Interview

I thought I'd ask my community partner a few questions to help explain what we did this summer! Here is what Mary Meissner had to say:

Why do you think "home-visits" are a crucial part to St. Vincent de Paul?
The mission, which is to lead people to come together for spiritual growth & provide person to person service to the needy & suffering follows the tradition of the founder and also the patron, St. Vincent De Paul. I think the “home visits” are the means of “serving in hope” to provide for the poor and suffering directly – person to person. We are to help them to know these things by our example of being caring compassionate people, not judging them, but raising their hopes and self-esteem.

What do you think 'home-visits' teach the people who go on them?/ What have you learned from them?
It teaches different things for each person: Provides understanding of the difficulties many people face with being poor, hungry, homeless, alone, depressed, having pride & difficulty asking family members for help continually or going to the food pantry or using food share or begging landlords and public service for extensions on their financial responsibilities in order to feed their children or pay medical expenses.
- I have learned to see people as individuals with issues specific to them. I’ve learned to listen carefully and hear things that surprise me, such as someone asking for a visit for help to get a piece of furniture, when really they need food more than anything (starving as we visit), or that all they really wanted was for someone to take time to listen to them and pay attention.
- I’ve learned what real patience and endurance is from visits – how strong people are to face and endure their difficulties and still maintain some hope. I’ve learned how gracious and thankful friends are when we come to the door, that we are sometimes their only visitor or their only contact that has given them the time of day to find out what they need.

Do you think it is important for youth to get involved in volunteering?
It’s important for youth to experience first hand, the feeling of helping others. When they find out how much happiness and satisfaction they receive from helping others, it encourages them to be kind and caring to people in general and to be interested as they grow into adulthood to continue that kindness and caring for people less fortunate than themselves. They learn to appreciate what life has provided for them no matter how little.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

I don't think I could have said that any better :)

-S

Progress Report

I decided to analyze how my Service Learning Goals planned out since my hours are completed. Even though I didn't do as much direct interacting as I wanted, I still made the type of impact I wanted; it was just in a different way. The presentation I gave to representatives from across the state of Wisconsin provided a catalyst for Youth oriented groups to form. I gave insight to older members on how to get teens and young adults to join. Instead of focusing on just MY local conference, I helped out multiple ones. I felt honored to be in the St. Vincent de Paul's national newsletter again! I couldn't believe it. I managed to reach a much larger audience than ever expected. Thus in some aspects my goals were actually exceeded.


And here is the link:
http://www.svdpusa.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=zKfwVS6Zxy0%3d&tabid=55&mid=381

My academic skills and knowledge were definitely tested; oh and we can't forget my problem solving skills because that was HIGHLY tested. I had to have acute organizing and people skills otherwise our work wouldn't get done. I feel like I was tested mentally a lot with problems or sticky situations. You just have to take a deep breath and plunge right in with a dependence strictly on your talents. It was intimidating when discussing issues with spunky adults who didn't want to back down, so I've learned to get my point across in non-threatening ways. All in all, I've had a truly great experience!

-S

Keep On Keepin' On

Even though I am passed my required 30hrs of community service for my project, I really just enjoy volunteering. I've continued to go back each week and help. Once you see the amount of tasks that need to be done, you don't want to stop! Today was filled with visiting people and trying to get them out of dire situations. The effects of the bad economy are very apparent; it also makes me more nervous for the future. What if it doesn't turn around? What if it gets worse? One thing I have noticed is that despite hard situations, people don't lose their generosity. Patrons keep donating their time, skills, and money, and it's wonderful to see. :)

-S


Hours Volunteered:5
Total Hours To Date:39

The Final Product

The past few days have been INSANE preparing for the charity motorcycle ride. There were door prizes to pick up, tickets to be organized, etc. The other day I put in 2 hours taking calls and calling people back on our answering service. It was a little hectic seeing as I had never done it before.

Today was the ride! I got up early and headed over to Applejack's, a bar-diner where the route was going to start. I helped register riders&passengers, handed out wristbands, and passed out raffle tickets. Bikers kept pouring in! The event was really exciting. People initially take bikers to be harsh people, but we saw a very generous and philanthropic side to them. Each person was more than willing to buy raffle tickets and donate money to the cause. I met some really interesting people (and yes, I wore black clothes with studs on them!). I'll keep you posted on how much we raised for St. Vincent de Paul and other local food pantries :)

Here is a picture of Cozzy and I, one of the organizers of the event. The other ones are from the parking lot.





Hours Volunteered:4
Total Hours To Date:34

Late Night

Blogging late and on little sleep as it is! Today I was supposed to go help Cozzy with pre-registration tickets, but I wasn't feeling well at all. Later on, I had to take the calls. (which means calling our phone number and getting the messages from people who need help) Boy did we have some issues to take care of. I had to go on an emergency visit with Mr. Harper to help some homeless people; I can't say a lot due to privacy/confidentiality. All this before putting in a few hours at work. Pheeeew it's been a long day. Tomorrow is also time to crack down. I have to work again AND THEN get all the calls for the day, as well as go to Cozzy's and help with things for the Charity Ride. Shoot. I also need to pick up other door prizes. Ok, I should go to bed so I have the energy to do this all!!

-S

Hours Volunteered: 2
Total Hours To Date:30

Longest Day EVER

Today was a crazy day in the life of a St.Vincent de Paul Volunteer! We had around 8home visits to do as well as prepare for the Charity Motorcycle Ride this weekend. We started at 9:45 this morning and worked till 3. Then on my own time I called local businesses and asked if they wanted to donate any gift certificates or coupons towards the cause. I spent an hour or so running around and picking them up. Pheeeeewwww and it was a hot day outside.

There were so many different types of people we helped today. You know, I can't imagine what would happen in our area if people didn't have service organizations to reach out to. We have so many people who call in and are on their last legs and support. Where else can they turn to get help?? It's times like these that you realize how important you are to society. Your volunteering DOES HELP.

Hours Volunteered: 6
Total Hours To Date:28

Last Week

Whoops! I forgot to blog about my activities last week! On Saturday I sold programs at a local football game.They were $2, and the organization recieved $1 out of every one sold! We raised $30 towards the Young and Youth Vincentians. It was a fun little get-together despite some rainy weather.

Tuesday, I did more home visits with Mrs. Harper. Each time we go, my determination to help people increases. Most people would assume that there are no poor in my area, but I have seen otherwise. It really opens your eyes to the sufferings of humanity. It feels so good to help people! An interestig aspect to SVDP is that we don't judge people or their situation. Yes, they may have made a lot of bad decisions or used their money for non-need items, but that's not what's important. Our purpose is to help people, not decide if they are worthy enough.

-S

Hours Volunteered:3
Total Hours To Date:22

Kids, Finally!

Today the youth finally got together to work! We painted some more of the hallway, and I had to break up multiple paint fights. Oh, my. By the time we were done painting, we were dazzled with paint as well haha. After painting, we discussed further summer plans. SVDP can sell programs at some baseball games for $2 and receieve $1 back. Also, canned food will be collected. At the Waterfront Parade we will have a float to collect food with the help of the Boy Scouts. :) There is a lot going on at the end of the summer!

Oh, and before the kids came to help, I went on some home-visits as well!

-S

Hours Volunteered:4
Total Hours To Date:19

Charity Motorcycle Ride

Great News! The infamous duo Cozzy/Karen & Peach/Mary have yet again organized a motorcycle ride for the Waterfront Festival. They named their charity of choice this year, and it's St. Vincent de Paul! This is very exciting because the group manages to raise a significant amount of money. I was designated to create a thank you piece for all those who participated. This was exactly what I wanted to do for the organization: create phenomenal pieces of material that provide a modern edge.

Here is what the thank you looks like:


I wanted to incorporate both the toughness of motorcycle riders and the logo for St. Vincent de Paul. It took me longer than expected because some of the information changed and the whole piece had to be re-done. We'll see in the next month how the card is received!

-S

Hours Volunteered:2
Total Hours To Date: 15

Busy Day

Soooo this morning there were a lot of random things to do for St. Vincent de Paul. The building where the volunteers work and where the thrift store is in, can be described as VERY OLD. The volunteer quarters still have the original black painted walls, and recently a load of cream colored paint was donated. This of course made a very easy equation. black walls + new cream paint = snazzy bright interiors that are better to work in! Mrs. Harper (another leader in the organization) led us in painting a long hallway.

Later, we went on a few home visits. Each time I visit someone, I really understand the purpose of this organization. Yes, you may get people who are hard to work with, but they are truly in desperate need of help. Today I talked with a single mother working hard to find a job and support her family. She was living in a bad and close-to-dangerous apartment building. She needed help with her rent and barely asked for monetary assistance. Many people think that volunteering is only about helping others...but I've come to realize these people also help me in ways they can't even realize. Seeing their strength in times of hardship really give me hope. Hope that against all odds, humanity endures.

-S

Hours Volunteered:4
Total Hours To Date: 13

Home Visits

Today I was supposed to work with the youth in SVDP, but many couldn't make it so the meeting was rescheduled. Instead, I went on two "home visits." This happens when a person calls the organization to ask for help with electric/water bills, food needs, or home necessities. Two volunteers then go to the residence of the person and find out what they need. We take down their information such as # of people in the family, income, and what they are having problems with. Today, we helped someone with their electric bill and some food from the pantry while a another family with their water bill. I can't go into much detail because of confidentiality reasons, but it felt like time well spent. St. Vincent de Paul is an organization where people in need can ask for help and receive not only what they need, but compassion and understanding. We take the time to get to know them a little and not just label them as a number.

Hours Volunteered: 2
Total Hours To Date: 9

Diocesan Meeting

Today there was a meeting in Oconto (30 minutes from my hometown) to go over Diocesan material. This is when the seven different local conferences send their presidents to collaborate and and present information. The different diocese make up the North Central Region. I was asked to come to present my PowerPoint to the leaders to help them form their own youth organizations and to give them project ideas. I brought two fellow volunteers Ryan and Rachel to present with. The presentation went really well! The audience was very receptive and wasn't afraid to ask questions. For the older generation, it's hard to understand how the young mind works. It was great to go through what interests teens, what they are skill sets are, and how to get them into volunteering.

I was able to meet Sr. Christian, who helped me get my Skype article published. She is the National Youth Coordinator, so I'm glad she could take time out of her busy schedule to attend the meeting. It's really great to volunteer my time by teaching others. I feel like I can lend my perspective and creativity to others to help their own endeavours.

Hours Volunteered: 3
Total Hours To Date: 7

p.s. pictures to follow soon!
-S

Regional Conference

As part of my project, I was in charge of putting together a large Powerpoint presentation for the St. Vincent de Paul regional conference. There are 8 regions in the United States. Wisconsin is part of the North Central region. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend because of my work schedule,but I was still able to prepare slides with information that I wanted to get across. The focus of the PP was "Youth and Young Vincentians": how to get young adults involved and project ideas. Leaders from around the five state region came to view the Powerpoint and bring back ideas for their own conference and program. The presentation lasted for around an hour and a half.

I put together slides on how to keep the youth interested, how to use modern media, and how to duplicate projects in their own cities. There were five or six man projects that I detailed thouroughly including what it was, what was needed, and how to make it happen. The regional meeting was in Milwaukee, and I heard it went very well!

Hours Volunteered: 4

-S

National Newsletter

Something really exciting that happened was that the U.S national coordinator of SVDP for Youth and Young Vincentians heard about my Skype sessions with another conference and asked me to write an article about my experience! The piece was published in the national newsletter of the organization for the first quarter of 2010. Here is a link to the article:

http://www.svdpusa.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=p11Titiy7UE%3d&tabid=55&mid=381&language=en-US

Shower flip-flops?
Check.
Alarm clock?
Check.
Society of St. Vincent de
Paul?
Now that item posed a
slight problem. It didn’t fit
into my suitcase.
In preparation for college I
had made all of the
appropriate checklists about
what to bring. I had all the
items that would make my dorm feel like home, but
something was missing. This was also something I couldn’t
pack.

I joined SSVdP during my junior year of high school, and
I loved every minute of it. From meetings to volunteer
opportunities, I was always excited about helping my
community. I saw my actions changing the world. I saw
my actions positively impacting the people around me.
Just because I was leaving for college didn’t mean I had to
give all of that up…right? I began to stress out more as I
discovered there was no conference where I was going to
college. What was I supposed to do?!

After talking to my conference leader, it was apparent that
I had very few options. However, one caught my eye
immediately--Skype. Skype is an easy to use computer
program that you can download free from
www.skype.com. It allows you to video-chat with friends
amongst other great functions. As long as you have a
computer with a webcam and a microphone along with an
internet connection, you are good to go! The program is
extremely easy to use. After downloading the service, the
next step is to create an account and search for contacts
with whom to talk. When you find a friend,
communicating with them is as simple as hitting a button.

To solve my predicament, my leader suggested I Skype
with the University of Wisconsin-Madison conference of
SSVdP. The leader of that conference and I keep in
contact through email, so I know when they hold the
meetings. On these days both the Madison contact person
and I log into Skype on our laptops. One of us video
“calls” the other. To connect, the other person must
“answer” the request. From then on, we can hear and see
each other.

As strange and awkward as this meeting style sounds, it’s
completely legitimate. I feel completely included and do
everything--just as I would at a normal meeting. I get the
readings on the St. Vincent de Paul website to know what
is going on, and I also participate in discussions.
Not bad for a computer screen, huh?
I love that I can still attend SSVdP meetings even though I
am away at college. Skype is a great tool to keep me
connected. It’s good to see the Society utilizing technology
as an advantage in an age where it’s often seen as the
enemy.

As for me, I don’t mind being the floating head on the
computer screen. I think about how the Society was
created by another college kid. One can only imagine
that right now Frederic is stifling his laughter and agreeing
with the ingenuity of someone attending a meeting
through a computer. After all, it’s that same ingenuity and
determination that helped him form the Society.


-S

Project Mentors

For my project to be approved, I needed a faculty advisor and a community partner. The faculty advisor had to be a staff member of UW - Eau Claire. I chose my Fundamentals of Advertising professor, William (Bill) Barre because he showed a passion for his field and true dedication towards his students. He has creative talent and an eye for innovative ideas. I know that he will give me honest opinions about my ideas and thoughts.

A community partner is a person that is a part of the chosen organization who will supervise my work. I chose Mary Meissner who is a close family friend and a regular volunteer at St.Vincent de Paul. Her hard-working yet gentle demeanor is perfect to help me implement my ideas. Always on her toes, she is great at planning ahead and really seeing things through.

I am very excited to work with both of these people! Each brings different applicable and helpful characteristics to my planning. I know that things won't always go according to plan, but with the help of Bill and Mary I'm ready to tackle anything.
-S

The First Hurdle

The first thing I had to do for my Service Learning Project....was get it approved. I really wanted to create my own project so that it would be unique and tailored to my talents. To do so, I needed a structured plan, a faculty mentor, and a community partner. Once all of those were obtained, there was a form to fill out that asked me a variety of questions. Here are a few of them:

1. Briefly describethe project and the community need you intend to address.
My project can basically be called a media make-over. St. Vincent de Paul does a lot for my local community, and I want the organization to use technology to help it grow! Parts of my plan include furthering the Skype video conference meetings and using mixed media(Facebook events, posters, word-of mouth) to tell the community about food drives and other volunteer activities. I also have been working on building the Youth and Young Vincentians program in my area and to aid programs on the national level. This includes coming up with innovative ways for young adults to volunteer in their community. All in all, I think my service would help others learn about SSVDP, all that it does for the area, and how people can get involved, all while using modern technology and different media mixes.

2.How does this project apply and relate to the subject matter of a course, your major, or the goals of the cacalaureate degree?
I am Undeclared riht now, but I would like to go into a field in the CJ Department such as Advertising so my project goes right along with that. My first semester I took a class called Fundamentals of Advertising, ad it taught me a lot about the media and the different channels it encompasses. I ill use the information learned in that class to fuel my project. Also, it follows many of the Liberal Education Learning Goals. St. Vincent de Paul works with a variety of people, especially te poor and suffering. These people are often neglected by other members of the community and government so it is important that they can feel welcome somewhere. Creativity will be used in figuring out how best to reach certain parts of the city's population. Also, I will need great communication skills to work with leaders in the organization, the community, and with people who need assistance. Each group poses a new demand to communicate effectively.

3. Describe how this project will challenge youto apply your academic knowledge and skills.
As I mentioned before, I will be applying the information learned in my class Fundamentals of Advertising because it taught me many of the different vehicles that agencies use to get different messages across. Also, I am taking the class Communication In The Information Age which has been helping me learn about modern media. I feel that these classes have given be a solid base to catalyze my ideas from. An example of applying my knowledge is that I learned how to set marketing or advertising objectives to classify progress in areas of communication that are often hard to measure. There are different techniques that one can use to see the types of results that certain actions are creating. It will definitely push my limits and make me work harder because it’s a bigger undertaking that I’ve done before. It will be exciting though. I have also had to use my writing and reporting skills to write an article abot my pioneer experiment of Skype-ing meetings with a different conference. Even though I'm away at college, I wanted to continue going to meetings. There is no SSVDP conference here so I decided to video conference with the Madison Chapter. I wrote an article that got published in the U.S national St. Vincent de Paul newsletter. The piece was about using modern technology in an adventageous way. The practice is now spreading to other chapters!

4. How will the proposed service activity help you develop or enhance your senseof civic or social resonsibility?St. Vincent de Paul is a great service organization that focuses their attention on individuals who are often forgotten or fall through the cracks of society. Some of the core values listed on the organization’s website include “we believe: in the dignity of the human person, in the preferential option for the poor, that our primary concern is charity and justice, and in the virtue of charity, inside and outside the Society” (http://www.svdpusa.org/AboutUs/MissionandValues/tabid/67/language/en-US/Default.aspx). There are so many pitfalls of today’s world and working with the people who have become victims really can open one’s eyes. I have been a member since my junior year in high school and can attest to people and their courageous stories that I will never forget. My service project will prove that one person’s actions can and WILL make a difference in the world whether it’s by spreading opportunities, informing people, or doing some hard work yourself.

-S