A Day at Sea with Lifebridge Partnership

G'day Mateys!

Today we got to visit our friends at Lifebridge Partnership's spring break camp.  Even after the first day, all of the volunteers had made personal connections with the young campers, so we were all looking forward to visiting our little buddies again.  This day's theme was pirates: every activity revolved around plundering and booty.  The campers took on their buccaneer identities with gusto.  "Arggghhh"s could be heard from all corners of the facility.  For physical activity, we played a game of pirates vs. sailors, a high seas take on cops and robbers.  Giggling ensued immediately not only amongst the campers but us too; the enthusiasm these kids have is so contagous.  Martial arts was next on the list and the energy levels didn't fade.  We were partnered with our favorite campers and got to learn hand-to-hand combat, a very useful skill when boarding enemy vessels.  Although some injuries were acquired, the spirit of Bruce Lee was alive in all of us and the strikes just kept coming.  To flesh out our campers' creative side, the arts and crafts station had us make treasure maps showing where our secret treasure was located.  Some of the campers teamed up, which was really sweet to see.  These kids really look out and care for each other, something that was displayed in all of their actions.  Giant spiders, sea monsters, and active volcanoes were some of the deadly obstacles that treasure hunters had to face.  The creativity amongst our group was astounding, with some maps even impressing the least ardent of adults.  Soon after, a treasure hunt began, and the zeitgeist of the campers was tangible.  Kids were tripping over one another to get to the next clue.  At the final stop, a giant X was found and the treasure was seized: an assortment of sweets and toys.

One of the more impressive acts put on for the children was a fo-pirate ship, complete with cannons and a crows nest.  You could see the light radiating from their eyes: the campers really put the jolly in Jolly Roger.  No passing vehicle or pedestrian was safe from our cannon fodder and steel cutlery, nor could they fend of the infectious merriment shown in these kids.  After a long day, we were sad to say a last goodbye to our little partners, and the feeling was mutual.  Over the past two days, bonds were made and friendships began to blossom.  Their hugs squeezed out the last of our energy, and we reluctantly went our separate ways.

These campers taught us as much or even more than we, them.  Through our one-on-one interactions, it was quite obvious that each of these kids were one of a kind and had unique obstacles presented to them from birth.  A singular approach to a certain disability is not at all the best way to engage children with disabilities.  Just like us, they are all unique and a personalized plan of action is required.  For the volunteers who haven't had much experienced with the disabled, there was much surprise about how independent these kids were.  Even those who used wheelchairs and crutches to get around did not allow their disability to limit their sense of adventure and passion for life.  Often the stereotype of the helpless disabled person over represents itself in the average person's mind and, as we all knew or learned, this simply isn't true.  As stated earlier, these kids are all unique and one image couldn't ever represent the wonderful diversity and characteristics displayed by our campers.  We weren't the only ones giving joy and hope.  A lot of what we saw and did brought about feelings of happiness and a sense of accomplishment in us all.  Within the two short days we got to spend with the campers, we could see progress being made.  One of the more notable instances was when a nonverbal camper spoke for the first time at camp after sitting down with a UT volunteer.  It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes such a drastic change in these kids' minds, but we can't help but think that our presence at this camp and other sites is really making a difference.  It was a truly amazing moment that will linger in our minds for some time to come.

The wonderful people who ran the camp, Life Bridge, are not only limited to children but extend their helping hand to the adult disabled community as well.  They have over forty programs a month for these folks to help them get out of the house and experience the wonderful things this world has to offer.  They individually make goals with the participants in detailed steps to make it easy and very reachable for them.  Trips range from the Walmart to a Boyz 2 Men concert and everything in between.  Public support through fundraising and increasing awareness has allowed LifeBridge to grow as dramatically as it has in the past few years.  Overall, it was yet another wonderful day we got to share with new friends and our fellow peers.  We will dearly miss our campers, but more excitement and service awaits and we couldn't be happier about that.

Juli and Alexander

And here are some bonus photos from our visit to Ted Drewes, late night s'mores, mafia, and other happenings.

LifeBridge Partnership is Out of This World!!!

Today we worked at a spring break day camp with LifeBridge partnership at a sports complex. The campers ranged in age from 6-18. At the camp, we were divided into four teams (based on age); each member of our group picked a team and worked with them for the rest of the day. Today's theme was outerspace.

We began our morning learning about outerspace at several different stations provided by the Challenger Learning Center. One station featured paper rockets that allowed the campers to build and fire their own rocket. Another allowed campers to build their own constellation map that adjusts for the time of day and year. The last station was a planetarium that taught the campers about different constellations and planets in our solar system. Another space-themed station was the art station. At this center, the campers created their own planet out of a paper plate, which they painted and decorated. After these stations, we got to eat lunch with the campers. Then, the different teams rotated between basketball, wiffleball, and arts and crafts. To finish off our day, we enjoyed some out of this world Moon Pies.

Everyone loved today because we got to interact with the kids all day. Each person got a totally different experience but we all learned a lot. We all learned how to be flexible and patient because each camper has his or her own needs and did not always want to participate in every activity. Many of us got a lot better at communicating with people with disabilities, which is often difficult and frustrating. Additionally, we learned from the campers and how they acted. The campers were very unselfish and often put others' needs in front of theirs. When the campers played wiffleball at the end of the day, they all worked together to help every person's need. From talking to and watching the staff interact with the kids, we better understood the value of personal relationships with the kids. We also learned that there is no clear solution to every problem and even experienced workers often struggle with how to handle problems.

  
This camp is very important to these campers because time away from school is often very unproductive and even harmful. Disabled students often do not get the attention they need when they are away from school and their parents are at work. When campers come to this camp during spring break, they are given opportunities to keep their bodies and minds fresh. Additionally, they form valuable relationships with other campers and volunteers. We all loved working with this organization and are so excited to be there tomorrow for Pirate Day!

-Bryan Shrader and Caroline Gowin

Emmaus Homes

Did you know that green wasn't the original color of St. Patrick's day?!
It was blue! This was one of many facts and life lessons that we learned on our second day of service.

This morning, we made our way to the Emmaus Homes Corporate Office, an organizaion that provides services for adults with developmental disabilities. We were given a warm welcome by Ms. Chris Adams, the Director of Foundation Operations and Volunteers. She gave us a tour of the building and led us to the activities room where she gave a short overview about Emmaus Homes, including their daily services and how the organization functions. Emmaus Homes was founded by the Evangelical Church in 1893 and they serve adults ages 18 and up, with their oldest client who is currently 95 years old. Next, we were separted into four different service groups for the first part of the day.

The first group helped with cooking and the preparation of the St. Patrick's Day party for the clients later in the day. During the first part of the service, we assisted clients in a cooking class to make carrots, potatoes, cabbage, and cupcakes for the party. We also worked with the clients to create St. Patrick's Day table centerpieces while learning about the origins of the meal to be served. FUN FACT: corn beef and cabbage, traditionally eaten by Americans on St. Patrick's Day, is not acutally eaten in Ireland. Americans were looking for a cheaper alternative to an Irish meal. 'Merica.

Secondly, we had a group working on a filing project. We filed current and deceased/discharged clients' documents. Part of this project had been going on for 12 months and we were able to bring this year-long phase to a close. The oldest dated document was 1922! Our task was to organize the files to make them more accessible for viewing. We learned this was important and that all files must be kept for the Department of Mental Health. In total, we organized 33 boxes.

The third group volunteered to address envelopes in an effort to contribute to the fundraising efforts of Emmaus Homes. Emmaus Homes is funded 85% by the governmennt and raises the remaining 15% through fundraisers and donations. Part of the 15% is a letter drive, in which the company sends letters to potentional donors. The goal for this project is to raise $60,000. Our role was to address and stamp 725 envelopes to be sent out. We also learned that Mark, our learning partner, has exquisitie penmanship, which he learned between 1st and 8th grade.

Last but not least, we had a group drive to one of the 65 community homes to paint the interior of a house lived in by 3 of the Emmaus Homes clients. Our job was to lay tarp, free-hand the trim, and paint the remaining parts of the walls. We completed a hallway, living room, dining room, and a foyer. Upon completion, we were told that we were one of the few groups to complete a full painting project in one day. We also had a student from a local high school volunteering time during his spring break to join us in painting. We were impressed by his maturity and work ethic!

Other highlights from the first part of our day include the lunch provided by Ms. Chris Adams (our choice of Pizza Hut or Jimmy John's) and coming together at the end to complete phase 2 of the filing project.

After completing each of these tasks, we transitioned into the St. Patrick's Day party where we were able to interact with the clients by handing out festive tattoos, serving food, and engaging in conversation. It was a joy to meet many of the people we had served indirectly earlier in the day. Overall, we learned valuable tips about how to work with and treat people with disabilities. We were able to see that people with disabilities have full dignity and love to interact with others. They are very appreciative, inclusive, and accepting. We learned practical ways to interact with people with disabilities and we cannot wait to use them in our service tomorrow!

"Team work makes the dream work!"

And that's the way the cookie crumbles,

Na'Sha and Mary Ann