We have finished our finals (well some of us, the lucky ones!) and are ready for a relaxing holiday. We have six weeks until winter quarter begins and we will start service again. Last Wednesday was our last day for the quarter, and my (Jackie) last day for the year. I will be leaving for Belgium in early January to study international relations abroad. I will be interning at the EU, and hope to work in something related to education or immigration. Although it was extremely hard to say my goodbyes, we all know this is not a perminant goodbye. Although physically I will not be at the Y, I will be there in spirit! I will continue to keep in touch with the students, staff, and the crew via postcards, email, and of course the blog!
Before we both left for break, we reflected on the quarter. We feel that although many changes are on the horizon, we are both very thankful for many things in our life, especially those regarding Hoops. We asked students and staff to share what they are thankful for, in the spirit of the season.
"My family and food."
"Life."
"My baby brother."
"My family."
"Family, school, and games."
"My family, friends, school, and teachers."
“I am thankful that I have never had more to be thankful about.”
"Everybody- all the volunteers, my kids, my blessings. I am basically thankful for life."
"My twin sister."
"My family, clothes, food, and the YMCA."
"The world."
"The clothes on my back, my family and friends."
"My family. And that we have enough money to pay rent."
“I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given, and the support along the way to pursue them.”
"My mama."
"My family sitting at the table."
"My mom."
"The people who help me with my homework."
"My mom, dad, brother, and grandma."
"Parents and siblings."
"Everything."
Last time we gathered individual's thoughts, we associated names and ages with what was said. This time however, we decided not to because we feel that although this community is made up of many individuals, together they create a collective voice. Our entire group is thankful for the wonderful people we have come to know and love at the YMCA. We wish you all a relaxing holiday. And as you fill your tummies with all the wonderful home cooked meals, remember what you have, what you have lost, and what it is you want to obtain.
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
Monday, November 22, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Our heart and soul at Kelly Y
His name is Oladimeji Oliha and he is the son of a Nigerian Edo State chief. To everyone who enters the Kelly Hall YMCA, he is Jeffrey the security guard. To us, he is the heart and soul of this small community, and an untapped resource. We began getting to know Jeffery the fall of 2009, just a few short months after he came to America. Ironically, his American dream began on the 4th of July.
When we first met Jeffrey, our everyday interaction was a, "Hello, how are you?" and other simple pleasantries. But as time has gone by, we have begun to establish a genuine friendship with the inspirational Nigerian man. It all started last summer when one day Ali and I were walking down Chicago Avenue and heard a man yell, "Jackie! Ali! Wait!" When we turned around, it was Jeffrey, standing on the corner halted by the crosswalk. He was so excited to see our familiar faces and asked us many questions about our summer, school, and the YMCA. After this run in, we began to think of Jeffrey in a new way. He became an international man of mystery to our group, and we wanted to get to know him on a more personal level. Our goal was to reciprocate the level of interest he showed in us as individuals.
We had one pivotal conversation that opened the door to our new friendship and new everyday interactions. One day we worked up the courage to bluntly ask him, “What is your name?” We all knew his American name was Jeffrey, but his given name was something else. Instead of Jeffrey saying, “What do you mean, it’s Jeffrey.” He simply smiled and said, “Ola.” Which we later found out was short for Oladmeji. We stopped with this simple question for that day, and saved our many others for the future. Because of this day, each member of our crew greets him with at least a handshake, if not a hug and many of us refer to him as Ola out of respect for his culture.
We had been planning to interview Ola for some time yet we had not built up the courage to do so this year. Recently when returning from one of our weekly VIA meetings I entered the train at around nine o’clock to head home, and saw our friend riding the train. I was greeted with a big smile and hug as I entered the car and immediately we began discussing what he was doing. He explained that he was just heading home from his work day. This was utterly shocking as in order to take public transit from the Kelly Y to his house near Loyola University it would take one and half hours on a good day. We began discussing our love of the community that is in place at the Y and how important it is for the children to be there. You could tell this man had a wealth of knowledge and strong beliefs yet we only had two train stops to speak. I left him that evening with a hug and a, “We will have to talk about this more soon.” I left that night feeling utterly inspired and had a desire to spread this man’s beliefs and life story.
That next day of service, we made a conscious effort to speak to Ola. What we learned about this man was to this day incredible. Ola was born in Edo State, Nigeria as one of seven children. His father is the village chief and a man of power. Ola came to the United States in hope of finding new opportunity and a better life for his children. He came alone, leaving his children with his 56 year old mother. He has 15 year old twin daughters, Taye and Kenhinde. His youngest child is his 9 year old son, named Kayode. Ola expressed that jobs were hard to find in Nigeria, even as a man with an education. Ola graduated from University of Benin City, located in Edo State.
This struggle to find work with an education is where Ola found his belief in the importance of education. Ola expressed that although it was difficult to leave his children, he knew it was the only thing left to do in order to guarantee them a better future. He explained to us, “Education is everything.” He sees America as a promise land, and an opportunity. Ola explained to us that his children, will never get the same kind of education in Nigeria as they could here. His clear end goal, is for his children to one day be students in the US. However, he doesn’t want them to come to the US before they learn their African roots. He wants them to want to learn, and to understand how fortunate they are for a great education. Ola feels that his children will learn this in Nigeria, as they may not in the US. He says this because he feels that too many children take advantage of these opportunities. He said to us, “These children have no reason not to succeed or finish school. They are handed everything, they need someone to guide them however.” By this he means that these students should be able to accomplish anything, yet it takes a parent or role model to exemplify that wanting it is necessary in order to achieve it.
Ola spoke a lot about the African mentality and working with our own hands. When he spoke of this his face lit up, it brought tears to our eyes as we watched him reminisce and miss his children and family back home. He expressed that everything can be done if you are determined, and that everything can be made with the hard work of our own hands. Ola explained to us that we can do anything as long as we stay passionate and keep our eyes forward. Our goal is to do exactly this, and continue this beautiful, budding friendship. He is truly an inspiration to the both of us, and we hope that he inspires the rest of you. Our question for this week is what is the African mentality to you? And, can you build it and make it your own with your own two hands?
Please think about what we wrote, and pass this story beyond the blog. We want this story to touch the hearts of many, as we believe it can inspire and create change in anyone.
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
When we first met Jeffrey, our everyday interaction was a, "Hello, how are you?" and other simple pleasantries. But as time has gone by, we have begun to establish a genuine friendship with the inspirational Nigerian man. It all started last summer when one day Ali and I were walking down Chicago Avenue and heard a man yell, "Jackie! Ali! Wait!" When we turned around, it was Jeffrey, standing on the corner halted by the crosswalk. He was so excited to see our familiar faces and asked us many questions about our summer, school, and the YMCA. After this run in, we began to think of Jeffrey in a new way. He became an international man of mystery to our group, and we wanted to get to know him on a more personal level. Our goal was to reciprocate the level of interest he showed in us as individuals.
We had one pivotal conversation that opened the door to our new friendship and new everyday interactions. One day we worked up the courage to bluntly ask him, “What is your name?” We all knew his American name was Jeffrey, but his given name was something else. Instead of Jeffrey saying, “What do you mean, it’s Jeffrey.” He simply smiled and said, “Ola.” Which we later found out was short for Oladmeji. We stopped with this simple question for that day, and saved our many others for the future. Because of this day, each member of our crew greets him with at least a handshake, if not a hug and many of us refer to him as Ola out of respect for his culture.
We had been planning to interview Ola for some time yet we had not built up the courage to do so this year. Recently when returning from one of our weekly VIA meetings I entered the train at around nine o’clock to head home, and saw our friend riding the train. I was greeted with a big smile and hug as I entered the car and immediately we began discussing what he was doing. He explained that he was just heading home from his work day. This was utterly shocking as in order to take public transit from the Kelly Y to his house near Loyola University it would take one and half hours on a good day. We began discussing our love of the community that is in place at the Y and how important it is for the children to be there. You could tell this man had a wealth of knowledge and strong beliefs yet we only had two train stops to speak. I left him that evening with a hug and a, “We will have to talk about this more soon.” I left that night feeling utterly inspired and had a desire to spread this man’s beliefs and life story.
That next day of service, we made a conscious effort to speak to Ola. What we learned about this man was to this day incredible. Ola was born in Edo State, Nigeria as one of seven children. His father is the village chief and a man of power. Ola came to the United States in hope of finding new opportunity and a better life for his children. He came alone, leaving his children with his 56 year old mother. He has 15 year old twin daughters, Taye and Kenhinde. His youngest child is his 9 year old son, named Kayode. Ola expressed that jobs were hard to find in Nigeria, even as a man with an education. Ola graduated from University of Benin City, located in Edo State.
This struggle to find work with an education is where Ola found his belief in the importance of education. Ola expressed that although it was difficult to leave his children, he knew it was the only thing left to do in order to guarantee them a better future. He explained to us, “Education is everything.” He sees America as a promise land, and an opportunity. Ola explained to us that his children, will never get the same kind of education in Nigeria as they could here. His clear end goal, is for his children to one day be students in the US. However, he doesn’t want them to come to the US before they learn their African roots. He wants them to want to learn, and to understand how fortunate they are for a great education. Ola feels that his children will learn this in Nigeria, as they may not in the US. He says this because he feels that too many children take advantage of these opportunities. He said to us, “These children have no reason not to succeed or finish school. They are handed everything, they need someone to guide them however.” By this he means that these students should be able to accomplish anything, yet it takes a parent or role model to exemplify that wanting it is necessary in order to achieve it.
Ola spoke a lot about the African mentality and working with our own hands. When he spoke of this his face lit up, it brought tears to our eyes as we watched him reminisce and miss his children and family back home. He expressed that everything can be done if you are determined, and that everything can be made with the hard work of our own hands. Ola explained to us that we can do anything as long as we stay passionate and keep our eyes forward. Our goal is to do exactly this, and continue this beautiful, budding friendship. He is truly an inspiration to the both of us, and we hope that he inspires the rest of you. Our question for this week is what is the African mentality to you? And, can you build it and make it your own with your own two hands?
Please think about what we wrote, and pass this story beyond the blog. We want this story to touch the hearts of many, as we believe it can inspire and create change in anyone.
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
New Crew Member!
Meet Lizzie! Lizzie is a sophomore at DePaul studying Education. It is obvious Lizzie wants to be a teacher because she is amazing in the homework room! Whenever a student is having trouble with their homework and we can't explain it well we all say, "Go ask Lizzie."
"Hello! My name is Lizzie Andriese and I am a sophomore at DePaul University as an Elementary Education Major and Community Service and Spanish Minor. I grew up in Traverse City, MI where I have two younger siblings Allie and Teddy. I started volunteer work when I was a freshman in high school when I traveled to Honduras to provide medical services for the rural and impoverished areas. I traveled along side doctors and nurses to assist them in giving the Honduran children vitamin A and de-worming medications. After that experience I always felt passionate about service work, especially once I started after and in school homework help my junior year of high school. Since then I received the DePaul Community Service Scholarship where I not only minor in Community Service but complete 30 hours every 10 weeks. I just began working with DePaul Hoops and the students at Kelly Y about a month ago. Previously I worked with Chicago HOPES tutoring youth in homeless shelters, Inspiration Café where I worked in a computer lab helping homeless adults with job applications or house hunting, and in the North Lawndale Community at YMEN (Young Men’s Education Network) where I tutored middle school through high school boys after school hours. I really enjoy working with the students at Kelly Y and love being apart of their lives as a consistent face in their academic progression. I look forward to working with the kids twice a week, knowing they are always able to brighten my day. I look forward to continuing working with Hoops and Kelly Y, hoping for the best for all the students."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to the Y.M.C.A!
Over the last year and a half we have seen definite improvements in behavior and basic manners. However, these students still have a LONG way to go. Unfortunately, most of students don't understand that a simple "please" and "thank you" can go a long way. Every once in a blue moon, one of us will hear a student say "thanks" and when we do, we are floored. There seems to be some form of disconnect between the home, the schools, and the students. At home, the kids are given the basic needs, so often times it may not seem like there is a lot to be thankful for. In all honesty, in a neighborhood where there is so much going on beyond the four walls of the home, it becomes almost impossible for these basic lessons to be taught. While moms, dads, grandparents, or legal guardians are working multiple jobs, raising multiple children, the attention for this is absent. These lessons often take a backseat to putting food on the table.
We bring attention to this matter not to blame the caregivers of our students, as we have never had to raise children ourselves. We realize raising children is extremely difficult in any household, especially when money and time is tight. We simply are trying to bring awareness to the fact that respect and gratuity is essential for the students to get where we envision them. Sam and I both remember our dear moms Margo and Cathy harping on us to say these please and thanks yous. For Sam, it was firmly pushed that eye contact was essential in communicating with peers and adults. In my family, writing thank you letters was simply expected, at minimum. I hated doing them after every birthday and holiday, but understood it was imperative in building relationships beyond the gifts.
It is difficult teaching basic manners to students who are beyond the age when most kids learn these lessons. This is not to say that they have zero understanding of this idea, but from what we see these forms of respect are not a part of their everyday habitual actions. There are certainly some students among the group, who have these basics down, but without question every student at the Kelly Hall YMCA has room for improvement. We too, have room for improvement. At least when these students do say these simple words they mean them. Often times in our busy hectic lives we say please and thank you losing sight of the true meaning behind the words.
We intend to strongly promote these fundamental forms of respect, but also teach the meaning and the importance of them. As we go about our own days we will try to say them with meaning to the students, and continuously make them apparent to the students and staff. We have seen the respect they have given us over the years, and we strongly feel that if we model this, they will latch onto it, and make it their own. We hope that one day these students will understand that for each kind action, there should be a positive reaction. For example, if someone holds the door for you entering the YMCA, or anywhere for that matter, you do not just walk through, but you look them in the eyes and say thank you.
We have talked about how strong the community is within the YMCA, but we feel that if we strengthen this aspect of respect, we will see the community strengthen in new ways. As Sam, myself, and our crew go about our days showing these fundamental signs of respect, we ask all of you, are you practicing these simple actions? And if so, are you practicing them with the understanding of their true meaning? So tomorrow in your day do one of these actions (or all if you’re feeling up to it) hold a door, when you speak to someone look them in the eye, and say thank you even to the Starbucks barista who at 7 AM screwed up your drink.
Sam & Jackie
Over the last year and a half we have seen definite improvements in behavior and basic manners. However, these students still have a LONG way to go. Unfortunately, most of students don't understand that a simple "please" and "thank you" can go a long way. Every once in a blue moon, one of us will hear a student say "thanks" and when we do, we are floored. There seems to be some form of disconnect between the home, the schools, and the students. At home, the kids are given the basic needs, so often times it may not seem like there is a lot to be thankful for. In all honesty, in a neighborhood where there is so much going on beyond the four walls of the home, it becomes almost impossible for these basic lessons to be taught. While moms, dads, grandparents, or legal guardians are working multiple jobs, raising multiple children, the attention for this is absent. These lessons often take a backseat to putting food on the table.
We bring attention to this matter not to blame the caregivers of our students, as we have never had to raise children ourselves. We realize raising children is extremely difficult in any household, especially when money and time is tight. We simply are trying to bring awareness to the fact that respect and gratuity is essential for the students to get where we envision them. Sam and I both remember our dear moms Margo and Cathy harping on us to say these please and thanks yous. For Sam, it was firmly pushed that eye contact was essential in communicating with peers and adults. In my family, writing thank you letters was simply expected, at minimum. I hated doing them after every birthday and holiday, but understood it was imperative in building relationships beyond the gifts.
It is difficult teaching basic manners to students who are beyond the age when most kids learn these lessons. This is not to say that they have zero understanding of this idea, but from what we see these forms of respect are not a part of their everyday habitual actions. There are certainly some students among the group, who have these basics down, but without question every student at the Kelly Hall YMCA has room for improvement. We too, have room for improvement. At least when these students do say these simple words they mean them. Often times in our busy hectic lives we say please and thank you losing sight of the true meaning behind the words.
We intend to strongly promote these fundamental forms of respect, but also teach the meaning and the importance of them. As we go about our own days we will try to say them with meaning to the students, and continuously make them apparent to the students and staff. We have seen the respect they have given us over the years, and we strongly feel that if we model this, they will latch onto it, and make it their own. We hope that one day these students will understand that for each kind action, there should be a positive reaction. For example, if someone holds the door for you entering the YMCA, or anywhere for that matter, you do not just walk through, but you look them in the eyes and say thank you.
We have talked about how strong the community is within the YMCA, but we feel that if we strengthen this aspect of respect, we will see the community strengthen in new ways. As Sam, myself, and our crew go about our days showing these fundamental signs of respect, we ask all of you, are you practicing these simple actions? And if so, are you practicing them with the understanding of their true meaning? So tomorrow in your day do one of these actions (or all if you’re feeling up to it) hold a door, when you speak to someone look them in the eye, and say thank you even to the Starbucks barista who at 7 AM screwed up your drink.
With love and hope,
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Put it in the books!
Hey everyone!
Last week's post was about the broader meaning of education and what it means to the children and us. This week Jackie and I would like to break it down into specifically what we are doing to bring education out of the classroom and into real life.
I work specifically with a fourth grade student named Trevon. Trevon is an extremely smart, quick witted and overall responsible, nice kid. Trevon, whom I refer to as typically Trey, shared his progress report with me last week. According to his teachers, he has been doing exceptional in all of his classes which does not surprise me as he takes his homework very seriously. The only suggestion his English teacher made is that he should begin to challenge himself by reading more difficult books. I took it upon myself to challenge him with new books that were personal favorites when I was his age. Another one of our volunteers, Lizzie (who we will introduce next week) took a field trip with me to Barnes and Noble following our communications class. We both felt that we needed to cover all the bases. We chose one book about basketball because Trey loves basketball and we knew this would spark his interest. The other book we selected was Holes, which was a personal favorite of both of ours. Lizzie and I both love the message of hope and opportunity in the Sachar chapter book.
When we presented the books to Trey the next week, he was extremely excited. Before he could even greet me with the typical, "What up Sam", he HAD to ask me, "Did you bring the books?" When I gave him "the nod" Trey's big bright smile lit up the room. I explained both of the books, particularly concentrating on Holes; the basketball book didn't take much explaining. Lizzie and I explained that although this book may be challenging, it's a great and fun read. He quickly responded with, "Oh, I'll be reading that." After I spoke with him alone, Trey went to thank Lizzie in private. When Lizzie asked which book he was going to read first, he replied, "I think Holes."
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
Sam & Jackie
New Crew Member!
We would like to introduce a new member of our crew, Matt Thomas. Matt has just started volunteering with us, and has earned his stripes among the group as a loyal, patient and fun volunteer. Matt has a real knack for working with these students. He has really bonded with one student in particular. When we first met this kindergartener, we immediately saw signs of dyslexia. Teaching this 5 year old how to write his name has been a difficult and sometimes patience testing challenge. Matt however, has shown great composure and has given him tools to remember and recognize letters to write his name as well as other words. Although he still writes his Js backwards, Matt's hard work and dedication can be seen every day at the top of his homework.
This is what Matt has said about his experience working at the Kelly YMCA.
“My name is Matthew Thomas, and I am a junior at DePaul University. I am a Psychology major with a minor in Marketing. I am originally from Plymouth, Minnesota and have just recently started volunteering with the Hoops and Hopes Kelly YMCA program. I began volunteering in September 2010, out of personal interest and because some of my friends were involved with the program. So far I have gone every Monday and Wednesday possible because I have developed a strong bond with many of the students we interact with and learn about. Going to the YMCA has become a source of personal enjoyment and entertainment throughout my week. My goal for volunteering with Hoops and Hopes is that I can help these kids with their daily school work and hopefully motivate them to push themselves to their fullest potential.”
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The meaning of education according to Hoops
Sam and I took a different approach to this week's update. Most of time, this blog is written in our voice. This week we wanted to focus on sharing the voices of the students and staff. We asked the students and staff at Kelly Y a simple question. Before we give the question and answers away, we want to preface the reason for asking it. Originally, when we started volunteering at the Y, our Hoops and Hopes group was primarily focused on activities, sports and having fun with the kids. Although this is still a component of our service, we now have shifted our focus to academics. Playing, goofing off and running around helped us bond with the students quickly. As we grew closer and learned more about them, we began to recognize that the needs were not just for fun. A major change the staff and Hoops established at the Y is that before any student is allowed to play in the gym or in the game room, they must complete their homework and have it checked. While we still try to encourage fun in the homework room, we challenge our students to not only get the work done, but to understand and want to understand what they're learning.
The students we asked vary greatly. We asked boys and girls of all ages, some of whom are getting straight A's, and some of whom struggle in the classroom. We also asked a few staff members to comment and reflect on their personal definition of education.
Ryan, age 8 said, "It is Frasier International Academy. I like to ride the bus and go to school."
Mr. Maddox (Executive Director) said, "A process which we can measure success. The greater the education, the greater the success."
Trevon, age 9 said, "When you learn how to do new things. I just know it is something that will help me in life."
Janell, age 8 said, "When people learn. If you get a good education, you can get a good job."
Lariel, age 6 said, "Fun! And good for you."
Jharve, 13 said, "Something you should take very seriously. Something everyone needs to succeed in life."
Ms. Sylvia (runs homework room) said, "It's learning while growing. It doesn't start in school. It starts and ends at home."
Anteynette, 6 said, "It is learning. A grown up is educated. They have a good job."
And finally, Ms. Joya (receptionist) said, "It's a challenge. It's a learning experience. A challenge and experience of receiving, absorbing, and exploring."
As Sam and I listened to these definitions, we began to think, "We must be doing something right." That's all we hope for, that someone will learn to value their education. Again, we leave you all with a question, what does education mean to you? And, are you an educator?
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
New Crew Member
This week, we asked Jen Hendrickson, a loyal volunteer to reflect on her experience working with Hoops and Hopes.
"Hi all! I’m Jen. I’m a sophomore at DePaul University, and I have been volunteering with Hoops and Hopes for almost a year now. I have volunteered for most of my life through different organizations. I was especially involved in high school, and missed the involvement that I had once I came to DePaul. I first heard of Hoops at a winter leadership conference last year where I met Ali and Jackie. They told me of the community service that they did with kids once a week on the west side of Chicago, and asked me to tag along. The Hoops crew took me in with open arms, and they have all become dear friends of mine. Every week I have the privilege to give back to the West Humboldt Park community with them. I love and appreciate every minute, whether it’s dancing in the van on the way to Kelly Y or discussing the progress that we see in the kids. My time spent at the Y is typically helping in the homework room or playing games with the younger girls. For me, I want to be there for these kids to give them inspiration and someone to trust. I want to be able to show them their potential and enable them to realize their worth. Most importantly, though, I just want to be able to make them laugh and to put a smile on their faces. I hope to keep the kids smiling and continue volunteering with Hoops and Hopes for the next three years that I am at DePaul."
"Hi all! I’m Jen. I’m a sophomore at DePaul University, and I have been volunteering with Hoops and Hopes for almost a year now. I have volunteered for most of my life through different organizations. I was especially involved in high school, and missed the involvement that I had once I came to DePaul. I first heard of Hoops at a winter leadership conference last year where I met Ali and Jackie. They told me of the community service that they did with kids once a week on the west side of Chicago, and asked me to tag along. The Hoops crew took me in with open arms, and they have all become dear friends of mine. Every week I have the privilege to give back to the West Humboldt Park community with them. I love and appreciate every minute, whether it’s dancing in the van on the way to Kelly Y or discussing the progress that we see in the kids. My time spent at the Y is typically helping in the homework room or playing games with the younger girls. For me, I want to be there for these kids to give them inspiration and someone to trust. I want to be able to show them their potential and enable them to realize their worth. Most importantly, though, I just want to be able to make them laugh and to put a smile on their faces. I hope to keep the kids smiling and continue volunteering with Hoops and Hopes for the next three years that I am at DePaul." Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Parking Lot Success
We witnessed something very beautiful on Monday at Hoops. The boys ages 8-12 have began their fall flag football practices. Their coach Ken is the kindest, most faithful man we have ever met. Ken coaches these boys with a hard hand yet exemplifies the importance of team work. While watching their practice in the parking lot, Sam and I noticed something. Every time the QB would throw the ball to a player, every other player would become upset because they felt they could make the play. After a while Ken, Sam and I began to grow a little tired off all the complaining and self benching. We heard, "Man! I could have made that catch!" And, "Man, you weak!" The QB started to become a little cocky, and said, "I need some receivers!" The interesting thing however, was that every time one of those “weak receivers” would make a great play or touchdown, the entire gang would gather around and celebrate the moment. This was not just a small hip hip horray; this was a big dog pile of hugging, cheering, and dancing. You would have thought they had just won the Super Bowl. After practice we began to reflect on this game. Sam and I find it extremely interesting that every time the kids weren't given an opportunity they would become visibly upset. A lot of this frustration stems from the lack of opportunity these kids are given outside of the Y and the parking lot. Although this is a sad truth and reality, there is something so inspiring that when these kids succeed they are able to come together and celebrate one another's success. This is exactly what our group, Hoops, and the Kelly YMCA tries to instill in this community. A person in any community, West Humboldt Park, Lincoln Park, or elsewhere must face the reality and frustration of lacking opportunities. We all face great challenges in our lives, but the important thing we can take from a couple of kids playing flag football in a YMCA parking lot, is that we can all lean on each other to celebrate the few times when we do succeed. So ask yourself, who in your life is going through a challenge? And, can you help them celebrate their moments of success?
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
Meet the crew!
Each week we would like to introduce one of our wonderful committed volunteers. We have a tight knit community of DePaul students who come to service with us. We feel it is important for you to get to know each of them as they are just as important as we are.
This week we asked our dear friend Alessandria to reflect on her experience as a Hoops volunteer at Kelly Y.
"Hello Everyone! My name is Alessandria, or as everyone at Hoops and Hopes knows me, Ali. I am a junior at DePaul University studying secondary education. I came to DePaul on a Leadership Scholarship, which involves actively volunteering and giving back to the city of Chicago. Previous to my time in college, I occasionally did the monthly volunteering gig. Not until I arrived at DePaul did I understand that volunteering was more than just showing up once or twice a month. I got involved with the Hoops and Hopes Program with help from a friend, Jackie Clevette. As the coordinator for the site, she invited me to come along. Now, I have been volunteering at the Kelly YMCA for a year and a half. Whether it’s playing basketball in the gym or assisting the kids in the homework room, I never have a time there where I haven’t laughed or smiled. The students that are involved in this afterschool program are a joy to be around. Each person in our volunteer group is extremely dedicated to being a role model. Consistency is key. I, as well as my fellow volunteers, believe that consistently attending the Kelly YMCA is a fundamental part in the development of these children. We want to be at the Kelly YMCA to help these children succeed in their education and in their lives. Why work really hard for a short period of time to accomplish a goal then let your efforts die out? Sometimes we may get frustrated when helping with homework, or when a student is mis-behaving but we have to commit in order for the children to succeed fully. I intend to continue my efforts with hoops and hopes throughout the rest of my time here at DePaul."
This week we asked our dear friend Alessandria to reflect on her experience as a Hoops volunteer at Kelly Y.
"Hello Everyone! My name is Alessandria, or as everyone at Hoops and Hopes knows me, Ali. I am a junior at DePaul University studying secondary education. I came to DePaul on a Leadership Scholarship, which involves actively volunteering and giving back to the city of Chicago. Previous to my time in college, I occasionally did the monthly volunteering gig. Not until I arrived at DePaul did I understand that volunteering was more than just showing up once or twice a month. I got involved with the Hoops and Hopes Program with help from a friend, Jackie Clevette. As the coordinator for the site, she invited me to come along. Now, I have been volunteering at the Kelly YMCA for a year and a half. Whether it’s playing basketball in the gym or assisting the kids in the homework room, I never have a time there where I haven’t laughed or smiled. The students that are involved in this afterschool program are a joy to be around. Each person in our volunteer group is extremely dedicated to being a role model. Consistency is key. I, as well as my fellow volunteers, believe that consistently attending the Kelly YMCA is a fundamental part in the development of these children. We want to be at the Kelly YMCA to help these children succeed in their education and in their lives. Why work really hard for a short period of time to accomplish a goal then let your efforts die out? Sometimes we may get frustrated when helping with homework, or when a student is mis-behaving but we have to commit in order for the children to succeed fully. I intend to continue my efforts with hoops and hopes throughout the rest of my time here at DePaul." Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What we do and why we do it
Hey everyone!
This is Jackie and Sam starting our new blog! This blog gives us an opportunity to share our stories of community service at Kelly Hall YMCA. Kelly Hall YMCA is located in West Humboldt of Chicago, in the southwest side. The DePaul University description for HOOPS and HOPES (our DePaul Community Service Association site) describes it as a volunteer group that is committed to tutoring, mentoring and playing sports with the inner city students of Chicago. This is what we intend to do while working at Kelly Hall YMCA, however the reality of the work that we do is much more complicated.
Sam and I began co-coordinating our DCSA site last winter. We have become very close friends through the experiences we have shared together. We share a strong passion for bettering the lives of the students we spend time with. We hope to share many of these experiences with you and bring light to some of the complexities these kids face. Although many of their stories are sad, we have seen great happiness in their lives. We want to make an attempt to share the highs and lows that both the children and we face living and working in this community. We hope to give justice to the community by sharing their stories.
Sam and I meet weekly after our Vincentians In Action (VIA) reflection, and hope to update the blog each week with these stories!
I (Jackie) began getting involved with community service my freshman year of college. Although I did the occasional monthly day of service in high school, I did not get involved in community service until college. I came to DePaul University with a Leadership Scholarship. My scholarship, DePaul Leadership Scholars (Dels) educates us on ethical, responsible leadership. Our freshmen year, after an amazing "welcome week" we were assigned a service site for the year. I was assigned to work with AIRE (Achieving Immigrant's Rights and Equality). I volunteered at the Little Village site tutoring ESL adults. I fell in love with the work I was doing and the people I was helping. At the end of the year, I applied to be the coordinator of the service site. Unfortunately, I did not become coordinator of AIRE, however I became coordinator of Hoops and Hopes at Kelly Hall YMCA. Although I was originally disappointed, I grew to love my new site. For the past year and a half I have been volunteering at Kelly Hall YMCA.
I (Sam) had my life changed as a sophomore in high school when I started volunteering at Comfort Zone Camp (CZC), a national non-profit grief camp. Working at CZC opened my eyes to what a difference service can make. I lost my father to a brain aneurysm when I was 8 years old. Despite lots of challenges I was very lucky because I have great friends and family members. Losing my father at a young age taught me the importance of having positive role models in life. Upon returning from Comfort Zone Camp I dedicated myself to being the best role model I could be for young people, especially young men. I became involved with Hoops and Hopes the 3rd week of my freshman year. I also got involved because I have a scholarship through DePaul. I am a DePaul Community Service Scholar, which promotes social justice and social learning. Getting involved with Hoops created a bright beginning for my freshman year. I have made so many connections with both the people I volunteer with as well as the kids I work with. I became a co-coordinator with Jackie winter of last year and take the position very seriously. I am thankful Jackie and I are both so passionate about the work we do, and I cannot wait to share our stories with you all.
With love and hope,
Sam & Jackie
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