31 days of simple service



Class Tracking Poster

This month marks the 15th year of serving my community (though that community location has changed a time or two). It all started when I joined AmeriCorps *National Civilian Community Corps on October 1, 1997. While I continue to serve, I feel I have gotten a bit off track from the true joy of it. This past year I experienced something I had never felt before. I had been participating in a project consistently for 9 consecutive years and it had become drudgery and obligation and I was really not serving anyone well. So I did something I never thought I would do...I quit. Just like that. Turned in my key and said "best of luck". Now there were other things going on and the leadership had changed and while I still believe in the mission of the organization, I could not actively participate and still really like myself. It had gotten pretty bad. I had come to realize there was absolutely no joy in the project any more. After 9 years of hard work, I realized I had nothing more to offer. So this brings me to this month of simple service. I was prompted to begin this journey by a challenge offered up at my yoga studio. The challenge had two parts, set a goal for the month of October and participate in 23 yoga classes. I decided that my goal would be Complete 31 days of service in the month of October in order to celebrate my 15 years of service. Reconnecting with that which means so much to me I did the cliche thing and looked up service in the dictionary. The first definition will work quite nicely- Service- an act of helpful activity. Each day I will keep my eyes open for opportunities to serve. Some days I will already have planned what to do, others I will wing it and hope something comes up. It shouldn't be too hard as I work for a volunteer center and I live in a city with a plethora of needs. What will count? Anything I want really. The point isn't to check off the list. It's to serve intentionally and with some sense of WANTING to be helpful.

Day 1- I couldn't start this without planning for day 1. So I gathered up my recycling and dropped it off. You may say it has taken me a month to do this one as I recycle every day. But that really is the point. I recycle. I have a separate receptacle at home and I use it for paper, plastic, aluminum and glass. It's not hard, but it does require attention regularly. Also, I picked up the newspaper off the sidewalk as I went into the office rather than walking over it. That one made me grumble a bit, but for no good reason. Someone has to do it.

My Volunteer Susan

Day 2- I have a wonderful volunteer that works with me named Susan. We made plans to go to a surplus store to look at bicycles. These are left behind by students after the semester is over and they sell them for $40. Susan found a great cruiser with a basket on it and I helped her transport it to the bicycle shop. I enjoy having Susan's help with recruiting volunteers, so any opportunity to help her is just a bonus. Also, donated some sharpies to the yoga studio for tracking classes in the month of October. Just wanted people to be able to make the tracking poster pretty.

Red Cross Training Class

Day 3- I serve as a volunteer partner at the American Red Cross. That means I help a staff member and provide backup in emergency situations. Jonathan (the Red Cross staffer) asked me to attend a pilot training for New Employee/Volunteer Orientation and Disaster Services Overview. He wanted my perspective on the class and to show me what the content might be as an instructor for them. It was interesting to see what they had put together and I got to see several friends and some of my favorite volunteers that I had not seen in a while. It also reconnected me to the reason I volunteer for the Red Cross. They have a unique culture in regards to volunteers and I love that you can't easily tell the difference between paid and volunteer staff. The fact that they have 97 volunteers for every 1 paid staff member is exciting to me. More organizations should follow this lead in my opinion. Also, brought stickers to yoga for the poster because as adults we don't spend nearly enough time playing with stickers.

Day 4- Much more of a challenge today. Just irritated with some co-workers and not feeling much like serving. It happens. I ended up staying a little late staring at a spreadsheet and prepping for a meeting the next day. Was in a rush to leave and my last stop was the work room to grab something off of the printer. When I got there I realized I had the opportunity to be the tiniest bit considerate. I could refill the paper in the large copier. So that's what I did, a small helpful activity that I should probably do more often.

Day 5- Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, pretty self explanatory title. These are the non-governmental organizations (some faith based) that help communities before, during and after disasters occur. I participate in four of these VOADs as a part of my job. You might say “wait a minute isn’t this supposed to be about service?” Well you are correct, but the reason I am in my field is because my job is service. I chose my current position because it blends my passion for service with my need to eat and have a roof over my head. Besides my job is to attend such meetings, not to take on leadership roles necessarily. However, for Tarrant County I have become the secretary, which means I am a member of the executive committee and I help set the agenda and take the minutes and make sure people are kept informed about what is going on. On this day we held a meeting and it was a notable one because our president stepped down. She was a great leader for us, and the organization has grown stronger this year because of it. But her opportunities dragged her away to Longview, so we are going to have to replace her. The meeting went well and we had some new members join and others expressing interest.

Me N Maddie

Gabe and Elijah

Day 6- My brother and his wife went to a conference with their church. I had the distinct pleasure of helping the grandparents watch over their three beautiful children the ENTIRE weekend while they were away. I don’t often get to spend time with my nephews and niece (Gabriel 8, Elijah 5 and Madeline 2), but this weekend was full on Aunt Lisa time and we had a blast. Birthday parties and watching the Avengers movie may not sound like service, but when you are watching kids and are not used to doing it over several days it is WORK.

Day 7- While in Oklahoma I got the opportunity to help my brother Mickey install a toilet in his new home. I know you are thinking GLAMOROUS life, right? I enjoyed the opportunity to help out as I had helped install some before when I was in Alaska with AmeriCorps. Also, it was the first time I was able to see his new home. It was a family bonding moment as well, but dad or Mick will have to tell you that story.

Proud Homeowner

Day 8- Serving always makes me grateful. Expressing true thankfulness for what you have been given and how others have served or provided is important. I decided this day would be a day of gratitude, so I wrote 5 thank you cards.
1. Jess- the owner of the yoga studio Super Yoga Palace because I am extremely grateful to be able to come somewhere and feel. Be. Do.
2. Mike/Laura- the leaders of my church home group. They serve so tirelessly and I don’t think they get nearly enough thanks.
3. The Stewart Family- they welcomed me into their home for dinner and getting to spend time with Al and Chris and their amazing children (Grant, Curt, Isla, Emery) is always so special to me. Plus the food is delicious.
4. Andea- the leader of my Women’s Bible Study. She too gives so graciously and I wanted to take the time to thank her for her kindness and leadership.


Freshly painted wall

5. The City of Dallas- yes, you read that correctly. The City of Dallas has a graffiti removal program. Recently one of the structures on my favorite trail was defaced with graffiti and not the artistic cool kind. Someone had crudely sprayed male and female genitals on an area I pass each time I go for a run, walk, ride. I was so glad when they painted over it that I wanted to thank them. You KNOW they can’t get many thanks. If you every want a group volunteer project, you should consider joining them. They don’t destroy the artistic stuff and that is something I appreciate.


AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas Leaders

Day 9- In 2005 I started the AmeriCorps Alums chapter in North Texas. Ever since then I have been trying to re-engage individuals who have served in AmeriCorps in a variety of ways. Networking events- so people can get to now one another. Service projects- to help the community in some small way and to help alums continue their LIFETIME OF SERVICE. We also try to provide support to current programs with training and consultation whenever possible. Well today we had a meeting of the leadership where we planned out our next event and worked on our strategic plan. It was a lot of fun and I am eager to see how things turn out. I really enjoy working with people who enjoy service as much as I do.

Dallas VOAD Exercise

Day 10- Dallas County VOAD has a Disaster Tabletop Exercise on this day. It was facilitated by the City of Dallas and was a very eye-opening experience. I learned a lot about how the city and county hope to work with the agencies that are a part of the VOAD to help people in times of emergency. This event reminded me why I am in the field I am in and why I do what I do. I truly hope that the work we do to prepare will ultimately make the community safer and better able to handle a crisis when one occurs.

Day 11- Upon review of my calendar I cannot think of a single service I provided to anyone on this day. Unfortunate.



Edward gets a corndog

Day 12- I have a dear friend, Nancy, who has a little boy, Edward (5), she is raising on her own. I love this kid. Each year he asks if I am taking them to the Texas State Fair. Each year I do. The kid had three goals for this adventure. He wanted to see the giraffe. He wanted to eat a corn dog and he wanted to play a game. We managed to see the giraffe and eat a corn dog, but they had some weird game playing system where you had to buy a card that was expensive, so we didn't end up playing. Two out of three ain't bad.

Day 13- I started writing a letter to my cousin who is in prison. I haven't sent him anything in months. He's a year younger than me, but is more like a brother than a cousin. We were very close growing up. He got caught up in drugs and has been in an out of jail most of his life. I got a letter from him, so I decided to write back.

Day 14- One thing you notice when you start regularly riding a bike is that there are a lot of hazards out there. Squirrels, little kids on bikes and especially large sticks that end up in your path. I went for a walk/run this day and threw sticks off the side of the trail. There had been a storm the day before, so there were quite a few.
Also, I helped serve communion at church on this day.

Day 15- I went to the store and bought a huge thing of grapes. I brought them in to the office to share with some co-workers.

Day 16- Some days it is all you can do to help someone when they ask. Our yoga teacher asked for help blowing out the candles at the end of class. So I did. At this midway point in the challenge, I felt my energy waning.  I had to remind myself that sometimes the small things mean a lot.

Day 17- This day I was contacted by a local AmeriCorps Program to help review their grant that they were writing for 2013. I was unable to help out as I intended to apply to be a reviewer for the State Commission for these grants. So instead of reviewing it, I found them a completely awesome substitute- Dhriti, who is the person I would want to review any grant I would write. So sometimes serving isn't doing the work yourself, but connecting resources. That little nugget was 100% for free.

Me n Edward at the Arboretum

Day 18- The was the day I applied for the position as a reviewer for the AmeriCorps grants for the State Commission. I don't know yet if I will be accepted, but I am excited to try. If selected I will get to see if programs are able to deliver services to the community and that AmeriCorps Members will have a good experience. 

Day 19- Nancy and I took Edward to the Dallas Arboretum to enjoy the day and to see the Chilhuly Exhibit. It was a lot of fun and was kind of exciting to "discover" the artwork hidden throughout the entire garden. It was also Fall when they have the pumpkins everywhere. Edward kept trying to find a pumpkins too big for him to sit on. It was awesome to watch him enjoy everything so much. I found out later that it was Nancy's first time to the Arboretum as well. We will definitely need to go again.

Day 20- My boss gave me free tickets to get into the Texas State Fair. I had hoped to be able to take my family as they were coming into town to see me run my triathlon the next day. Well, there just wasn't enough time to get there. I gave the tickets to Dhriti who was planning to go anyway and was going to have to buy her tickets. Also, Dhriti almost always signs me in to the yoga classes we attend together. On this day, I signed her in. Yes, it was such a momentous and rare occasion it warrants me writing about it.

 



Potluck Crew

Day 21- Dhriti and I joined several other community members for a Pay it Forward Potluck at the coffee shop Mokah which is next to Super Yoga Palace (our second home). We were there to learn more about the efforts being made in the local community to help at-risk, neglected, exploited and trafficked youth through the Letot Center www.breatheplaynamaste.org and www.letotgirlscenter.org I had heard about these work that was being done. I knew they taught yoga to the girls who were staying in the facility. I had always been curious to know more, but never took the steps to ask. It was a wonderful event where the community all brought food and asked great questions. I am excited to find a way to help support this effort in the future. 

Day 22- Once a year they offer free yoga classes at studios throughout  the Metroplex (Labor Day, September 3, 2012). At the last class of the day a guy was handing out free yoga mats and gave me one. Now, I knew I already had a mat.  The guy seemed so eager to hand them all out quickly and when he handed me one I decided I would give it to the next student who started coming to the studio regularly and who needed one.  Dhriti's friend Misty had been coming consistently and we decided that she should have it.

Day 23- There are several AmeriCorps Programs in North Texas. A few years ago the AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas started joining forces for National Service Days. Last year was our most successful year for this partnership. We hosted joint projects for Martin Luther King Day of Service and held a great Life After AmeriCorps Event with several programs participating. On this day we began our planning for 2013 and the events we would host all together.

Day 24- Another day where the act was simple. After yoga class the instructor has to lock up. Sometimes it can be a pain to try to close the security gate and hold the door open. I helped by holding the door open so she could close the gate. 

This was also the day of what I like to call my "final exam" at work. We had our annual Disaster Exercise for the Mass Care Task Force. We were testing our Volunteer Management Systems and our ability to communicate internally and with the community in times of Disaster in North Texas. While we still have a lot of work to do, the exercise went relatively well. We are inching closer to the goal of having a safer, more prepared community.

FEMA Corps visiting Texas

Day 25- I was super excited for the opportunity to speak to two FEMA Corps teams who are in Texas for training. I was invited by Jonathan Wallace of the American Red Cross to talk to them about the Red Cross and AmeriCorps Alums. It was great to see their eagerness to learn about disaster response and how the Red Cross works. I was just so curious about their experience and just to talk to them. Their program has a lot in common with the program that I was in 15 years ago. You could say it felt like many things had come full circle with this meeting. I did not get to talk to them much, but it was nice to show them around and to show them the response vehicles and supplies.  I also hope that this is just the beginning.

This was also my first opportunity to participate in the HandsOn Network Disaster Task Force Conference Call. I had recently been approved as a member of this group which is putting in place a network of volunteer centers across the nation which have a disaster component. It was great to hear the ideas shared and to talk about our Disaster Exercise which had taken place the day before the call.

Day 26- I participated in the community reviewer training for the AmeriCorps grant process today. Still don't know if I will be chosen to help out with the project, but hoping that it works out.

Another unique opportunity presented itself. I was asked to write a letter of recommendation for the Points of Light Foundation on behalf of AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas. They are applying for a grant to get AmeriCorps Alums involved in Disaster Relief. It required a pretty quick turn around, but I was happy to help. I hope the grant works out as we could certainly used more trained/experienced people to help with local and national disaster response.

SYP at Clyde Warren Park Opening

Day 27- This was the day of the opening of Klyde Warren Park. This park was built over the highway in downtown Dallas. I had been looking forward to this event for weeks. I combined many of my favorite things- a community coming together to celebrate, the great outdoors, music, food trucks, yoga, spending time with friends, taking public transportation, and fireworks. I had gotten four wristbands to attend the concert that evening. Dhriti and I wanted to invite people from our yoga studio so we could all support/celebrate Jessica who was performing. Any opportunity to bring the community closer is a good thing. So when Alicia and Craig said they were available we were excited. The best part was that they came in costume. Alicia showed off her killer make-up skills and Craig wore a home-made Storm Trooper outfit. Let me just say, you have not been to an event until you attend with a Storm Trooper. He was CONSTANTLY getting stopped by people wanting to have their picture taken with him. It was fabulous. He made a lot of little kids (and many adults) very happy when he posed with them. It was a wonderful evening and I don't know if I ever enjoyed an outdoor community event more. Trombone Shorty blew me away (pun intended). I really liked their music. Definitely would like to see them again. But the Polyphonic Spree were the highlight of the night. I had never seen them before. The only thing I knew about them is that there were a lot of them and they wore robes. It was easy to see why so many of my friends like them. Their music is light and energizing. Makes you want to go dancing through a field...wait, maybe a park. :)

Day 28- Civic service day. I voted! I never knew that early voting was a possibility. I always thought that you had to have a reason like you were going to be out of state on election day or something. I got a thing in the mail that told me the polling places and the hours, so I went after church but before the 29 Gifts yoga workshop. There was a bit of a line, but nothing like what I imagine there will be on election day. It is quite a relief to have it already done.

Day 29-Today I got another amazing opportunity. The CEO of my company sent me an email. Seems there is the training that she was invited to by the Points of Light Foundation. State Service Commissions Executive Directors and HandsOn Network Executive Directors have been invited to Spontaneous Volunteer Management Training at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Since my CEO had a conflict, she asked if I could apply to attend instead. She was given the green light, so I submitted my application. I won't know until the end of November, but I like my chances.  I think it would be a great opportunity to learn how to work better with State Service Commissions and to see better how things will operate nationally.  



Alums at Blue Mesa

Day 30-Our monthly event for AmeriCorps Alums of North Texas was a Networking LAB (Lead*Act*Build) at Blue Mesa. Blue Mesa has great specials from 4-6:30 on weekdays. We took advantage of the free quesadilla bar and chips (AmeriCorps Alums love free stuff almost as much as AmeriCorps members). We had a good crew come out and there was a lot of great conversation. People sharing job openings, others telling of job changes, volunteer projects getting hashed out and of course telling service stories.

Day 31- My act of service today was to show my boss how to create a blog. She just came back from the Bahamas and apparently she has some stories to tell.

Reflection- I have greatly appreciated this challenge. I pushed myself and I feel much stronger because of the consistent and elevated practice. It's one thing to do 23 classes (or 30) in one month, but to attach a personal goal to it was amazing. I would not have been so intentional or so mindful of this month had it not been for this challenge. One of the most tangible effects of this experience was bringing the students of SYP closer together. I know several of the students much better from talking about the challenge and the shared experience of a common goal (23 classes).  We talked before class, after class, on facebook and even took our adventures off the mat entirely a time or two.  We encouraged one another, acknowledged difficulty and celebrated our accomplishments. I am grateful to have had the opportunity and I look forward to future challenges with this amazing community.