Keep The Kids Running

Location: Girls On The Run

Date: Monday, June 24, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

Once again at 'Girls On The Run'

After a somewhat shaky start to my career as a One Brick EC, this was going to be another opportunity for me.  The good news was that Wilson was the EM and that meant a certain level of comfort.  He told me to just select a place for the after party, though with this location, there was really only one choice – ‘Silver Cloud’, a place which contributed greatly to people signing up for the project.  It’s not as if the place is ‘Ritz Carlton’ or anything, but they have 'Tater Tots' on the menu and do an excellent job of making them.  In fact, Amanda and I had been talking about these for weeks, ever since the project had shown up on the One Brick calendar.  So it took me all of 30 seconds to make a decision and I informed Wilson.  I even called the restaurant the previous day and reserved the table under Wilson’s name, assuming that we make get some perks because of that.  In his usual style, Wilson had dispatched a detailed email to all participants, in which he described the project and even asked everyone to get a change of clothes!  Any project where the manager states that you should bring a change of clothes, can take an interesting direction.  Wilson picked me up from work and we arrived way in advance, so as to talk with the staff and understand our duties for the evening.  On the way rather than talk about the project, most of the discussion was centered on what we were going to eat afterwards.  Hey, at least we knew our priorities!

Tshirt sorting

Our task this evening was sorting shirts by size, counting them and then assigning to the right bins.  This would be done in the basement of the building... hence the change of clothes comment.  Our first challenge however was the main door since the doorbell was broken and thus someone had to stand by to open it when the volunteers arrived.  Wilson and I parked ourselves next to the door to wait for the volunteers.  First to arrive was Eric, whom I had met during One Brick leadership training.  Next came Amanda and as we opened the door for her I mentioned that this is the level of service one receives when Wilson and I are on the event leadership team.  Next up was Colleen, whom Wilson had recruited during the Night Ministry event, and she in turn had recruited her friend Rafat.  Considering it was just her second One Brick event, I said that at this rate she would be the chapter president soon!  Soon we were joined by regulars like Gary, Michelle and newcomers Andrew and Olga.  We still had a few missing, people and so I asked Wilson to take them upstairs for instructions, while I waited by the door.  Because that’s what an EC does…I think.

Wilson then led everyone to the basement and seeing that we had all the people that we were going to get this evening, I joined them.  I saw that all the folks were busy with the sorting and I took some pictures, asking everyone to look happy.  I went and chatted with the newcomers, to welcome them to One Brick and telling them more about what we did.  Wilson had warned me not to promote Chicago Cares too much, so I stuck to the One Brick spiel.  I went upstairs to get water for the volunteers, using the bin lid as a tray.  This made getting 10+ glasses down two floors a significant challenge.  Somehow I managed to get them all down without spilling and then went about handing water to everyone.  Gary asked if there was any antacid in the offices and when I couldn't find any, he left to get one from Walgreen’s since he wasn’t feeling well.  And then he came back…because he is Gary. 

A group of happy volunteers

Everything was going efficiently and despite an unfortunate accident where I scared the living daylights out of everyone – including myself - through an air horn, we were done well before our allocated time.  I had tried to recruit people for coming out afterwards, but some said they couldn't make it.  Finally, 7 of us including Wilson, Amanda, Eric, Colleen, Rafat and Michelle went to ‘Silver Cloud’, something we had been talking about for a long time.  It was one of the more enjoyable after-project gatherings and we talked about our volunteering as well as food and Eric and Rafat even set up a tennis date.  Everyone had a great time and afterwards thanked me for organizing this outing.  Looks like my second effort as an EC was more successful than the first.  Not only did we help the ‘Girls On The Run’ organization, the volunteers also had a great time during the project, as well as the socializing.  Plus, Amanda, Wilson and I got to eat ‘Tater Tots’!  Now that’s a job well done. 

Paint the Town Red

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

Date: Sunday, June 23, 2013; 2:30-6:00 pm

I had been out this morning when Wilson called and asked if I needed a ride to the Pat Crowley House.  He picked me up in downtown, and as we headed there, I learned that we were the only two volunteers this afternoon.  At any other project this could be a problem, but with its more intimate setting, at this location even two volunteers can give the residents a great experience.  We were going to be making crystals this afternoon and if there is any activity that requires immense patience, it is formation of crystals, which in nature can take millions of years.  While we did not have that amount of time, Wilson asked me if I could stay back an additional hour this evening.  I said that I could and we arrived at Pat Crowley House armed with packets of ‘Instant Crystals’, some vases to grow them in, and interesting looking LED based stands on which to place those vases.  Wilson said that we should do this session in the back yard.  We set everything outside, but realized that it may be a bit warm for the residents.  But it was still a lovely day and so as a compromise, we settled on the back porch, which had some chairs as well as a table.  Mabel, who is one of the residents who always participates, joined us along with Andrew.  Annabelle and the RA Kara also settled down for what was sure to be a relaxing afternoon, consistent with the theme of our project.  

The crystal making kit

The garden at this place is really pretty and as we sat overlooking it, Mabel said that she wanted to take some pictures.  She had her camera with her, but we couldn't get it to work, despite changing batteries and trying some other things such as shaking it!  Even though the camera did not work, we were still having a good time making our crystals.  There were plenty of crystal kits and depending on which color crystal you wanted to make, you had to dissolve the appropriate powder in the hot water inside the small glass vases and bowls that Wilson had brought with him.  Furthermore, to act as a nucleation site, a small rock was placed inside the glass container.  Then it was a lot of waiting and patience.  There were plenty of kits and containers, so I made Green, Purple and Orange crystals, as did Mabel.  I also mixed two colors to see what that would yield.  Mabel was doing well for herself and only required assistance from me in adding hot water from a kettle that Wilson had brought from the kitchen.  Andrew was content to sit and observe as was Kara.  Our solutions were ready and we arranged all containers in a row and then since we had time, started chatting. 

Crystallography!

My experience with growing crystals predates this afternoon’s activity and there was a time when I could have a conversation in 'Miller Indices' jargon such as 100, 101 or 111 and not be thought a lunatic.  Back in graduate school, I was studying crystallography and was trying to grow thin crystalline films for semiconductor devices through a process known as ‘Metal Organic Molecular Beam Epitaxy’.  I mentioned that and as expected, was staring at a bunch of blank faces.  I said that an epitaxial crystal growth is similar to building a human pyramid.  You cannot build a tower of people unless you have a proper base.  Upon hearing me talk about a pyramid Andrew started discussing the pyramids of Egypt.  Little did he realize that pyramids are a perfect representation of tetrahedral crystal symmetry.  Andrew then moved on to talking about astronomy and search for origins.  He said that recently he has been thinking a lot about science and religion and how science can actually help religion.  I channeled my inner Carl Sagan and said that at the end of the day, science and religion are both means of searching for the truth. We then talked about birthstones, moving seamlessly from astronomy to astrology.  Kara asked if I believed in the healing power of crystals.  I knew what she was referring to, having seen people wearing crystals around their necks as pendants.  I said that I believed in the healing power of faith and if the people wearing the crystals believed in its power, then they would get healed.  I concluded that saying that while men may wear crystals for its so called healing power, the only crystals women care about are the ones on their finger or their earrings or their necklace! 

Waiting for the crystals to develop

While we were waiting on the patio, we were joined by Debbie who runs the cooking program at this location.  While it is usually on alternate Sundays with ‘Paint The Town Red’, today it was on the same day due to some scheduling quirk.  Her husband also came over to chat with us, while one other volunteer periodically kept an eye on the food.  The solutions were still far from developing any crystals and Kara asked us what was the longest that we have waited for anything.  Wilson added that it could also be something that we are still waiting for.  I said that waiting for something is fine as long as it is without hope.  Kara asked what the difference was and I said when you wait without hope, you do not put your life on hold and while it may not be completely fulfilling, one can still live a meaningful life.  On the other hand if you harbor hope then everything could come to a standstill and nothing good comes out of that.  This discussion of a meaningful life led to us asking what makes people happy.  I said that my recent experience of being around ‘Wish Granters’ of Make-A-Wish has demonstrated that for some people, happiness is making others happy…it is as simple as that.  Wilson asked if that is the case, how do you know what makes others happy.  I said that it was different for different people at different times of their lives.  For instance, a baby is happy just staring at the mobile on its crib, whereas for toddler it may be a toy and for a teenager it may be a gadget.  That’s the wonder of being unique individuals.  Everyone has a different perception of happiness…though I do agree that deep down, it may all be the same.

The crystals were going to take some time, so we all went inside and sat around the table.  Debbie’s group was almost done and she served dinner to the residents on an adjacent dining table.  Andrew, whose birthday is coming up soon, will be turning 87.  Debbie asked if there was anything in particular that he wanted to request in terms of food and he said shrimp.  Debbie said that she will make sure he gets it.  Mabel told us how she likes cooking for her family.  She said that her favorite thing was steak and she had a sauce recipe which her husband and son liked.  Speaking of her son, he stopped by to visit with her and we gave them some privacy.  As Wilson and I stared at the solutions, Kara joined us and we talked about the ‘Supermoon’ which was visible in the skies this weekend.  She asked if full moon affects behavior and I said that while some people believe that it’s the gravitational pull on our bodies water content, scientific evidence does not justify it.  Not to be outdone, Wilson said that a full moon accentuates man’s primal desire to hunt and that’s what makes everyone go crazy!  One of the residents Jane, was listening to us and told us about some “super-secret Chicago full moon party” on the beach that was being held tonight.  She asked Kara if she wanted to go.  I asked if by being super-secret, you needed to have a special hand shake to get in!

Hopefully we get something like this

Wilson and I left just before 6 pm, after arranging the vases with solutions by the window.  Wilson said that he would stop by the next day to check on the progress.  We saw Annabelle waiting outside for her friend, who was picking her up for dinner.  When we saw her friend, we were pleasantly surprised since she was young and had come just to meet with Annabelle.  This shows how special the residents of this place are to everyone who has met them.  This afternoon had been about patience.  That’s the wonderful thing about crystals.  Sometimes you have to wait for a long time, but in the end you see something special.  Years ago I had spent months building an apparatus to grow crystals and months after, trying to make it work.  But day-after-day, week-after-week, it led to nothing but frustration.  It was a long time ago, but I remember that evening like it happened yesterday.  It was Thanksgiving eve and a snowstorm had hit New England.  I would been well within my rights to take a day off, especially with a long holiday weekend coming up.  But something compelled me to run one final experiment before going home.  As I removed my sample from the vacuum chamber, I could tell something was different.  I rushed to the analytics lab and spectroscopy confirmed what my eyes were telling me.  I was looking at a crystalline film, perhaps the most beautiful thing I had seen in all of my years in that lab.  It was perhaps apt that at that moment outside the snowfall had begun and another type of crystals – natures finest – were being reflected in the evening lights.  To this day I believe something magical happened that evening and while scientific data would explain why we had succeeded, there is something you may not want an explanation for…not at that moment at least.  You just believe.  Wilson had deliberately chosen crystals as a way of reiterating that, while we are used to the fast paced life nowadays, a little bit of patience can create wonders.  And gosh darn it, some things are just worth waiting for – even without harboring any hope.

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

American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee Meeting

Location: American Cancer Society Office

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2013; 6:30-7:30 pm

I arrived at the ACS offices and saw that many members had already assembled.  Just like the set-up from previous month, the tables had been arranged conference style with four sides, so that all of us could see each other.  No sooner had we sat down, when Adam said that he had an announcement to make and that he was leaving ACS and would no longer be involved with this committee.  Well, that was a good start.  However, he did say that ACS had more than enough committed staff members that would ensure that the event was a success, not to mention volunteers like us.  As with before, we went around and introduced ourselves, along with what we had done over the past month to promote the event.  Truth be told, I had not done much besides talk to my HR about a possibility of promoting it within the office.  I mentioned that and was immediately shamed when I heard what some of the other women had done in terms of recruitment.  I had however, signed up for our team ‘Saving Second Base’.

We started with a ‘Mission Moment’ where we heard how the Government was banning teenagers under from tanning salons, even with parental consent.  Cancer prevention is being taken seriously by everyone and this law would be an important step.  Along with the good, there were the bad.  We learned that the funding for IBCCP – Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program - had been cut, meaning there would be less screenings for women.  Finally we heard about a program, where bags were being sent to Washington DC, where in September they would be lit and placed all around the reflecting pool as a promotion for ACS’ CAM program. 

Fundraising is the main goal

We then went around the room getting updates from various sub-committee chairs.  First up was Fundraising.  One of the ideas was a Karaoke night at ‘Birds And Blokes’.  I had heard about it from Polly, since One Brick had their previous fund raiser there and at the end of the evening, had learned about some of the hidden costs that they were not aware of.  I warned about that and said that we should check the fine print beforehand.  Another idea was selling plastic wristbands and bracelets which typically cost $0.70, but we could sell for as much as $5.  They asked if we had any other ideas and I mentioned about ‘Young Professional’s Network’ who host fundraising soirees and other networking events.  I said that if we could get listed on that, as well as other meet-ups, we would be in good shape.

Next up was an update on the Sponsorship and the person heading that sub-committee had called several restaurants in the vicinity of Soldier Field.  We would distribute flyers that the walkers could take to the restaurant and for every person coming in with a flyer; the restaurant would donate a part of the proceeds back to the ACS.  This was a great idea and a similar concept was going to be implemented through 'Whole Foods' in that neighborhood.  I suggested that we promote an 'Amazon' link, through which any purchase made on their website through that link would net ACS a percentage of the amount spent.  This is something One Brick uses to raise money as well.

We then talked about the on-site activities the day of the event and there was going to be a yoga instructor, as well as an all-women band called ‘Hag’!  All of them were doing this at no cost and especially in ‘Hag’s’ case, one of the members was a survivor and so more than keen to participate.  There was also going to be a Kids Tent with all sorts of activities such as Arts & Crafts and Tattoos etc.  Having staffed similar events through One Brick, I said that I could try and get some volunteers if they required them.  We next talked about getting to and from Soldier Field, which is not very convenient, especially from the CTA train station.  Someone suggested that we try and see if private cabs or the ‘Windy City Limo’ could help transfer people to the CTA.  One person said that this was after all a walk, and so people should not have a problem walking to the station after this.  Well, this is a good point. 

The final item on the agenda was to talk about publicity.  One thing we would be doing is distributing flyers at the ‘Bears’ games by standing outside the stadium and handing them to the people coming in.  I asked if there was a possibility of getting the ‘Bears’ to make an announcement during the game.  After all, the event was going to be held there.  At this Adam and the others expressed their reluctance to make this request.  Having seen how businesses go out of their way to help a cause such as Make-A-Wish, I was surprised at their unwillingness to try this.  People want to help and sometimes just need to be asked.  In any case, I did not pursue the topic much.  With this, the meeting concluded and I wished Adam the best for his career before heading out.  It had been a good meeting and with 4 months to go, it looked like we were on course.  

More Organizing Fun At Night Ministry!

Location: Night Ministry

Date: Monday, June 17, 2013; 6:00-8:30 pm

This was my first One Brick project as an Event Coordinator.  I referred to my EC Checklist the previous day to ensure that I do everything that an EC is supposed to do prior to an event.  One of those duties was selecting a place to go to afterwards and communicating with the EM.  After some search via Google Maps, I identified a place nearby and let Kinga, the EM know.  I also set a reminder alarm for myself so as to carry my One Brick pad, name tags and also a printout of the sign-up sheet.  With all of these things in hand, I arrived at the location well before 5:30 pm, but most of the volunteers were already there.  Kinga had printed her own sign-up sheet and people had already started signing on it.  Some of the volunteers were first timers and as per the checklist that I had been given, I was supposed to get them to put down their phone numbers on the sheet.  When I requested that of them, one of the regulars, said that this was a sneaky way for me to get their phone numbers.  I said this was a One Brick requirement and was told that it wasn’t anymore.  Well, would have been nice if someone had told me earlier, but anyways.  This was only the beginning of the evening and plenty of time left for me to practice my EC skills.

Who knew these could be precious

This evening we would be sorting travel sized soaps, shampoos and all of those tiny toiletries that one finds in a hotel bathroom.  These are then either donated to the homeless, or to various residents on Night Ministry shelters. Our job was to sort these into the two categories and also throw away anything that was less than half full.  But before we could sort, the items had to be carried from the storage room, to the main sorting room where all of us were assembled.  Some of these containers were quite heavy and since another volunteer Matt and I were the only men there, Kinga was looking at us to do most of the lifting.  But to their credit, the women volunteers did their bit as well and soon all of the heavy boxes were outside and sorting could begin. 

The 'Sorting Crew'

In terms of the soaps, the large soaps were to be kept for Night Ministry shelters, while the smaller and medium sized ones were to be donated, along with feminine soaps.  Now, the size was a subjective call, as was what constitutes a feminine soap? Was it fragrance, packaging? We were told that it would “look nicer” with some fancy packaging.  Well, we started doing that and I started mingling about with the volunteers, taking pictures.  Once again, the volunteer who had reprimanded me for asking for numbers had a problem with that I should take “less pictures and do more work, since none of us here is an Executive”.  Well, looks like I should just throw away the EC checklist since nothing on it was making sense now.  Now, let me quote from the EM Checklist Section on 'Day of AND during the event', subsection 'Recruit for after-party and make sure everyone's having fun': "You're not a volunteer - you're coordinating".  It's in italics while the rest of the paragraph is not, meaning it's important.  So that’s what I was doing.  While I can understand that perhaps I should interpret these rules as per the situation and when there is lot of work to be done – as was the case this evening – I should be a more active participant.  However, my problem was in the way this was said to me, and by someone who is a member of One Brick leadership team themselves.  This is not something that needed to be said in front of other volunteers, least of all new ones.  This communicates a wrong message that One Brick EM and EC’s take advantage of volunteers and also portrays me as being lazy and participating in volunteer events without an active contribution.  To that point, I would love to someday compare notes with this volunteer on what our contributions have been in the community.

The boxes for pick-up

I jumped right back in and started sorting, just as I got a call from Wilson, who was downstairs and needed to come up.  As I let him in and we walked upstairs, I told him what had happened and he said not to worry and we should discuss later.  I rejoined my sorting crew and we were almost done with the soaps.  Next, we moved to sorting shampoos, conditioners and bath gels.  As we sorted through those, we found that there were a lot many conditioners than shampoos and that these bottles were greasy.  Our hands were sticky and I mentioned to Matt that I have never looked forward to washing my hands more than today!  After sorting through some other random hair products, Matt and I piled the boxes that were going to be distributed onto a cart and moved them downstairs.  There were two different destinations and we did our best to separate them evenly.  Then we moved the stuff that was staying back inside into the storage room and were then ready to leave.

Some of us went to a bar ‘O’Shaunessey’ afterwards to socialize.  I learned that Kinga and two other One Brick regulars were on their way to Oklahoma to participate in relief efforts.  Since they were driving, discussion turned to merits of technology such as GPS, something that Wilson favors a lot.  I suspect if it were up to him, he would have people use GPS within their apartment!  I remember the days of carrying big road atlases and maps and we found our way just OK.  Having said that, I am always for technology and so you wouldn't find me arguing too much.  I chatted with one of the new volunteers Coleen and she wanted to know more about other opportunities. I told her about what One Brick has to offer, and also brought up Chicago Cares, at which some eyebrows were raised.  Once again, I fail to understand this competitiveness when the overall mission is the same.  But, I had got into enough arguments this evening to start a new one. 

As Wilson dropped me home, we discussed the situation from earlier this evening.  He told me that I was not in the wrong and rather than dwell too much, take it up with the volunteer in question and discuss what could be done better.  However, the last thing I want is for us to lose track of what One Brick does and get into a baseless quarrel.  Tonight was about doing something important.  Irrespective of how we felt towards each other, we were here for a reason.  According to the description on One Brick website, “The Night Ministry was created out of diverse religious traditions to build relationships with vulnerable youth and adults on the nighttime streets.  Through these relationships and the provision of housing, health, outreach, spiritual, and social services, the organization seeks to empower people of all ages to meet their own needs.  Recognizing the uniqueness, dignity, and value of each person, the Night Ministry accepts individuals as they are, in an affirming and compassionate manner.  The Night Ministry is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-denominational organization serving youth and adults in need - regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or social status.  Those served include homeless youth and adults, uninsured/underinsured individuals seeking medical assistance, working poor adults, the chronically lonely, children who need a safe place to gather, and others in need”.  It puts everything else into perspective. 

Make-A-Wish: Assistance With Shopping Spree

Location: Michigan Avenue

Date: Sunday, June 16, 2013; 11:00 am-4:00 pm

One of the more popular wishes through Make-A-Wish is for a shopping spree.  It is also one of the few wishes where the ‘Wish Granters’ actually get to participate.  However, sometimes the ‘Wish Child’ combines a shopping spree wish with a travel wish.  This was one of those wishes.  A girl in Michigan had wished for a shopping spree on Michigan Avenue and was therefore headed to Chicago.  Obviously, her ‘Wish Team’ would not be travelling with her, but that does not mean MAW abandons them to be on their own.  Usually the local chapter assigns other 'Wish Granters' to the family for the day, so that they get a similar experience as they would in their hometown.  I had seen this opportunity on the website and had signed up.  Besides me, there was going to be another trained 'Wish Granter' who would be participating.  We started the preparation with more than a week to go when MAW staff contacted me and Andrea – my partner for the day – and gave us more details on the family.  We learned that the girl, Cierra, has already short-listed the stores she wanted to visit and most of those were in the ‘Water Tower Place Mall’.  Andrea and I exchanged emails during the week planning how we could make this more special for Cierra.  We may not have been her 'Wish Granters'.  But we would give her a visit to remember.

Water Tower Place Mall

We knew that ‘Macy’s’ and ‘Forever 21’ were a couple of the stores that she was interested in.  So we decided that I would call those stores and check if they could do any enhancements, while Andrea would call the Mall itself.  I called 'Forever 21' and explained that I was representing MAW and we would be having a 'Wish Child' visit the coming Sunday.  I asked if they could do any enhancements such as having the store employees greet her or assigning her with a personal shopper.  While the 'Forever 21' employee was sympathetic and wanted to help, she said that her hands were tied since Forever 21 is a private company and any deviations from their daily routine.  I thanked her for her time and moved on.  Later that day I found myself in the mall and visited ‘Macy’s’ office, the same place I used to pick up ‘Believe’ campaign letters from, week-after-week.  I asked for Amy, who had been my contact at Macy’s, but she was out.  I mentioned how ‘Macy’s’ had been a terrific partner of MAW for so long and we would be appreciative of another such gesture the coming Sunday.  The lady at the desk took down my contact information and promised to have someone call me back. Andrea had also managed to reach some other stores and the Mall offices, all of whom had promised to do something special.  A day before while I was at ‘Serve-A-Thon’, I got a call from Sarah who worked at ‘Macy’s’.  She said that everyone at ‘Macy’s’ was excited to have Cierra visit and asked if there was anything special that Cierra wanted.  I said that I had no idea what teenage girls want and Sarah suggested a makeover.  It sounded good to me and with a day to go, we were ready to go.

I arrived at Marriott Hotel in downtown, wearing my MAW shirt.  I spotted Andrea through her shirt and we chatted about our MAW experiences as we waited for the family to come down.  I had spoken with the ‘Wish Mom’ earlier in the week and had mentioned that we would be waiting in the lobby.  The family came down soon and besides Cierra and her parents, we had two younger sisters, Alyssa who is 12 and Chelsea 6 and a younger brother Daniel who is 10 and baby brother Christopher.  With such a big group, we needed a big vehicle and MAW had booked a limo for us.  After a few phone calls with the limo driver, we finally managed to figure out the pick-up spot and lo and behold, it was the same driver that had dropped Hannah and her family at the airport.  He introduced himself as Frasier and was a cool gentleman who was chewing on a toothpick.  I instantly took a liking to him and knew that we were in good hands. 

A full bar inside the limo

It took some time for all of us to get inside and for me personally, it was the first time inside a stretch limo.  It was everything I had imagined it to be with multicolored lights and one entire side comprised of a bar.  Well, with more kids than adults, the bar was not exactly being used and in any case we had a short few blocks to travel.  Frasier dropped us off at Hancock building, where we would be lunching at 'The Cheesecake Factory’.  We got a table and settled down, with me sitting next to Alyssa and across Daniel.  All the kids, especially Alyssa were stuck with their noses in their respective iPhone's.  When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was playing a game in between exchanging texts with her friend.  She loves her desserts and emerged from her phone to study the extensive cheesecake menu.  I asked what she wants to do when she grows up and she said either be a hairstylist or work in art.  I said the both need not be mutually exclusive.  Daniel was a very thoughtful boy who rarely spoke but when he did, was very polite.  I asked Cierra about herself and learned that she wants to study finance.  But the person who was the life of the party was little Chelsea, who is a bundle of joy.  Not only was she needling Alyssa, but knew exactly what buttons to push with all of her siblings.  It was going to be a fun afternoon.

After lunch, our first stop was ‘North Face’.  While it was not on the list that we had received, Cierra wanted to check it out.  Her mom told me that on previous Friday, Cierra had visited their local mall in Michigan and tried out all of the outfits that she wanted to get.  This meant that she was very well prepared for her shopping spree and knew exactly what to get where.  While the women shopped on the first floor, I went upstairs with Daniel and his dad to look at some shoes.  Besides the money allocated to the 'Wish Child', MAW also budgets a small amount for the siblings.  But to their credit, the rest of the kids did not seem to want anything.  Cierra picked out a jacket and paid for it with the debit card that MAW had provided.  Our job as 'Wish Granters' was to present the MAW Tax-exempt certificate during checkout so that Cierra would not be charged any sales tax.  It was interesting to see the check-out person get confused and call his manager who after some initial skepticism accepted our certificate. 

We then proceeded to the ‘Water Tower Place Mall’ and while Andrea went to the main desk to let them know we were there, the rest of us went to ‘Express’.  While Cierra went about with her shopping, I chatted with Chelsea and Alyssa.  I learned that Alyssa loves animals, especially dogs.  I showed her pictures from my ‘PAWS’ event with One Brick, as well as some other dog pictures from ‘Pet Therapy’  Once Cierra was done, we did the same routine with the tax-exempt certificate at the checkout and then assembled to see the goody bag that Andrea had brought with her.  The mall had gone all out and had put together a gift package for Cierra comprising of all sorts of items from various stores, along with a gift card for shopping within the mall.  Cierra was overjoyed and so were Andrea and myself.  It was fantastic to see the mall respond to our request, and do this at such a short notice and with complete faith in what we were doing.

Next stop for the women was ‘Victoria’s Secret’ and so I took Daniel and went to the ‘Brain Store’.  Daniel is a bright boy and thoroughly enjoyed being there and working on the puzzles.  We spend some time there and Daniel was completely engaged.  Andrea texted me and we went outside to see Cierra and others carrying lots of bags.  Like the mall, ‘Victoria’s Secret’ had also responded to Andrea’s request by showering Cierra with lots of gifts.  Andrea’s folks had come through in a big way.  Now it was up to me.  I called ‘Macy’s’ and told Sarah that we were here.  She asked us to proceed to the 1^st floor where they have all the make-up stations and assemble at ‘Impulse’, where someone would meet us.  The problem was that Cierra had decided not to shop at ‘Macy’s’, so I whispered to her mom that this was a surprise.  We managed to convince her to go with us and soon our group was waiting by the ‘Impulse’ booth.  We were joined by a woman and a man, who were ‘Macy’s’ staff and who were carrying two bags containing lots of makeup and premium toiletries.  It was not just them delivering these and leaving, the woman had a tremendous personality and spend some time chatting with us, especially with Daniel and other kids about their favorite children’s TV show.  

Our hands full of bags, we decided to go to one last place before calling it quits for the day. Chelsea really wanted to go to 'American Girl', but we did not have much time and I was amazed at her maturity when she accepted that and kept on smiling.  How many girls of her age would have done that?  I called Frasier and he came over with the car to pick us up.  We piled in and headed to State Street and to ‘NY and Company’.  Frasier dropped us and went to find parking while Cierra tried to get most done in the limited time we had before Frasier had to leave for his next assignment.  She picked up a few things while I played with Chelsea who was becoming my best friend.  At checkout we encountered our first problem of the day when they refused to accept our tax-exempt certificate.  I argued our position and we realized that their reluctance was due to their ignorance on how to do the checkout rather than principle.  They finally figured it out and now we were ready to leave. 

Frasier dropped us at the hotel and I told him that I would call him should I require a limo.  He had been fantastic and just the kind of driver that a MAW family would need.  Andrea and I took several pictures with everyone and before we left, Chelsea gave me a hug and said that she was sad to see us leave.  She wasn’t the only person who felt like that because I knew that I would miss her as well.  The family had another day in Chicago and we told them where to go and what to do.  As I wished them all luck and left, I reflected on this wonderful day.  Later I called my ‘Wish Partner’ to discuss our first assignment that we had received yesterday, and told her about how all the businesses had gone above and beyond to show Cierra that they cared.  Someone once said that people really want to do something good.  They just need to be asked. I had seen that side of establishments such as ‘Macy’s’ and ‘Victoria’s Secret’.  There are days when I do get disappointed in my expectations from people I thought I knew... I thought I understood.  But then comes something totally unexpected like today.  For a second day in a row I have no hesitation in repeating what is a constant theme of this blog…Everywhere life is full of heroism.

Pour Beer At The Living Social Craft Beer Festival

Location: Lincoln Park Zoo

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013; 6:00-11:00 pm

I took a cab from the Daley Plaza to Lincoln Park Zoo to participate in this One Brick event where we would be pouring beer.  There was a mandatory training session the previous Thursday where we were required to dial into a conference call with the organizers.  We learned what our roles and responsibilities were going to be and it really was just pouring beer up to the pour line and checking off the visitor’s card.  Once they had reached their limit of 13 pours, we were to refuse them additional pours.  It seemed straightforward enough.  I asked Wilson who we were benefiting through this event and he said it was the Lincoln Park Zoo.  According to The One Brick website, “A diversity of wildlife, scenic gardens and daily education programs draws millions of visitors annually to Lincoln Park Zoo. For more than a century, the zoo has remained open and free every day of the year. Located on 35 acres along Chicago's lakefront, Lincoln Park Zoo is more than a recreational resource, is an international leader in wildlife conservation and education.”  I could live with that.

I arrived at the zoo and met up with Wilson and Polly as well as some of the other that I knew like Heather and Rich.  There were a few newcomers and Polly said that I should practice my EC skills by giving them the One Brick spiel.  There were approximately 56 vendors participating and spread over 4 zones.  I was assigned Zone 4 and the ‘Blue Moon’ booth.  Now, let’s face it.  There were several unique micro-brewers here.  If the entry ticket allowed you only 13 samples, I would hate to use on something I can get at my local gas station.  Besides One Brick, there were other volunteers as well, including a couple who had been assigned to Zone 4.  Unfortunately for them, while she had been assigned to ‘Blue Moon’ booth with me, he was going to be with ‘Angry Orchard’.  They asked if he could exchange with me so that they could be together.  I did not mind either ways, and so exchanged my assignment with him. 

View from my booth

I was directed to my location, which was inside an enclosed area, with a view of a pond and a musical stage.  I met Frank, who was the representative of ‘Boston Brewing Company’, who owns the ‘Angry Orchard’ brand besides their most popular one, ‘Sam Adams’.  Next to us was another ‘Boston Brewing Company’ brand, ‘Tenacious Traveler’ and on point there was Lindsey.  I joked that we three were perhaps the only people in the park rooting for ‘Bruins’ that night against the ‘Blackhawks’.  I asked Frank how the evening would go and he said that unlike most of the vendors there, we did not have draught option.  We would be pouring straight from the bottle and for tonight, there were two options – ‘Apple Crisp’ and ‘Apple Ginger’.  Once the folks came with their glass, I was to ask which one they wanted and then pour up to the mark.  There were plenty of bottles in the cooler and several cases in the back.  However, since the organizers had told us that there were only 13 pours, I wasn’t sure if anyone would want to waste that on a cider.  I mean come-on.  It’s a cider.  Boy was I mistaken!

Angry Orchard options

The initial wave wasn’t that bad and I was glad to have Frank with me.  People would look at the two offerings and ask for a recommendation, which I was unable to provide since I have never tasted this cider and was not allowed to drink during my shift.  Frank told them that while the ‘Apple Crisp’ was the number 1 selling cider in the US, the ‘Apple Ginger’ one was their new offering which was gaining popularity.  That was indeed true, since many people were requesting that.  While Frank had me for company, Lindsey was by herself and so when the crowd started gathering at her station, I told Frank that I would move over to help her for a bit.  The ‘Tenacious Traveler’ had two offerings as well, ‘Lime Lemon’ and ‘Honey Ginger’.  It was the same routine as before, with people asking for recommendations and Lindsey helping them out.  Soon, the people were coming in droves and we were working non-stop.  It was open-pour-discard empty bottle-restock-repeat.  With there being no respite, I started appreciating the amount of work bartenders put in every day.  

We made a serious dent in the cooler

I saw some familiar faces such as Lisa, with whom I have done some Chicago Cares projects and my buddy Jason and his girlfriend Amy.  I also saw Sonia from Chicago Cares, whom I had met just a few hours earlier at ‘Serve-A-Thon’ after party.  She was so excited to see me that she wanted to take a picture together.  But it was not just the people that I knew who were chatting, there were others as well.  One guy kept coming back for the ginger cider and after his tenth visit – the organizers had asked us to stop marking off the pours - he kept saying that we had become like family!  Many said “Surprise Me”, when I asked for their choice and this was followed by some joke.  It was like this for the next few hours and I lost track of how many pours I had done.  Under normal circumstances it would have been exhausting work, but having been out since 7 am meant that every inch of my resolve was being tested.  Finally, at 10:30 pm the organizers called it quits and I was just about ready to fall down.  

Heather, who was in my Zone, and I started walking towards the entrance just as it started raining.  We waited for everyone to gather and Wilson asked us about our experience.  I said that it was the hardest I had worked and even though it had been tough, I could see myself coming back.  Polly, who was the EM, wasn’t very impressed with the organizers and complained that the volunteers had not been treated well - there being no water and no breaks.  She said that the organizers would hear from her about some of these issues and they better get some things changed in case we were to return back next year.  Even though it was late, a few of us went to get something to eat and then Wilson dropped me home.  It had been a long day, but a satisfying one.  It had been about leadership and camaraderie and also how there is no substitute for hard work.  And I had learned a lot; not least that cider is popular!  There are only a handful of days in a year which you look back upon as a highlight.  This was most certainly one of those.  There were several instances during the day and the evening which caused me to experience simultaneous feelings of nervousness and excitement.  But none like an email that I received towards the end of my shift at the Beer Festival.  I had been assigned my first Wish Child. 

Serve-A-Thon 2013 – Part 2

Location: Mary Hartwell Catherwood Apartments

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013; 7:30 am-2:30 pm

The decorations

We had asked the volunteers to gather in Building #3 activity room, which was also going to be the site for our picnic, now moved indoors.  We had a total of 44 volunteers from two companies, ‘Plante Moran’ and ‘Kemper’, each group wearing their company t-shirts.  They were looking enthusiastic and more importantly, they were looking for the leader.  I stepped up and the time had come to deliver my speech.  Now, I had already received a script and had spent most of yesterday practicing what I was going to say.  I was more or less required to start by saying, “Thank you for “raising your hand” and for being part of the solution to some of Chicago’s most pressing challenges!  I’m Ritesh and I’m your Primary Site Leader for the day.  Serve-a-thon is all about bringing people together to a make real, lasting impact in Chicago.  Today, we’re joining a legacy of hundreds of thousands of Chicago Cares volunteers who have served the last 22 years.”  I did all of this, except I forgot to introduce myself!

Then then told them why they were there.  About how today was us trying to give something back to our seniors, to show them that we care.  Then I introduced Caroline, who told them a bit about the Mary Hartwell Catherwood Apartments and its residents. After that I introduced Alisa and Claire as our leaders for today and asked them to describe the projects.  Then we asked which project they would prefer.  Almost everyone wanted to do the murals.  This was admirable, but we really needed only 15 volunteers with 5 per mural.  Claire would require the rest to cook for almost 100 people.  Furthermore, we did not even have the transparencies yet!  Through some good-natured coaxing on my part, we negotiated the split with approximately 15 folk headed to Building #2 with Alisa while the rest stayed behind for the picnic.  While Caroline had arrived with pencils for tracings, there was still no sign of Jocelyn.  I was hoping that not only would Alisa take her time taking them to her activity room, but would keep them entertained once there!

The Mural's Room

We told Claire’s group that they had two main tasks before the picnic began, one was the actual cooking and the second was to get the room ready.  For that purpose, we had a few decoration items such as colored tissue paper, balloons and table cloth.  The menu was ‘Deviled Eggs’, ‘Hot Dogs’ and ‘Fruit Salad’.  Plus we had some bacon which could be put to good use.  Within no time Claire’s group was on their way with folks working on the room, others boiling eggs and the rest cooking hot dogs and chopping fruits.  I went over to the other building wondering what Alisa was doing in absence of the transparencies.  All the volunteers had received lunch boxes when they boarded the bus and I thought that now would be a good time for them to eat, rather than stand and do nothing.  However, as I came to Building 2, to my immense relief Jocelyn had arrived.  The three murals that we would be painting were, ‘Chicago Skyline’, ‘You Make America’ and ‘Thurgood Marshall’.  The transparencies would be projected on canvas where the volunteers would sketch and then take them to the floor for painting. 

Since Alisa and Claire were the real project leaders, my job was to just make sure they had everything they needed for their volunteers.  Over at the cooking project the decoration team had done an outstanding job.  They had designed a wonderful looking thing using the multi-colored paper and were done with both, wall and table decorations.  The cooking team was well underway and I asked them if they required anything.  Some requested additional bowls and trays, something that I borrowed from our regular closet in Building 1.  The room where we were hosting the picnic opened onto a covered outdoor patio which would make for a terrific location for some of the residents.  I grabbed a few guys and went over to Building 1 to get a few tables and chairs.  It took us a couple of trips and getting soaked in the rain – which decided to make an appearance only when we were outside – to get them onto our patio.  I went to check on the Murals group and they were totally focused on their work, having almost finished the sketching. 

The Picnic Room

It was time for the picnic to start and slowly the seniors started filtering in.  They started taking their places on the tables and it was nice to see the volunteers mingle with them.  Some of the volunteers were sitting outside on the patio, actively engaging the residents.  The food was ready to be served and some of the volunteers made a serving line.  The line was working very well and I had a chance to chat with Claire and Caroline.  They had both done a terrific job over here, especially Claire, who had led with the similar poise and dignity that she usually exhibits.  I asked Caroline how she had gotten involved with this facility and she said that she had always liked serving seniors and this was a right fit for her.  Since the cooking and decorations had been done, some of the volunteers had down time and I talked with them about their experience so far, the facility we were in and general volunteering with Chicago Cares.  We were having fun and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else, including at Wilson’s site, from where he sent me pictures of volunteers with today’s chief guest Chelsea Clinton.

I went over to Alisa’s project room and people had started painting their murals.  I had taken with me couple of people from the picnic project since it was imperative that we finish the murals.  Back in the other room, lunch had been cleared and people were ready to play Bingo.  We had the usual prizes such as hand soap, lotions, laundry bleach, toilet roll, dish soap etc.  I told the volunteers how they prizes would be selected, with things like dish soap and bleach being the first to go.  I mean, who uses bleach nowadays in a world with all-in-one laundry detergent!  I saw my pal Barry and went to chat with him.  He is a regular at the breakfast and a genuinely charming person.  He mentioned that I had not been visiting lately and I said that I was occupied with other projects and unfortunately would be unable to come for the next few months.  He said, “Be safe, wherever you are”.  What a gentleman.

Our Mural's

The volunteers were enjoying the Bingo calling and working with the residents.  I had become friendly with some of them and I couldn’t have asked for a better crew.  When one of them almost called a false Bingo I mockingly chided her at which she pretended to be mighty ashamed.  I was glad to see them relaxed and making full use of this opportunity.  Back in Alisa’s group the murals were done and I took pictures of the teams with the mural they had made as well as a group picture of the entire Mural’s Project Team.  We then carefully transported the murals to the Bingo room and I went in first to announce that the residents were in for a surprise.  When the team walked in with the three murals, there was a loud applause and cheering.  The prizes were soon distributed and then it was time to wrap-up.  The residents thanked all of the volunteers and left, with us cleaning the entire place and restoring it to the state it was in the morning.  We returned the chairs and tables to Building 1, along with the cooking material that I had borrowed.  I came back and gathered everyone for my final address. 

Our Serve-A-Thon Team

I thanked them all for their tremendous service today and how they had made a difference in the community.  I challenged them to continue this by signing up for other projects through Chicago Cares.  Caroline spoke as well and then I asked the volunteers to applaud the magnificent work Alisa and Claire had done.  While Chicago Cares had provided a script for the final address, nothing I spoke about needed to be rehearsed.  I meant every single word and I was truly proud of my team.  We took pictures with everyone raising their hands to showcase the spirit of volunteering and supporting the community.  I took pictures with Alisa, Claire and Caroline - my leadership team.  I asked Caroline where the murals would go and she wanted to put one in each of the buildings.  She said that there was one with diverse cultural residents and that’s where she would put “You Make America”, to showcase the impact immigrants have made in this country. 

Claire was going back home, but Alisa and I were headed to Daley Plaza for the after party.  I thanked her and as Alisa and I headed to the train station, we saw the volunteers get back on their bus.  Alisa suggested that we ride with them, which seemed like the most logical thing to do.  We chatted with some of the volunteers and they once again emphasized the fun they had.  We arrived at the party location to see that it was in full swing.  There were already a lot of people there along with a live band and many tents serving food and drinks.  But we were headed to the special VIP tent, where all of the Chicago Cares staff and leaders had assembled.  I went in and saw some familiar faces like Wendy, Amy as well as other volunteers with whom I had worked in the past like Sonia and Andy, who participate in the Breakfast Club at the location I was at this morning!  I also saw Karen and Dale, who were supposed to be on my team, but had been reassigned to other site later.  I caught up with all of them and exchanged stories from the day’s activity. 

My leaders: Alisa, Claire and Caroline

So how do I summarize it?  The day had started with a phone call saying we were short on groceries, and had continued with other mishaps and delays.  But just like any other story, despite all the hurdles, there was a happy ending.  My team had delivered something special to the residents at our site and in the proud tradition of Serve-A-Thon, we had represented Chicago Cares exemplarily in our community.  Employees of 'Plante Moran' and 'Kemper' had been fantastic and I cannot say enough good things about Alisa and Claire; and Caroline as well.  As for me, I had been tested as a leader and had succeeded.  This was Leadership 101 and if I could get through this, I was confident of overcoming other challenges that life would throw at me.  Little was I to know that one of those was going to be in a few hours.  But that was for later.  Whatever was to happen in the future would happen.  At that instance in time, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. Serve-A-Thon 2013, a shining example to prove that yes, everywhere life is full of heroism.

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

Serve-A-Thon 2013 – Part 1

Location: Mary Hartwell Catherwood Apartments

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013; 7:30 am-2:30 pm

After weeks of discussion, preparation and anticipation, the day had finally arrived.  It was time for Chicago’s single largest day of service and I had the privilege of being one of only 29 primary leaders who would be directing the thousands of volunteers that would be participating.  Periodically, I had been receiving updates and various project related material from my Chicago Cares contact Jocelyn. This included the project descriptions, inventory of items and also talking points for the speech that I was required to deliver while welcoming the volunteers and during the wrap-up.  I had spent some time studying all of these things and although there were a few questions, I had no doubt that Alisa, Claire and I would be able to figure things out.  I was ready as I was going to be.

I was about to step out my apartment at 7 am when I got a call from Jocelyn.  She said that there was a slight problem with our food supplies.  We were expecting 60 guests to show up and had planned accordingly.  However Jocelyn said that now we were expecting 80-100 people meaning we would fall short.  There were some options open to us such as telling our site rep that once the food ran out we could not serve more; or changing the menu slightly to make dishes that could feed more people or in a pinch running out to get more supplies.  In my book there was never going to be a situation where we turned people away.  So I made a decision of buying more groceries and the only question was when and from where.  Alisa and I were scheduled to meet at Fullerton station and go to the site together.  I remembered that there was a Dominick’s store right next to Fullerton station and so I took a cab and arrived there with 15 minutes to do a speedy purchase. 

You can't make an omelette if there are no eggs!

In the cab I had looked at the food inventory and done some mental math to calculate how much more we would need for 30-40 additional people.  I grabbed a cart and started with 4 dozen eggs, 60 hotdogs and 60 buns.  I also picked up 5 bananas, 5 apples, 1 pack of strawberries and 1 bag of grapes.  Now, besides the food, I also needed extra plates, utensils, pans and cups.  With several bags in hand, I waited for Alisa outside the store and once she arrived, we hopped in a cab while I told her what had happened.  We arrived at the site and with all of the bags in tow, went to the security guard, who had absolutely no idea that we were coming.  I asked if the site rep Caroline was around and he said that while she wasn’t here, we could call her.  I did, and she did not answer the phone.  The guard let us through and we went into the community room to wait.  This was a different building than the one where we have our Saturday Breakfast and much smaller.  I called Jocelyn and after a few tries was able to get through.  She said that all of the supplies were there on site and inside Caroline’s room.  The room was locked and Caroline was unreachable.  So we did the only thing that we could do…wait.

Claire arrived and said that there was a school bus waiting outside.  I knew that the volunteers were supposed to get on a bus at Daley Plaza, but this was too soon.  I went outside, just as one lady was talking to the guard.  She was the bus driver and was there to pick up the people.  I said that this was the wrong location and that she was supposed to go to Daley Plaza, pick up the people and then come here.  She left and I thanked our stars that we had discovered this on time, but still we were running way behind schedule.  I was trying to reach Caroline on all possible numbers, with no success.  We were going to host a picnic and looking at the skies, I was concerned that the weather was not going to cooperate.  So we had to have an alternate plan and I went to check on the larger room where we have our breakfast meetings, so as to move everything there.  I was greeted by a foul stench and wet floor just outside the room.  A sewage pipe in the neighboring bathroom had burst at there was no way we could have the picnic there.  Was there anything that was going to go right!  I walked back to tell my team about this, when I saw that there was another person who had joined us.  Caroline had finally arrived!

The reason for her delay was miscommunication, where she thought that she was supposed to arrive at 9 am and we were expecting her an hour earlier.  But Caroline was not only nice person, she was enthusiastic and just as committed to making this work.  We had a quick team meeting to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the day and what we would do if the weather was bad.  With the big room out of commission, we would have to move it to a much smaller room which was really not convenient.  But first things first, we had to do the inventory.  We went into her office and got all the supplies that Jocelyn had dropped off and started to divide between the two projects.  It was evident that Claire needed some more cooking utensils and I decided to borrow from the main supply closet that housed our breakfast project materials.  The only thing to remember was that we had to put things back after we were done. 

Claire seemed to have what she required, but not so Alisa.  The number one priority for our project today was creation of three murals.  The way murals are done is by projecting transparencies onto canvases, tracing the outline and then painting them.  Although we had the three projectors, there was no sign of the transparencies.  Without them we were dead in water.  I tried reaching Jocelyn, but not only was she unreachable, her voice mail box was full and I couldn't leave a message.  After several tries she finally called me back and when I said that we could not locate the transparencies, she insisted that they were on site.  This led to another thorough search of Caroline’s offices, cabinets and also some of the garbage we had discarded.  When we were unable to find, we called Jocelyn back and she said that she would have to make more copies and drop them off, but with her other sites and traffic, it was not sure when.  Until she arrived, Alisa’s team would have nothing to do.  To compound the problem, while we had pencils for sketching, there were not sharpened and there was no sharpener on site.  This meant that even if we had the transparencies, there was nothing to sketch them with. 

While it appeared that things were falling apart, it was very important that neither me, nor Alisa or Claire panicked.  This is why choosing your team correctly is so important and in the two of them, I had the best.  So when Wilson called asking if there was any help required and if I wanted him to come and do something, I told him that while we had some minor hiccups, we would handle it. This was our responsibility, my accountability and there was no way I was going to let it fail.  But the concerns were real.  While we had overcome the shortage of food, a late start and a burst pipe; not having transparencies would effectively jeopardize, and even derail the project.  The only hope was that Jocelyn got here before the volunteers.  Just as I thought that, two yellow school buses pulled up outside the apartments.  The volunteers had arrived… and with them, so had the rain.

...To Be Continued