Senior Birthday Club

Location: Judge Fisher Apartments

Date: Tuesday, July 07, 2015; 6:30-8:00 pm

I was a few minutes late and arrived to see that Jason was chatting with some residents.  There were 4 other volunteers besides me - 3 teenagers and an adult - and they were decorating.  The 2 ladies who are always cheerful were making the candy bags and they were as chirpy as usual.  Jason and I chatted about his upcoming wedding in the Philippines and he said that he was trying to lose weight.  He mentioned that he was going to wait till the last minute to rent his tux and would do so when he gets there.  He mentioned that there was some renovation going on in these apartments and so many residents have been displaced to other places, meaning that we may have a smaller turnout.  The ladies said that the workers come in at 8 am and immediately go on break.  Then they do some plastering and other stuff before leaving.  Looks like the renovations make take more than a year. 

Bingo Prizes

My buddy, the Sinatra singer, came in and he said he remembered that I volunteer at “Wells Street Café” and asked about that.  We talked about Sinatra and he asked if I knew why Sinatra had been so good.  He said that's because he sang in the style as if he was talking.  It was like he was telling a story, just in a higher pitch.  Another lady with whom I have spent some time came in and I complimented her on her brilliant violet overcoat.  I sat next to my singing buddy and he asked how I spelt my name, saying that he wanted to get it right.  There were cookies and milk tonight, with a choice between 3 types of cookies.  Jason brought a sampler plate to show the fun ladies and asked which ones they wanted.  They just picked up cookies from that plate, which defeated Jason's purpose of a sampler. Then they started giggling and I couldn’t help but love their chemistry and enthusiasm. 

A note from long ago...

The youth were going to call the game and wrote down the numbers on paper - as one has to here.  The lady at our table won and took a body wash bottle, prompting my buddy to claim that she took his prize. But he won on the next round and took toothpaste.  He said that he has no teeth and no dentures, but loves brushing his gums.  I walked over to the prizes table and there were some interesting ones like an artificial rose and “potpourri”.  There was also a spiritual book on Christ and I opened the cover page.  There was a lovely note in there, dated 1970.  Jason must have picked it up at the dollar store, and I found the note very nostalgic.  A gentleman who always wears sunglasses won and started eyeing another pair of sunglasses that were on offer.  I said that one could never have enough sunglasses and that he should go for it.  He tried them on and asked for my opinion.  I said that he should take them and he did.

I went over to the lady in violet coat and she was playing with one card and wasn’t winning.  I said that's why you play with 2 cards and that I would play for her.  I picked up a card and promptly won, at which she picked a notebook.  The youth were having a great time, though when one guy made a mistake - calling “I-81” instead of “I-18”, the residents ragged on him, asking for the next few numbers if he was sure.  This was all in good fun and he was laughing as well.  I went back to my table and one gentleman there hasn't won.  The lady had won multiple times and the fun ladies had even said that they would mug her later, even though she had given away her prizes.  Once again, it was in good fun.  There were few prizes left and my buddy won again.  He asked the other gentleman to go select and he came back empty handed.  He said that there were just 2 prizes left and he didn't want either the spiritual book or the “potpourri”. 

Soon everyone but my buddy left.  I asked how he ate without any dentures and he said that there are certain foods that he can't eat.  He also has to take a lot of medicines - 30 daily - some for his glucose and others for digestion.  He asked me to request a Sinatra song and I said “Something Stupid”, which he didn't know.  We listened to it on ‘YouTube’ and he was soon humming.  He talked about singing the ‘National Anthem’ and how he had once sung it 3 times in a row.  Jason asked him if he wanted wanted leftover cookies and he said yes.  I told him to watch his sugar and he said that he was going to give it away to the security guard.  But he said that he would save one for breakfast.  Before leaving on his scooter he said that he was going to “Taste of Chicago” tomorrow.   I said that it was always crowded and I wouldn't go anywhere near it; plus it was expensive.  He said that he liked the entertainment.  As I left, he said he had to get up at 5:30 am to go to ‘Veterans Hospital’.  I said that he should get a good night’s rest and he said that's not going to be possible.  I wished Jason, saying that the next time I see him he would be a married man.  I love coming here and meeting everyone, especially my buddy.  He has such a great zest for life…and don't even get me started on the 2 ladies.

Lakeview Seniors Pet Therapy

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, July 06, 2015; 6:15-8:00 pm

Bodie had gotten a haircut

I arrived to see that Veronica was giving instructions to a huge mob.  Plus, we had a lot of doggies in attendance tonight.  I saw that Bodie and Charta from last week were here as well. Bodie had a haircut and was looking like a different dog.  Charta was wearing a pink bandana to make sure people identified her as a girl.  I was paired with Susan and her doggie, a sweet ‘Pitbull’ named Ducky.  She was 3 years old and had the most beautiful brown coat and soulful brown eyes.

We started on 2^nd floor with David who was trying to give her a massage.  But Ducky was a bit lazy tonight and preferred to lie down on the floor instead.  I asked David about his weekly dog photography idea, where he would take pictures of all the dogs visiting each week and compile in a book; and once again he said that he should do it. He said that he has been taking pictures for 50 years.  I said that he must have seen the evolution of the camera and he said yes.  I asked if he could develop film and he said of course! I guess shame on me for asking.  We stopped and met with the lady who always looks like she is going out for an elegant evening, and of course she was wearing pearls.  Her roommate was awake and said hello as well.  We stopped in the corridor with the gentleman who had been wearing the dog shirt last week. He was talking about ‘Boxers’ and how smart they are.  Ducky was lying on the floor lazily. I asked if a ‘Boxer’ would be a ‘Boxer’ if raised amongst other breeds and Susan said yes.  It’s interesting that with dogs its “nature vs nurture”.

We stopped to meet with the lady who last week had mentioned her sister with the ‘Pitbull’.  I thought that she would like Ducky and she did invite Ducky to climb up on the bed.  But when she did, this lady got scared and so we took Ducky down.  I said that perhaps she should stick with smaller dogs for her.  Next up was Polly and she was in good spirits.  She mentioned how her brother had come to see her on July 4^th and had taken her out for barbeque.  I asked what she had, and she said beans, potatoes, wings; and some pie which was like “Banana Nut”, but not quite.  I asked when he would come next and she said soon.  I asked if she had travelled much and she said to Biloxi, Mississippi.  I asked if she had been to California and she said no, but she has visited NYC.  She said that she wanted to go to Paris and I said me too.  It was nice to see that Polly’s roommate Dena was doing well.

Ducky was being lazy

Next up was Loritta and I asked how her week had been, and she responded dryly - "Same as today, lying in bed looking at the walls". Ooh Loritta.  She had a red and blue comforter with white sheets and I said she was certainly being patriotic so close to the 4^th.  We left and were with a lady in the corridor, when another group stopped by with a ‘Poodle/Terrier’ mix named Rocco.  Suddenly Ducky came awake as the two sniffed each other. It sure looked like a budding romance and the funny thing was that both of them had one white paw each.  We went to the 3^rd floor and first stop was in the community room where one gentleman that I had seen before kept saying that his brother Harry was asking about me and he had given him my number.  While obviously an illusion, he kept repeating that and it did give me a sensation of being in a supernatural movie.  We visited 2 ladies, one of whom kept talking about her ‘Poodles’ who had been kidnapped.  She said that she had bought them from England.  I asked where they were taken, and she said that they had lived on the edge of Cook County, and so were under the jurisdiction of Chicago police.  It didn't seem to me she had much respect for that.

Next stop was with another lady we hadn't visited before and she was happy to see us.  Ducky – who was awake now - got in her bed and even licked her.  The lady's roommate was crying and the lady says that she does that from time to time.  It did seem to be upsetting Ducky, and so we got out of there.  We stopped at Jon’s and Ducky got a treat there, even doing a “trick” now that a treat was on the line.  We visited Hannah and Ducky’s new boyfriend Rocco was there with Fran and his owner.  I told Hannah that she had promised to get better and she said that she was working on it. She also said that she was meeting with her lawyer tomorrow.  Her roommate was reading a book and she said that she loves reading.  She said that she savors a good book and wants to stay with the characters for a long time.  She asked me if I read and I said that for the last 10 years I have been listening to books.  She said that it's not the real thing. I said that while I agreed, it was more convenient while walking or while on the train.  I then told her about my favorite book – “The Shadow Of The Wind” - and the way it was read on the ‘Audiobook’ including the accompanying music.  I said that it was the best way to experience that story.

It was time to go and I thanked Susan for coming.  All of the dogs were leaving, including Charta.  I learnt that one of the volunteers was returning to Lakeview Nursing after 4 years. She had been living in Indiana but visiting Chicago every week.  It was nice for her to spend her Monday's here.  I chatted with Veronica and Fran before leaving and we talked about my travels and other things.  I told Veronica how Hannah had asked about my "pretty companion" from last time and I was sure that she had meant her.  Pearl had left and I missed visiting with her.  But it had been nice to see everyone else. 

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Dinner At The Wells Street Cafe

Location: Breaking Bread Ministries/LaSalle Street Church

Date: Wednesday, July 01, 2015; 5:45-8:30 pm

It was July and it was cold!  I arrived and saw that we were “light” in terms of attendance today.  Marianne assigned me the duty to slice apples.  Initially my fear was that it would be using knives, but thankfully there was an electric slicer, and a good one as it sliced extremely thin slices – something which would have come at great blood sweat and tears were I to be using knives.  As we started slicing, at one stage the machine stopped working and upon opening I saw that lot of slices had just clogged inside.  Fortunately, Chef Dani wanted around 150 slices and we were done with just a few apples.

I teamed up with another volunteer to lay out the thin slices on 5 sheet pans lined with parchment paper, as we heard stories of little Hannah's trip to El Salvador on a mission.  The Chef wanted us to sprinkle cinnamon on the apple slices, as she looked for honey to drizzle on top.  I said that all of these components are something that I don't like - apples, cinnamon and honey.  Marianne said she didn't need honey when she had us around.  Coming from her that was really sweet, but I guarantee that if I had used that line, I would have been looked upon as either a creep or an idiot.  I guess it really depends on who says the words and how, rather than the words themselves.

Our dessert looked gourmet

We didn't find any honey, so chef asked me to sprinkle some sugar on top and I did so.  Then all the sheet pans went into the oven for 5-10 minutes.  Marianne then had us open 75 cups of “apple sauce” and it was difficult!   I had never imagined that it would be so tedious to open a cup of apple sauce but believe me it is.  The apple/cinnamon/sugar slices were to be placed on top of the cup, but now we had another problem - the slices were crisp and had stuck to the parchment paper.  I said to Marianne that we should have sprayed the paper with non-stick and of course we had none.  Between Chef Dani, Hannah and Marianne, we got the slices out and placed each on the 75 cups.  Marianne said that had no “Math skills” as we were trying to figure out how many cups per tray, and asked Hannah to do the math of rows vs columns.  Both Chef Dani and I looked at the cups and said at the same time that we needed cherries. Chef got dry cherries and placed it on top of the apple slice.  It looked really nice and we had definitely earned full points for creativity and presentation.

We placed that in the refrigerator and I went out to see that the dining room was getting full.  I spotted a guest with whom I had connected last time.  I went over to say hello and he remembered me.  He and some of the other guests asked what was being served for dinner, and I told them that I could definitely talk about the dessert.  I went inside to ask and I heard fish and so came out and told everyone.  The gentleman mentioned that pasta goes well with fish and vegetables and I mentioned that we certainly had both.  I liked this gentleman and he seemed refined in his taste. 

In the kitchen, Marianne had started her speech and soon after we got our roles, with me being on plating.  It was time to serve salad and I was pleased that we were sticking with smaller bowls for less wastage.  I was at the back end of the line, where I would receive a plate with “Pasta in Chicken Sauce” and the fish, and my job was to plate green beans, biscuits and finally the fruit cup dessert.  After we had finished plating the firsts, I went over to count the seconds.  One lady came before the announcements and asked for some pasta and I said that unfortunately she would have to wait.  Later, she chatted with me and told me that she had traveled a lot and has been to Singapore, Delhi, Agra and Mumbai.  After the seconds had been done, I went to help with the clean-up.  We had less people helping and I pretty much stacked all chairs and then moved them in place…all of them.  It was backbreaking and exhausting and Marianne said that she seemed to have "worked me" today.  Well, that probably was accurate and I was happy to leave without much damage.

Lakeview Seniors Pet Therapy

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, June 29, 2015; 6:00-8:30 pm

Bodie was excited to see me

I had received an email from Pearl saying that she was leaving on Wednesday for independent living. I said that I was coming in and would stop by to wish her well.  I arrived to see that Jim was here and asking the front desk attendant to make him coffee in her ‘Keurig’. Always the charmer.  In the waiting area was Bodie, the enthusiastic ‘Westie’ and he was all over me.  Also present was a ‘Bulldog’ girl and there seemed to be some sort of a fight going on for my attention.  Aah finally.  Bodie was giving my hands a licking that would have made a cat proud.  Speaking of cats, Soldier's owner Rebecca was the Volunteer leader tonight and so Soldier was here.  He is a beautiful cat with beautiful eyes and Rebecca was walking him like a dog.

There were plenty of dogs in attendance including a small creature that weighed all of 4 lbs.  We went inside the Bingo room and I went to say hello to Jack who greeted me saying it had been a long time.  Emma was here, looking cute in a yellow sweatshirt and with a yellow ribbon in her hair. I asked how she was and as usual, “Nice” was the response.  We were called back in the hallway and I was paired with the ‘Bulldog’ who was called Charta, which was some sort of a Mexican name. Since she had been adopted, her owners kept the name.  We started on the 3^rd floor and first stop was the gentleman who is blind.  He petted her and we saw that his roommate was interested as well, though he said that he preferred cats.  I said that there was a cat around and I will ask them to stop by.  We went over to David’s to get a massage for Charta and I asked how his photography was going.  He showed us some of his prints that he had posted around his bed and I said that it was refreshing to see prints since nowadays everyone just showed pictures on their phone. I said that since he had dogs visiting every week, he should consider taking their pictures and assembling them in a book – an idea which he liked.

We stopped to see a woman in the corner room and she kept saying how big Charta was - who has in fact lost 10 lbs. over the last year.  The lady then she talked about her sister's ‘Pitbull’ and her brother-in-law who talks to the dog in Spanish, and even plays Spanish songs and dances with the dog.  That was interesting to say the least.  Before we left, she did say that she likes her dog’s small.  We saw a gentleman on a wheelchair in the corridor and chatted with him.  He was wearing a shirt with dog website on it, which fit with the theme for sure.  Next up was a visit with Polly and Dena.  Both of them were looking better than usual and I mentioned that Polly seemed to have recovered from her illness.  She said yes and while Polly was insisting that Charta go and be petted by Dena, Charta was in no mood to move.  She seemed lethargic, though her owner kept saying she was excited to see all the new people. It is interesting how Polly always seems to be looking out for Dena and we wished them well and left.

Charta had been a good girl

Next was Loritta and she was in a talkative mood this evening.  She said that this place was like an open grave and she wanted to move back to her house, which based on her description seemed big and nice.  The only reason that she was here was because she needed constant care.  I told her that there are models where a “Resident Assistant” caregiver can stay with her in exchange for room and board.  She said that she appreciated our visit every Monday, since there was nothing much going on in her life besides that.   Before leaving my partner said, will we see you next week and Loritta responded, “Only if I’m not dead”.  “You’ll outlive us all”, I said.  We stopped to see Hannah and she remembered me.  She asked about my “biking” tour and I said it wasn’t biking.  She said that she liked that I was so adventurous and wished me luck. She then said that she wished that she could leave and get her oatmeal and a porch - with rocking chair I added.  But she said that she needs her treatment and her therapy here.  I mentioned that I liked the fact that she realizes what she needs and I told her to get better. She then asked me to open her drawer and gave me her attorney’s card; who is doing work for her “pro bono”.  She said that she was finally free of being a “state’s ward” and how she had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to be rid if it.  But it was successfully in the end and that’s all that matters.

Finally, I went to see Pearl and she said that she had pneumonia like symptoms.  She was hoping that she could have stayed till she got better, but was happy to leave.  I said that there’s always something wrong with her and if she waited till everything was perfect, she would never be able to leave.  I said that if she felt that a year from now staying here was going to improve her life, then she should stay.  She agreed that it was time to go and asked me to visit her new place.  I agreed, and then asked her to have a plan now that’s she’s leaving.  Leaving was Step 1, getting better is Step 2.  “What’s Step 3”, I asked.  She smiled and said that she always appreciates me coming and talking with her.  I told her that it was apt that she’s doing it close to July 4^th because being independent is the most important thing in life.  She then showed me her doctoral thesis which someone had found for her and she talked about her work back in 70s.  It was amazing when we discovered she had been in Pune, the town where I was born.  I said that she should find some professors and should work with them in getting all of her knowledge from those days dissipated, so that the current generation can benefit from it.  She also talked about her ex-husband and showed me his paintings, though she had lost most of them in a fire.  I said that she should ask for some from him for her new place.  I left after telling her that we should, and definitely would, stay in touch. 

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Serve-A-Thon 2015

Location: Lincoln Perry Apartment

Date: Saturday, June 27, 2015; 8:00 am-2:00 pm

This was it.  I took an ‘Uber’ to the site and discussed with the driver what today was all about.  Paul had told me that we were scheduled to get some ‘VIP’ visits, including ‘Alderman’ Dowell and Jeanne – the ‘CEO’ of Chicago Cares - and Leslie Blum - the founder.  I arrived to see that Mr. Tidwell was already at work making coffee.  He opened the door of the office for me and I saw that Chicago Cares had left a lot of supplies for us.  Before I could get to that, I got a phone call from ‘Potbelly’ saying that the food for the volunteers was here.  I got it from a van outside, which was also going to supply other sites.

Heck ya!

I came back inside to see that Rita had arrived and so while Rita and Mr. Tidwell put the food inside the refrigerator, I got down to unpacking the supplies, including all the Bingo prizes.  The menu for the day was eggs, bacon, sausages, biscuits and banana “parfaits” – or as Rita said, “Banana pudding pie”.  Looking at the instructions made me think that it would not be an easy task to pull off.  I saw that there was a sign in the room saying “Volunteers At Work”, which I went and posted outside the facility.  Then there were several green pamphlets, each of which had a unique fact, either about the neighborhood, ‘Bronzeville’ or about the facility we were in.  I loved this concept and I went about with another resident posting them everywhere, including the bathroom doors, all over the dining area, kitchen etc. – wherever the volunteers could see and learn about the community that they were serving.

Another volunteer named Celeste showed up along with her Dad.  She is a regular here and wanted to help.  Well, more the merrier and so I told her that she was in charge of kitchen.  I got a text from Chicago Cares that 19 volunteers had departed for here.  Before they could get here, Jeanne and Leslie came, along with 2 other Chicago Cares staffers - Jim and Nancy - who were just starting with the organization.  I told them that the facts pamphlet idea was fantastic one, and Jeanne appreciated it.  They were here to meet with the ‘Alderman’, but since she was running late, they left just as the volunteer bus arrived.  I gathered everyone in the room where we would be doing the “Fleece Blankets”.  There were 2 main groups, one from ‘Northwestern Medical’ and another from some company.  Many were with families, either with kids or parents.

"Fun Fact"  signage

I started by giving them the welcome speech as prescribed by Chicago Cares - building bridges, communication, learning from each other etc. - and then introduced Rita.  She needed a few people for blankets and I took the rest to the kitchen.  I allocated a few to Celeste for cooking and the rest – including a couple of teenage boys for decorations.  In the kitchen, a few had started to make the banana pudding, but after a few steps, Celeste and I decided to abandon it since it needed time to cook and also to chill.  So before we even started, we had lost one of our menu items.  A lot of residents were already here and waiting for their food.  This was because the regular breakfast project here starts at 10 am and someone had forgotten to inform that this was a special occasion commencing at noon.  I asked the volunteers to improvise and just chop bananas, top off with whipped cream and the put some vanilla wafer biscuits on the side.  We served this to the residents while the cooking went on.  At least the banana pudding had served some purpose.

"Fleece Blanket" session

Celeste’s dad was wrapping utensils in tissue paper and one of the residents asked me to ensure that he had gloves on!  The resident was right of course.  In the meanwhile, Celeste was trying her best to hurry up and she was doing a fantastic job in coordinating the kitchen and sending out some food in batches.  We served the residents and I asked the two teenage boys to help me organize the volunteer meals.  They were excited at receiving this important assignment and arranged the boxes by category - Turkey, Mediterranean and one mystery box!  I also told the boys that it was their task to ensure other volunteers came in for their meals and also to give them water.  A few of our volunteers started going for their lunch and I asked them to sit with the residents.  Some did, but others stayed in the small room where the food was arranged.  I chatted with two little girls, one in 4^th and the other in 6^th grade.  I asked if they would be the “echo” during Bingo and they agreed.

Now that the cooking was done - thanks to Celeste - I recruited some volunteers to clean.  The rest were on Bingo.  The two teenage boys were going to call the numbers while a few others spread out amongst the residents.  I announced that Bingo was ready to start and asked how many winners they wanted per board and the crowd said 3.  One lady said that she needed some help seeing the numbers and so I assigned another little girl to be her partner.  It was nice to see kids pairing up with the senior residents.  I went to check on the blanket crew and they were progressing well.  I came back and saw a woman announcing the Bingo.  I learned that was ‘Alderman’ Dowell.  After she finished the round, we chatted for a bit and she said that if Chicago Cares ever needed something, she and her office were ready to help.

My wonderful team

A gentleman was manning the Bingo prizes station and I discussed with him which prizes were being selected.  Every place is different and over here the bathroom rolls were the most popular, and hard candy the least.  We chatted for a bit and he said that he had been participating for last 5 years and it had always been a school painting expedition  This was the first year they were doing a project like this.  I said that it was important for everyone to get an experience of everything that Chicago Cares does and so it was a good thing to do something like this.  After the game ended - it has proceeded quite peacefully - I made an announcement that there was going to be a blanket making activity and the guests should wait if they wanted to participate.  A lot of them did.  Rita and the volunteers brought many of the pre-cut blankets in this room and then helped the residents tie knots to finish them. 

Party Time!

One of the residents asked me if she could have the spare bananas and I said of course.  In fact a lot of food was still remaining and Mr. Tidwell said we should just leave it out and the guests may take it.  If not, he would put it away.  One lady asked if she could have boxes of the ‘Vanilla Wafers’ and I said sure.  I gave her couple of those.  Then I chatted with a lady who was in good spirits, despite undergoing 3 days of dialysis for every week of the last 8 years.  I said that she was very strong to do so and when I moved away to other duties, she thanked me for chatting with her.  Once all the residents had their blankets, I gathered the volunteers for reflection.  After I had thanked them, as had Rita, I asked for feedback and what they had learnt.  I said that I had learnt about the rich history of this neighborhood.  Many spoke up, including the teenage kids and it was all positive.  One lady said that she wished all the scissors were equivalent since she was making the blankets and not all of them worked.  I said that projects have frequent issues but we have to make it work, since most problems are insignificant compared to the issue that we are addressing.  We took a group picture and then it was time to leave.  Since everything was cleaned up, I joined everyone on the bus back to ‘Daley Plaza’.  I met up with the Chicago Cares staff and other leaders as we celebrated the successful conclusion of yet another Serve-A-Thon.

Adler Advisory Council Meeting

Location: Eleven City Diner

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2015; 6:00-7:00 pm

Apparently all the email exchanges for this committee happen on something called ‘Mini Group’ and I was not on it.  Michael added me and then I was able to track that our meeting was at the same place as the one before.  I was running late and arrived at 6 pm.  Bob and Carrie were already there and discussing the agenda that Cori had sent out earlier; though she wasn’t there today.  Bob asked if I had noticed anything in terms of guest experience for the “Scavenger Hunt” last week.  I said that my interactions with them were limited to giving out the secret phrase, after making them say the phrase out in the manner that it should be said.  We agreed that the guests love this activity and that since it takes them to the different areas of the museum, it was a brilliant promotion.  We said that we should encourage photo opportunities in different parts of Adler and provide a Social Media guide on where to post the pictures.  Also, some of the guests had been unaware of that this activity was going on and so we said that we should ensure that Registration communicates this when they check-in.

These guys at "Adler After Dark"?

Next up was themes for next year’s “After Dark” and Cori had submitted an idea to have something called “Solar System Waltz”, which would be a “formal night” with a theme of "movement" – people, music, and of course the movement of planets within the solar system.  I loved it…brilliant.  She had suggested having ‘Chicago Symphony Orchestra’ folks playing classical music and Bob said that while it may not happen, we could potentially have students of classical music in the house to play.  I really think this is a great idea.  We started discussing some ideas for themes and I said maybe something to do with ‘Leap Year’ in February.  Bob sugested something to do with “leaping” and gravity.  Another theme that I suggested was a theme on “Projectiles”, where we could incorporate activities around asteroids, meteors, comets etc.  Another popular theme according to me was ‘Exoplanets’.  I mentioned how fantastic that experiment from last week was, where the light meter was sensing the presence of planet in front of the star.  Bob said it was great as well.   Bob and Carrie said that we definitely wanted to do a “scary” theme for Halloween.  I had mentioned that perhaps we can do a “Scavenger Hunt” to find habitable planets, with various criteria such as liquid water, “Goldilocks zone” etc.  On hearing “Goldilocks zone”, Carrie asked if we have enough to do an entire “Fairy Tale” theme.  At this Bob said there were several fairy tales from Grimm that were scary. 

Michael arrived and we told him some of the ideas.  I said that as “Advisory Council”, we would love to have some input on not just the themes, but the actual activities that go into it. He said that our point was well taken.  I once again mentioned how the Astronomers suck the life out of guests in “SVL” and there wasn’t much argument from anyone against that!  As per Cori, next thing on the agenda was cutting the number of ‘Doane Observatory’ visits, so as to allow the last group enough time.  But it wasn’t something we are completely aware of in terms of operations, so we skipped that.  Next topic was “Volunteer Get together”.  I asked if there was a budget for that and Michael said that he would have to check.  Some of the ideas were having a lake cruise at sunset...maybe even to watch the fireworks.  Carrie brought up an important point that if volunteers are paying for it out-of-pocket, they may not be that motivated to attend.  That was pretty much it and we concluded at 7 pm.  Next day Michael sent the themes for the remaining events for 2015.  One was “Back 2 The Future”, because this is the year shown as the future in the movie.  I asked if we were building a car out of “Flux capacitor” and he said that they are actually working on a “Hoverboard”. Wonder if the ‘Cubs’ would win the “World Series” though.  

Job Coaching

Location: Open Door Shelter

Date: Monday, June 22, 2015; 6:45-8:30 pm

Once again, Claire had asked me to take over the leadership of this project for the summer.  I had asked for guidance on the lessons, as well as icebreakers, and Claire had invited me to look at the ‘Google Doc’ that she shared with her co-leader.  I sent an email to the volunteers who had signed up, and also included an agenda.  I thought that we could take the youth through the lifecycle of a job hunt process, ranging from “Job Search” to “Resume Building” to “Networking”, followed by the actual “Interviewing”.  The day of the event 4 volunteers dropped off, probably due to the forecast of the impending weather….or maybe it was something I said.  When another one dropped off with an hour to go, I sent an urgent message to Wilson and Amy at Chicago Cares, both of who said they were on their way.  I was looking for nametags in ‘CVS’ when I got a call from one of the volunteers who had arrived early.  Well at least we had one.

By the time I arrived at the location, we had grown to 3 volunteers.  I was telling them about the evening and the place when Wilson and Amy got there.  We talked about the agenda for the evening and while I had typed up some talking points, I told them to let the flow dictate how they proceed.  They asked if we should have some sort of a curriculum week-over-week and that is something I have been a proponent of.  We could design an 8 week course, the flaw of course is that not everyone comes and leaves the shelter at the same time and so there will be some offset.  I told them not to take it personally if some of the youth seem disengaged.  They are going through a lot and it’s just like any of us having a bad day.

We went upstairs and the youth were gathered around the TV.  They did not look too enthusiastic to gather around our table, but eventually they came over and I handed out the name tags.  We had our usual blend of disinterested people as well as the mischievous - there was one female in particular - but all in good fun.  I said that we should do a round of introductions where we say our name and what we do.  I started by saying that I developed products for the energy industry.  At this the mischievous girl said that she wanted to interview with me right there and then.  I said that maybe we could do that at the end.  Our volunteers were from various backgrounds and we noticed that many of the youth had just been laid off.  I said that perhaps we can help them this evening. 

I then assigned numbers to Volunteers and youth and we ended up with 5 groups or pairs.   I asked Groups 1 and 2 to team up and Groups 3, 4, 5 to work together.  Their task was to find 10 things that they had in common with each other, which can be a bit trickier with so many people.  Groups 3, 4 and 5 went to the other side of the room and they were rolling while the other group was struggling.  But it did have the enthusiastic girl and she was coming up with things such as, "Everyone liked 'Casper the friendly ghost' and 'Scooby Doo'”!  Well, at least they were trying to reach 10.  I kept throwing things like “Is anyone left handed” – there was one, so that wasn’t common…or was it?  “Can anyone not swim” – there was one, but that was it.  I got everyone back together and the Groups 3, 4, 5 went first.  They had things like “All of us are human” and “All are from Planet Earth” at which I said that tests on Wilson were not back yet!  Although they did have something interesting, that all of them had gone to Florida.  The other group brought out their ‘Casper’ etc., but at least we had a good group activity. 

I then asked the youth with a number to pair up with the volunteer having a similar number.  Wilson had one, but the rest had 2 youth each.  Everyone spread out and I was going to shuttle from one group to another.  One of the volunteers was doing a great job of making the youth who were with her comfortable.  They were extremely reserved at the beginning, but she kept probing on the status of their resume etc. and then I saw them move to the computer room.  Wilson was totally engaged with his guy and they seemed to be doing well.  I went over to another area where a first time volunteer was with 2 people.  She was chatting with one of them, so I went for a conversation with the other.  This female youth was extremely thoughtful and said that she had been through these sessions 20 times and there was nothing new that I could teach her.  I said she had not gone through a session with me, so she cannot make that determination. 

"Diaper Cake"...maybe something different

I asked what her dream job was and she said that she had given up on her dream.  I asked how she could make that determination when so young.  She said that she wanted to open a "Cupcake and Daycare" facility – together – and even proceeded to draw the building and the layout.  It reminded me of something I had done a long time ago.  She said that it would be a non-profit for underprivileged parents who would drop off their kids and then pick up the kids along with a cupcake.  I thought it was a brilliant concept since it would really put a smile on their face after a hard day – well that and the baby of course.  Although I wasn’t sure about the name that she had selected – “Diaper Cake”, because that could mean something else!  But she said that was her main selling point.  I asked if she had a business plan and she said yes, she had made one but it got wiped out on a computer.  I said that she needed to do her research on funding agencies and ways that she could get it off the ground.  She said that she had done all of that but I wasn’t so sure.  I said that she was going to face a lot of hardship, but if this is what she wants, she should be prepared to fight for it.  I asked what her signature cupcake was and she said “Chocolate with Chocolate Chip frosting and filled with Molten Chocolate”. Well yum. 

I went and joined Amy’s duo and one of the youth with her was very quiet and I sat next to him.  He mentioned that he wanted to go into construction and I asked why.  He said that he wanted to build his own place, which was of course a great reason.  We discussed “Networking” and how he should always be learning from others.  I told him that doesn’t need to know all the technicalities of “Engineering”, but should always be asking why.  We then discussed ‘LinkedIn’ and I showed him how one can use that for as a tool.  He seemed fascinated by that and thought that we could have a session that was completely focused on the use of ‘LinkedIn’. 

Our time was almost over and so I got the entire group together.  I said that I would hand them a candy if they shared what they had learnt this evening – including the volunteers.  Everyone had good insight and I signed off by saying that I had learnt that we are all human and from earth – referring to the answer from one of the groups during the icebreaker.  I held another session of reflection downstairs and the volunteers had good feedback, ranging from having a more organized curriculum to a more hands-on activity.  All were good suggestions and something I said that I would post on the common document that the leaders share.  It was also a good thing that Amy was here to hear all of this.  Speaking of which, I couldn’t thank Wilson and Amy enough for answering my ‘S.O.S.’; and not just them, all the other volunteers had been fantastic.  One new volunteer had said that she didn’t know if she had reached the youth and I said that she had done more than she could possibly realize.

Adler After Dark

Location: Adler Planetarium

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2015; 5:30-10:30 pm

Tonight’s theme was “Is there anybody there” i.e. extra-terrestrial life and thus some of the activities that Michael had sent us were directly related to that, like building your own UFO.  I thought I was running late and so took a cab, but upon arrival realized that it was summer hours, meaning we started 30 minutes later.  I checked in and picked up my supplies for “Smelly Space” - which is of course my favorite activity to do - and then went to the classroom for pizza. I sat down with our usual volunteers and we had a “Scavenger Hunt Bingo” on the agenda this evening as well.  A few of the squares were quotes from famous movies like “ET Phone Home” or “KHAAAAN” etc. and if the guests gave us that, we were to respond with a code word that they could put on their Bingo Board.  I said that I would make the guests do the quotes like the actual dialogues in movies; not just say it.

We went on the tour, and first stop was ‘PXP class room’ where UFO building activity would take place.  The guests were encouraged to use items such as disposables, plates, glasses etc., along with LEDs, and make circuits to light them up using Aluminum tape - because as we all know, the best UFO’s have bright flashing lights!  Next up was a stop at the “Community Classroom”, where guests were encouraged to build a telescope mount for their smart phones, again using whatever materials were available.  The idea was to be able to take a picture through the telescope, and there were bonus points for being hands-free.  In the room across the classroom, there was a demo on how light sensors work, where small planet-like objects could be moved around to block a light source; which would then cause the sensor reading to spike.  The idea was to educate people on how “exoplanets” are discovered.  Final stop was to see the ‘Spectroscopy’ display, where there were tubes filled with different gases, and the guests would be asked to identify the constituents based on spectral pattern.

The various "layers" of Jupiter have different smells!

As per the schedule, I was doing “Smelly Space” from 6:30-7:30 and “UV Cart” from 7:30-8:30 – both with a new volunteer Phoebe, then a solo session of “Smelly Space” from 8:30-9:30, and finally “UFO Building” from 9:30-10.  Phoebe and I set off for our session just as guests started to come in.  Tonight’s special drink was green and with dry ice inside.  I saw a couple of ladies walking with those and indicated to Phoebe that we had a way to engage them.  I went over and asked them about the “smoke” from drinks and if they were absolutely sure that the drinks were safe.  One of them said that she had studied chemistry and I knew that we had our “hook”.  We went to a nearby table and I took all of my props out of the bag. We had moved away from squeeze bottles to small glass bottles with corks.  Our choices were "The Moon", "upper layers of Jupiter", "lower layers of Jupiter", "Titan" and "Io".  After the smell test, I asked why we had 2 samples from Jupiter and they had no idea why.  I said that it is a giant gas planet and the core is much denser than surface gases, meaning different constituents and different smells.  The next question was why it is important for us to know.  I said that this was consistent with the evening’s theme and it is an important step towards finding habitable worlds.  They seemed to be impressed for sure and we were off to a good start.

We ran the routine with some other people, and Phoebe did a good job by herself.  I saw that one guy in a group we engaged was wearing sunglasses and I told him to come downstairs in a bit so that we could test their effectiveness using the UV experiment.  At 7:30 we went there and while Phoebe took over the “IR Camera”, I sent up the cart with beads and fluorescent rocks and… bugs.  There were also Sunglasses and different grades of Sunscreen lotion in transparent plastic bags.  As people walked by, I would ask if they were from Chicago and if they missed the winter.  Then I would ask the people about their favorite summer activity, which invariable were going to the beach.  I would follow-up by asking them about the 2 things that they would carry to the beach - hinting they were on the cart - and people would say sunscreen and sunglasses.  Then I would say that today we would test the hypothesis whether those items were critical or if it was a marketing scam.

I would start by asking them to shine the UV light on the rocks and bugs and then follow-up with normal light.  The items – including the bugs – would fluoresce under UV and not under ordinary light, following which I would get into the discussion of "Fluorescence".  I would then ask them to shine the UV light on the beads for 10 seconds, after which they invariable changed color, followed by asking them to imagine that happening to their skin.  Having got their attention, I would ask them to test the hypothesis of the sunscreen and sunglasses and they would do so by either placing the pouch of sunscreen in front of the UV light or holding the sunglasses over the beads as they tested.  Some even tried with different grades of sunscreen.  When “protected”, the beads would not change color or were lightly faded and that proved the hypothesis that sunscreen and sunglasses provide protection from UV light, at which point I would ask them to be careful this summer.  Many people stopped by and were fascinated by the experiment.  Some wanted to test their own sunglasses - including the guy I had met earlier. 

At 8:30 pm, I left for my 2^nd round of “Smelly Space”.  One couple was very interested, and the woman asked how telescopes could see through all of the dust and stray objects in space.  It was a great question and since we were on the lower level, I took them to the wall of “Milky Way” and explained how different filters and telescopes can see through the gasses by using different lenses.  I got a few more guests, many of whom were walking about with the “UFO saucers” that they had made.  One of our prescribed activities was for them to take pictures with them and post on social media and so I made a few take pictures as if they were being chased by the UFO in question. 

I was headed to my last stop, which was making these UFO’s, and the classroom was more crowded than ever before.  People were highly engaged in this activity, meaning that there was general chaos.  My main task was to stand next to the supplies and provide LEDs, batteries, fishing line to tie the UFO, and in some cases little aliens to go inside.  Everyone wanted these tiny aliens and when we ran out, I encouraged people to make their own.  The designs were cool and we took several pictures.  It was by far the most popular activity and we had to literally ask people to leave at 10:15.  When there was reluctance, I said that whoever was still here in 10 seconds would help clean and started counting down.  The next day there was to be a kids summer camp here and there was litter on floor and tables.  In fact, we had spent a lot of energy “protecting” some of the camp supplies from being used.  Once all had left, we spent the next several minutes cleaning the tables and sweeping.  We did the best we could and then I went back down to return “Smelly Space” supplies before leaving.  It had been a fun night.