Mad Scientists

Location: Henderson Elementary School

Date: Saturday, March 9, 2013; 9:50 am-12:00 pm

This program had been my first project with children and thus, is one that is special to me.  Due to ISAT preparations at the school, we had not had this for the last few months and as soon as an opportunity presented itself, I jumped all over it.  Brenna was the Volunteer leader and I asked if I could bring some cookies for the kids, something which she welcomed.  I arrived at the Garfield Red Line stop and saw her waiting for the bus.  We rode together and she mentioned that today we would be doing all things flight, which included making 'Paper Airplanes' and 'Parachutes'; something that I was familiar with from my MLK project at Barry Elementary.  After another tricky walk on the icy sidewalks, we arrived at the school. 

The paper airplane fleet

Soon we were joined by other volunteers Pat and Molly, whom I knew, as well as Andy and Emma.  When I found out that Emma was an archaeologist  I couldn't help but refer to her as ‘Female Indiana Jones’, a term she said is directed toward her quite frequently.  Now that this was out of the way, I asked about her work and was fascinated to hear that she frequently goes on international expeditions to exotic places such as Peru and Mongolia.  My job usually takes me to Columbus, Ohio, but hey, who’s keeping track!  While we could have talked about archaeology all day, we were soon joined by the kids.

We did not have as big a turnout as in the past and there were about two boys and six girls.  For our icebreaker introductions, Brenna asked everyone to say what their favorite thing was about Spring.  Many said it was the warm weather that allowed folks to go outdoors and there was even mention of Baseball.  I said I liked the colors of Spring after the dullness of Winter.  Since there weren't many children, each volunteer had either one or two kids to work with and I was paired with Joleen, who is Justin’s twin.  Justin himself, and another boy Don, were with Emma.  Our first experiment was making 'Balloon Rockets' which included passing a long string through a plastic straw and tying its ends to a door knob or something that would create nice long platform on which to launch our rockets.  Next we were to inflate a balloon and pinch the end rather than tie a knot.  The balloon would then be taped to the straw and when the pressure was released, the thrust would propel the straw from one end of the string to the other. 

This seemed straightforward and Joleen and I set about trying to find something on which we could tie our string, but to no avail.  So we teamed up with others where the volunteers would hold the ends of the string and the kids would ‘launch’ the rockets.  Joleen’s first attempt worked very well and then we started experimenting with different sizes of balloons in terms of the inflation, the contact area between the balloon and straw as well as releasing two balloons from either side to see how they collided.  Emma, Don and Justin were trying different designs, including vertical launch.  It was apparent that Don fancied himself as an Engineer and was coming up with different situations and strategies.  It was great to see all the children so engaged. 

This flew...

For our next experiment we were going to be making 'Paper Airplanes'.  I have fond memories of this activity back in school days where paper was more used for making planes than actual homework.  Brenna had provided us with four different designs and while I tried making some to match the specs, I was failing at it quite badly.  I could sense Joleen was getting impatient and so I told her that I was going make one of my own designs and it would fly.  So while most were making amazing looking paper airplanes, I was sticking to what I had learned in school all those years ago.  Brenna wanted all of us to make at least two different designs, so we made something which resembled her instructions.  Next was an experiment where all the kids were called to the front of the classroom and we had a competition to check, (a) Who had made the plane that flew the farthest within its design class and, (b) Which design was the best in terms of flight.  This testing led to ten minutes of general mayhem amongst the kids, though all of us had a great time.  While not exactly ‘Spruce Goose’, I was pleased to see that our design had an elegant, though short-lived, flight.

...And this landed

After the break our final task was making 'Parachutes' from plastic bags.  Pat had even bought tiny G.I. Joe plastic men to tie to the end of the parachute string.  I must admit that I made a complete mess of our parachute by using tape in places I should not have and this led to both, Joleen and I being quite frustrated.  I was losing her, though kudos to Brenna, who came over and helped us both start on a new one.  I really admired her patient approach because we were way behind everyone else, most of whom had already gone to try their parachutes out on the stairs.  With her help we managed to make one and while our military man was tied upside down, at least we had something to experiment with.  Joleen and I joined the others outside and to our delight, it worked.  Joleen stood on the stairs and dropped in down the side where I waited.  The man may have been upside down, but the parachutes gradual decent meant that he would definitely have been saved, were this a real situation. 

We said goodbye to the kids, including Alice, a tine girl who had spent most of the last 30 minutes playing with my hair and being pesky.  She may have been clad in cute pink, but she had tons of attitude, though I did not mind at all.  I rode back on a bus with Molly and we talked about the future of this program since Henderson is on the preliminary 'School Closing List' for Chicago.  This would be such a shame because the children there are getting much more than just a classroom education, due to the efforts of Chicago Cares and its volunteers.  I had once again enjoyed being a part of this program and though the morning had been successful, there still was some work to be done later in the afternoon.  

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

Homework Help At Chicago Lights

Location: Fourth Presbyterian Church

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2013; 5:45-7:30 pm

I have a confession to make.  It doesn't matter how many degrees I have collected, I really am not that good at studies.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always been interested in acquiring knowledge, either through books, or in a classroom.  But when it comes to studying solo, my attention span has always been quite limited.  However, I have found myself being more attentive when tutored one-on-one.  I remember my Dad teaching me fractions and that one night when my Mom stayed up with me till 4 am to teach me languages.  I also remember one cold evening in graduate school, when one of my buddies patiently explained the concepts of ‘Mass Transport’ in Chemical Engineering.  I have learned a lot through these tutoring sessions, but never before had I an opportunity to tutor someone…until today.  I was to participate in Chicago Light’s tutoring program.

Of all my Chicago Cares projects, this one was the closest to both, where I work and where I live.  In fact, it was right in middle of downtown with spectacular views of Michigan Avenue.  I arrived at the facility, which unlike some of the other places, was in a high rise.  I was directed to a room where I found a group of other volunteers, none of whom were from Chicago Cares.  They were substitute tutors who were working directly through Chicago Lights.  Their website says, “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education - Chicago Lights Tutoring seeks to break the cycle of poverty through academic and emotional support for over 400 students from low-income communities by helping the students improve their academic performance, stay in school through high school graduation, prepare for higher education and meaningful careers, and expand leadership and social skills.  Children in grades one through twelve, from the Near North, Near West, and Humboldt Park neighborhoods, come to Fourth Presbyterian Church for weekly one-to-one tutoring sessions with volunteer tutors/mentors.  Healthy meals, creative enrichment activities, computer lab access, career development opportunities, internships, scholarships, and literacy activities are key components of the program, which operates four evenings a week during the school year.”

Weeks before this event, I had been sent a Volunteer Handbook by Chicago Cares, which amongst many things said that our main job would be in inspiring the child.  Typically, Chicago Lights requires a tutor to agree to a long-term commitment, coming in same time each week, and working with the same child.  This allows them to build a rapport, which goes a long way towards the true education of that child.  Chicago Cares provides rotating substitute teachers who volunteer every Thursday and fill-in for regular tutors.  I was one of those substitute tutors, which meant it was unlikely that I would be building a similar bond with the child as a regular tutor would have done.

My friend Irina was also doing the program this evening and no sooner had we said hello, when one of the staff members dumped a bunch of paperwork for us to fill out.  Not only had we not seen our Volunteer leader, it seemed that the only thing we would be doing that evening, was filling out the forms.  There were several question regarding our history, employment, places of residence over the past several years and list of references.  As if that wasn't enough, we were also given two other reference forms to hand to people who would vouch for us.  When it came to background check, these guys took it seriously, and rightfully so.  If this was going to turn out to be a regular tutoring schedule for someone, they were going to ensure the credibility of that person.  Normally, Chicago Cares takes away the background check aspect for Children’s Services programs by only requiring the Volunteer leader to undergo checks, assuming that this person would be accountable for the volunteers under them.  I for one have never complained about checks and security, because it is only for the good and when it comes to children, you cannot be too safe.

We finally finished the paperwork and the staff member asked if Irina and I wanted to pair up, which we had no problems with.  Next task was to find a child who required our help.  We walked down the corridors and saw several rooms where tutoring sessions were in progress.  It also seemed like a lively and fun place for the kids.  We were told that the child may have some homework to do, in which case we were to help them with that.  If not, there were several worksheets with the librarian, which they could solve for points.  Finally, we were encouraged to play a game with the child towards the end of our session.  When time was up, we were to accompany the child to the cafeteria on first floor where everyone was waiting for their bus, either going uptown or toward west loop.  Once the children got on their buses, we could leave. 

Arithmetic

We found a girl, Nadia, who was not paired with anyone.  She did not have any homework, but was willing to do a worksheet problem.  I went with her to pick one from the library and while I tried to engage her in conversation, she seemed the type who takes a long time to open up.  Nadia picked a Math worksheet and we were ready to begin.  The task was to add 3 or four sets of numbers, ranging anywhere from single to 4 digits.  Nadia diligently used a pencil and scrap paper to add them, while I borrowed a calculator from Irina.  Let us examine the irony here.  A pre-teen girl was doing arithmetic on paper while a PhD. was using a calculator to add.  I guess I could claim that I had ‘earned’ that right.  I noticed that almost all of her totals were wrong, but waited till she had finished the set.  I asked her to check her answers and she realized that she had forgotten to add a complete set of middle numbers in all of the problems.  Once she found out what her mistake was, she corrected it in no time and we moved to the next set, which was matching the columns. 

On the left was a group of numbers to be added and on the right was the answers.  The student had to draw a line to match the correct answer with the set of numbers.  She connected all of them correctly, with me checking on the calculator, and then when only one was left, she drew a line to join them.  The point of the exercise was to learn how to add.  So I told her that while we had only one choice left, we should double-check to see if it was indeed correct.  She did not complain and did as I told.  The final problem was a short paragraph which outlined the area of three countries and asked the student to find the total area.  I told Nadia that if she got this correct, we would proclaim her as the Queen of all of these nations.  While she may have thought of this as tacky for her age, she did smile at the joke. 

 

Jenga

Nadia had decided that she was done studying for the evening and now was time to play a game.  She chose ‘Jenga’, which she claimed as one of her favorites.  I had never played this before and when I learned that the objective was to build a tower with wooden blocks and remove one-at-a-time and placing on top without toppling, I knew I was in trouble.  Dexterity has never been one of my strong points.  A little boy, Ken, asked if he could join and the four of us started playing.  Not only was Nadia good at this, she was also trash talking.  To my surprise, so was Irina.  I had never pictured her to be so competitive.  I was doing quite well for a first timer and wasn't even the first one eliminated, Ken having that distinction.  One his tower had toppled, he moved on to play something else with his mentor and I was left with the girls.  Through an unspoken agreement, they had decided to gang up on me and it wasn't long before my number was up.  For the finals both of them indulged in some good natured gamesmanship and at the end Irina won.  She is not the one to be a quite winner and proceeded to celebrate with lot of enthusiasm.  To her credit, Nadia was enjoying herself and did not mind.  We played two more games, both of which where I was eliminated first and Irina won.  Watching the girls play was edge-of the-seat excitement and there were times when I found myself holding my breath, anticipating a fall which never came.  This was brilliant stuff.

Soon the time was up and we gathered our belongings and prepared to go down to wait for the bus with Nadia.  We stopped at several rooms to see all sorts of activities going on, ranging from people playing ‘Hangman’ on white board, to dancing to ‘Monopoly’, to even composing music on computers hooked to a big screen TV.  Every volunteer and student looked comfortable with each other and the tasks they were doing, showing the virtue of building a recurring relationship.  We went down with Nadia and waited in the cafeteria with dozens of screaming kids and other volunteers.  She finally got on her bus and we were ready to leave.  This tutoring experience had been a lot of fun and despite my reservations regarding my abilities to teach, I had done a decent job.  On a recent flight, I was reading Southwest Airlines’ in-flight magazine, ‘Spirit’, which had an article on ‘Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA)’, which is a non-profit initiative that supplies underprivileged children with free instruments, instructions and enables them to express themselves and their art.  The article starts with the words, “If you know four notes… teach someone who knows three”. 

Well, nothing more to add really.

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

Pennies For Patients Prep

Location: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

It was at a Chicago Cares project that I heard about One Brick, from none other than Wilson.  That night I went back home and looked up their website and their volunteer calendar.  This is a volunteer run organization which makes volunteering more easier than Chicago Cares, if that is possible.  According to their website, One Brick ‘Creates a friendly and social atmosphere around volunteering'.  Rather than working with children or providing human services for seniors, One Brick lends support to local non-profit and community organizations by helping them with several tasks which would take tens of man-hours otherwise.  Wilson was a leader over there as well, but the main reason I joined was something else. Besides an ‘Event Manager’, each event also has a ‘Event Coordinator’ who organizes a social outing for the volunteers after each event; where everyone gathers at a nearby bar or café.  Thus, the volunteers get to know each other in a social setting.  One of the reasons why I had started volunteering was with a hope of making new friends; and while I had met some remarkable people through Chicago Cares, I had not really socialized with them.  One Brick’s model sounded perfect.  Sign me up Scotty!

My first One Brick project

For my first event I volunteered to help out The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS), ‘Pennies For Patients’ program.  According to their website, LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to leukemia research; that ensures patients live better and longer lives.  I walked over to their offices after work and arrived to see that several volunteers had already assembled in a room with lots of boxes, brochures and other material required for this project. I checked-in with our Event manager Laura, who told me that this evening we would be helping to prepare boxes which would be sent to schools with instructions on how the children could participate in the ‘Pennies For Patients’ program. On since 1994, this program has raised millions of dollars in pennies and other spare change, through the efforts of more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country.  Each year over a three week period, students fill collection jars in their classrooms with spare change, which directly benefits LLS.  I learned that last year over $981,000 was raised in Illinois alone, with a $1 million goal being set for this year.  Olive Garden restaurant had also gotten involved by pledging a pasta party - under the name ‘Pasta For Pennies’ – for the top fundraising class at each participating school.  This just went to prove what I have observed over the last few months.  When it comes to doing something good; everywhere life is truly full of heroism. 

One of the welcoming faces at LLS

Most of the volunteers were regular at One Brick events and knew each other.  I was made to feel welcome and noticed one man, Peter, whom I had seen at my PADS event’s afternoon session.  Peter seems to classify as the person who tries to make a party lively through jokes and chatter.  As soon as he came in, everyone was expecting something and surely enough he did not disappoint.  This time it was a puzzle.  He asked that  if he had six coins, one of which was heavier than the other five; how would one be able to determine that in just two weighing  tries.  The answer was obvious to me but no one else seemed to get it immediately.  I said that you split them into two stacks of three and do the first weighing.  Then you take the heavier pile and do the second weighing with one coin each.  If the heavier coin was one of the two, it would show and if the weight was the same, then the third coin in that pile was the heavy one.  It was, of course, the right answer and I had either established myself as a semi-smart guy or an insufferable know-it-all.  

One of the LLS employees was guiding the project and she asked us to form an assembly line where the person in the front would start with an empty box, which would get filled with items as it moved down the line, with final few folks sealing the box and labeling it for dispatch.  What pleased me was that principles of ‘Lean Thinking’ were being employed and every effort was made to staff people to avoid bottlenecks.  They asked if anyone wanted to be a runner and I had a vague idea of what that meant from my PADS experience.  I said that I would do it, and my job was to take the finished boxes, put them on the cart and transfer them to the hallway where they would be picked up by the postal service the next day.  This seemed straightforward enough, though there were two things I had to be aware of.  First was that none of the boxes were to touch the walls of the hallway and I was to stack them 2 inches away from the walls and secondly, since each box had different quantity of items – depending on how big the school was – some boxes were heavier and thus needed to be at the bottom.  Despite these instructions, even I couldn't mess this up.

All stacked up; at least 2 inches from the wall

It took me multiple trips, but I was getting the job done.  After a few scrapes while maneuvering the trolley around corners, I was rolling quite efficiently.  As soon as three to four boxes were ready, I would transfer them. The one thing I missed out on was the conversations that were going on amongst the participants on the assembly line.  This was the main difference between Chicago Cares and One Brick.  Due to the extent of client interactions for a Chicago Cares project, the volunteers have limited conversations with each other; whereas over here the situation is exact opposite.  Perhaps it was because of our flawless coordination, but we got the job done very smoothly.  The LLS staff thanked us profusely and this meant there was only one thing left to do – head to the nearest pub.

I walked over there with Julie, who was the Event coordinator for this one and had thus picked out the place where we were headed.  We discussed a bit about One Brick and then everyone's favorite topic at events such as these, all over Chicago – Wilson!  We ended up in a place called ‘Dylans’ and I found myself sitting next to Dianna.  We started chatting about volunteering, our likes, arts, movies and pretty much everything under the sun.  The next few hours flew by as we talked like two people who had known each other for a long time, and not just met this evening.  Everyone else departed over time and I finally dropped her off at the train station, before taking a cab back home myself.  It had been a successful evening, for not only had I helped contribute to a great cause, I had also gotten to know someone.  Maybe this 'making new friends' thing may work out after all.

Job Coaching

Location: Open Door Shelter

Date: Monday, March 4, 2013; 6:45-8:30 pm

I had not been to ODS in almost two months, my last visit having been quite productive in terms of the discussions that I had with the youngsters.  I arrived to find that our Volunteer leader Claire was already there and we discussed the format of this evening’s session.  Claire had made changes to the way that we had done this in the past, and I was pleased with this new approach.  We were going to mentor a participant, but it was to prepare them for a mock interview.  The second half of our session would be all the candidates interviewing with the various volunteer’s, where they would be asked interview questions.  The volunteers would each select a question to ask and then post that to each of the candidates, scoring them on the response.  The three candidates with the highest scores at the end of the evening would then get a prize. 

Two of the other volunteers, TJ and Erika, were actual recruiters and there were three others besides them.  Claire asked us each to choose a question from the list, something that we would ask each of the candidates.  There were various choices such as “Tell me about yourself”, “Why are you a good fit for this position” and “What type of people do you find it most difficult to work with”.  Everyone picked a question and I choose “Do you have any questions for me about the position”.  I have always liked this question in real interview situations, because it shows how closely the candidate has been paying attention and how prepared they are.  However, in an environment such as this, where the position was not a real one, it was probably unfair to expect a good response.  But it was also an opportunity to coach and I was curious to see how the candidates would handle this.

We went upstairs and Claire asked all the youngsters and volunteers to sit at the table for introductions.  I looked around and did not recognize a single person.  It seemed like the previous batch had left and we had several new faces.  The kids may have been different, but they exhibited the similar attitude as others, of being totally disinterested in the proceedings.  As I had mentioned in an earlier article, they view this as a chore that had to be done, rather than a learning experience.  But I had also seen that as the evening progresses, they get more involved and that was my hope for this session as well. 

Tyler's first step towards being a pilot

As an icebreaker, Claire suggested a birthday game, where all of us would stand in a line as per our birth month, and then we would see if we got the dates in order as well.  This seemed to work since all the youngsters participated freely.  Claire then had us work individually with one candidate, till it was time for the rotating interview.  I got a kid called Tyler and we retired to a couch on one side of the room.  I asked him to introduce himself and he said that his ambition was to become a commercial pilot.  That seemed like a nice goal and I asked him if there was any way in which he was preparing for that career.  He said that he played a lot of the ‘Flight Simulator’ game and was now saving to get a lasik eye surgery, since he was wearing glasses.  I asked if he had plans on how he was going to pay the bills in the meanwhile and he said he wanted to work in retail clothing since he liked fashion as well.  I said that I would help him prepare for that position, based on the handouts Claire had given us.  Then we would also discuss his answers to the upcoming rotating interview session.

I asked him to research the difference between a standalone clothing store such as ‘Banana Republic’ versus a ‘Macys’, which carries several brands.  The sales process for each would be different and he should be prepared to demonstrate his understanding of the same.  I mentioned how important it was to always arrive for any interview on time.  In fact, I told him arrive in advance and if necessary, wait in a coffee shop.  I recounted some of my interviews where I have waited in the parking lot till it was time.  For the question on why he would be a good fit for the organization, I told him to speak about his own strengths rather than other’s flaws.  I said that he would not know the other candidates that were interviewing for a job in real life situation and in such a scenario, he had to ‘sell himself’ over others.  I asked about any prior work experience, part-time or summer jobs while in school, and he replied that he had none and that he was a spoilt kid.  I saw this as a coaching situation and mentioned that in an interview, he should rephrase this by saying that in his spare time he had other pursuits such as sports, arts or even academics, which did not allow him the time to have a job. Tyler was listening to me throughout our session and was nodding often.  Hopefully, the advice was getting through.

Claire said that it was time for our rotating interview and we would have five minutes with each candidate to ask them our question.  First up for me was Cindy.  Since my question was “Do you have any questions for me regarding this position”, I thought it would be prudent to ask what job position they wanted to interview for.  Cindy wants to be a backup dancer for a pop artist.  Her question was on what kind of food she would have to give up doing this job.  I said that she would be doing a high energy job which required supreme fitness and adequate and proper nutrition.  I told her to stay hydrated and eat smart, not skimping on the right kind of calories. 

Next was Maurice, who also wanted to work in retail clothing.  He asked about growth opportunities and ways to advance.  I told him a pathway towards a managerial role and it was a good discussion.  Next was Paige, who won me over with her big smile.  She looked like someone who has a great attitude and her question was how she should behave on a job, to be considered a good employee.  I told her to always stay positive and no matter how bad of a day she was having, never let the customers and the co-workers see her frustrations.  There would always be time to vent after the workday was over.  I told her to operate at least one level above her pay grade, an advice I give everyone.

Next was Walter, who wants to work in a graphic design company.  He had three questions: about growth, why the position was open and about culture.  While answering these questions, I asked him to stay focused, but also think outside the box.  As far culture was concerned, it is possible to fall into a trap of working by oneself, but I asked him to interact a lot with his peers and colleagues.  Then came Cameron, who asked how he could become ‘my guy’ for all the tasks.  I coached him to rephrase to ask, “How could I become someone whom you trust to delegate”.  He liked that.  Lastly, I had Terence, who wants to work in construction and asked about benefits and if the employers spy on the staff!  This was tricky and while I passed the benefits question to HR, I asked him to rephrase the latter to “What kind of security measures do you have”.  Terence also wants to work as a security officer in bank, play basketball and be a chef.  Combine all of that and you have a Hollywood story!

Claire asked us to grade everyone and this was a tough one.  I had enjoyed meeting with all of them and used a relative scale to give Cindy 3 out of 5, Maurice 4, Paige 4, Walter 5, Cameron 3 and Terence 4.  When the points were totaled, Paige came first, Maurice second and Walter third, but in reality all of them were winners.  Everyone thanked us as we left, Terence even referring to me as ‘Sir’.  It was remarkable how some of them had been disengaged at the beginning and now were completely involved in this process.  We had not just coached them on job skills this evening; we had done something much more valuable than that.  Something that is more important for youngsters who end up in a shelter such as this.  We had earned their trust.  

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

Get Crafty!

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre

Date: Sunday, March 03, 2013; 2:30-4:00 pm

I arrived at Lakeview Nursing around 2 pm, way earlier than was required.  I waited near the reception area and watched Larry return from church.  It was nice to see that he is still active enough to go out independently.  After some time Amanda, the volunteer I had met the previous time, arrived as well.  She wears the most awesome jewelry, and I mentioned that one of these days we should have a jewelry making session that could be led by her.  While we waited, we looked at the facilities activity board for the month and it looked like the residents were in for a great time.  Besides the games and Chicago Cares programs, they had ice cream socials, shopping trips and also ‘Happy Hour’!  Amongst the gaming schedule, there was something called ‘Wii games’, one of those being held the same time as our activity for this afternoon.  It looked like we were in for some competition. 

Activity Board

Soon our Volunteer leader Alisa arrived as did Sara, who I had met the previous time, and Wilson.  Alisa said we would be decorating photo frames, something that was fresh in my mind from the project at Pat Crowley.  She said that we could either use ‘Easter’ or ‘Inspirational Women’ as a theme.  We discussed how the concepts would look, but our problem was the lack of participation.  Only two residents had arrived and Alisa asked if we could go looking for others.  I went to the second floor activity room and found Emma sitting there by herself.  I said that I was looking for her and if she would like to join us for Arts.  She seemed eager and said a man made something nice for her.  I hope she was referring to my cards from last time.

We got to a table and I assembled some of the supplies we would need.  I asked Emma if she wanted to paint a frame, but she just wanted to watch and so like before, I would be doing the art work.  We were also joined by another resident, Anna and Alisa would be working with her.  I asked Emma which of the two themes she wanted and she said we should do 'Easter'.  Then I asked if there was any particular color that she liked and she said pink.  Fortunately we had that color and I decided to give the frame a coat of pink paint.  Then I asked how we should decorate it and she kept talking about the leaves and flowers, referring to the trees outside.  Just like the rest of us, Emma was also waiting for spring to arrive. 

The problem was that I had no clue how to draw a decent leaf, let alone flowers.  Alisa is a competent artist herself and coached me on both, doing a great job with tulips.  I gave it a try and soon had a vine of leaves on one side of the frame with some tulips on the other.  Emma was watching intently and kept commenting, “It’s beautiful”, whenever I asked.  She is such a nice person, that I have never heard anything but praise from her.  I asked her how her hometown of St. Louis was in spring and she said it was definitely warmer than Chicago.  We once again talked about her family, 2 sisters and 3 brothers.  She referred to her brother in Miami and how her had moved there because of the weather.  Based on the cold outside, it did not seem like a bad idea.

Our frame was progressing well and I knew how much Emma liked gems and shiny objects.  I went and grabbed a handful from other table where Amanda was working with Miss Wendy.  She had made a very simple, but elegant frame, with emerald green wash and green gems on the corners.  Amanda told me later that those are Miss Wendy’s birthstones.  I returned back to our table and put some of the gems on Emma’s frame, which delighted her a lot.  I asked her if she had eaten the crackers she won during Bingo and she said she had not.  I wonder if she is even allowed to have them. 

Finished frame for Emma:
Tulips, leaves and gems

Alisa and Anna had also put beads and gems on their frame, which was looking fantastic.  Wilson was walking around taking everyone’s pictures and when Alisa asked why he never wanted to be in any of the pictures himself, he said it’s because of his prior work with the Government.  This led to all of teasing him and Wilson being called everything from ‘The most interesting man in the world’ to ‘James Bond’.  Well if he is 007, then he certainly has ‘License to Serve’. 

Our time was up and I gave the finished frame to Emma, not before taking her picture through it.  She loved it when I showed her the picture and was overjoyed to receive the frame.  I took Emma and dropped her off on the 2^nd floor, at the exact spot where I had found her.  I then came back and took Miss Wendy upstairs and looked around to find that all the residents were sitting in the activity room and as I had seen in Imperial Nursing, none of them were communicating.  It was as if they were just…existing. 

I came down to see Alisa and other volunteers were chatting and heard Wilson mention to Amanda that he would see her at a ‘One Brick’ event.  I asked what that was and Wilson mentioned that it was another avenue to volunteer in Chicago, and he was a manager there as well.  Why did that not surprise me?  Amanda and I were walking to the train station, not before Wilson asked us again if we wanted to accompany him to another project after this.  We declined and later when we were on the train, Amanda and I talked about the afternoon’s activity.  It had been a fun event, though the one lasting image I have is seeing Emma in the second floor room, sitting by herself before and after the project.  For just over an hour we had brought something to her life, something that will hopefully keep her going till we return the next time.  

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

Senior Breakfast Club

Location: Mary Hartwell Catherwood Apartments

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2013; 9:00 am-12:00 pm

It had been two months since my previous visit and you may recall that I had forgotten to get off at the right station.  This time I arrived early at my stop and even had the luxury of stopping to pick up some coffee.  All of this was well and good, but once again I proceeded to go down the wrong way.  Furthermore, I was so confident that I did not pay attention to the map on my phone.  It was only when I realized that the place did not look familiar, did I check my phone and then it was rushing to get back to the destination.  I arrived to find that many of the volunteers were already there and the cooking had begun. 

A Pound Cake

I checked-in with our Volunteer leader Toby and saw that most of the folks from last time were  there and many were doing the same jobs as before.  LaKieth was leading the effort to get the fruits ready for the salad, and Phil was helping him.   Sarah and Andrew were on the eggs, Phil and Irma were working the sausages and Bridgette and Erin were on the floor, serving the residents orange juice and coffee.  Toby asked me to cut the pound cake into equal sized slices and there were plenty of those in several zip lock bags.  I learned that those were homemade by Sandy and I wondered where she was.  Someone mentioned that she was sick, but had come in at 7 am to drop off the pound cake.  That’s Sandy for you!  I tried my best to cut the cake in equal sized pieces and Bridgette suggested I cut it in half and then continue dividing in halves till I had 8 pieces.  That seemed to work, though my earlier effort wasn't too shabby either.  The cake appeared dense, as it should be, considering it is a pound cake! 

The Pound Cake, cut

Once my cake cutting was done, I moved on to serving orange juice and coffee.  I spotted Barry at the back of the room and went over to say hello.  Everyone around him was asking if he was going to play the piano and he was politely saying, “Maybe”.  I sat down and he told me that Dialysis had made him weak in his hands.  He showed me a huge wound on his arm where they stick the needle.  This has been going on three times a week, for the past seven years.  I said that at least he had his music and friends like us.  While everything may not be fine with the world, he should enjoy what he has…and he said he does.  He said that some of the keys on the piano did not work to which I replied that while the rest of us may miss out on the music, he could always fill in the blanks using his imagination...hear it in his head.  Music is as much for the musician as for the people listening.

St. Patrick's Day decorations

With Barry’s “God bless you” ringing in my ears, I went up to Toby to check on my next assignment.  We were having more guests than we had anticipated and so were out of seating places.  LaKieth, Toby, Amber and I went looking for additional chairs and tables in the neighboring building’s activity room.  With some discomfort on my part, hanging on to the table, we managed to get it in our breakfast room.  By this time all the residents had settled down and we were ready to start serving.  I went down the buffet line filling up plates and serving the residents.  Even with a minor accident where I tore a bowl of fruit, I was quite efficient.  Georgia was there with her usual ebullience and was directing the traffic of the servers at her table.  I was admiring the St. Patrick’s Day decorations when I heard one of the residents say to another, “Earth is the only blue planet”.  It seemed like a conversation I should be a part of, but there was work to be done. 

Soon all residents had been fed and the dishes cleared.  This meant two things, Bingo was about to commence, and I was going to be washing for the next 45 minutes.  It’s not that anyone had asked me to do this but I wanted to.  At my apartment I use a dishwasher and not the sink.  In fact, I never cook.  But here I was at a cooking project scrubbing greasy utensils.  The answer was simple.  I was doing it for someone else, not just for myself.  It’s strange how a simple thing like that matters.

I chatted with Sarah, who was helping me with the rinsing.  We talked about sport, our jobs and volunteering, while Andrew called an excellent Bingo game.  At one stage someone yelled “Bingo” and Andrew thundered, “Prove it!”  He really is an excellent caller.  After a mighty struggle with the eggs serving dish, I finished the scrubbing and joined the Bingo crew.  I sat down with Amber and Barry and followed the game.  Soon all prizes had been handed out and the morning was over.  I returned the furniture that we had borrowed from the other buildings and then it was time to leave. 

I walked back to the train station with Amber.  We chatted about her program at Imperial and other projects.  Later that afternoon I thought about my early days at graduate school where we used to take turns cooking.  But that was not the main thing.  We also ate together, around the dining table each night – irrespective of our schedules, we found time to have dinner together.  We were a family, just like all the people at this facility. That is something I have not had for a very long time; that sense of togetherness. There are few things in life sadder than eating a meal by yourself.   By being a part of a crew that served the residents breakfast, I was a part of their family too.  Scrubbing those dishes was the most satisfying thing I could have done and nothing would have made me feel wanted more than that. 

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

Game Night At The Pomeroy

Location: The Pomeroy

Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013; 6:00 pm-7:30 pm

I was caught up in a meeting at work and this venue was far uptown.  Plus the weather outside was quite lousy, a carry-forward from yesterday, which had forced the cancellation of the ‘Read-With-Me’ evening at the AIC.  In this setting, I rushed to find a cab and managed to arrive at The Pomeroy just in time.  The first thing that struck me was the elegance of the place.  The lobby was plush and the doorman even made a visitor’s pass for me.  This was a first in my Chicago Cares career. 

Our spread for the evening

The Pomeroy is a senior living facility and I was directed to the activities room where I saw a woman separating cards, while two men were playing them.  She was our Volunteer leader Rosie, and the two gentlemen were her brothers.  She said that this was going to be a game night like any other amongst friends. The residents would come down and select a game to play, either as a group or in pairs; and we would be playing with them, as well as serving some popcorn and other snacks.

 

The first task she gave me was to separate three cards decks which were mixed together.  This is not as difficult as it sounds and once you follow a process of separating in suits and arranging in order, it becomes very easy.  Next she asked if we could pick the games and spread them amongst the various tables.  Some of the games on offer were ‘Cluedo’, ‘Yatzee’, ‘Domino’s’ and ‘Uno’, besides playing cards.  Once we did that, Rosie encouraged us to pick a game and start playing. 

Cluedo: Ended before it began

I asked one of her brothers, Emmett, if he wanted to play the murder mystery game, ‘Cluedo’, and he was willing, though none of us knew how to play.  We tried to lay out the game pieces, which included a board with different rooms, the murder weapons, and characters.  However, the problem was that this required more than two people and upon realizing it, we decided to move on to something else.  I wish I had learned how to play ‘Cluedo’, since I remember watching the TV show as a kid.  It used to play on Sunday afternoons and I would look forward to it, since I considered myself an amateur detective.  In fact back the school days, me and a few buddies would plan elaborate detective games where we would plant clues, make up stories and spend the lunch hour combing the school playground trying to solve the mystery.  Does that make us nerds?  Perhaps yes, but I would give anything to experience  that thrill again; of unraveling a mystery with my mates.

By this time the residents had arrived and started taking their places at various tables to play the game of their choice.  Emmett and I asked a group of ladies who were about to start a game of ‘Uno’ if we could join them.  I sat next to a woman named Marjori and on my other side was Mindy, who did not speak a word of English.  Rounding off the group was Bianca.  Marjori was the most mischievous and free-spirited woman that I have encountered through Chicago Cares.  I told her that it had been quite some time since I had played the game and she explained the rules to me.  We started playing and little was I to know that Marjori was going to tease me throughout the evening. 

Uno!

Every time she wanted to play a ‘penalty card’ on me, Marjori would start singing the national anthem with great relish.  I did not even have to look up. Hearing her say “Oh, say can you see", was an indication of impending doom.  In the days gone by, I would probably have been mad at this constant teasing, but I was actually laughing hard and having a friendly banter with her.  When the direction of play switched, I would do the same to her, minus the singing.  But she never stopped her singing and I had plenty of opportunity to hear it throughout the evening.  Never has the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ caused so much trouble! 

While Marjori was doing her best impression of a pesky buddy, Mindi and Bianca were having their own ‘game-within-a-game’.  Bianca takes her gaming seriously and pointed out that Mindi had forgotten to call “Uno” with one card left.  She mentioned that, but Mindi just nodded.  The next time it happened, Bianca did not let it slide and forced a 2 card penalty on Mindi. This happened couple of times and fortunately never got ugly.  Marjori did not bother with it since she was having enough fun at my expense.  I asked her why the national anthem and she said she was still working on ‘Les Marseilles”!  Well, what can I say!

A kid came in with his mom and it was his 5^th birthday.  He was handing out cupcakes to the residents and all of us joined in singing “Happy Birthday” to him.  Coupled with the popcorn, this was a real game night environment.  During the game, Bianca gave me $20 and asked if I could deliver it to another resident.  As I was doing that, Rosie and Amy – a Chicago Cares staff member whom I had met during MLK project – joked if we were playing for money.  It was that kind of evening.

At the end of it all, everyone had won except me, mostly thanks to Marjori.  When Rosie bought a sign-up sheet for the residents, Marjori signed as ‘John Hancock’.  I said that is not appropriate since ‘Star Spangled Banner’ was after his time.  She asked if I would come back and I said I had to, in order to get back at her for all the games she had cost me.  I walked back to the train station with Amy and I told her how much I had enjoyed this evening, as well as some of the other projects.  Then we talked about Wilson, well because everyone knows Wilson.  As I came home, the opening words of the national anthem were stuck in my head. I knew that from now onward every time I hear it, I will think of Marjori - waving a card and looking at me mischievously. 


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

Lakeview Seniors Bingo

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, February 25, 2013; 6:30 pm-7:45 pm

I had arrived a bit early and decided to walk about in the nearby ‘Trader Joes’ before it was time for Bingo Night.  What that meant was that most of the volunteers had arrived and one of them had already taken up a space next to Emma.  That was a bummer, though I would still be sitting at her table, but working with Valerie, whom I had met at a previous project.  Also at our table was Dorothy, while the volunteer working with Emma was Justina.  I looked around and besides Wilson and our Volunteer leader Jen, we had Jim and Jane, who shared the calling duties. 

Tonight I would be using Doubloons!

As is usually the case, the first few minutes are a chance for the residents to play with the dogs who are there for Pet Therapy, and that gave me an opportunity to chat with the ladies at my table.  Since I had never met Dorothy before, I introduced myself.  She said that Dorothy was not her birth name and she had changed to it because she hated the one that she was given.  Sounded like a woman who knows exactly what she wants!  We talked about the dinner they serve at Lakeview and there wasn't much enthusiasm about the food.  Valerie bemoaned that there usually is Pasta and remembered a time when she had just come to Lakeview and they had served a Cornish Hen.  That sounded like a great meal and I told her so.  She said that there used to be a Chinese chef and since he had left, the food had not been that great.  Dorothy said that she just liked the desserts and that was good enough.  I liked her already!

Jim called the room to order and it was time to begin.  He usually starts by giving out some stats and said that Valerie owned the single evening’s record of 6 wins.  That was amazing and like Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak or Celtics of the 60’s, a record that may never be broken.  We started playing and there were the usual quirks like Kenny announcing the time and channel for ‘Hawaii Five-O’ when the number 50 was called.  Most of the room had taken to humming the tune and Kenny was now announcing the guest star that was appearing in tonight’s episode, along with his resume.  I have a feeling that watching the show with Kenny may be a whole lot of fun. 

Emma's favorite crackers

This was turning out to be an extremely lucky evening for Dorothy and she won three times, though she kept only two of the prizes – ‘Word Search Vol. 103’ and hard sugar candy.  When she chose the puzzle book I asked if she had solved the earlier 102 volumes, something that she found funny.  Poor Emma on the other hand seemed to be having one of her unlucky evenings and at one stage even said that she did not like the white chips because they are unlucky.  Whether that’s true or not, she did manage to win one game and as soon as Jen came with the prizes, Emma announced that she wanted one of those peanut butter cheese crackers, apparently her favorite snack.

While all of this was going on, Valerie was getting grumpier because everyone around her was winning.  While she was still making some funny comments like “Your face is dirty”, when number 30 was called, after a while she put her game face on and became serious.  That concentration seems to have worked, because she won twice and each time took the same type of peanut butter cracker.  When I asked her why she chose the same type, she said she would give one to her roommate.  I thought she was being sweet, but she immediately said the reason she wanted to give her roommate crackers was so that she could shut up since she talks too much.  At one stage Valerie said to me, “I want a drink”, and she did not mean water.  “Me too”, I whispered back!

The evening ended with our table having done extremely well, with six wins.  Emma, being the gentle soul that she is, asked everyone if they wanted to share her crackers.  I asked her if she had received anything for Valentine’s Day, hoping she would remember the flowers.  For a moment I could see the recognition in her eyes, but it passed and she started talking about her daughter.  Whether she remembers or not, I hope she  liked them, even if for a short time.  I dropped Dorothy in her room, having enjoyed her company a lot. Before leaving I chatted with my buddies Jim and Larry and saw that they had a new book, no doubt something which will make it to the book review in ‘As We See It’.  It had been another satisfying evening and for a change, a victorious one. 

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

Paint The Town Red

Location: H.O.M.E. – Pat Crowley House

Date: Sunday, February 24, 2013; 2:30-4:30 pm

Through the various programs that I have done with Chicago Cares, I have been extremely fortunate to meet some remarkable people.  This is especially true for programs with seniors, and I have loved my time at Lakeview Nursing, Imperial and other places.  However, nowhere have I enjoyed a project like I did over here.  I think the main reason for this is the setting.  While Pat Crowley was the farthest north that I have had to travel, it is a very pleasant place to do a project.  This is because unlike a Nursing facility, this is an assisted living residence for seniors, and is very much like a house.  The activity place was not some big area, but rather like family dining room.  It was very cozy and homely and thus, very welcoming. 

It was a fair walk from the train station and I arrived at the same time as another volunteer, Rachel.  I was pleasantly surprised to be shown to the above mentioned room and we had just settled in when Wilson arrived.  Apparently this is another one of his regular programs.  Soon Mary, our Volunteer leader for the day arrived as well.  I had worked with her the previous Sunday and so we knew each other.  We were joined by one of the residents, Cynthia, who welcomed us and was quite engaging to talk with.  Other residents started to filter in and we had Jane, Mabel and Annabelle.  Also with us were Jane’s daughter and grandson.  We all gathered around the dining table and Mary told us that we were going to be decorating picture frames. 

My Rainbow

Cynthia's frame

We started by putting a protective table cover, one of those things which was stained with colors, showing that a lot of projects and activities had been done on it.  Brilliant!  Mary had gotten several colors, including some glitter paint of various shades.  Since there weren't enough picture frames, we gave them to the residents and the volunteers started painting on paper.  I decided to make cards and for my first effort, started  reproducing the colors of a rainbow, taking some liberties with indigo.  I then delved into the glitter paint and realized that those presented some interesting possibilities.  All of the resident ladies had done a fantastic job with their frames. Annabelle was not painting on a frame, but on her own sketch book.  I was not surprised to learn she used to be an art teacher for her painting was truly remarkable.  I had moved on to my next project, for which I was just going to use a clear coat of glitter paint.  Next to me, Cynthia had started her work on paper and when I asked what she was intending to do, she responded, “Let’s see where the color’s take me”.

Jane's frame

Perhaps it was because of the coziness of the setting, but we were chatting quite a bit.  Annabelle is a devout church going Catholic and we discussed religion for some time.  Then Wilson told the ladies about AIC and when I prompted, made the same Chinese lantern as we had done the previous week - in less than five minutes!  I told them about Therese’s art piece from PADS auction, which led to a discussion on homelessness. We could well have been friends having tea together.  I was having a great time and could have easily stayed  for several hours. 

My version of 'Starry Night'

Before we left, we were joined by another resident, Andrew.  In fact, Andrew’s room was right next to the dining area where we were chatting and to his credit he did not complain that we had disturbed him.  Andrew is a very sharp guy and not only did he ask my name, he wanted to know where I worked, what I did and where I had come from.  He was carrying a sketch book with him, because he is an artist and we saw some lovely pencil work.  He told me that although he wanted to be an artist, he also had to pay the bills and thus had worked at Motorola for a long time.  He had then gone on to become a security guard, but never gave up on sketching, caricatures being his specialty. 

Time was almost up and I looked at all the things we had created.  By far, this was the most talented group of ‘artists’ that I had encountered through Chicago Cares.  I was genuinely happy to have come and when Cynthia asked if I would return, I said, “Most definitely”.  I was taken aback when she said, “God bless you”, because while we - the volunteers - do not feel that we are doing a great service by conducting these projects, it really means a lot to the residents.  Sometimes it’s easy to lose track of how important our work is for these people. 

Rachel's painting: Back in her old office

I took the bus home with Rachel and was surprised to learn that she once had worked in the exact same office building that I was currently in, and on the same floor as well.  She was going to throw away the artwork she had made and I said if that was the case, I would like to keep it.  The next day I took a picture of that in the office, against the backdrop she used to see from the window, and sent it to her.  It is indeed a small world and her painting had made it back to her old office.  And boy, did it have a great story to tell of a fabulous afternoon. 

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

Totally Trivia At The Imperial

Location: The Imperial Nursing Home

Date: Saturday, February 23, 2013; 2:30-3:30 pm

I had to get to uptown after being beyond the West loop in the morning and a little over an hour to do so.  This meant a quick stop at Starbucks rather than my usual Saturday lunch, which tends to be a bit relaxed.  I had been to Imperial Nursing twice before for Bingo, but never for this event.  The activities room was on a different floor and I arrived with another volunteer Theresa to find all the seniors gathered in their wheelchairs, forming a semi-circle and listening to Simon & Garfunkel.  But that’s all they were doing, sitting still. 

“Hello, darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again”

Listening to ‘Sound of Silence’, in that setting was so chillingly appropriate, that it was a mind numbing sensation.  There was no emotion on their faces, no response to particular note of music or lyric.  They seemed to be waiting, but for whom?  As much as I would like to say it was for us, I do not think it was for anyone.  

“I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why”

The Volunteer leader was none other than our pal Wilson, and in his usual style; he had dispatched a long email. Wilson has a knack of humanizing Chicago Cares programs, something that the short description on the website is unable to do.  I will get to that aspect at the end of this article.  He had gone on to describe the rules and the process of the game with such precision, that any Quiz Master would have been proud.  He told us to make sure that the residents answered the question and that we were required to support and encourage them with praise.  If things were to work out the way Wilson had described, this was going to be a lot of fun.  Irrespective of all of that, our main job was to help the residents through the isolation and loneliness for at least one afternoon.

"I've built walls 

A fortress deep and mighty 

That none may penetrate 

I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain 

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain 

I am a rock, I am an island"

The prizes

Soon Brad arrived followed by Fran.  I had met them on multiple projects and we discussed how the afternoon was going to unfold.  Brad is also a volunteer leader for the project and started laying out the prizes on a cart.  The objective was to ensure that everyone left with at least one prize.  There were also some cookies and other treats.  Brad mentioned that we were going to quiz on three categories, ‘Academy Awards’, since tomorrow was Oscar’s night; ‘Black History’, since we were in that month and ‘Romance’, well since its February!  I don’t know about the other two, but having seen all of the ‘Best Picture’ Academy Award winning films, and most of the nominated ones, I liked my chances in that category.

“And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine 

Two steps away from the county line 

Just trying to keep my customers satisfied 

Satisfied”

Wilson arrived soon after, having just wrapped up another project that morning.  We split the teams into four groups with Fran helping Team A, Theresa with Team B, and me floating from Team's C to D, depending on who had the question.  Brad was the Quiz Master and Wilson was keeping the score and the time.  We started with Academy Awards and to be quite honest, the question completely stumped me.  Fran’s team managed to get the answer though and we moved to Team B and they had Black History Month, which they managed to get as well.  During both of these questions, there was a lot of coaxing from the volunteer team leaders as well as the nursing home assistants, who had joined the game as well.  All of them were truly operating as a team, and it was a brilliant sight.

“Old friends, memory brushes the same years 

Silently sharing the same fears”

For Team C we got a question on “Which actress Winston Churchill proposed marriage too”.  I had no idea but a hint was given that she belonged to Hollywood royalty with multiple generations in films.  From this I guessed that it must have been one of the Barrymore’s and I said that her granddaughter was chased by 'E.T.'  My team got the ‘Barrymore’ part right and the question passed to Team D, which I was heading as well.  Only one of the residents from Team D was participating and even though she was very enthusiastic, her memory was failing her.  The question passed to Team A, and Fran had on her side an elderly lady who was one of the most enthusiastic participants that I have seen.  She kept standing up and giving answers even when it wasn't their turn and Fran and Brad had to keep telling her not to give away the answers.  Wilson did not care much, he was just enjoying himself.

“Slow down, you move too fast 

You got to make the morning last 

Just kicking down the cobble stones 

Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.”

For Team D the question was “Who won the best Actress on her debut role in Funny Girl in 1968”. We all knew the answer to be Barbara Streisand and so tried to prompt Team D with various hints ranging from her being a singer, to her having a big nose, but it was to no avail.  Once again Team A swooped in, and in doing so, took a commanding lead.  In the next round Team A got a question on Spencer Tracy and Kate Hepburn’s last movie, which of course is ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’. The movie is well known for being Spencer Tracy’s last role and the scene between him and Hepburn where he talks about love is one where the lines between cinema and real life are completely erased, because everyone knew about their off-screen relationship.

"And so you see I have come to doubt

 All that I once held as true 

I stand alone without beliefs 

The only truth I know is you"

Since the movie also features Sidney Poitier, this question prompted the enthusiastic lady from that team to jump up and come towards us yelling the answer.  She was totally into it now and Fran was partly laughing and partly trying to control her.  The lady asked us if we knew why she knew the answer.  When we said no, she said that it was because she was once a travelling companion of Sidney Poitier.  Brad asked if she meant assistant and she said travelling companion, whatever that meant.  Hmm.

"Remember me to one who lives there

She once was a true love of mine"

The quiz continued with questions such as “Best Picture of 2000”, which was ‘Gladiator’, at which I mentioned to Wilson how it was an injustice that ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ did not win that year; a movie which I have called ‘subliminal’ at times.  “You do know a lot about movie”, Wilson said and I nodded.  Other questions were Team D getting a simple one on Romance, “Which city is known as city of love”; and despite many prompts from all of us, they could not get ‘Paris’.  A city of love indeed.

“And when you ran to me

Your Cheeks flushed with the night

We walked on frosted fields

Of juniper and lamplight I held your hand”

One funny incident was when a question was asked, “Which movie won Academy Award 20 years after it was made”, and once hint was given that it was Chaplin’s film, I knew the answer.  I hinted that it’s title could be split into two words, first a fruit and next something that was all around us.  Wilson understood immediately, but Fran and Brad were in splits when I told them it was ‘Limelight’.  I mentioned that it was the only film with Chaplin and Buster Keaton, two giants who built Hollywood and the likes of whom this world may never see again. 

“Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio 

A nation turns its lonely eyes to you”

Team D was doing really poorly and part of the problem was me.  Whereas Fran and Theresa were helping their team, I was not speaking up for Team D, even if I knew the answer.  The next question’s answer was ‘Woody Allen’ and I knew it.  I gave them several hints saying he’s from New York, writes, acts and directs etc. When there was no response, Wilson whispered that I should just do it and I gave the answer, which put our team on the board.  I looked at the lady on Team D who had been trying desperately and told her that we had finally scored some points.  The look on her face was something which had made this wait worthwhile.

“Hang on to your hopes, my friend 

That's an easy thing to say

But if your hope should pass away

It's simply pretend 

That you can build them again 

Look around, the grass is high

The fields are ripe, it's the springtime of my life”

The final score

The quiz continued for a total of five rounds and we had a great time, especially for a question where the answer was ‘Laurence Olivier’ winning for ‘Hamlet’, a performance which lived up to the first half of the title!  I said that his wife is also a two time winner for ‘Best Actress’ and nobody knew that he used to be married to Vivian Leigh.  We totaled the score and not surprisingly, Team A had won.  Brad went around offering the prizes to them, but no one was going back empty-handed.  Everyone got to pick, including Team D.  It was never about bragging rights. It was about showing that we care, something more than just a dollar store gift can say.

“Tonight I'll sing my songs again

I'll play the game and pretend

But all my words come back to me 

In shades of mediocrity

Like emptiness in harmony 

I need someone to comfort me”

Wilson and I discussed the Academy Awards coming up on Sunday, especially Ang Lee’s chances as ‘Best Director’, as I was hoping he would win.  We left together and the five of us had really been Chicago Cares ‘All Stars Team’, just due to the programs that we do.  Based on Wilson’s email from the previous day, perhaps it was appropriate that it was us this afternoon.  I will quote him verbatim,

“Totally Trivia is a new program at Chicago Cares, and we are designing a game model that can include and accommodate seniors with mobility and other sensory limitations, and fine tuning it to make it the most entertaining and fun project at Chicago Cares.  The game also helps the seniors exercise memory recall and encourage them to participate in social activities in their community.  It will ultimately help reduce the sense of isolation experienced by many seniors in their daily lives.  Nobody should feel alone in this world.  Your part will be joining the trivia teams in collaborating and answering questions with your seniors, or you can be the Quiz Master or Time and Score keeper.  You will get some amazing conversation with the residents from their life experiences. There are about 36 seniors participating and their average age is 70+. That’s over 2500 years of wisdom and life experiences you can tap into in one room!  Our goal of the trivia game is to help all residents of the nursing home participate regardless of any physical limitation they may have.  So you will see most players on wheel chairs, some have diminished vision, hearing, or speech. Some have limited hand and arm mobility.  But they ALL are capable of playing trivia; all they need is a little help and kindness from us.”  

And he was right.  The residents seem to have gotten used to their solitude for so long that they need people like Wilson… people like us to come in and make them realize that they are as much as part of this world as the rest of us.

“I’m on your side, when times get rough

And friends just can’t be found

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down”

I was tired at this point, which is typical after a multiple project day.  But what a day, and what great projects these had been.  The exhaustion was only related to the body, not to my spirits. Never have I ever regretted my decision to follow this schedule.

“Away, I'd rather sail away

Like a swan that's here and gone

A man get tied up to the ground

He gives the earth It's saddest sound

It's saddest sound.”

Paul Simon may have written the words to ‘I am a Rock’, but he also wrote something else.  Something that I saw today in a tiny old lady who could barely stand up, but was jumping up out of her chair and answering each question whether it was her turn or not, and whether it was even the right answer or not.  That’s what it is all about.  I prefer to think that the following words apply to the residents, rather than ones in ‘Sound of Silence’. 

“In the clearing stands a boxer

And a fighter by his trade

And he carries the reminders

Of ev'ry glove that layed him down

Or cut him till he cried out

In his anger and his shame 

I am leaving, I am leaving

But the fighter still remains”