
NSA is home to an extremely diverse and talented group of 700 students who are admitted through a selective process that focuses on their artistic abilities. Upon entering the school, our ears were immediately inundated with music and song coming from every classroom-- an appropriate atmosphere for the city of Nashville. We found our liaison, Principal boB (yes, that’s how he spells it), in a large office covered head to toe with Superman and Beatles memorabilia. He was just about as memorable a character as they, and began our day with a tour of the school and a description of our project.
Principal boB told us that NSA was a good fit because so much of their funding is used towards the special equipment needed to accommodate students’ talents that little is left for building upkeep. Our task was to paint every hallway in the school and to landscape the front entrance. This meant a LOT of taping and tarping. We decided to dive right in and tarp until dinner time, which was spent at a southern classic--Chili’s, and then get some shut eye!
Wednesday
After a delicious breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby, we headed back to NSA to attack the hallways with more tape and tarp. Because the area being painted was around 20,000 square feet, this consumed most of our time. Despite requests from the students for black hallways with pink stripes, we collaborated with Principal Bob and picked a bright blue, purple and yellow color for each hall. This seemed to appease the masses well enough. At dinnertime, to distract ourselves from tarping, we headed downtown to the Vanderbilt campus for a real southern meal. The corn bread was a little dry, but the BBQ pork melted in my mouth!
Thursday
We changed things up a little by adding some wood cutting and bench building to the prep list. The girls took charge of the power tools and cut all the wood. It was then handed off to me and Tom. We quickly constructed a model mural bench for the volunteers to follow before heading inside to measure the hallways so that we could order paint. We were amazed to discover that we would need almost 100 gallons!
Friday
Spirits were high as we headed into the final day of prep. One car took a detour to Home Depot to pick up paint, mulch and water and then met the team out front of the school to unload the goods. One moving cart had a flat tire, and one only had three good wheels, but after careening and maneuvering around the parking lot we managed to haul everything inside. The day went smoothly until late afternoon when we realized that not only were we hungry, but we had forgotten to unroll the tarp in one entire hallway! Nothing brings a team together like hunger. A few hours later, trying to keep our eyes open while waiting for our food, we reviewed the last minute details of the service day. Back at the hotel we ran through a brief PT practice and then hit the hay.
Saturday
There was a race to the free hotel coffee bar at 5:40am, and we all made it to the cars by 5:45am. After three unsuccessful attempts, we made it to a gas station that was both open and had ice, and finally arrived at NSA shortly after 6:00am. My project was the butterfly garden that would be the centerpiece of the front lawn and cared for by Mr. Turnipseed and his ecology class. I managed to drag my tools out to my project just in time for a last minute PT practice and the arrival of the volunteers.
My volunteers consisted of 10 large men and one petite secretary who knew how to hold her own with a pick axe. We quickly realized that Nashville dirt is basically solid rock and not at all ideal for digging a garden. However, these folks were determined to see it through! They were dripping with sweat after only 15 minutes, but hacked away for hours until the entire 300 square foot plot was tilled. After a wave of creative genius, the flowers were planted in the shape of a butterfly! They were so excited about their garden that they skipped lunch to buy gas for an auger, which was the only tool sturdy enough to dig holes for the fence posts. By the time the last post was in place butterflies were already flocking to the bright flowers!
Everyone was then sent inside to help finish painting and by 3 o’clock they were thoroughly exhausted. We debriefed with our teams, concluding that the day had gone well and everyone felt good about their work. The closing ceremony confirmed that it had been a very successful day, and the volunteers headed home happy while our team headed back inside to discuss the clean-up phase of the day. We finally scrubbed the last of the paint off the floor and could think of nothing better than lying in bed eating pizza for the rest of the night.
Sunday
We were lucky enough to have an entire free day before our flight to Colorado Springs that evening, so we explored downtown Nashville, also known as the “Athens of the South” due to its large number of secondary education institutions. Additionally, Nashville happens to be the home of the only to-scale replica of the Parthenon (http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/) in the USA—quite a site! I discovered that the Greek similarities do not carry over to the city’s dining scene where the real flavor is that of the South. If you love country music, 6-foot tall guitars, and fried green tomatoes, then Nashville is for you! This brief look at the city was a great way to end the trip and keep us wanting to come back for more!
Tuesday, August 19th
At 5:00am the US Airways check-in line was so long that we almost missed our flight, but the team and I arrived to Nashville on-time. Wil and Ernesto picked us up and escorted us to the hotel. We checked in, grabbed some lunch and headed to our service site, a local public high school the Nashville School of the Arts (NSA).
NSA is home to an extremely diverse and talented group of 700 students who are admitted through a selective process that focuses on their artistic abilities. Upon entering the school, our ears were immediately inundated with music and song coming from every classroom-- an appropriate atmosphere for the city of Nashville. We found our liaison, Principal boB (yes, that’s how he spells it), in a large office covered head to toe with Superman and Beatles memorabilia. He was just about as memorable a character as they, and began our day with a tour of the school and a description of our project.
Principal boB told us that NSA was a good fit because so much of their funding is used towards the special equipment needed to accommodate students’ talents that little is left for building upkeep. Our task was to paint every hallway in the school and to landscape the front entrance. This meant a LOT of taping and tarping. We decided to dive right in and tarp until dinner time, which was spent at a southern classic--Chili’s, and then get some shut eye!
Wednesday
After a delicious breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby, we headed back to NSA to attack the hallways with more tape and tarp. Because the area being painted was around 20,000 square feet, this consumed most of our time. Despite requests from the students for black hallways with pink stripes, we collaborated with Principal Bob and picked a bright blue, purple and yellow color for each hall. This seemed to appease the masses well enough. At dinnertime, to distract ourselves from tarping, we headed downtown to the Vanderbilt campus for a real southern meal. The corn bread was a little dry, but the BBQ pork melted in my mouth!
Thursday
We changed things up a little by adding some wood cutting and bench building to the prep list. The girls took charge of the power tools and cut all the wood. It was then handed off to me and Tom. We quickly constructed a model mural bench for the volunteers to follow before heading inside to measure the hallways so that we could order paint. We were amazed to discover that we would need almost 100 gallons!
Friday
Spirits were high as we headed into the final day of prep. One car took a detour to Home Depot to pick up paint, mulch and water and then met the team out front of the school to unload the goods. One moving cart had a flat tire, and one only had three good wheels, but after careening and maneuvering around the parking lot we managed to haul everything inside. The day went smoothly until late afternoon when we realized that not only were we hungry, but we had forgotten to unroll the tarp in one entire hallway! Nothing brings a team together like hunger. A few hours later, trying to keep our eyes open while waiting for our food, we reviewed the last minute details of the service day. Back at the hotel we ran through a brief PT practice and then hit the hay.
Saturday
There was a race to the free hotel coffee bar at 5:40am, and we all made it to the cars by 5:45am. After three unsuccessful attempts, we made it to a gas station that was both open and had ice, and finally arrived at NSA shortly after 6:00am. My project was the butterfly garden that would be the centerpiece of the front lawn and cared for by Mr. Turnipseed and his ecology class. I managed to drag my tools out to my project just in time for a last minute PT practice and the arrival of the volunteers.
My volunteers consisted of 10 large men and one petite secretary who knew how to hold her own with a pick axe. We quickly realized that Nashville dirt is basically solid rock and not at all ideal for digging a garden. However, these folks were determined to see it through! They were dripping with sweat after only 15 minutes, but hacked away for hours until the entire 300 square foot plot was tilled. After a wave of creative genius, the flowers were planted in the shape of a butterfly! They were so excited about their garden that they skipped lunch to buy gas for an auger, which was the only tool sturdy enough to dig holes for the fence posts. By the time the last post was in place butterflies were already flocking to the bright flowers!
Everyone was then sent inside to help finish painting and by 3 o’clock they were thoroughly exhausted. We debriefed with our teams, concluding that the day had gone well and everyone felt good about their work. The closing ceremony confirmed that it had been a very successful day, and the volunteers headed home happy while our team headed back inside to discuss the clean-up phase of the day. We finally scrubbed the last of the paint off the floor and could think of nothing better than lying in bed eating pizza for the rest of the night.
Sunday
We were lucky enough to have an entire free day before our flight to Colorado Springs that evening, so we explored downtown Nashville, also known as the “Athens of the South” due to its large number of secondary education institutions. Additionally, Nashville happens to be the home of the only to-scale replica of the Parthenon (http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/) in the USA—quite a site! I discovered that the Greek similarities do not carry over to the city’s dining scene where the real flavor is that of the South. If you love country music, 6-foot tall guitars, and fried green tomatoes, then Nashville is for you! This brief look at the city was a great way to end the trip and keep us wanting to come back for more!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Colorado Springs Chronicle
Whether in anticipation of the T-mobile event itself, being so close to the Democratic National Convention, or perhaps the enormous Papa John’s pizza that eluded us on the airplane ride (which, apparently is crafted into a large field somewhere near the Denver airport); there was a buzz of excitement amongst Team Care Force, as we flew through Denver to our final destination in Colorado Springs.
We arrived in Colorado Springs late in the evening of Sunday, August 24th. As we pulled out of the Enterprise parking lot, the team felt at home in the minivan -- immediately drawn to its sleek design and bucket seats. Alice Newman drove us to our hotel in comfort and in style. We woke Monday morning bright and early, inspired by our beautiful mountain surroundings and ready to check out the service site at John Adams Elementary School.
Upon entering John Adams, we were warmly greeted by several staff members. As we toured the school, the team noted a friendly, homey atmosphere, where well-behaved students and teachers worked in tandem to achieve their academic goals and where students dream big! As we quickly learned, the John Adams learning community encourages students, staff, parents, and visitors to follow their dreams. The dream theme is prevalent throughout the school, and is further supported in classrooms, where students and teachers discuss the development of dreams (i.e. what the students are doing to work towards the achievement of their dreams) throughout the year.
After our tour of the school, we began our prep work for the week. Prior to the trip, Project Manager Vanessa Meisner worked closely with the school principal to create numerous exciting and transformational projects – we had our work cut out for us! Moved by the beautiful surroundings, in addition to the bright students and inviting atmosphere of the school, Team Care Force went to work! Throughout the week our prep work consisted of sketching; taping and tarping; cutting wood; cleaning; organizing.
Not to be forgotten in the midst of prep work, Team Care Force celebrated a special birthday during the trip. In true City Year fashion, Tom Wingert celebrated his 21st birthday -- in the John Adams cafeteria, where hundreds of students sang him Happy Birthday during lunch!
We had an incredible service day in Colorado Springs with T-Mobile at John Adams Elementary, on Thursday, August 28th. Fueled by dedicated T-Mobile PCs, Team Care Force and over 100 T-Mobile volunteers, we transformed the interior and exterior of the school through numerous projects. These projects included: refurbishing the after school room into a Huddle Up Zone; building storage containers and painting murals in the gym/cafeteria; several painting projects in the hallways; building and painting mural benches; painting blacktop games, creating a large US map, repainting the basketball court; and painting a mural on a 420 foot wall!
A special highlight of the service day was the creation of a Dream Mural and a Dream Box in the lobby at John Adams. T-Mobile volunteers built the Dream Box and painted the corresponding Dream Mural, in order to encourage staff, parents, and visitors of the school to share their dreams with the students.
The service day ended with a touching ceremony in which the entire student body gave T-Mobile volunteers thank you cards, and in return, T- Mobile presented the principal of John Adams Elementary a check for $10,000! In addition, the principal of John Adams presented Team Care Force with a commemorative plaque. We could not have asked for a more powerful ending to our Colorado Springs trip!
Amy Draybuck
Senior Corps Member
Team Care Force
We arrived in Colorado Springs late in the evening of Sunday, August 24th. As we pulled out of the Enterprise parking lot, the team felt at home in the minivan -- immediately drawn to its sleek design and bucket seats. Alice Newman drove us to our hotel in comfort and in style. We woke Monday morning bright and early, inspired by our beautiful mountain surroundings and ready to check out the service site at John Adams Elementary School.
Upon entering John Adams, we were warmly greeted by several staff members. As we toured the school, the team noted a friendly, homey atmosphere, where well-behaved students and teachers worked in tandem to achieve their academic goals and where students dream big! As we quickly learned, the John Adams learning community encourages students, staff, parents, and visitors to follow their dreams. The dream theme is prevalent throughout the school, and is further supported in classrooms, where students and teachers discuss the development of dreams (i.e. what the students are doing to work towards the achievement of their dreams) throughout the year.
After our tour of the school, we began our prep work for the week. Prior to the trip, Project Manager Vanessa Meisner worked closely with the school principal to create numerous exciting and transformational projects – we had our work cut out for us! Moved by the beautiful surroundings, in addition to the bright students and inviting atmosphere of the school, Team Care Force went to work! Throughout the week our prep work consisted of sketching; taping and tarping; cutting wood; cleaning; organizing.
Not to be forgotten in the midst of prep work, Team Care Force celebrated a special birthday during the trip. In true City Year fashion, Tom Wingert celebrated his 21st birthday -- in the John Adams cafeteria, where hundreds of students sang him Happy Birthday during lunch!
We had an incredible service day in Colorado Springs with T-Mobile at John Adams Elementary, on Thursday, August 28th. Fueled by dedicated T-Mobile PCs, Team Care Force and over 100 T-Mobile volunteers, we transformed the interior and exterior of the school through numerous projects. These projects included: refurbishing the after school room into a Huddle Up Zone; building storage containers and painting murals in the gym/cafeteria; several painting projects in the hallways; building and painting mural benches; painting blacktop games, creating a large US map, repainting the basketball court; and painting a mural on a 420 foot wall!
A special highlight of the service day was the creation of a Dream Mural and a Dream Box in the lobby at John Adams. T-Mobile volunteers built the Dream Box and painted the corresponding Dream Mural, in order to encourage staff, parents, and visitors of the school to share their dreams with the students.
The service day ended with a touching ceremony in which the entire student body gave T-Mobile volunteers thank you cards, and in return, T- Mobile presented the principal of John Adams Elementary a check for $10,000! In addition, the principal of John Adams presented Team Care Force with a commemorative plaque. We could not have asked for a more powerful ending to our Colorado Springs trip!
Amy Draybuck
Senior Corps Member
Team Care Force
Care Force Chronicle: San Francisco
Team Care Force landed in picturesque San Francisco mid-afternoon on Sunday, September 21st. Upon venturing to Enterprise, Wil Holbrook received a virtuous, free SUV upgrade in Cadillac form. Yes, my fellow idealists, this week we did not have a sunroof top, but we did have a diamond in the back of the Escalade. Then the Special Forces cruised over to Howard Johnson -- an Oracle had advised us to stay there.
After settling in, a few brave souls decided to venture in the Bay and check out the service site -- The Mission Neighborhood Center. The site looked legit and was not open so then we cruised over the West Coast fast-food staple In-and-Out Burger, home of the Animal style. After this excursion, the majority of the team returned to the hotel and rested for the duration of the evening, while others explored the virtues of the Haight.
The next morning came and we circled with the whole project squad including Curtis Blyden, Meggan Levene, Wil Holbrook, and Team Care Force minus Mary Parker. After the spirit break we rolled over to the service site where we commenced the prep work -- mostly taping and tarping the hallways as well as the entire theatre. Following a strenuous morning we were greeted with one of three spectacular lunches (legendary Mission Burritos, Veggie Lasagna, and Sapodillas) provided by the service partner. In addition, during the day we had the pleasure of witnessing some of the numerous center services: Head Start, lunch for seniors, bingo for seniors, and exercise classes for seniors.
The next day we decided that we would have to paint the trim in the theatre prior to the arrival of the volunteers. With this decision, we began taping in earnest and then proceeded to create a symphony of painting all under the conductorship of the legendary William Holbrook. All of this took place while Thomas Wingert expertly planned the most intricate, mind-blowing planter box benches Care Force has ever fashioned. Co-currently, David “Old Cedar” Alexander taped the hallways and bathroom with Bob Villa-like precision. Also on this day, Care Force avoided a scaffolding fiasco behind the muscle and guile of Curtis Blyden, who secured a delivery for early the next morning.
On the last day of prep, Care Force ravaged the HoJo’s continental breakfast and proceeded with fervor to the service site. As Joel “Beans” Shuherk finished painting the front of the stage his fellow Team members stealthily re-taped the theatre without his detection. Throughout the morning, the Neighborhood Center distributed hundreds of pounds of vegetables to the local senior population. After this act of charity, Amy “Smuggs” Draybuck and Alice “Grams” Newman employed the old string and chalk trick to create an insanely accurate rendering of the Center’s logo on the courtyard’s pavement. Meanwhile, Hugh Harlow and Allison Goldstein attacked the upper trim of the theater with a vicious scaffold assault. After completing the last day of prep the Special Forces of Idealism were confident their event would be awe-inspiring.Event day came bright and early in the Howard Johnson parking lot at 6:30 am. Upon arrival in the Mission neighborhood, Care Force proceeded to transport all the necessary tools in preparation for the approaching Aramark volunteers. Bus captains were then deployed while the PT crew stayed at the site to prepare for Aramark’s arrival. Upon the arrival of the volunteers, a local politician informed us that the day had been officially declared Aramark day in San Francisco; PT went inspirationally. After the spirit break, volunteers were deployed into projects where they painted murals (designed and sketched by local artists, in addition to some Care Force originals), rooms, and cabinets. Also, volunteers landscaped and painted various areas, sanded all available wood surfaces and constructed shelving as well as planter benches. All in all the day went swimmingly and we thought that after the volunteers had left the day it was over, but Smuggs and Grams had other ideas. We had leftover mulch and dirt and the raging idealists steadfastly advocated that we spread it. So outside we went and in acts of guerilla service we provided many local trees as well as residents with copious amounts of fresh soil and mulch. After this inspirational work was completed we walked through one last time then headed to HoJo’s for victory showers. Thereafter we dined at the legendary Garlic Restaurant, The Stinking Rose, where we celebrated another triumph for the Special Forces of Idealism
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Springfield, Missouri Chronicle
by Joel Shuherk
As you travel down the Chestnut Expressway in Springfield, Missouri, you eventually come across an odd site. In front of JR’s Western Store – which one can assume takes its name from the TV show “Dallas” – a gigantic white buffalo statue stands steadfast, greeting its guests and glaring, as if saying, “Hey, we know that we’re a Midwest town, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less rough and tumble than Texas.” That seemed to be the overarching feeling in Springfield: a Western town at the foot of the Ozarks that somehow got stuck in the middle.
Our trip to Springfield started off on an uncertain note, with the remnants of Hurricane Ike creating airline delays and causing plans to be retooled to accommodate. Eventually a majority of the team ended up safely in Springfield, and managed to check in to our hotel and grab some dinner. Our final two remaining travelers were picked up from the Springfield-Branson Airport later in the evening, but by the end of the night everyone was nestled snug in their Ramada Inn beds, while visions of national service danced in their heads.
Our service site, the Salvation Army Community Center, was located down the road about ten minutes from our hotel. At first glance, it appeared to be a generally well-kept building, perhaps being built no more than 20 years ago. Although its exterior appeared to be nice, we soon learned that the Salvation Army lacked much of the upkeep and commodities necessary to operate an after-school program. After getting our equipment situated, we were introduced to Pegg Myers, the Salvation Army’s Community Center Director. The best way to describe Pegg’s personality – and to borrow from a Beatles’ song – would be as “exciting and inviting.” She was very warm and amicable from the get-go, and it took the team very little time to feel comfortable enough to joke back and forth with her. It is important to note these aspects of her personality, since she also exhibited the same passion to her students, employees and volunteers as she did toward us. It was clear that her enthusiasm drives the Salvation Army’s mission and motivates her employees to provide the best possible service.
The three days of preparation work leading up to the event turned out to be some of the smoothest prep that Team Care Force 08-09 has participated in so far. We could tell that we were starting to work out our kinks and were becoming a more cohesive unit. When one person would complete a specific task or project, they would be quick to offer to lend a hand elsewhere. In fact, our spirits were so high after the first day that we decided to eat at a restaurant where we could watch Monday Night Football, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles as a team.
We awoke bright and early on the Thursday of the event, pausing briefly to take part in the Ramada Inn’s continental breakfast. One should never underestimate the important role Eggo waffles, orange juice and coffee play in ensuring a successful service day. The projects we led in completing included a T-Mobile Huddle Up Zone, new murals in a gym, painting and creating a Salvation Army logo in the lobby, refurbishing boys’ and girls’ teen rooms, painting additional rooms and offices, constructing a new brick grill with benches outside, and creating a baseball field. Other goodies supplied by T-Mobile included two new computers, a new foosball and ping-pong table, furniture, gaming systems, and a new flat screen plasma television. In addition to the service performed and the aforementioned perks, T-Mobile presented Pegg with a check for $10,000 during the closing ceremony. After she was able to set disbelief and tears aside, Pegg stated that she was going to use the money to help finance a KaBoom! playground build in the near future. Although it would be nice to be there for that, it was time for Team Care Force to set our sights forward and move on to new projects in new cities. Shortly after a barbeque and an intense game of kickball, Team Care Force had to bid a fond farewell to the wonderful people of the Springfield Salvation Army Community Center.
As you travel down the Chestnut Expressway in Springfield, Missouri, you eventually come across an odd site. In front of JR’s Western Store – which one can assume takes its name from the TV show “Dallas” – a gigantic white buffalo statue stands steadfast, greeting its guests and glaring, as if saying, “Hey, we know that we’re a Midwest town, but that doesn’t mean we’re any less rough and tumble than Texas.” That seemed to be the overarching feeling in Springfield: a Western town at the foot of the Ozarks that somehow got stuck in the middle.
Our trip to Springfield started off on an uncertain note, with the remnants of Hurricane Ike creating airline delays and causing plans to be retooled to accommodate. Eventually a majority of the team ended up safely in Springfield, and managed to check in to our hotel and grab some dinner. Our final two remaining travelers were picked up from the Springfield-Branson Airport later in the evening, but by the end of the night everyone was nestled snug in their Ramada Inn beds, while visions of national service danced in their heads.
Our service site, the Salvation Army Community Center, was located down the road about ten minutes from our hotel. At first glance, it appeared to be a generally well-kept building, perhaps being built no more than 20 years ago. Although its exterior appeared to be nice, we soon learned that the Salvation Army lacked much of the upkeep and commodities necessary to operate an after-school program. After getting our equipment situated, we were introduced to Pegg Myers, the Salvation Army’s Community Center Director. The best way to describe Pegg’s personality – and to borrow from a Beatles’ song – would be as “exciting and inviting.” She was very warm and amicable from the get-go, and it took the team very little time to feel comfortable enough to joke back and forth with her. It is important to note these aspects of her personality, since she also exhibited the same passion to her students, employees and volunteers as she did toward us. It was clear that her enthusiasm drives the Salvation Army’s mission and motivates her employees to provide the best possible service.
The three days of preparation work leading up to the event turned out to be some of the smoothest prep that Team Care Force 08-09 has participated in so far. We could tell that we were starting to work out our kinks and were becoming a more cohesive unit. When one person would complete a specific task or project, they would be quick to offer to lend a hand elsewhere. In fact, our spirits were so high after the first day that we decided to eat at a restaurant where we could watch Monday Night Football, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles as a team.
We awoke bright and early on the Thursday of the event, pausing briefly to take part in the Ramada Inn’s continental breakfast. One should never underestimate the important role Eggo waffles, orange juice and coffee play in ensuring a successful service day. The projects we led in completing included a T-Mobile Huddle Up Zone, new murals in a gym, painting and creating a Salvation Army logo in the lobby, refurbishing boys’ and girls’ teen rooms, painting additional rooms and offices, constructing a new brick grill with benches outside, and creating a baseball field. Other goodies supplied by T-Mobile included two new computers, a new foosball and ping-pong table, furniture, gaming systems, and a new flat screen plasma television. In addition to the service performed and the aforementioned perks, T-Mobile presented Pegg with a check for $10,000 during the closing ceremony. After she was able to set disbelief and tears aside, Pegg stated that she was going to use the money to help finance a KaBoom! playground build in the near future. Although it would be nice to be there for that, it was time for Team Care Force to set our sights forward and move on to new projects in new cities. Shortly after a barbeque and an intense game of kickball, Team Care Force had to bid a fond farewell to the wonderful people of the Springfield Salvation Army Community Center.
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