Donations- Yay!

So, in a twist of fate, it occurred to us that the hygeine kits would be best utilized by donating them to the nonprofits that we have been serving! So, on Tuesday, I went and dropped off some to A Place Along the Way:

And the BETA Food Center:


Of course, we'll be dropping off the last ones at Pacific Lifeline on Saturday, and A Foundation for Kids kept theirs.

The BETA Center was very excited about the kits- they said that they rarely get donations like that and always really appreciate them.

Also- A Place Along the Way is changing locations, so keep a watch on the calendar to see if you can help with any moving days :)

BETA Food Bank

I'm waiting on the original before and after pictures... but in the meantime, here's what we did.

Upon arrival, we entered a dingy room, with stand-alone shelving units, a table in the middle, and two refrigerators. Isaac, the manager, had moved the food and tables.

Our mission: make the room a refreshing place.

With two different shades of paint, one for the walls, and one for the shelves, we got to work. We moved the refrigerators into the hallway, two of shelving units outside under a pop-up, and the third unit (too big to fit out the door) got moved to the center of the room once we had laid down a drop cloth.


We were short some people, so unfortunately, we weren't able to have as much rotation as what would have been ideal; but we still did an amazing job, and we almost got done on time.

Mani worked on the refigerators, and later helped April (Jana's daughter) by showing her how to clean the refrigerators. (I love this picture!)






Sousan and Mario took on the shelves on the outside, with some help from Mani and April later in the day. Some of the shelf borders had broken; they worked on replacing them with new pieces (as in the picture). They primered the sides and the fronts of the shelves, and then painted them.





Denise, Summer, April and Jana helped with the room prep and room painting. The room was really dirty, and we had to sweep several times, wipe down the walls, and sand them in some parts. We applied triple coats to the walls that we could, which really made the room look fresh.

April and Summer worked on printing up new labels for the shelves, and laminated them, which gave them some practice creating tables in Microsoft Word and troubleshooting with the printer. You know how it is!

Our last challenge was getting everything back into the room. With determination and spunk, we maneuvered the shelves back into the room. What an exercise in communication!

Jana led a wonderful reflection session, focusing on several questions that made us think about what we were able to accomplish that day, what it would mean for the organization and their ongoing volunteers, and what we could take from the experience. It was great seeing everybody working busily to make each day brighter for the volunteers that come in on a weekly basis to distribute food to those that need it.

Removing the shelving units from the room led to two discoveries:
1) there was an extra a/c unit, and
2) there was a window in the room!

We were able to rearrange the units to allow access to the window, which only increased the freshness of the new paint. What a transformation!

Updated pictures- A Place Along the Way

Whewy! We got a lot done last Saturday! There was:

Shoveling & Sifting

Assembly Line

The Rock Path
Before & After

Adding Soil & Mixing Soil

Planting Flowers

And, of course, the Group Shot.

During the next visit we'll finally be able to seed the lawn... but we'll definitely have to start the project earlier in the morning (8am, anyone?)

Looking forward to Saturday

Hey volunteers,

I am really looking forward to finishing off our great project that we started 2 weeks ago at "A place along the way" teen shelter. I know that Carla, the owner (and mentor to the teens) was so excited for us to be there and help out. As you can see by the before and after pics - we really put a dent in the weeds in the back yard. We don't have a whole lot more to do in the garden/gated area so I know we can finish it off and make it look great (with all of our great volunteers!!) in no time at all. Then, the following Saturday we start in on a totally new project packing hygene kits to help those less fortunate and in need. I look forward to seeing all of you volunteers that were there last time and am excited to also meet all our new volunteers. Until then... keep up the good work!! Jana Kiser ***

Follow-up project

So, as some of you know, the follow-up project for the homeless shelter will be this upcoming Saturday from 9am-1pm. Jana and I will me there, as well as Mario, and one of the team members that was unable to make it last time, so she's excited about meeting some of the team and seeing what we were able to accomplish last time.

If you click on the title to this post, it'll take you to the listing to sign up. We'd love to see you there!

~Gloria

Food for thought (and blogging!)

"Service is not as much about good action, as it is about good feelings, creating them in others and experiencing them within oneself." - Anon

Do you agree or disagree, and why?

Before and After Day One

Jana asked me to post the before and after pics she had taken because it wasn't working from her computer. Enjoy!

What, So What, Now What

Yesterday the team came together over a really challenging project. After a brief ice-breaking session, we loaded the truck, and drove over to A Place Along the Way to beautify a section of their backyard. A Place Along the Way is a 100% donation-run shelter for teens in Fontana, and it was interesting to hear that it served teens not only as a place to sleep, but they also held peer-counseling, and allowed teens to do their laundry, get meals, or use the computer for job searches and/or research.
As we entered the backyard, it was obvious that the yard hadn't been used in a very long time, even though it had such potential. I mean, the yard was separated into three parts- a pool that needed a deep cleaning, a weedy yard that was enclosed by a sturdy metal gate, and then a weedy yard that wasn't enclosed. We had decided to beautify the gated-in section, figuring that since the shelter housed a few young children as well, then they would best utilize that section to keep the young children from falling into the pool.
The Home Depot had really pulled through with an amazing $500 worth of product donation. I had been worried that our 'beautification' would transform a very weedy lot into a sandy lot, but HD gave us the opportunity to actually make it beautiful. Even while we were unable to de-weed the entire section, we were able to clear a large enough section under a tree for the donated picnic bench. The shaded picnic table was a sight for sore eyes, and it definitely looked like a great place to relax and have a good laugh with friends!
We recognized that the 650 sq.ft. fenced in area had been too big of a task to complete in what was really only three and a half hours. However, several team members voiced their desire to return another day with volunteers and complete the task. So, look for an opportunity in the second weekend in June (June 14-15) to complete the beautification. See you then!

Our next project is at a food bank in Pomona. More to come later!

CHARLENE ARCHER TEAMCONNECT

I am 45 and have been employed by UPS 23 years. I feel very blessed and wish to give back blessings to others. I am excited about being apart of a project to help others or improves the quality of life in our community.

Welcome volunteers!

Hello Everyone, I am Jana Kiser and I will be one of the team leaders for the Team Connect project over the next 4 months! I have been with Hands On Inland Empire for about 2 years now as a project leader but have not done any really recent projects so I am very anxious to get back into the thick of it! I have previously lead the Salvation Army Hope for the Hungry project where we packed Thanksgiving Baskets for about 100 needy families! (Very rewarding and a great group of volunteers!!) I also lead the Families helping Families project at the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House for 6 months where we fixed up the house on a Saturday, refreshed the pantry, got toys ready for kids staying at the home, and assisted with special projects to assist families in their time of need. I look forward to working with you all over the next 4 months and know that we can make a difference to our local communities through our efforts!

Kicking off TeamConnect Summer 2008

I must say I'm so excited for TeamConnect Summer 2008. You may be wondering how TeamConnect got started- well, it all began with alternative spring break 2008, where I led a team of volunteers in Detroit for a week painting a women's shelter. That week was so amazing that I was determined to bring a little of that excitement- and dedication- back to the Inland Empire. I realized that I didn't need to go across the country to make a difference; why not in my own backyard?

TeamConnect is a spin-off of TeamWorks, which is a similar program in operation in Seattle, where they have several teams participating in various projects simultaneously. What makes TeamConnect unique is that all of the projects have to do with the same theme- this first time is hunger and homelessness- and we've included an issue education piece, so you can learn more about hunger and homelessness in Southern California and how it affects all of us. Plus, you'll learn about some of the really cool and interesting news in the field, and then you'll get to be part of the solution!

This blog is part of that solution too. The plan is for everyone to introduce themselves and talk about 1)what made you want to be part of TeamConnect 2008 and 2) what you expect for yourself from this program. Then, after each project, blog about what you did, what you learned, who you connected with, how you made a difference, etc. Make it fun, make it interesting, and of course, make a difference!

Four hours. Four days. Four months. Four opportunities to make a difference!

About me: My name is Gloria, and I'm an Americorps*VISTA serving at Hands On Inland Empire, an initiative of Inland Empire United Way. I graduated from college last year with a degree in Psychology, and I'm living in Upland with my roommates, my cats, and my fish tanks until September when I'm moving to the South Bay. I enjoy rock climbing, reading, playing volleyball, and of course, volunteering. In the future I hope to find a career helping people accomplish their dreams.