Keep The Kids Running

Location: Girls On The Run

Date: Monday, August 19, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

I have elaborated before why I like going for this project and so had signed up to EC way in advance.  To my disappointment, a few days prior to us going there the organizers informed Wilson that they did not need us to come this evening.  But then a day later they changed their mind once again and the project was back on – not sure if Wilson had something to do with it!  Wilson picked me up at my office and we arrived at the site way in advance.  We chatted with the organizer regarding our responsibilities for the day and then it was just waiting for the volunteers, once again near the door with the broken bell.

We had the regulars this evening – Amanda, Franklin, Matt and Gary.  Plus we had Carey, who is a leader with Chicago Cares for the 3^rd grade Arts & Crafts project at Henderson.  With our quorum achieved, we were ready to begin.  We moved to the basement, where we would be re-purposing unopened tote bags that had been returned from the previous races.  Inside were some coupons, which were to be recycled, bumper stickers, which were to be saved and energy bars, which were to be disposed because they had expired.  Things like this make me quite upset since there are a lot of hungry people in the world and all that was needed was to salvage these bars sooner, followed by donation to a food pantry or a shelter.  We split into two groups, with Amanda, Matt, Gary and Wilson in a truly depressing section of the basement; and Franklin, Carey and me in the other room.

Count those medals!

My job was to count various things, starting with the medals that were inside a bag.  There were several boxes containing many such bags and on my less inspired days I would have spent hours counting.  But, I just counted the medals in one bag, multiplied by the number of bags per box and then totaled the number of boxes to get a final number of the medals.  This done, I went over to the other group and teased them for being a bunch of slackers!  Wilson was pitching one of his cooking projects to the group saying that he required someone to bake.  I said that I was a trained chemist and thus could do it…though my synthetic chemistry left a lot to be desired and there are plenty of past colleagues who can attest to that!

We finished up in that room soon and everyone moved to the main basement area where Franklin and Carey were counting bags.  The bags were of two different types – one which had ‘Drake’ written on it besides the ‘Girls On The Run’.  As we looked through the bags, we found some additional goodies such as sunglasses, cologne spray and a headband.  All of these items needed to be separated for future events and the bags counted.  We separated the two types of bags and finished counting, thinking that we were done and thus much closer to going out for some ‘Tater Tots’. However, we then realized that we also had to count the bags in some of the boxes that were lined up against the wall.  Fortunately these bags were empty, but there were a lot of boxes. We bit our collective lips, got down to it and after what seemed like an eternity, we were done.  We had to move a lot of boxes, meaning that not only were we all covered with dust, but we were exhausted.  Who knew that a simple counting of the bags could be so tiring! 

The caption says it all

Before leaving, Wilson asked me to explain what the GOTR organization did. This was for the benefit of new comers like Carey and once I had explained, he said that I had done a terrible job. Irrespective of my spiel, we felt that we had truly done some real work today, though I did point out that all the bags that we had separated would need to be assembled soon enough for their next event.  Wilson, Amanda, Frank and I then went to our favorite haunt, ‘Silver Cloud’, and besides our usual ‘Tots’, ordered ‘Freshly baked chocolate chip cookie with ice cream’.  The cookie lasted for all of four minutes, though with all of the hard time that we had put in this evening, we had certainly earned it.  

Post-Event Hospitality Crew For Climate Cycle

Location: Francis Parker School

Date: Sunday, August 18, 2013; 11:00 am-3:30 pm

Indeed!

The Chicago ‘Air & Water Show’ was being held today and so the entire city had descended on the waterfront.  This also meant that the traffic was being rerouted, and so it took me some time to get to the location.  I arrived to see Wilson, the One Brick leader for the event, was already there and soon other volunteers arrived – Michelle, Laura, John, Dana and Gary.  This weekend was the ‘Ride to Recharge: Dunes to Downtown’ ride, which is a 62 or a 125 mile bike expedition, the proceeds from which were going towards ‘Climate Cycle’s’ commitment towards sustainable living.  According to the description on the One Brick website, “Climate Cycle's mission is to inspire students to green our world.  We do this primarily through an annual bike ride where people from all walks of life come together to raise money and ride their bike so that schools can get solar panels and fund environmental projects.  For the past four years, 1,200 riders raised $500,000 for the cause.  We have awarded solar panels to 11 schools and funded over 20 innovative, environmental projects.”  The school stop was the conclusion of the ride, and our job was to help with the event setup and cleanup, as well as serving lunch and desserts to the riders.  We were also going to be managing the gear table, monitoring the waste station, and assisting riders with parking their bikes and handing out “Thank You” gifts.  In short, we would be doing everything.

The main staging area was the school basketball court and so we proceeded there to see some tables being arranged.  The bikes would be brought into the gymnasium and in order to protect the floor, they wanted us to lay down some blankets against the far left wall, on top of which the bikes would be parked.  Laura and I took up that task and we were being directed by one of the organizers, who was totally unsure on how she wanted this to be done.  This led to us doing it four times, first with blankets completely open, then with padded mats underneath, then with mats separate and blankets folded, then with doorways free etc etc. Wilson came over and suggested something at which I sent him over to discuss with the organizer, and she overruled him while second-guessing herself.  I truly feel sorry for whoever has to wait on her at a restaurant!

Final iteration of the blankets

In any case, we got the mats and blankets down and beat a hasty retreat - lest she were to change her mind again.  The riders would be coming in through the back side, and since the gymnasium was at an elevated level, the organizers wanted us to carry the bikes up the flight of stairs in order to show support to the riders after their long trek.  It sounded like a great gesture, but I questioned the wisdom of having the check-in at this level when we could save ourselves a lot of trouble by moving downstairs and avoiding this bike carrying.  Plus, this would render the blankets layout a moot point and make everyone happy.  But the organizers claimed that the bikes were as much a part of the rider’s triumph of completing the course and thus should be on display for all to see.  Well, it looked like we would be carrying the bikes up the stairs after all.  Once the bikes were checked-in, there was a ticketing system where one stub would be given to the rider while the other would be taped to the bike.  Then the bike would be carried and placed on the blanket.  With all of this information we were ready to begin, though there was nobody to welcome yet.

Wilson, Dana and I went down to the gates to hang a banner welcoming the riders.  We were using tie-wraps and as is usually the case, Wilson wanted to chime in with some trivia.  He said that to control a mob of protesters, police often use tie-wraps since handcuffs are at a premium.  He then went on to say that if either of us ever wanted to go on a protest, we should secretly carry nail clippers with us so as to cut through the tie-wraps.  Aah, today’s lesson on how to escape when in police custody!  The riders were running late – no doubt due to the traffic diversions – and that gave us all an opportunity to have lunch.  There were some rocks on the lawn and we all sat on them in a circle, very much resembling something akin to ‘Stonehenge people’.  After lunch we went upstairs where Laura and I would be at the bike check-in table.  I noticed that there were a lot of banners hanging from the roof of the gymnasium and mentioned that the school seemed to have a good sporting pedigree.  Wilson said that this was in fact a private school with fees running into five figures and so the kids here were probably focusing more on studies than sports.  Maybe the banners were due to the kids from this school beating other nerds!

Some of the families of the riders were already here and I saw a little girl running all over the gym floor as she waited for her dad to get in.  The rest of our crew was in position, with Michelle at the food station, Gary doing gear check, Dana greeting the riders and giving directions, while John had the unenviable task of carrying the bikes up the flight of stairs.  I would be responsible for handing the riders their check-in ticket stub, taping the other part to the bike and then carrying it to be parked on the blanket.  Laura would be handing the riders their t-shirts, though this was another head scratching thing.  We were told that the riders would be wearing one of two types of bibs – either with 3 digits or with 4 digits.  The 3-digit bib signified that the rider had participated in the 62-mile ride whereas the 4 digits meant that they were doing the full course of 125 miles.  This made sense to me, but what was strange was that the riders with 3 digits would be the only ones who were eligible for a t-shirt.  In other words, if you did a shorter course, you got a shirt.  I am sure there was logic to this, but both Laura and I failed to understand decided to just follow the instructions. 

The Cup

Also on our table were some magnetic pins to put on the bikes and two cups that were going to be presented to some special riders.  The pins were proving to be popular, especially with a girl who came in and started collecting all different types for her shirt.  She was a chatterbox and we engaged in some banter as we waited.  I also found a ball and challenged folks to sink the ball into either of the two cups from the doorway and if they were to do it, I would give them a pin.  It was all in good fun and kept us entertained.  Finally, the riders started arriving and I was busy with the ticketing and carrying the bikes to be parked.  Most of the bikes did not have stands, meaning I was stacking two at a time with one against the wall and the other leaning on it.  This did lead to an interesting situation when one guy came to collect his bike and as I was extracting it, the other bike fell with a loud sound that alerted everyone in the room.  As I sheepishly put it back, I thanked my stars that this had not created a domino effect, which would have been extremely embarrassing for me.

The parked bikes

Soon all the riders were checked in and so the festivities could begin. Almost all of them knew each other and so there was a loud ruckus around the lunch table.  First up was a video presentation on what this was all about, where we learned more about ‘Climate Cycle’ and what they do. Then the two cups were presented, including one to a leading fundraiser, who it seems participates every year and has been on the forefront of promoting the organization.  He gave a speech with a toddler in his hands and said that he was doing this so that the little guy can someday inherit a world without pollution.  On this rousing note the event was at an end and while I was ready to check out the rider’s, it wasn’t required since all of them just went over to their bikes and collected them - with or without the stubs.  To me it defeated the entire exercise and I mentioned as much to Wilson.  He agreed with me as far as this event was concerned, but said that they were putting a system in place when there would be 300 bikes instead of the 30 odd that we had today.  He had a point, though I doubt the organizers were thinking that far ahead.  However, they are a good group of people and while there were a few things that could have been done differently, their hearts are in the right place.  As I left that day the one thing that struck me was that while all the riders were promoting a world where everyone conserves fuel to restrict pollution, a few miles away invaluable jet fuel was being burnt in the name of entertainment.  Life, as usual, is not without irony.

Youth In Services

Location: Senior Breakfast Club At Lidia Pucinska Senior Apartments

Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013; 9:00 am-12:00 pm

I had enjoyed my previous experience with Chicago Cares’ ‘Youth In Services’ program and so when an opportunity presented itself for shadowing, I was all over it.  I was running late and so had to hastily find a cab, arriving just in the nick of time.  Well, I got to the building alright, but there was some repaving that was going on, meaning that I had to find an alternate entryway from last time. By the time I reached the dining area, the kids had already arrived.  I apologized to Stacey, the Volunteer Leader that I would be shadowing, and was introduced to the 5 youth over there.  I started chatting with them and after some time realized that one of the youth was actually their chaperon who was in college.  Well, so much for making a good start!

We would be serving breakfast this morning and there was a lot of cooking to be done.  However, everyone looked enthusiastic, so we washed up and Stacey allocated us our duties.  One of the guys Marco, was on eggs; a girl Alisha was on bacon, and the chaperon Cara would be doing the biscuits as well as scooping jam and butter into individual bowls for the tables.  Two other girls, Kate and Debbie were nominated to decorate the room with streamers – it was in fact important to get Debbie out of the kitchen since she is allergic to eggs.  Stacey was going to be making coffee and pouring juice, while I was assigned the unenviable task of chopping bananas.  I was not looking forward to this owing to the slimy texture of the thing, but Stacey told me to leave the skin on and chop into 4 pieces.  This would help accomplish two things – ease of cutting and also the skin would prevent browning.  Well, looks like I had learned something new, which may be useful…if only I liked bananas. 

Kate and Debbie had done a decent job of decorating with the limited supplies that we had and were now serving coffee and juice to the seniors who had started coming in.  The first batch of biscuits was slightly burnt, though Cara expertly cut the base off and they were as good as new.  Stacey was impressed and said that Cara could well be a surgeon with those skills.  I said either that or a chef, though she would make a lot more money through one of the routes!  If she was good, Marco was just plain brilliant.  He was exhibiting multi-tasking skills that would have made Wilson proud, cooking scrambled eggs by one hand while whisking the next batch with another.  With such commitment we were soon done and were ready to serve.  Cara and I started plating, with me putting a scoop of eggs and two pieces of bacon on the plate while she put a biscuit and two pieces of banana.  The rest of the group was serving and our efficiency meant that very soon all the seniors had their breakfast. 

Table decorations

The youth we had today were a part of ‘BOC (Bread Of Christ) Youth Group’; a club based volunteer organization, formed by youth church members to serve the Chicago community.  So far they were doing an exemplary job, though I was surprised that there were only 4 of them.  But that was explained soon enough when another group of 5 kids arrived and they were clearly late.  I looked at one kid Ron, who seemed to be their leader, and said that they were just in time for cleaning duties.  Considering that the rest had done a lot of hard work in preparing for the breakfast, it was the least Ron and his crew could do to make up for being late.  Even though he did a mock protest, Ron was on board and prepared to do whatever we assigned.  The breakfast was at an end and it was time for Bingo.  I asked the new kids to arrange the prizes and also hand out the cards as well as the beans, which were going to be used in place of the counters.  While this was happening, one of the girls cleaned the dirty dishes and in no time our kitchen duties were done.  All the kids spread out throughout the room and we were ready to play.

One of the youth was removing the Bingo ball while another was reading.  Then some of the others would echo that number, making sure everyone in the room heard clearly.  They were doing this with a lot of enthusiasm, and nowhere was it more evident than when someone got a Bingo.  This led to a ritual where Cara would lead the kids into a rousing rendition of the ‘Bingo Song’ – “B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and Bingo was his name”.  The song concluded with either Debbie or Marco doing a swirl on the piano.  I have been to several Bingo game’s but nowhere...nowhere, have I ever seen such participation by the volunteers and these kids were showing the rest of us how it to be done.  We were all, including the residents, completely enthralled and were actually looking forward to the next Bingo call so that the kids could do the song all over again.  It was the best Bingo experience that I have had so far. 

 

One of the Bingo prizes

I chatted with Stacey and learned that she has been a volunteer for 10 years, with 7 in ‘Youth In Services’ program.  Talk about experience!  I also learned that she knew my ‘Wish Mentor’ from Make-A-Wish, and we talked about that for a bit.  The kids were doing well, including Ron who was handing out the prizes.  I went over to him and as the prizes started dwindling, we started guessing what the next winner would choose.  Soon all the prizes were distributed, and for each of them the group had sung their song and played the piano.  The residents had enjoyed themselves and as they left one of the ladies said, “God bless you all”. The kids had definitely earned it.

The last activity was reflection and Stacey and I gathered them all around the table.  We asked them what they had enjoyed about today and all said that it was the interaction; and they were looking forward to coming back again.  I asked for feedback on what could be done to improve this, and Cara said that all of them were musically inclined and would love to bring instruments to play the next time.  They are all members of their church’s music group and Ron is in fact the lead musician – no wonder everyone seemed to follow him.  Seeing their skill with the piano as well as the singing, I had no doubt that they would do a great job entertaining the residents. Stacey said that she would make the recommendation to Chicago Cares and I hope it happens.  I had been won over by Marco’s smile, Kate’s enthusiasm, Alisha’s spunk and even Ron’s sheepish mischievousness.  These projects are designed so that people like Stacey and I can mentor the next generation of volunteers and leaders.  But today had been about them teaching us a few valuable lessons - on how a simple Bingo game can be elevated to a special occasion for the seniors.

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

American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee: Chicago Kick-Off Breakfast

Location: Macy’s – State Street
Date: Thursday, August 15, 2013; 6:30-8:30 am

Due to scheduling conflicts, I had not been able to attend several of the ACS steering committee meetings, though I tried to stay involved by following the email chains and meeting notes.  Every August, ACS kicks-off the count-down to the walk by hosting a breakfast where the top fundraisers and some of the past survivors are invited.  Today was that day and being a committee member, not only was I going to be in attendance, but would also be volunteering.  This meant a reporting time of 6:30 am…hey, at least it wasn’t 4:30 like the Avon Walk!

The room was spectacular

The event was to be held in Macy’s on State Street and I arrived to find that we were to be let in through a small service door on the side.  I checked in and was told to take the elevator to the 7th floor where the event was being conducted.  It was a strange feeling as I walked through the empty store, amongst the various merchandise areas, many of which were still in dark.  I arrived upstairs and followed someone who looked like a caterer, hoping that he would lead me to the right place.  What I found was a fantastic room which had a fountain in the middle and had been decorated for the occasion with pink balloons and other pink paraphernalia.  It truly looked magnificent and I thought if the occasion lived up to the room’s decor, we were in for a splendid morning.  

Every table had a reminder of why we were here

I saw Janae from ACS and asked her if people who were attending the event had paid to do so. She said no, it was by invitation only, and ACS still needed to pay for the food.  I told her how Macy’s supports Make-A-Wish Foundation and perhaps we should ask if they can help out next year through subsidizing the breakfast. She said that Macy’s has a lot of charities to support, so while we could try, it was unlikely they could do something.  I guess she was right, but doesn't hurt to make a case.  The guests would be arriving soon and the breakfast would be starting in an hour.  The first task for volunteers was to guide them to the right place.  We were given signs with arrows and dispatched to stand on the streets pointing the people towards Macy’s entrance.  When asked how we would know who was attending, we were told that people would probably notice the pink sign and stop to ask for directions. Well, that sounded right. 

"In case of an emergency, please follow the arrow"

A few of the volunteers went on the streets and started scouting for the appropriate location to station ourselves.  I went and stood across the street from Macy’s but soon realized that it did not make any sense since I figured people at least knew where the store was, even if they did not know the right entrance.  I sometimes think that these things are done more for promotional reasons and there’s nothing wrong with that. So I went down State Street and found a spot near a sleeping homeless man who was under a comfortable looking blanket.  I held up my arrow and very soon a guy in a suit walked up to me and asked for directions to the entrance.  A bit later another gentleman walked up and asked for general directions towards Monroe Street – in Spanish!  I pointed him in the right way, as I did some other women who asked me if they were headed south.  Hey, if I was going to be standing there, might as well make myself useful.  

Everyone was energized

There really wasn’t much to do but see the city come to life in these early hours, and the most exciting part for me was watching a woman try to parallel park in reverse.  The pillar of the ‘L’ was throwing her off and I tried my best to help her adjust, but despite our combined efforts she gave up and moved on.  A few minutes later another car did manage to accomplish the feat cleanly.  I guess if you are motivated enough to find a parking spot in Chicago, you have to put in the effort.  I was beginning to think that they had forgotten about us, but at 8 am someone came to gather the volunteers and we went upstairs to join the festivities.  I grabbed some breakfast with another volunteer and we sat down to listen to the various speeches, which were to be the signature agenda items this morning.  It started with the recognition of the “Pace Setters” or people who had raised over $2,500 and continued with many survivor stories from family members or the actual survivors, including ABC News’ traffic reporter who gave a rousing speech that drew the biggest applause.  I looked around the room and everyone seemed energized by this morning, not least a guy who was dressed like ‘The Tick’ and was robustly cheering everything.  I asked someone if he was a mascot and no one seemed to know.  Whatever he was, he had the right attitude and as I left for work this morning, I knew that we were on the right track to host a terrific event come October 26th.

What's The Word

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2013; 6:30-8 pm

I'd sit alone and watch your light

My only friend through teenage nights

And everything I had to know

I heard it on my radio

Most of my memories of my teenage years are associated with music and almost all of it had something to do with radio.  It wasn’t just the music itself, it was also the shows, the hosts, the commercials…everything.  It’s strange how certain things drift away from your mind for years, but one trigger is all it takes to bring back those memories, and not just a trickle, but an entire wave.  I had not scheduled a project for this evening, but seeing an opening, decided to sign up for this in the afternoon.  If I had not, I would missed out on remembering something long forgotten, something that I needed to remember.

I arrived to find that Jack, Jim, Larry and Mary were already assembled.  Also present was my new buddy Elmer.  He had told me that he wanted to be involved in all of the projects at the center and looks like he was sticking to his word.  Besides Gwyn, there were 3 other volunteers, including Fran, who had been present during our previous Elmer experience.  He did look a bit subdued today, though there were enough strong personalities to keep this interesting.  We would be working on the September/October issue of ‘As We See It’ this evening, the same issue with which I had started my career with Chicago Cares last year.  It had been Jack’s 89^th birthday recently and as usual, Gwyn had baked him his favorite ‘Oatmeal Raisin’ cookies, using dried cranberries instead of raisins.  Whatever was in there, it was a delicious way to begin.

Gwyn paired me with another volunteer Andrea, and we would be working on the computer to do specific research. Fran and another volunteer Rebecca would be working with Jack on ‘Chase Book Of Events’, whereas Gwyn, Jim, Larry and Mary would be discussing the book and restaurant reviews.  Andrea looked like a fun person to work with and I told her that we had been relegated to computer duties because we were either too smart, or too dumb to contribute towards books and restaurant review discussions!  Actually, our task did have something to do with books since we were asked to find something on October being ‘National Book Reading Month’.  Using Google as our ally we set off, but try as we may, were unable to find any history of why, when and where October had been nominated for this honor.  We did find what people could do to celebrate it through book clubs and schools.  This was a bit strange until we found an article that said that ‘National Book Foundation’ had dropped the ‘National Book Month’.  What?  We were mystified at this wondering what poor October – my favorite month of the year - had done to deserve this ignominy.  We could not find any supporting material, but it was enough of a curious thing to include it in the issue.

The Lone Ranger

We had more luck on our next task, which was to research the TV show ‘The Lone Ranger’, which made its debut in September 1949.  I must admit that I had never seen or read anything associated with this show till I went to see the semi-decent movie this summer.  However, according to what I saw on the Wikipedia page, it had been a phenomenon, with almost 3000 radio episodes dating back to 1933!  Elmer, who always likes to contribute, knew most of the actors from the show and started listing them, along with some of the other Western’s from the era.  Gwyn then said that we should find an audio clipping of the show and it did not take Andrea and me long to locate one of the shows online.  Then all of us abandoned what we had been doing and for the next few minutes listed to the radio broadcast.  I was lost in my own memories and I got a sense that everyone else was as well - not least the residents who have lived through the days when a family gathering around the radio was the only entertainment.  It’s a shame that today’s generation, each with their personal mobile device connected to YouTube, will never know what a wonderful experience that was.

We took down some notes on ‘The Lone Ranger’, hoping that Gwyn would be able to decipher my handwriting.  She and the others were passionately discussing some restaurant serving chicken and a thriller book – something that the residents love.  They were also debating which of the staff members to pick for the interview segment and I suggested picking the next person who walked into the room.  It was funny since one of the resident assistants walked in and all of turned to look at him!  For the ‘Time Out’ section, which deals with sports, I said that we should put down our SuperBowl picks on the eve of the football season.  Since we still had some time left, Gwyn asked me to find out some fun facts about ‘Labor Day’ and the couple that we found were that it was when the very first ‘Waffle House’ opened and that there is something known as ‘Moustache Festival’ in California.

Radio Gaga

On that note it was time to leave and Elmer asked about the next Crafts project, even though he claimed that I had “Worked him like a rented mule” the previous time.  As I took the train back, I couldn't help but go back all those years ago, listening to the radio. I remembered how on Sunday afternoons, my Mom and me used to listen to upcoming previews of movies, some of which ran as long as 15 minutes, followed by discussing excitedly how the film would be.  There were times when I visited my grandparents and they had a giant radio perched on top of a cabinet and which could only be tuned by standing on top of a stool.  I remembered many an evening spent at their place listening to the radio shows, as well as some of the sporting events.  Speaking of sports, I remembered how I used to stay glued to the radio, with my hands clenched as my team or favorite player would be playing.  I remembered as a kid going on long drives with my parents in the front and me with a portable radio in back seat and I remembered evenings during my college days, listening to the popular DJs taking calls from lovesick teenagers.  Even recently, in grad school, my roommates and me used to have a radio on as we did our assignments or drove through the night on interstates, trying to avoid rush hour traffic. Radio has been an integral part of my growing up, and as much as I may want to change some things in the past, almost every memory with a radio had been a good one; including that one night as I saw a text message on the phone mounted on my car’s dashboard and I reached out to switch off the radio in order to have a quite moment. Last year, I had gone to see a radio production of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and it had been one of the highlights of my holiday season.  The way the performers had recreated the era of radio broadcasting, combining it with this beloved story, had made me realize that one does not need a $300 million budget to create magical entertainment.  As we all had concluded ‘The Lone Ranger’ broadcast this evening I had mentioned as much, and though they did not say it back, I could see in the residents eyes that they had agreed.

Let's hope you never leave old friend

Like all good things on you we depend

So stick around cause we might miss you

When we grow tired of all this visual

You had your time, you had the power

You've yet to have your finest hour

- lyrics by Roger Taylor

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

Get Into Character! Record Children's Book With Jumpstart!

Location: Jumpstart Offices

Date: Monday, August 12, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

“Goodnight blueberry patch,” Little Bear said while eating a few more berries on his way to the den.

The beautiful location where I found my book

In a gift shop in one of the most remote parts of the world that I have visited, on top of Mount Alyeska in Girdwood Alaska, I found a book called ‘Goodnight Alaska – Goodnight Little Bear’ by Bernd and Susan Richter.  The breathtaking view, something the likes of which I had never seen before, demanded that I get something to memorialize my visit.  As I looked through the most charming gift shop, perched above the mountain, I came across this book.  Knowing that in a few days I was going to be part of the most unique volunteer project in my time with One Brick, I bought it for the project.  After a journey of thousands of miles, the book made its way to Jumpstart offices.

The description of the project on One Brick website said, “Jumpstart is a national early education organization that addresses the crisis in early education and is a research-based, cost-effective supplemental program in preschools serving low-income families that encourages literacy and socio-emotional development.  Since many of our preschools have experienced budget cuts and staff shortages, meaning that resources are stretched thin and children do not have enough time with books being read aloud to them, One Brick volunteers will be helping Jumpstart by creating audio recordings of children's books.  This will help provide preschools with audiobooks of children's stories that children can listen to on their own to facilitate reading or the teacher can play in addition to reading aloud to the class, giving children greater opportunities to build comprehension and vocabulary.  This event is looking for volunteers to record themselves expressively and creatively reading children's storybooks to create a CD that we can provide to our preschools.  So let's get into character and come help low-income preschools!  Volunteers are encouraged to bring at least one children's book that they would like to record. Feel free to bring your favorite book from when you were young! This book will then be donated directly to a low-income preschool-aged child in the Jumpstart program.”  It went on to say that, “Since 1993, they have impacted over 50,000 preschoolers nationwide, and in Chicago have 250 corps members and serve over 650 children each year”.  I will be the first to admit that my voice is terrible and I have no business recording anything, let alone audio books.  But I was fascinated by it and was sold on the description.  So it was with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, that I arrived to find Wilson and Laura, who were the Event leaders. 

The offices were in Gold Coast and with its high loft style ceiling design and open spaces; it looked like a creative place.  Indeed, there were many other businesses in the building, which dealt with art and media.  Amy, the Jumpstart site rep told us a bit more about the organization, especially how they assist low income schools who do not have staff to read to the kids.  She said that a child from a low-income family is usually 3-4 million words behind a similar child from an affluent family by age of 4.  That was a staggering statistics and made our work here that much more important.  The books that we would be recording today would be handed to various schools and used by the kids there as audio books.  We were to be divided into 3 groups of 4 each and while one group would record on an iPhone, the other would be doing so on a video recorder and a third on a Mac.  I was paired with Danielle, Hannah and Julia – who is a professional voice artist.  We were given an iPhone and located in an open office.  Unfortunately for us, the phone in the office kept ringing and eventually Amy had to come and unplug it.  This did not prevent the other external noises as well as the chatter of the people outside.  But we decided to plough through it all.

My book

The first book that we selected was indeed my ‘Goodnight Alaska’.  We decided that rather than one person reading it, we would have one narrator and others playing characters.  For this one I was playing the narrator whereas Danielle was the Little Bear, Julia the Momma Bear and Hannah was some of the other animal characters in the story.  We did a dry run and made some tweaks such as all of us saying “Goodnight” in unison when during the final pages all animals wish the Little Bear.  We then recorded on the phone and once we were done, played back to realize that we had done a fantastic job.  Next, we selected Julia’s book, ‘On The Night You Were Born’.  This one had a lot of potential for enhancements such as sound effects.  We decided to incorporate them and this meant I was whistling as a bird and someone else was quacking as a duck and the third was honking like geese.  Julia said “The End” one page before it was due and so we had to erase and record again.  But we had so much fun doing it the first time around, that nobody was complaining.

Next came Danielle’s book, ‘Bernstein Bears And Too Much Junk Food’.  I was playing Papa Bear, Julia was Mama Bear, Danielle played the Brother and Sister Bears and Hannah was the Doctor.  The book was about Momma Bear teaching the rest of the family the virtues of dieting and was once again we were totally engaged in our characters.  After that was ‘Franklin In The Dark’ where I played the Tiger and tried to do my best deep voice impersonation.  Following this was ‘Jamberry’ and this is where our creativity moved up a notch thanks to Hannah.  The book was rich with lot of visuals and she decided to make it more interactive for the kids.  Along with the audio files that we were recording, the kids were also going to given a copy of the actual book to follow.  Hannah suggested that after reading a page, we ask the kids a question on each page, such as finding an object.  This meant that we add a pause at the end of each page to give them the opportunity to answer.  This was a great idea and we took full advantage of it. 

All the books that we recorded

Finally, we did “Teeny Tiny Mouse”, which is a book about colors.  A tiny mouse is trying to identify colors of various objects in the room.  We recorded the book and then I said that we should do it again, this time with me as the narrator, asking the kids to identify some other objects of similar color on the page and after a pause, pointing one out.  This worked really well and I thought that this was our finest job and we had saved the best for the end.  The other groups came out of their session looking similarly pleased and it seems that every single volunteer had enjoyed themselves.  Amy thanked us and we continued debating which group had done the best job over some spiked milkshakes at ’25 Degrees’.  I told Laura and Wilson that this had been my favorite One Brick project to date and I was definitely looking forward to returning again.

I consider myself extremely fortunate because even after all these years, I remember my parents reading to me as a kid.  My dad used to not only buy, but also read comic books to me animatedly and there were even occasions where my grandma got all of the cousins and me together for an afternoon of reading.  Years later I was in high school and while I was a voracious reader, I did not enjoy reading anything in my native language.  My mom insisted that I read this book and since it was not in English, I made her read it to me, and I remember nights after dinner where we sat down laughing at some of the things in that book.  One of the sweetest sights I used to see frequently was in Pittsburgh where I used to visit my married friends weekly for a movie night and often find one reading a book loudly while the other cooked.  Books are one of the greatest treasures known to man and while I completely understand people’s preference of reading a book at their own pace, having one read to you is a special feeling.  Over the past several years I have listened to a lot of books on tape, preferring to combine that with either long drives or walks.  During my commute from Massachusetts to Connecticut every week, I used to devour audio books borrowed from the public library and often associate certain books with locations I was at when I heard them for the first time.  Later, I used to look forward to my long riverfront walks on Sundays in Pittsburgh, as I walked listening to books, and in fact read the entire series of my favorite authors during those years. For the past 2 years I have done similar walks in Chicago while listening to books, and look forward to my annual ritual of listening to my favorite book ‘The Shadow Of The Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon every August, trying to visit similar places where I was at when I heard certain passages for the first time.  The point is that audio books, or having something read to you, can be a memorable experience.  I will never forget any of these moments from my life and having had an opportunity to help create something that may lead to similar memories for a kid was a privilege.  Without a question, this had most certainly been my favorite One Brick project to date. 

“Goodnight Mom,” Little Bear said while snuggling into his favorite corner.  “Goodnight and sweet dreams my little one”, Mama Bear replied before both fell into a deep sleep that would last for many months.

Get Crafty!

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Sunday, August 04, 2013; 2:30-4:00 pm

‘Pulchritudinous’; Adjective; “Characterized by or having great physical beauty and appeal”

This has always been a favorite of mine and one of the projects that I sign up for well in advance.  Wilson picked me up and we arrived at Lakeview Nursing to see that Alisa required help carrying all the supplies inside.  Today we were going to be painting and decorating wine and other glasses and Alisa had picked up a lot of them.  Besides us, we had 6 other volunteers including Fran.  While Wilson and I put newspaper over the various tables to protect from spillage, Alisa arranged all of the supplies and there were plenty.  We could paint the glass, apply glue and then sprinkle glitter, followed by application of something called Mod Podge.  I had never used the stuff before and had no idea what it looked like.  However, it seemed like the thing to have since it apparently dries clear and helps glitter stick.  Well, as is usually the case, I was learning something new again.

Latasha's glass

Before we began, Alisa taped up the top of the glasses where the lips would touch since we did not want to get any of the paint there.  Mary, who is a regular for many of the other events was very excited at the project and said that she knew exactly what she was going to be doing with her set of the glasses.  Well, that made one of us!  I went over to one of the ladies and asked if she wanted to decorate anything.  She said that she indeed would and asked for a big wine glass, since bigger meant it could hold more wine!  I certainly could not argue against that and sat down to observe her.  She said that her name was Latasha and said that she wanted to put pink glitter on her glass.  She said that pink was her favorite color, not surprising considering she was wearing a lot of it.  Well at least if it got on her it would not be visible.  She referred to me as a “Dynamic young man”, though I really wasn’t of much help besides getting her the supplies.  We put some glue on the glass and then sprinkled the glitter, which as was to be expected, went everywhere.  Alisa came over to check and said that we should put some of the Mod Podge on top, though Latasha was not so sure of that and considering I had never used the stuff before, I had to go by her judgment. 

And Faye's

Mary was making excellent progress on her glass and also had time to show some of the volunteers around her pictures of the facility from 2011.  I could recognize some of the residents, along with some of the volunteers.  Seeing that Latasha was fairly independent, I went and joined Faye, who was clearly struggling to work by herself.  She was trying to put some dots on her glass, though her lack of coherent speech made it difficult of me to understand her.  She had a stencil with a flower and I said that we should paint over that using bright colors.  I got yellow for the petals and orange for the center and Faye put those over the stencil.  We then flipped the colors, using orange for petals and a yellow center for another flower on the glass.  Faye was very quite, though I could discern purple as being one of her favorite colors.  I looked for purple paint and had to trade with another table to get her some!  Faye was happy to have it and proceeded to make more dots.

In the meanwhile, Latasha had been joined by a gentleman who was painting using a stencil and she was holding up the glass for him.  I told her that I would take over and what followed was one of my most entertaining sessions at this place.  Since it was a Pilsner glass, I said it would be great for him to drink beer out of it when finished.  He responded that it would be a long time before he could “Blow this joint” so as to enjoy beer.  He introduced himself was Elmer and was chatting non-stop.  Now, there have been many others who have proven to be talkative, but there was something about him that was different.  For one, he seemed well read and was coherent, with a cutting edge sarcasm.  Furthermore, it was clear that he appreciated the company of ladies and even referred to one of our volunteer’s golden hair as something on a fairy-tale princess.  I was urging him to paint between the stencil openings and he called me “Productive”.  I asked if I should introduce myself that way and he said yes.  Once the stencil pattern had been pained, Alisa came and asked if he was done and he said “According to the other in the know how, yes”, referring to me.  I said “Not on my watch” and got him another stencil.  Grumbling, he started with that and I made sure he was coloring well.  He said that he wasn’t “Van Gough coloring within the lines” and then proceeded to call me “Precise”. 

I worked Elmer "like a rented mule" for this

At this stage Latasha was laughing and I said that now I was “Productive, Precise and not to forget, Dynamic”.  Elmer said that I should put it on my business card and add to my LinkedIn profile as well.  I was having loads of fun and not wanting to give an inch, got him another stencil and different color to paint with, at which he promptly referred to me as “Thoughtful”!  I saw some hot sauce and spice powder in front of him and asked him about it, at which he responded that it “Always helps to be prepared”.  I wanted to extract the maximum from him and so got him yet another stencil.  Now he referred to me as “Creative” and that I was “Working him like a rented mule”.  I mean come on!

Seeing his penchant for words, I asked if he was a teacher.  He said yes, a graduate assistant in a business school.  He was originally from New York and started questioning another volunteer who had just moved her as to why anyone would want to do that.  By this time everyone was paying attention and Fran was in splits.  I asked Elmer if he knew Wilson and he responded, “Like the volleyball in Castaway?”  I said yes, and he immediately started seeking Wilson.  I pointed him out and mentioned that Elmer may be the only person who doesn't know Wilson, at which point he said that perhaps he should work with Wilson.  He then proceeded to needle Wilson with his non-stop chatter.  I asked him if he had any other adjectives and that’s when he said, “Pulchritudinous”.  What?  Really, what?  I asked him to spell it and he said it meant “Characterized by beauty” and didn't quite apply to me, as much as the ladies who were there.  Now I really shouldn't argue against that, but I wanted to have the last word and said that it wasn’t fair since I could have beauty at which he shook his head.  Well, I tried!

Priceless, all of them!

The project was at an end and Alisa told everyone not to wash the glasses for 10 days since we were not baking them.  Mary had done a fantastic job with her glasses and everyone had a great time, not least me.  Elmer said that he had better start coming for these things since he gets to be surrounded by such lovely ladies.  I said not to forget “Productive, precise, thoughtful, dynamic and creative men.”  He laughed and took his sauces with him, saying he would see me at dinner time.  As we cleaned up, Alisa said that she was pleased with the project and had been nervous how they would handle working with glasses.  But everyone had been involved, including Faye who had struggled quite a bit but managed to make something as well.  Plus, we had been thoroughly entertained by Elmer and I had even learned a new word!  We left the glasses to dry and while none of them would probably sell at a gift shop, because of who had made them, to me each of them were pulchritudinous. 

“Art, art of any kind, shows that folks are trying.” Walter Kirn

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