By Emily Kean
“You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it.”
-Tina Fey, “Lessons from Late Night,” The New Yorker, March 14, 2011
There are many things that I have gained from my experience this year. Care Force has pushed me to be more flexible, more decisive, and has forced me to always anticipate the next step. This has not always been the case. During college, I always gave myself plenty of time to prepare whether it was for an exam or a paper. I liked my to-do lists and post-it notes. I depended on my color coordinated planner to live my day to day life. I was determined to always be prepared for my responsibilities and that made me rather successful in college. This sense of control also made me feel safe is an otherwise hectic, uncontrollable world. In my interview for the Care Force senior corps member position last spring, I was asked how I would perform on Care Force because it was constantly so fluid and ever-changing. I remember searching for a positive response in my mind without admitting, “Well that is just not going to work for me.” I am pretty sure I responded with something about how I am continuing to work on my flexibility and that I would try to build in the structure I thrived on so much. Needless to say, I was honest about my weakness, discussed how I was working on it, and then tried to stress a positive attribute like my approachable personality. I knew deep inside that I needed to challenge myself to roll with the punches and be creative in problem solving under pressure when last minute changes occurred. I knew that in this type of work and in life this was a skill I need to acquire to be a successful and powerful leader but I also knew this would be hard for me.
After joining Care Force, I quickly realized that the realities of our lives did not quite fit into a planner as neatly as a college syllabus. In this job you were expected to be ready for anything at any time. We would be notified of our travel schedule only a month in advance and even then plans could change. Last minute adjustments would always be made at the service site during the preparation week and even during the event day. I am certain the Care Force staff immediately came to the realization that I loved the details, asked a lot of questions and would be that annoying pain in their side.
Despite my efforts to continue to plan every detail of my project ahead of time I encountered an unexpected situation on a trip in St. Louis. On this event, I was leading the mosaic tiling project. The service partner wanted to mosaic tile strip along a 20 foot-long “Giving Table” which could be a place where community members could host events together. During the service event, I instructed a group of volunteers to mix the cement without stating that they should mix a little at a time. The cement started drying up quicker than we were able to work and we quickly ran out. I froze. Inside, I slowly began to lose my bubbly personality. I realized that I either needed to keep a positive attitude and come up with another task or let the project crash and burn. Needless to say, the first option was truly my only option. I had to change the original plan I had for leading my volunteers. My team ended up cleaning our work area and eating lunch earlier so that by the time we got more cement we would still have time to finish the time the project. By the end of the day, we had finished the table and it looked amazing. I was reminded that even though I was prepared and had a plan in place I needed to still be able to calmly handle changes to the project creatively. This experience was the first of many in which I started handling changes with flexibility and confidence.
As the year progressed, I became more aware of how my leadership style and skills were developing during each debrief. Rolling with the punches didn’t seem as stressful as before and I started being able to make my own decisions without seeking approval from others. In March, Wil Holbrook, Deputy Director of Care Force, gave us an article to read entitled, “Lessons from Late Night,” written by Tina Fey. We were told that we would be discussing this article about Saturday Night Live and comparing it to how Care Force operates. In the article, Tina Fey writes about the 9 Things she learned from Lorne Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live. As I read her third lesson I felt as if she was speaking directly to me about my experience on Care Force.
“You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it.”
I think often times I have been too scared to jump down that “waterslide.” Both professionally and personally, I have struggled to make independent decisions and not overthink my choices. Because of my obsessive planning tendencies I have often gotten bogged down in not feeling ready to take on a challenge or be flexible enough when things need to be changed. I have had to remind myself that I have gotten to the top of the waterslide for a reason regardless of the changes or challenges that might arise down the way. This year has demonstrated to me that it is so important to prepare but being able to adapt your plan to changes that occur is just as important in executing anything. Care Force has taught me that sometimes I just have to jump and believe that I have the tools and resources to deal with outcome once I land at the bottom.
Recently, I had the opportunity to run an event with my fellow teammate, Phillip St. Clair. We were expected to organize and develop an alternative spring break for Hillel college students in Los Angeles. The process of going through what a project manager does was stressful. I remember thinking, “Can we really do this by ourselves?” During the event week, we had to manage the relationships between all of our partners and put on a successful event. I felt the pressure to make sure we met everyone’s expectations and produce powerful service. Phill and I were also the people who had to think creatively about solutions to problems that arose during the week and make changes last minute. I remember on the last day we checked in with the CYLA Program manager who complimented us on our strong leadership skills and said that our event demonstrated all of the hard work we did preparing in the weeks prior. It was at this moment I realized that regardless of how scared I might have felt at the top of the “waterslide” that I had become a stronger leader by being able to be flexible and was able to land on my own two feet.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Reflection - 5 Favorite Trips of the Year
By Steadman Graves
Chicago - July 2010
This was my first Care Force event away from home. I think I had butterflies in my stomach the whole time because I didn’t want to mess up. I was a novice to the whole civic engagement thing, but you catch on easily when you have 22 volunteers that are depending on you to lead them throughout the day. I had my first slice of deep dish pizza on this trip, tasty, amazing.
Denver/Chicago - August 2010
Denver was a trying time for me, and at first I hated the team chemistry, this was my second event and I was still in the basic learning process, while everyone else had been on 3 or 4 trips at this point. Let’s just say I wasn’t meeting my team’s expectations, and I felt disconnected for everyone. However, right after Denver we flew to Chicago for two days to finish a ball field that we had not completed the first time around. Even though the week before had been a challenge for me, this was the first time I saw my team truly work together and struggle through complicated conditions to get a difficult task completed. Since this event I have learned that team chemistry is always important, but we must not let that affect the work that we do – because serving the community is what is most important.
Memphis - October 2010
This event was great all over. The project, the city and the people; it was all amazing. This event made my list more for what the city had to offer at night time. I want to say kudos to Project Manager Susan Bensen because this was her first event and she did exceptionally well. She allowed us to really experience the Memphis culture. If you are in Memphis looking for night life, great food, great music and more people than you can count, Beale St. is where you need to be. I was a kid in a candy store when it came to the all the restaurants, bars and bands. It was the closest I got to that Nashville feel, which I am still hoping to experience in the future.
Albuquerque - November 2010
When I landed in Albuquerque, I was amazed at how genuinely different it looked compared to the other cities we had visited. The most beautiful sight that I have ever seen was when the sun set and the sunlight glazed the mountains. I found that so mesmerizing. This was the one event that I stayed an extra day with some of my teammates and we had a blast. We drove through the mountains to get to Santa Fe and we stopped at several shops along the way; these shops really showcased the culture of New Mexico. I had a great time.
Miami - March 2011
This event was very special for me; it was very different from all of our other events. I had the opportunity to lead college students through a week of self-transforming service. Unlike our other events where we work with the volunteers for one day, we worked with the Hillel volunteers for a week. They got to serve in a low income – poverty stricken community which is very different from the neighborhoods they live in. The Hillel volunteers served as team leaders to children who had odds stacked against them. It was wonderful to see the volunteers embrace the children and the experience as a whole. I was satisfied with the growth that I saw in the Hillel volunteers, I am glad that I had the opportunity to witness that.
Chicago - July 2010
This was my first Care Force event away from home. I think I had butterflies in my stomach the whole time because I didn’t want to mess up. I was a novice to the whole civic engagement thing, but you catch on easily when you have 22 volunteers that are depending on you to lead them throughout the day. I had my first slice of deep dish pizza on this trip, tasty, amazing.
Denver/Chicago - August 2010
Denver was a trying time for me, and at first I hated the team chemistry, this was my second event and I was still in the basic learning process, while everyone else had been on 3 or 4 trips at this point. Let’s just say I wasn’t meeting my team’s expectations, and I felt disconnected for everyone. However, right after Denver we flew to Chicago for two days to finish a ball field that we had not completed the first time around. Even though the week before had been a challenge for me, this was the first time I saw my team truly work together and struggle through complicated conditions to get a difficult task completed. Since this event I have learned that team chemistry is always important, but we must not let that affect the work that we do – because serving the community is what is most important.
Memphis - October 2010
This event was great all over. The project, the city and the people; it was all amazing. This event made my list more for what the city had to offer at night time. I want to say kudos to Project Manager Susan Bensen because this was her first event and she did exceptionally well. She allowed us to really experience the Memphis culture. If you are in Memphis looking for night life, great food, great music and more people than you can count, Beale St. is where you need to be. I was a kid in a candy store when it came to the all the restaurants, bars and bands. It was the closest I got to that Nashville feel, which I am still hoping to experience in the future.
Albuquerque - November 2010
When I landed in Albuquerque, I was amazed at how genuinely different it looked compared to the other cities we had visited. The most beautiful sight that I have ever seen was when the sun set and the sunlight glazed the mountains. I found that so mesmerizing. This was the one event that I stayed an extra day with some of my teammates and we had a blast. We drove through the mountains to get to Santa Fe and we stopped at several shops along the way; these shops really showcased the culture of New Mexico. I had a great time.
Miami - March 2011
This event was very special for me; it was very different from all of our other events. I had the opportunity to lead college students through a week of self-transforming service. Unlike our other events where we work with the volunteers for one day, we worked with the Hillel volunteers for a week. They got to serve in a low income – poverty stricken community which is very different from the neighborhoods they live in. The Hillel volunteers served as team leaders to children who had odds stacked against them. It was wonderful to see the volunteers embrace the children and the experience as a whole. I was satisfied with the growth that I saw in the Hillel volunteers, I am glad that I had the opportunity to witness that.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Reflection - Life in the Office
By Dylan Morrill
To me, being a member of Team Care Force is almost too good to be true. Our job seems semi-manufactured, close to imaginary; as if it is the product of a long brainstorming session designed to find the perfect job for an adventurous, altruistic young adult. Each member of Team Care Force has the unique ability to experience the euphoria that comes with the balance of altruism and excitement. As members of Team Care Force, we travel around the country to different cities to lead volunteers in inspiring and transformative community service projects; all while exploring the cities that we are privileged to work in. Too good to be true.
When Team Care Force 2011 started its year in mid-July things started moving. Fast. For the rest of summer and the whole fall, Team Care Force traveled constantly; we flew from city to city leading service projects. We got used to being on the road; it became our home. Hotels replaced our apartments, planes replaced our subways, and interesting restaurants replaced our ramen noodles. The semi-generic comfort of a Holiday Inn bed seemed more home-like to me than the comfort of my “Bob-O-Pedic” bed in my apartment in Boston. Life on the road became very natural for all of Team Care Force, borderline innate. We all got very used to the traveling lifestyle quickly. It only took Team Care Force about four months to hone the unique and elusive ability to channel our inner George Clooney from the movie “Up in the Air.”
We quickly became traveling service warriors.Then the fall ended. Winter enveloped Boston slowly and mercilessly. For Care Force, the cold weather of winter also ushered in a “slow season” of projects. The frenetic lifestyle of TCF was replaced with a slower, colder lifestyle. The “Bob-O-Pedic” bed slowly became my own again. Our bathroom products were no longer travel-sized. Most importantly, our hours became constant; 8:30-5:00 every day at City Year Headquarters. The lifestyle of the traveling service warrior had come to a halt.
We were now stationary service warriors.
After five months of exploring the country and feeling like a service rock star, working daily in an office building for a few months was the last thing that any member of Team Care Force wanted to do. The idea of office work immediately conjured up gray, boring images that carry an undeniable similarity to scenes from the movie Office Space.
Our days would consist of sitting in front of a computer screens in our own personal cubicle and working on various tasks that Care Force staff members supplied us with. Personally, I was frustrated with the fact that I would have to be doing this for a few months.
However, my frustration was sophomoric; unrealistic. I was frustrated because I saw the blunt difference between our life on the road and our life in the office. However, I did not evaluate the difference; I simply didn’t like it. No matter what our winter lifestyle would consist of, I didn’t want it. In short, I wanted it to be fall again. I wanted to be on the road.
So, for the first few weeks an underlying animosity permeated my feelings around being a member of Team Care Force. I thought, “I’ll trudge through the work in the office and just hold out until we can get on the road again.”
However, as the days became weeks, I became more and more accustomed to the office. The dust had settled and my initial animosity toward my abrupt change in lifestyle faded. I began to look around. I began to explore what was going on in the office. I stopped trudging and started jaunting.
I started looking at the work I was doing for what it was. I was doing interesting, creative things and learning a lot while doing it. I helped make a training video and create five new designs for different landscaping projects. I worked with Care Force staff members closely, and my desk was just feet from the office of Charlie Rose, the Dean of City Year. I even lead a team building activity for a City Year Headquarters staff meeting. My new roles and responsibilities slowly became less of a roadblock between me and the spring and more of an adventure and a great learning opportunity. I realized I was doing pretty awesome things.
I also discovered that City Year Headquarters (HQ) is a fun place. Every Wednesday morning a different department at HQ hosted a themed breakfast for all to attend called Stone Soup. The different departments go all out with decorations. Some of my favorite themes this year were “The Super Bowl”, “Spring Break”, and “City Year High School”. We have even had a few local celebrities show up. One of the highlights of my year was the Stone Soup breakfast that Team Care Force had the privilege to create. We were able to turn the entire third floor into Care Force Studios and run a “Minute to Win It” style game show.
Some Wednesdays when there was no Stone Soup, there was a “Muffin-Off” baking competition one for anyone at HQ where the winners get things like the “wooden spoon of idealism.” There were also screenings of movies about community problems and civic leadership every week in the Lavine Civic Forum on the first floor. All in all, I found City Year HQ was full of people who work for City Year full-time; and people who work for City Year are fun. Naturally, these fun people are going to make sure that they work in an environment that is enjoyable. Therefore, despite being an office building, City Year Headquarters is a real melting pot of idealism.
It is currently early May; the unofficial end of Care Force’s off season. Two members of Team Care Force are in Philadelphia for a service event and I leave for Tampa in a week. Even though my “Bob-O-Pedic” feels as comfortable as ever, I am happily wiping of the dust on my suitcase to once again become a traveling service warrior.
To me, being a member of Team Care Force is almost too good to be true. Our job seems semi-manufactured, close to imaginary; as if it is the product of a long brainstorming session designed to find the perfect job for an adventurous, altruistic young adult. Each member of Team Care Force has the unique ability to experience the euphoria that comes with the balance of altruism and excitement. As members of Team Care Force, we travel around the country to different cities to lead volunteers in inspiring and transformative community service projects; all while exploring the cities that we are privileged to work in. Too good to be true.
When Team Care Force 2011 started its year in mid-July things started moving. Fast. For the rest of summer and the whole fall, Team Care Force traveled constantly; we flew from city to city leading service projects. We got used to being on the road; it became our home. Hotels replaced our apartments, planes replaced our subways, and interesting restaurants replaced our ramen noodles. The semi-generic comfort of a Holiday Inn bed seemed more home-like to me than the comfort of my “Bob-O-Pedic” bed in my apartment in Boston. Life on the road became very natural for all of Team Care Force, borderline innate. We all got very used to the traveling lifestyle quickly. It only took Team Care Force about four months to hone the unique and elusive ability to channel our inner George Clooney from the movie “Up in the Air.”
We quickly became traveling service warriors.Then the fall ended. Winter enveloped Boston slowly and mercilessly. For Care Force, the cold weather of winter also ushered in a “slow season” of projects. The frenetic lifestyle of TCF was replaced with a slower, colder lifestyle. The “Bob-O-Pedic” bed slowly became my own again. Our bathroom products were no longer travel-sized. Most importantly, our hours became constant; 8:30-5:00 every day at City Year Headquarters. The lifestyle of the traveling service warrior had come to a halt.
We were now stationary service warriors.
After five months of exploring the country and feeling like a service rock star, working daily in an office building for a few months was the last thing that any member of Team Care Force wanted to do. The idea of office work immediately conjured up gray, boring images that carry an undeniable similarity to scenes from the movie Office Space.
Our days would consist of sitting in front of a computer screens in our own personal cubicle and working on various tasks that Care Force staff members supplied us with. Personally, I was frustrated with the fact that I would have to be doing this for a few months.
However, my frustration was sophomoric; unrealistic. I was frustrated because I saw the blunt difference between our life on the road and our life in the office. However, I did not evaluate the difference; I simply didn’t like it. No matter what our winter lifestyle would consist of, I didn’t want it. In short, I wanted it to be fall again. I wanted to be on the road.
So, for the first few weeks an underlying animosity permeated my feelings around being a member of Team Care Force. I thought, “I’ll trudge through the work in the office and just hold out until we can get on the road again.”
However, as the days became weeks, I became more and more accustomed to the office. The dust had settled and my initial animosity toward my abrupt change in lifestyle faded. I began to look around. I began to explore what was going on in the office. I stopped trudging and started jaunting.
I started looking at the work I was doing for what it was. I was doing interesting, creative things and learning a lot while doing it. I helped make a training video and create five new designs for different landscaping projects. I worked with Care Force staff members closely, and my desk was just feet from the office of Charlie Rose, the Dean of City Year. I even lead a team building activity for a City Year Headquarters staff meeting. My new roles and responsibilities slowly became less of a roadblock between me and the spring and more of an adventure and a great learning opportunity. I realized I was doing pretty awesome things.
I also discovered that City Year Headquarters (HQ) is a fun place. Every Wednesday morning a different department at HQ hosted a themed breakfast for all to attend called Stone Soup. The different departments go all out with decorations. Some of my favorite themes this year were “The Super Bowl”, “Spring Break”, and “City Year High School”. We have even had a few local celebrities show up. One of the highlights of my year was the Stone Soup breakfast that Team Care Force had the privilege to create. We were able to turn the entire third floor into Care Force Studios and run a “Minute to Win It” style game show.
Some Wednesdays when there was no Stone Soup, there was a “Muffin-Off” baking competition one for anyone at HQ where the winners get things like the “wooden spoon of idealism.” There were also screenings of movies about community problems and civic leadership every week in the Lavine Civic Forum on the first floor. All in all, I found City Year HQ was full of people who work for City Year full-time; and people who work for City Year are fun. Naturally, these fun people are going to make sure that they work in an environment that is enjoyable. Therefore, despite being an office building, City Year Headquarters is a real melting pot of idealism.
It is currently early May; the unofficial end of Care Force’s off season. Two members of Team Care Force are in Philadelphia for a service event and I leave for Tampa in a week. Even though my “Bob-O-Pedic” feels as comfortable as ever, I am happily wiping of the dust on my suitcase to once again become a traveling service warrior.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Reflection- 5 Favorite Photos of the Year
By Dan Nemiroff
A collection of my favorite photos from my year of service with Team Care Force:
Here is a great shot of the dirty, sweaty team after our first Care Force event in Riverdale, Illinois. We have come a long way since then, and it has been a pleasure getting to work alongside all of my teammates.
Here is a photo of the T-Mobile Huddle-Up Zone at Westview Elementary School in Miami. This was definitely one of the most challenging projects of the year, but also the most rewarding. I loved being able to help design the room, and take bring some of the students’ own ideas to life.
The December NVIDIA event in San Jose was one of my favorites. Uniting almost 1000 people (including my parents) for a day of service was an amazing accomplishment. I had a great time working with the NVIDIA folks. The picture on the left shows my team and I after finally finishing building a greenhouse at History San Jose, well after the sun went down.
One of the best things about this year has been being able to meet so many great people in different cities across the country. Here’s a picture of a Washington D.C. police officer speaking to some INC. Magazine volunteers before the event at the Boys and Girls Club in Washington D.C.
CSX Leadership Project
Team Care Force is proud of our partnership with CSX and always enjoys the physical service and tree planting projects we perform with their employees. However, these service events are only one part of CSX’s commitment to City Year. As a National Leadership Sponsor, CSX funds 13 teams of City Year corps members working at sites across the country (Including TCF!). Additionally, CSX supports City Year winter and spring school vacation camps and acts as City Year’s Lead Safety Partner promoting safe practices and providing safety training programs including First Aid and CPR.
And that is not all…
This year, partnering with City Year, CSX brought together employees from different divisions of the company to provide over 7,000 youth with school supplies that they need to stay in school and on track to graduate. CSX is truly committed to working with City Year to help make communities more beautiful as well as improve the lives of children in schools.
Watch this great video below to learn more about the CSX Leadership Project that brought so much joy and valuable resources to schools in which City Year serves!
And that is not all…
This year, partnering with City Year, CSX brought together employees from different divisions of the company to provide over 7,000 youth with school supplies that they need to stay in school and on track to graduate. CSX is truly committed to working with City Year to help make communities more beautiful as well as improve the lives of children in schools.
Watch this great video below to learn more about the CSX Leadership Project that brought so much joy and valuable resources to schools in which City Year serves!
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