Cooking Up Change With Chicago's Healthy Schools Campaign

Location: Bridgeport Art Center

Date: Thursday, November 7, 2013; 5:45-9:45 pm

I had attended the orientation, reported to One Brick what I had learned and the volunteers had been informed.  Now it was time for the actual event.  So on a chilly November evening, I took a cab to the ‘Bridgeport Art Center’.  I arrived to find that the One Brick volunteers had already assembled, including Wilson, who had recruited a couple of people through ‘Red Cross’.  The only problem was that they were in casual attire and Kinga – the EM – had been very specific that the volunteers were supposed to wear cocktail or formal clothing.  So she dispatched them to coat-check while the rest of us waited for our assignment.  Rich’s daughter was volunteering with us for the first time and with him being one of the most popular guys, everyone was interested in meeting her - perhaps hoping to hear more stories about Rich!  Soon we went to our posts, with 5 volunteers sent to manage the ‘Compost’ stations as a part of the ‘Green Team’, and they would be stationed in the party area on 5^th floor.  The rest of us would be handling the registrations and check-in. 

They were certainly trying to get the word out!

Since I was the EC, I positioned myself to be a support person for the registration team, and with a few other non-One Brick volunteers in attendance as well, we were well staffed.  The guests started arriving and made their way to us, where we would hand them their name-tag, ensure that they had a raffle ticket and also give them a program.  I grabbed a bunch of programs to hand out, but we did not seem to have enough for all the visitors that were expected – and based on the name-tags on the table, there were a lot of them.  So I tried to be a bit conservative by handing out just one program per duo or group.  People were coming in and finding their name-tags by themselves and so for a while there wasn’t much to do, but then it picked up and we were busy.  Some of the name-tags were missing raffle tickets and so rather than just give them a spare one from the roll, one guy was being meticulous by noting down their name and the number on the ticket before handing it to them.  This made me wonder what the prizes were!

Registration & Check-in

While it was hot and cold for us at registration, Wilson and his guys were extremely busy with coat-check since everyone had worn a coat this chilly evening.  I sent some people over from registration to help them out and soon Kinga came and took the remaining registration volunteers upstairs for replacing the ‘Green Team’ members who were on a break.  This meant that I was the only person left to man the registration table, which wasn’t much of a problem since the name-tags were arranged by last name and easy to spot.  After a while Kinga came and send me on my break and so I walked over to the elevator that was taking the people upstairs.  Now, when I say elevator, I mean a moving platform that was as big as some studio apartments.  No kidding.  Apparently the building had once been an Industrial facility and these elevators were used to transfer heavy machinery.  I mentioned to the people in there that it was as big as my apartment and I wasn’t even sure if it was a joke.  There was a girl with us holding a wine glass and as soon as the elevator started moving, she started talking about the ‘Healthy Schools Campaign’ program.  She was obviously one of the staff members and took full advantage of the slow speed of ascent to deliver her message. 

The elevator opened into the main room and the party was well and truly on.  Above everything, this event was a competition between student chefs from 14 schools who had been tasked with preparing a healthy meal while staying under a budget.  There were tasting stations all around the room and I went about sampling what they had to offer.  While it wasn’t quite the gourmet food that I had tasted last week during the ‘Meals On Wheels’ program, it was still delicious.  The young chefs certainly deserved kudos for pulling that off.  Our team was at the various ‘Green Team’ stations and at one stage I saw Rich and his daughter standing at different locations in the exact same pose.  I took a picture of them individually to post on the One Brick website under the caption, “Like Father Like Daughter”.  And that was indeed true since she has inherited his mannerisms, temperament as well as the overall demeanor that makes him likable.

We had made the official program!

The people would be leaving soon and so I came down to the coat check where all of us would be required to dispense the hundreds of coats.  Wilson had done a great job of organizing everything numerically and so it would be easy for us to distribute.  The groups started arriving and soon it got busy. Our entire team was at hand and we had a system in the back room where the people in front would call out a number and since we had people in each aisle, we were able to hand the coats to the folks in the front in no time.  We were asking that the guests recycle their name-tags, but if they wanted to keep it as a souvenir, we would request that they at least give back the plastic lanyards.  Around 9 pm there were only a few coats left, including one that almost all the volunteers liked and were thinking of taking for themselves.  Since it got slow, people started talking about how they were looking forward to a beer, and Kinga asked Wilson and me to arrange for some beer and wine from upstairs. We took the elevator back up and saw that people were breaking down the party and packing up.  We found a case of beer lying about and Wilson picked it up while I grabbed a couple of bottles of wine – operating under the assumption that it was okay to do so.  We came down to much cheers and celebrations, while Kinga found it amusing that we had got the beer and wine without really asking anyone for permission.  We all left after 9:30 and it had been a typical One Brick gala event that the volunteers had enjoyed.  It had started with an orientation last week and today included me tasting the food that they are trying to implement in the schools.  Based on what I had seen, the student's diet is in good hands.

Dinner At The Wells Street Cafe

Location: Breaking Bread Ministries/LaSalle Street Church

Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2013; 5:45-9:00 pm

Here I was again, walking over for this project the first Wednesday of the month.  Thomas from Chicago Cares had once again inquired if I was able to lead today and I had said yes.  I sent a welcome email to the 3 people who had signed up and fortunately there were no cancellations.  I arrived a bit early to find that Keith was looking a bit flustered, so much so that he didn't recognize me.  I reminded him who I was and while there was a vague recollection, it seemed that he had a lot on his mind.  He was sending everyone to the clothing room since the food preparation seemed to be under control.  Two of my volunteers – Harpreet (Happy) and Tiffany had arrived and I sent them over to help sort the donated clothes into various piles.  We saw that several volunteers were already engaged in that activity and the two of them joined the group.  I was still waiting for the third Chicago Cares volunteer to show up and thought that my presence would be required in the main kitchen.  Plus, Keith was certain to find some task for me over there.

Sure enough, he needed someone to chop the tomatoes for the salad and just as I was about to do that, my final Chicago Cares volunteer, Aysha arrived.  I appointed her to the tomatoes duty, while I started helping another regular volunteer Hannah, in peeling cucumbers.  I have seen her every time I have been to this place and when I learned that she was in 8^th grade, I was floored by her dedication to this project.  Having peeled potatoes for a prior cooking project, I wasn’t looking forward to this task, though cucumbers proved to be easier to manage.  We then handed the cucumbers to Aysha to include in the salad, while I started looking for the 21 bowls that we would be using to serve.  As I started removing them from a cabinet, one of them slipped and with a sound that only shattering glass can make, spread all over  the kitchen floor!  As I went to get the mop, Keith came to see what the racket was and said that he was going to give me a hard time over this.  Then for the rest of the evening, he kept referring to me breaking bowls.  “Bowl”, I would correct him.  “Singular”.

The desserts for this evening

The sorting room people were done and they joined us in the kitchen, meaning we had a full house.  Most of them were dispatched to help with distribution of the desserts on 21 plates.  Today we had a lot of cakes and cookies and Keith wanted to get rid of everything.  Besides the 3 Chicago Cares volunteers, there were 2 other girls – Mikelle and Brittany – who were helping out and seemed to have identified me as a leader.  With Marianne missing, someone had to take charge and it might as well be me.  I handed them 21 plates – taking care not to break any – and asked them to distribute evenly.  We had dessert in excess and I told them that rather than piling the plates up high, we should leave some of the dessert out for people to take home when they came for seconds.  This would not only help the guests out, but also prevent wastage since any uneaten food has to get thrown out as per the law. 

Keith then called everyone to order and prepared for his usual speech.  He mentioned that Marianne was out for a doctor’s appointment and so it wasn’t surprising for me that he had looked a bit overwhelmed at the beginning.  For the new comers benefit he told us about the ‘LaSalle Street Church’ and the ‘Breaking Bread Ministries’ and then for everyone’s benefit, repeated the fact that the people coming in for dinner were our guests and that we needed to treat them with dignity and respect – two words that are often repeated in this place.  When the duties were assigned I said that I would serve juice along with Brittany and she said that she would follow my lead.  We started doing that and it was the most crowded that I have seen this place.  It took us a long time to do our rounds and by the time we returned, dinner had been plated and ready to be served.  Tonight’s menu was Chicken, Mixed Vegetables, Rice and Gravy.  As the volunteers started delivering plates, I took over Marianne’s task of pointing at the tables that were to be served next.  With this system we were done shortly and no sooner had we returned back to our station, than it was time for seconds and clearing of bowls and utensils. 

As people stood in lines, it seemed that clearing tables was a relentless and never-ending task, including gathering of the salt and pepper shakers and the central artificial floral arrangement.  With the clearing, stacking of the chairs and pushing away the tables, we were all exhausted at the end and it seemed like it had been the most labor intensive time at this project.  But none of us were complaining and I for one felt proud of myself since I had felt like a real leader today, taking charge so much so that volunteers followed my lead and asked me questions.  As we packed up, I thanked my 3 volunteers as well as Mikelle and Brittany, while pitching Chicago Cares to them. I walked back part of the way with Brittany and she talked about the challenges that she was facing, deciding between doing a PhD and going to medical school.  She said that she did not want to have regrets later and I said that rare is a life without any regrets about the past.  What matters is that the past does not lead to one having regrets about the present.  I told her not to put her life on hold as she debates this, and to go with what she truly wants.  Tonight had been a tough assignment.  But with a good team, we had overcome it and delivered a successful project.  Well, successful minus one bowl.  I think that even Keith would give me a pass for that!

Lakeview Seniors Pet Therapy

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, November 4, 2013; 6:15-7:45 pm

I had been away for the weekend and so it was nice to come back and attend this event.  I arrived at Lakeview Nursing to find three dogs had assembled in the small waiting area near the entrance and seemed to be behaving well with each other.  Their names were Lucy, Cody and Cally; and Lucy was even wearing a name-tag on her sweater.  I played with them for some time and then went over to the main activities room where the residents were preparing for Bingo.  I walked over to say hello to Jim and Jack and asked where Larry was since I hadn't seen him the last few visits.  Jim mentioned that Larry wasn’t doing well, which was sad since he does seem to enjoy his time with the others.  My buddy Elmer was there and he asked if I was there to bring them luck.  I said that someone like him should be making his own luck!  Jim and I chatted about the ‘Bears’ game that was on tonight and as usual, he was skeptical about their season.  The residents were coming in fast, including Emma, wearing the cutest pink hair band.  I asked how she had got it and she replied, “Oh yes”.  Aah, Emma.

Cally

The Bingo group was hurting for volunteers, but unlike last time, I decided to proceed with my original plan.  I went back to my group and Maria, our Volunteer Leader, said that while 7 dogs were signed up, it looked like we were going to have to do with the 3 that were there.  She went over the usual instructions and I was paired with Cally and her owner Marcie, whose two kids were there as well.  So it was a big group that set out for the 3^rd floor where we would start our visit.  Our first stop was with Jerry and I knew that Cally would like the treats that he always has with him.  Sure enough, there were some bacon strips that Cally devoured with great pleasure.  Jane, who calls the Bingo game along with her husband Jim, was there as well and I learned that Jerry was in fact her brother-in-law.  They visit him every Monday and while one of them is calling the game downstairs, the other is usually up in Jerry’s room giving him company.  Jane asked where I was from and when she learned that I grew up in Mumbai, mentioned how she and Jim had visited back in 2008, and had just left before the terrorist attacks.  

We moved on from Jerry’s room and started visiting some of the regular’s, like Odessa who probably doesn't understand much English, but is always smiling when we walk in with a dog.  This was in contrast to another lady whom I saw in a room and entered to ask if she would like to see a dog.  She couldn't hear me properly and kept asking me to repeat.  Finally when she saw Cally she yelled out in alarm, “No dog, no dog”, and we beat a hasty retreat.  But this was not due to Cally, who was one of the sweetest dogs that I have seen at this program.  She is 4 years old and has been with the family since she was a 5 weeks pup.  Marcie said that they have another 7 year old dog called Grace – Grace Cally, get it – and they had got Cally to give Grace company when they had to put an older dog down.  Before adopting Cally they had to foster her for a short while and even then the agency had come for a visit to give them the clearance.  I told Marcie that I would be heartbroken if I fell in love with someone like Cally and was refused permission to adopt due to whatever reasons.  But I guess the adoption agencies want to ensure that the dogs would be taken proper care of.

We then visited with Ruby who adores dogs.  She said that she was 93 and has pretty much seen everything that life has to offer.  She mentioned that during the great depression of 1930s, there were several strays on the streets and she and her siblings had brought one home.  Their mother had let them keep the dog and even though food had been scarce, they had fed the dog scrapes.  I said that after all the dog is a part of your family and you would treat the dog as any other family member.  We talked about how some people are mean to their dogs and abuse them.  I said its not just about being mean, it’s about being a sick individual if you abuse a harmless creature. Hence the need for the home visit by the adoption agency I suppose.

Cally playing with Gloria

I also chatted with the two kids who were in our party and the boy was in 7^th grade and the girl in 5^th.  I asked who they had dressed up as for Halloween and the girl said that she was a black cat, with the rest of her girlfriends dressed up as other cats in the litter. The boy said that he had dressed up as a ‘troll’ and that it was complicated.  I said that I knew what a troll was and he said that that were doing a “Quest for the take one bowl” with his friends.  Now that had me stumped and I asked him about it.  He said that they went after people who write “take one candy only” on their jars, and their objective was to purposely take as many candies as possible from such people.  Boys will be boys! Our next stop was with Loritta, who loves talking about dogs, and this time it was her German Shepherds and Rottweilers. We went to see Odelia who asked if Cally did any tricks and indeed she did, “sitting” when asked to, though the boy was now teaching her how to shake paws.  We went to see Gloria and both, Gloria and Cally loved each other.  Cally climbed on her bed and relaxed.  It seemed like she was settling in to stay for a long time and started playing, wherein she wanted folks to scratch her tummy.  Gloria was certainly Cally’s favorite stop and Marcie even took a picture of them together. 

By this point in the evening Cally was getting tired, though you wouldn't have been able to tell.  She was still calm and friendly, but Marcie said that her enthusiasm was dwindling.  I said that after her behavior tonight Cally could well be a therapy dog.  They were all ready to leave and I asked the kids if they had enjoyed the visit.  While the boy was non-committal, the girl shyly admitted that she had indeed had some fun.  I saw them off and then went back to the Bingo room to see that Emma was a winner for the evening.  I hung out with Jack, Jim and Elmer, who had also won some prizes.  He said that I had “transported” my luck to them and just as he did that, he won again, though he had to give the prize away. Soon the game ended and they all went back to their respective rooms.  I chatted with Jim for some time, as well as with Fran, who always asks me about Make-A-Wish Foundation.  It had been a wonderful evening, and a nice return back to Chicago for me.  And I had met Cally.  What a dog!

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

Cooking Up Change With Chicago's Healthy Schools Campaign - Orientation

Location: Healthy Schools Campaign Offices

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2013; 6:15-7:30 pm

One Brick was volunteering at Chicago Health School Campaign’s On November 7^th and for which I was going to be the EC.  They had requested that someone from One Brick attend an orientation session at their offices, so as to be prepared for the actual event.  Since their offices were in a building right next to my office, I offered to go.  I mean really, if I was Batman, I could have jumped from my building to theirs…and I wouldn't even have required my cape!  Well, that still didn't mean everything went smoothly, since I walked over and as the intercom was broken, I had to wait till someone came down and let me in.  There were some other folks who were waiting as well and one of them actually worked for Chicago Cares and knew about me and my blog.  That would have been a solid endorsement in front of the organizers, if only they had been there to hear it.

Indeed

We walked through their office to a conference room at the back where several people had already assembled and were having dinner, which was salad and pizza.  I took a seat and then Kristie, who is organizing the competition, asked us all to introduce ourselves.  I said that I was representing One Brick and gave a brief synopsis of what we do for events such as this.  This was the first time since ‘Serve-A-Thon’ that I was introducing an organization that I was representing, rather than just myself.  There were several other volunteers, some individuals as well as some with other groups, including a gentleman named Emilio, who was going to talk to us about Composting.  Kristie then introduced us to Rachel, who is running the Healthy Schools Campaign, who told us about their objective which was to implement healthy meal plans for kids in Chicago Public Schools – and for $1.  According to their website, “Healthy Schools Campaign is the leading voice for people who care about our children, education, and our environment. We teach and empower others to advocate for children to have fresh air, healthy food and physical activity to shape their lifelong learning and health.  As an independent, not-for-profit organization, we help facilitate collaboration between parents, teachers, administrators and policy makers. Our goal is to help prepare this diverse group of stakeholders to lead change at the school, district, state and national levels.”  This was fantastic.

I asked how they would measure success and Rachel said that while each school has their own indicator, at this stage the overall measurement would be a challenge to implement.  She said that many kids had not liked this change in their diet, but were adapting slowly.  The program is getting national awareness and within Illinois they are trying to establish a policy to get this widely implemented, though to me it seemed like an idea that shouldn't even be debated.  I mentioned this to Rachel and asked what would be the basis on which the politicians would challenge this and she said that I would be surprised at some of the roadblocks that they have to overcome.  She said that she appreciated all of these questions and the interest in the program.

Next, Kristie talked about the actual challenge that would be taking place during the event.  Kids from 14 schools would be participating and would have to make 3 dishes, each meeting the caloric and budget requirements.  The challenge starts at noon and would be judged by a panel of 21 at 5 pm, where they would award the top 3 prizes, including best presentation.  The winner would then represent Chicago at the National competition in Washington DC.  The tasting was starting later that evening and that’s the event at which One Brick would be volunteering.  They were requesting approximately 15-20 volunteers from our side and our task would be ‘Registration’, ‘Coat Check’ and ‘Green Team’, where we would be guiding people towards composting.  Emilio gave a talk on benefits of composting, which he described as “anything that was once living”.  He told us how composting helps control landfills since all products get converted into soil and everything goes right back in the ground.  We would be standing next to the garbage bins and encouraging people to compost and answering their questions. 

We concluded the meeting and I spoke with Rachel for a bit before heading out.  I sent a note to the One Brick leadership team summarizing what I had learnt this evening.  We were expecting 800 guests, meaning that we would be quite busy, though all of us would have an opportunity to take breaks and taste the food.  Plus, alcohol was going to be served and I assured everyone that I had reiterated One Brick’s policy of volunteer’s not consuming alcohol while on duty.  It appeared like any other program that we have done, though I for one was excited at the opportunity of sampling the dishes that the students would be preparing; especially since they had to meet cost and nutritional criteria, while being delicious.  Definitely something that was worth looking forward to. 

Job Coaching

Location: Open Door Shelter

Date: Monday, October 28, 2013; 6:45-8:30 pm

This is a rare Chicago Cares project where I usually end up arriving way in advance and this evening was no exception.  In the past I have waited at a nearby ‘Starbucks’, but today I decided to come directly.  I was the first person to arrive, but was soon joined by a first time Chicago Cares volunteer, Bethany.  I told her that she had picked a good one, just as our Volunteer leader Claire, along with Dave, who had been terrific during the previous session, when I had led, joined us.  Also present were a married couple and a volunteer Aaron.  As we waited to go up, we chatted with a staff member, and the new volunteers had some questions for her.  We learned that the age range for the residents is from 14 to 20 years and 9 months - since they had to be out before their 21^st birthday.  Also, under special circumstances the shelter can accept 13 year old's, especially if it pertains to domestic violence.  She went on to say that for tonight’s session one of the residents wanted to know about a potential misdemeanor charges and court appearance and how that may affect their job prospects.  We said that this was something that their lawyer should be advising them on, but the candidate should be upfront about it on their job application should the question be asked.  Our job was to coach them for the interview; the rest was up to them and the potential employers.

We went upstairs and I noticed that there weren't as many youth as usual.  Claire got us assembled and around the table for introductions.  One of the girls was on crutches and said that she had a sprained foot.  She said that she worked in ‘Potbelly’, a place that I frequent due to their excellent sandwiches, and I told her that.  One of the girls said that she was still in High School, prompting others to tease her by saying that she was looking forward to her prom.  Aah, to be young.  When my turn came, I once again mentioned about working in the energy industry. But then I went on to say that I once made medical devices as thin as human hair!  That seemed to get them excited and the girl from ‘Potbelly’ asked if this was in High School.  I said no, it was in Graduate School, though back in High School I remember trying to isolate the nerve ring of a tiny earth worm.  Ugh!

Today’s icebreaker game was ‘Bingo Squares’, where people had to go around, talk with others, and identify someone who fit a criteria in a square that they had.  This is a great way to get everyone involved and very soon there was a frenzy of activity.  Claire did not have enough printouts and so while I did not get a sheet, I told the residents that I would sign theirs. Actually, there were very few squares where I was eligible, since there were categories such as “plays sports” and “plays musical instrument”.  Why, I couldn’t even sign on “has seen a movie in the last 7 days”.  I could however sign on things such as “likes to read” or “speaks another language”.  I found myself with the girl from ‘Potbelly’ and looking at the married couple she said that she wanted to be married.  Well, that was certainly a nice wish and I told her that it would happen someday if she wanted it.  But for now we had to fill out these squares and “being married” was not one of the categories!

Do's and Don'ts of dressing

It was time to get started and as a first task, Claire put up a paper board on the wall, which she divided into two parts – Do’s and Don’ts.  She then gave us a lot of magazines and scissors, asked us to cut out the images of people in there, and then based on what they were wearing; paste it on the board as either “appropriate for an interview” or “inappropriate for an interview”.  I was working with a guy, John, and we were cutting out the images and making two piles.  Some of the images were obvious, such as a woman in beach wear or in a cocktail dress.  John said that it really depends on what kind of job you are applying for, though there are very few job's warranting a bikini be worn for an interview!  I said that you should be dressed professionally irrespective of the job.  For example, we had a picture of someone wearing a doctor’s apron and I said that even though that’s a professional attire, one should not be wearing it for an interview.  We put up some of the pictures, as did the other teams, and soon the board was full. 

Next, Claire wanted us to work with one or two residents on their Resume skills.  John and I had formed a good connection and so decided to stick together. We were joined by the girl in High School who introduced herself as Nel.  The three of us relocated to other end of the room and settled on couches.  As John went to get his resume, I chatted with Nel.  She said that she was going to college next year, starting with community college and then hopefully to a bigger University within a year.  She said that her ambition was to become a mental therapist.  I said that even though job coaching may not be something she needs right now, she should listen in as it may help her eventually.  John had returned with his resume and I saw that it required some work.  There were a lot of bullet points without much substance and he said that his counselor had prepared it for him.  I said that we would try to do better and we got down to work. 

I told John that we should go through the entire sequence of a job search, followed by resume preparation, interview and finally follow-up.  It starts with applying for the right job and tailoring the application to fit exactly what the employers are looking for.  It means not submitting a generic resume, but incorporating key words from the job description.  I asked John what he wanted to do in terms of profession and he said that he wanted to become a police officer.  I said that he should think about what is expected from a police officer and then use those key words in the resume; words such as “accountable”, “trustworthy” (as suggested by Nel) and “safe”, in the ‘Objectives Statement'.  Then I gave him my usual spiel about quantifying everything and list accomplishments rather than just duties performed in the past.  I mentioned that for his first job, it may be a difficult proposition since there isn't much experience, but he should be able to list it in time.  Next we went through the importance of Networking and how something like ‘LinkedIn’ could be a valuable resource.  I told him to meet with a local police officer, get to know him, and then network his way to a potential job.  I mentioned that it is okay to ask for an introduction in today’s day and age.  Next phase is the actual interview and how important it is to work on the “elevator speech”.  The best thing is to write down everything he wanted to say and memorize it till it became a habit.  During the interview it is very important to ask follow-up questions and so it becomes mandatory to go prepared and if the question has already been answered during the interview process, improvise on the spot.  Finally, we discussed something that he was keen on – the post-interview follow-up. I said that the first thing was to send a non-generic “thank you” note, personalized with some tidbit about each person who has interviewed him.  Then follow-up after a few days asking where they are in their decision making process. 

Time was almost up but John wanted to talk a bit about the Cover Letter, a point that I had forgotten to discuss.  Good for him!  I mentioned that the cover letter needed to be slightly different than the resume and should address the job, critical skills to meet the job requirements, and finally a request for an interview. I gave him some of Claire’s templates and wished him luck.  He had been a very good student and to her credit, Nel had been extremely attentive as well.  We left after what I felt was an extremely productive session.  One of the other youth thanked me and even referred to me by name.  I have been coming here for a long while and probably a project that I have attended the most.  But I leave satisfied every single time and today was no exception.

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

Meals On Wheels Celebrity Chef - VIP Dinner

Location: Zhou B Art Center

Date: Saturday, October 26, 2013; 5:45-9:30 pm

This was an event so exclusive, that it wasn’t even advertised on the general One Brick calendar. There were only 10 open spots, and the EM Kinga had sent an email to other One Brick EM’s and EC’s to ask if they wanted to participate.  I responded in the affirmative and when Wilson dropped out, I was bumped up to be the EC, though Kinga said that I shouldn't celebrate too much since she was going to make me work hard!  This was a high-end celebrity chef’s gala to benefit ‘Meals On Wheels Chicago’ program.  According to the website, “Meals on Wheels Chicago provides funding to programs that support home-bound senior citizens and people with disabilities, allowing them to continue to live independently in their own homes, with dignity and self-respect.”  Evening’s such as these were to raise funding to provide desperately needed services that would otherwise not be covered by government funds.  All in all, it was a great cause, but I did not know why it was such an exclusive event.  By the end of the evening, it was clear.

The venue

There were two requirements for volunteering at this event – you had to be dressed well, and have a smartphone with scanning capability. One of these was easier for me than the other.  Since I had been out throughout the morning at the ACS event, I had very little time to charge my phone and had in fact put a reminder for myself to do so. I did charge it when I got back home, put on my best suit, downloaded an ‘Eventbrite Event’ App and was good to go.  I took a cab down to the venue, which was in Bridgeport, and arrived to find a giant tent that had been put up behind the main building.  That’s the entrance we had been told to use and I went there to find that Rich had already arrived.  Now, while he is not an EM or an EC, very few people have put in more effort into One Brick than Rich and so he was an ideal choice to be invited to volunteer at this event.  We were wondering where others were, when Dave came to get us and we went into the building to find that the rest of our team had already assembled and were all dressed to impress. 

Kinga said that our first task was to check-in the VIP guests who would be arriving for a sit-down dinner before the main event.  We were to scan their tickets using our phone app, check against the list and assign them their bid and table number.  If the guests came as a couple, we were to ask if they wanted a single or multiple bid numbers and if anyone said that they were a guest of someone, we were to take down their phone number.  If we were unable to find anyone’s name on the list, we were to go find Kinga.  If a board member was to come, we were to give them a name tag and finally if a particular family were to check-in, we were to get Kinga again, who would introduce them to someone important.  Get it?  Good.

All dressed up

The art gallery had lot of wide open spaces and reminded me a bit of the ‘Andy Warhol’ museum that I used to frequent in Pittsburgh.  Lot of people had started lining up outside and we appointed Rich to be the gatekeeper.  With his easy going personality, Rich is a perfect person to diffuse a situation where people may get frustrated.  I was paired with Kristen and there were 3 other pairs who would be doing the check-in.  Rich was to spot an open table and then direct the next set of guests over to them.  For the initial period Kristen said that she would scan on the phone while I would check-off the list.  The gates opened and people started filtering in.  I was asking them if they wanted one or more bid numbers and almost every couple took just one.  To keep the mood light I would jokingly encourage them to take two so as to bid against each other. Everyone seemed relaxed and things were progressing smoothly.  We did encounter some people who were not on the list, but as per our instructions, we got Kinga and she took care of the issue with the organizers.  Two ladies came in and we realized that their ticket was for the after-party and told them so.  They mentioned that they had received an email inviting them for the dinner session and now it was a bit tricky.  The organizer took their word for this and said that he would accommodate them in the dining room. 

After some time Kristen’s phone was running out of juice, so we kept hers for charging and switched to mine.  The dinner guests were all checked in and we had some down time.  I saw a coffee station that had been elaborately arranged near the exit and it was for the guests as they prepared to leave.  The smell of the beans that had been arranged made me wish for a coffee more than anything else at that moment.  Soon the coffee people came in and with the preparation they were putting in, the organizers were going all out with the experience for the guests.  The after-party folks were going to be let in at 8:30 pm, though many had lined up way in advance and were waiting patiently while Rich chatted with them.  With our phones out, all of us lined up across from each other, forming a sort of passageway for the guests.  People were let in and Kinga started pointing them towards the next available person to scan their ticket.  It moved at a very rapid pace and I would usually send people on their way by wishing them “Have fun” or something equally mundane.  Everything went as per plan and even with the huge volume of people coming in, time went by fast and at 9:30 our shift was over. Now it was time for us to join the party and see what the big deal was all about.

Some of the treats on display

Gary, who is a gourmand, was attending this event instead of volunteering and I decided to stick with him.  There were over 40 stations serving gourmet food and with Gary’s guidance. I was able to hit the best ones first, though my intention was to taste everything.  The stations were everywhere, not just in the main building, but also in the giant tent that we had been in earlier.  As a live band played, I sampled as many dishes as I could, including a wide array of spectacular desserts. Seeing this made me wonder why anyone would come for the early dinner when there was so much to try here. It truly was one of the most special culinary experiences of my life and I wish there were some special friends with whom to share it with.  But there were a few of us here and we hung out for a while, even tasting a very interesting ‘Fire & Ice’ spicy vodka drink which cleared my sinuses for sure.  I left at 11:30 after a terrific evening and I told Kinga that now I knew what the big deal was.  She said that she’s been coming for past 6 years and it always gets better.  I am certain to return again and if not with One Brick, definitely as an attendee.  What a great end to a very special day.

American Cancer Society Making Strides Walk

Location: Soldier Field

Date: Saturday, October 26, 2013; 7:00 am-12:30 pm

"Tedmobile"

After months of planning and preparations, the day had finally arrived – ‘2014 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk’.  I arrived at 7 am and it was still dark outside.  All the tents and various stations were being set-up and it looked like people had been there for quite some time.  I saw Jess, one of my fellow committee members, setting up the ‘Survivors Tent’ and she directed me to where volunteers were checking-in.  As I did that, I saw Ted driving one of those golf cart like vehicles and he said that he would give me a ride to my Photo Booth.  While it wasn’t exactly being in the ‘Batmobile’, I still enjoyed riding that thing in the cool morning breeze.  Before that, we had a quick meeting of all of the station heads, where we got lanyards having emergency contact information for everyone.  They weren't taking any chances for sure!

Ted dropped me off at my station and from the looks of things; I had a lot of work in front of me.  I was right next to the survivor’s tent and they were doing a spectacular job of decoration. I started by setting my table up straight and then looked inside my box of props to see what we had to work with.  There were all sorts of pink things in there including a boa, garlands, Santa hat, big glasses, tiaras, masks etc.  There were signs that could be inserted in the ground and I went about putting u-them up, directing people towards the photo booth, advertising the company that was sponsoring this and also instructing the people to use, but not take any of the props with them.  The photo booth itself was all wrapped up and would only be opened once the operator from the company showed up.  In the meanwhile I was freezing and so went for a walk to warm myself up.  I saw two girls at the ‘Corner Bakery Café’ booth and asked if they had any coffee.  While they did have lot of goodies, they unfortunately did not have coffee and so after taking a muffin, I promised them that I would find some coffee somewhere in the park.  I did not have to look far since the survivor’s tent next to me had coffee and after grabbing a cup I went back to inform the girls, telling them that while it wasn’t up to ‘Corner Bakery’ standards, it was still hot.

My station as I found it 

Eventually the photo booth folks arrived – Jason and Kimberley.  While Jason was going to be working with me at our booth, Kimberley – who was also the owner of the business – would be operating the other booth in the survivor’s tent.  One of the volunteer’s had recruited her husband, Terry, and he was going to be helping Jason and me.  We set the booth up and after some minor difficulty, found power and had it functional.  Jason then showed me how to operate the thing, and the people coming in had two options – take a personal sized photo inside, or a larger group sized one outside.  Inside they got 3 photographs whereas outside they got 2 poses.  I liked Jason and we got along very well.  He told me that he was the software developer for the company and based on some of the events that he had done, people were going to have a lot of fun at our booth.  One final thing we had to do before opening the booth for business was hanging the giant ‘American Cancer Society’ sign behind the wide angle view and since the sign did not have any holes to tie it, we had to use giant clips.  Jason and I tried the booth and though my poses were quite lame, we were now ready to welcome our first guests.

The props

By now the place was getting crowded and the festivities were well and truly on.  And boy, were we popular!  A queue had begun to form at the photo booth and people were checking out the props that they wanted to use.  My job was to get them excited and set them up with their pose for the picture, especially if they were taking one outside, and then start the machine once the set-up button started blinking.  After the first picture was taken I was to remind them that there was one more and once that was done, get the group out of there, so that the next batch could come in.  Terry’s job was to ensure that the people did not walk off with the props and even if they did so, it was because they had forgotten that the props were still on them.  I would usually tell the women that while they looked fantastic wearing those, we really needed them back.  Jason would wait for the two sets of prints to come out of the printer – which usually took 90 seconds – and in the meanwhile I would tell the group that was patiently waiting, to relax from their pose.  Just as they would do so, the set-up button would start blinking again and it was time to go.  While the first picture was their signature one, almost everyone made a funny face for the second one; to which I say, brilliant!

A big turnout

With people waiting for the printing, I told Jason that he had to work on a way to speed up that process.  But he was great with the people and very patient.  Despite the lines, if someone requested a second shot and if their first one was really terrible, he gave it to them.  Many of our visitors were survivors who had come with their families to celebrate this occasion, for that's what it really was - a celebration.  We would ask the survivors to stand in the center, while we surrounded them with their family.  For the kids, we had chairs that we were using for them to stand up on; else they would be out of focus.  The lines were getting longer and Ted sent over some college girls to support us, though we really did not need additional help and they would just be standing around.  I asked them to help out by walking through the crowd and recruiting people to come for the pictures.  In the meanwhile, the opening ceremony had commenced and on the stage one lady was taking the crowd through ‘Zumba’ exercises.  There was a lot of color in the crowd and seeing the turnout made me extremely happy to have contributed to this event. 

The 'Survivor's Tent'

Once the walk started the line for our photo booth dwindled and we could finally take a break.  It was really cold and so I went to get some more coffee from the survivor tent and it was looking spectacular with all the decorations that the ladies had done. Some folks who were not participating in the walk, or starting later, came for their pictures, including a lady holding a card honoring her mother who had passed away years ago.  A visibly moved Jason thanked her for participating and I could tell that he was really taking pride in doing this – and for no cost.  In fact, people could not believe that the pictures were free and furthermore, they could go to a website on Tuesday to download them.  Jason said that people were always happy at a photo booth, thought one time he had to break up a fight at a wedding.  Wow, they must have had one heck of an open bar!

Even I got my picture

The walk was at an end and people were forming lines again.  I was encouraging people to wear props, especially the men; with some saying that it doesn't make them seem macho.  The fact that they were out here today makes them macho enough for me.  I was joking with the crowd and we were all having a great time.  One lady came and we were captivated by her beautiful eyes.  Another lady in the line commented on them and the girl behind her said that she wished she had those eyes.  The woman said that she had inherited them from her dad, making me wish that I had inherited my great grandma’s crystal blue eyes.  After hundreds and hundreds of pictures of families and individuals, and even dogs dressed in pink, we were ready to leave.  We ensured that everyone had a chance to take some pictures, including me with a pink fedora.  I thanked Terry for his hard work and told Jason that it had been a great experience.  I cleaned up my station and then helped breakdown the food and beverage tent, including loading unused water bottles in Ted’s cart.  With some other volunteers we folded tables all over the park and then it was time for me to leave.  Ted thanked me for my work, not just today, but over the entire year. Wow, it still feels like yesterday that I attended the kickoff meeting.  I said that it had been my privilege and I really felt that I was part of the organizing team.  I saw thousands of happy faces today.  No one, not a single person left our photo booth without a smile.  Everyone had a great time, and I was a part of bringing them that joy. How awesome is that?