Using the news feeds for Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity and the ReStore, we were able to make word clouds for both. The larger the word, the more it is used. Any words stick out for you that maybe you didn't expect?
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Week 12: AmeriCorps: Getting Things Done
By Bea Flodeen
I must preface this entry by saying this is more of a personal story than other of the other entries I've posted in previous weeks. I began my involvement with Habitat for Humanity in September 2007, when I stepped into a ReStore for the very first time.
I have to admit I was shocked entering the door. The warehouse space was packed with brass and glass lighting from floor to ceiling, bathtubs and sinks precariously lined several rows, and volunteers buzzed about like bees sorting nails and screws.
Back in 2007, AmeriCorps members were still allowed to support the ReStore in everyday operations. Once I'd signed on the dotted line to become an AmeriCorps State member, I did quite a bit of everything including running to the back door to unload donations, running to the front register to check out customers, hauling down cabinets piled sometimes three deep on shelves and hauling myself upstairs to answer volunteer questions in my email. As the repetition might indicate, the blur of the first year and a half of my time as an AmeriCorps was spent running and lifting. I'd come home every night exhausted and more often than not with fresh bruises. But I slept very well at night knowing I was serving. I was "getting things done."
As an inititive of the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps is a federal program, similar to a domestic Peace Corps. Members spend anywhere from 1/4 of a year to 4 years serving their communities and fall into one of several sub-categories including Senior Corps, VISTA, National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), State and National. Learn more...
When the 2008 Flood hit, we stood by the front windows of the ReStore watching the rain pour down. I remember very clearly saying to the other AmeriCorps member, who had just driven up from the Cedar Valley Habitat office, located near 3rd Street and 6th Avenue, "I wonder if the computers will be okay in the downtown office."
He told me they'd placed the computers up high on filing cabinets and was sure the water would never reach that far up the street. As it turns out, I saw our downtown office on the news that next day. Or rather, I saw the roof of our downtown office. The entirety of the small building where we'd kept all of our records, all of our history (except a few pictures I had borrowed to work on the ReStore second anniversary flier), everything had gone underwater. Weeks later a select few were allowed to return to the mold-filled office. We were able to retrieve some of the deeds and mortgages that had not been swept away. Those files had to be freeze-dried and sent away to be cleaned and repaired by professionals.
More than just homes and offices were destroyed. The psyche of the city was damaged. I never felt it more clearly than when I set up my small display board next to dozens of other area non-profits offering emergency services to scores and scores of homeless and flood affected folks. They shuffled by each table, each hungry to tell their story of loss and need.
My heart was torn that night.
Habitat for Humanity is a brand known all over the world as a beacon of hope - whose purpose is to create homeownership, to offer a hand-up to people in need. Our local affiliate had lost our own "home" in the flood and we were in no position to assist anyone.
In the weeks and months ahead, Habitat for Humanity International sent two "Legacy Leaders" to us from Georgia and I worked with them every day for many months recreating manuals, policies, and procedures. The board hired a new executive director. And then we got the call that the "AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon" was to be hosted in Cedar Rapids.
In 2009 and again in 2010, 500-600 AmeriCorps members from all over the United States came to Cedar Rapids to help build homes and hope. It felt incredible to me personally, seeing all of the people jumping off of the buses in their AmeriCorps gear, smiling and ready to go to work. I felt connected. I felt like we were "getting things done."
AmeriCorps members have a pledge they recite as part of their mission which I saw first-hand, the second the members came to Iowa. I still see it today, as we now annually have at least four full-time AmeriCorps State members serving with us:
I will get things done for America - to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier. I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities. Faced with apathy, I will take action. Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground. Faced with adversity, I will persevere. I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond. I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.
I must preface this entry by saying this is more of a personal story than other of the other entries I've posted in previous weeks. I began my involvement with Habitat for Humanity in September 2007, when I stepped into a ReStore for the very first time.
I have to admit I was shocked entering the door. The warehouse space was packed with brass and glass lighting from floor to ceiling, bathtubs and sinks precariously lined several rows, and volunteers buzzed about like bees sorting nails and screws.
Back in 2007, AmeriCorps members were still allowed to support the ReStore in everyday operations. Once I'd signed on the dotted line to become an AmeriCorps State member, I did quite a bit of everything including running to the back door to unload donations, running to the front register to check out customers, hauling down cabinets piled sometimes three deep on shelves and hauling myself upstairs to answer volunteer questions in my email. As the repetition might indicate, the blur of the first year and a half of my time as an AmeriCorps was spent running and lifting. I'd come home every night exhausted and more often than not with fresh bruises. But I slept very well at night knowing I was serving. I was "getting things done."
As an inititive of the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps is a federal program, similar to a domestic Peace Corps. Members spend anywhere from 1/4 of a year to 4 years serving their communities and fall into one of several sub-categories including Senior Corps, VISTA, National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), State and National. Learn more...
When the 2008 Flood hit, we stood by the front windows of the ReStore watching the rain pour down. I remember very clearly saying to the other AmeriCorps member, who had just driven up from the Cedar Valley Habitat office, located near 3rd Street and 6th Avenue, "I wonder if the computers will be okay in the downtown office."
He told me they'd placed the computers up high on filing cabinets and was sure the water would never reach that far up the street. As it turns out, I saw our downtown office on the news that next day. Or rather, I saw the roof of our downtown office. The entirety of the small building where we'd kept all of our records, all of our history (except a few pictures I had borrowed to work on the ReStore second anniversary flier), everything had gone underwater. Weeks later a select few were allowed to return to the mold-filled office. We were able to retrieve some of the deeds and mortgages that had not been swept away. Those files had to be freeze-dried and sent away to be cleaned and repaired by professionals.
More than just homes and offices were destroyed. The psyche of the city was damaged. I never felt it more clearly than when I set up my small display board next to dozens of other area non-profits offering emergency services to scores and scores of homeless and flood affected folks. They shuffled by each table, each hungry to tell their story of loss and need.
My heart was torn that night.
Habitat for Humanity is a brand known all over the world as a beacon of hope - whose purpose is to create homeownership, to offer a hand-up to people in need. Our local affiliate had lost our own "home" in the flood and we were in no position to assist anyone.
In the weeks and months ahead, Habitat for Humanity International sent two "Legacy Leaders" to us from Georgia and I worked with them every day for many months recreating manuals, policies, and procedures. The board hired a new executive director. And then we got the call that the "AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon" was to be hosted in Cedar Rapids.
In 2009 and again in 2010, 500-600 AmeriCorps members from all over the United States came to Cedar Rapids to help build homes and hope. It felt incredible to me personally, seeing all of the people jumping off of the buses in their AmeriCorps gear, smiling and ready to go to work. I felt connected. I felt like we were "getting things done."
AmeriCorps members have a pledge they recite as part of their mission which I saw first-hand, the second the members came to Iowa. I still see it today, as we now annually have at least four full-time AmeriCorps State members serving with us:
Week 11: Planting Seeds of Kindness
By Bea Flodeen
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity (CVHFH) and Habitat Gardens Iowa are teaming up to complete two projects in two cities with incoming Cornell College freshman during their Service Day on August 31. Beginning at 9 a.m., Cornell volunteers will begin work at Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity’s “RV Care-A-Vanner Park,” located at 1125 4th Street NW in Cedar Rapids. The second group of volunteers will begin at Heritage Christian School, located at 255 Hackberry Street in North Liberty.
The Cedar Rapids team will plant about 800 square feet of a variety of flowers at the CVHFH RV park, beautifying the location for incoming “Care-A-Vanner” volunteers. RV Care-A-Vanners is a volunteer program for anyone who travels in a recreational vehicle, wants to build Habitat houses and have fun doing it. RV Care-A-Vanners welcomes people of all ages, from all walks of life who want to pick up a hammer and help change lives.
The North Liberty team will work on nearly 1000 square feet, beautifying the school grounds for the enjoyment of students, family and neighbors for years to come. Because Heritage Christian is a private school, neither funding nor plants are provided as part of the Project GREEN program in the area. In partnering with Cornell College, Habitat Gardens Iowa plans to fill that need by providing the plants and volunteer labor.
“It’s a great opportunity to bring the three organizations together for one fantastic goal,” says Carol Vermeer Neel, director and co-founder of Habitat Gardens Iowa. “This is our third year engaging Cornell College students in the ministry of Habitat Gardens and we look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come. We always want the students to feel like they are part of our team!”
Volunteers interested in joining Habitat Gardens on the next community gardening day are invited to email habitatgardensiowa@aol.com or visit www.habitatgardens.net for more information.
Habitat Gardens Iowa is a community-based organization that brings together local schools, families, businesses, and individuals to help plant gardens while educating families on gardening basics. Equipped with this knowledge, these families will have the tools they need to plant their gardens year after year, adding beauty to their homes and neighborhoods and healthy fresh produce to their tables. For more information, visit the Habitat Gardens Iowa website at www.habitatgardens.net or follow projects on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HabitatGardensIowa.
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity (CVHFH) and Habitat Gardens Iowa are teaming up to complete two projects in two cities with incoming Cornell College freshman during their Service Day on August 31. Beginning at 9 a.m., Cornell volunteers will begin work at Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity’s “RV Care-A-Vanner Park,” located at 1125 4th Street NW in Cedar Rapids. The second group of volunteers will begin at Heritage Christian School, located at 255 Hackberry Street in North Liberty.
The Cedar Rapids team will plant about 800 square feet of a variety of flowers at the CVHFH RV park, beautifying the location for incoming “Care-A-Vanner” volunteers. RV Care-A-Vanners is a volunteer program for anyone who travels in a recreational vehicle, wants to build Habitat houses and have fun doing it. RV Care-A-Vanners welcomes people of all ages, from all walks of life who want to pick up a hammer and help change lives.
The North Liberty team will work on nearly 1000 square feet, beautifying the school grounds for the enjoyment of students, family and neighbors for years to come. Because Heritage Christian is a private school, neither funding nor plants are provided as part of the Project GREEN program in the area. In partnering with Cornell College, Habitat Gardens Iowa plans to fill that need by providing the plants and volunteer labor.
“It’s a great opportunity to bring the three organizations together for one fantastic goal,” says Carol Vermeer Neel, director and co-founder of Habitat Gardens Iowa. “This is our third year engaging Cornell College students in the ministry of Habitat Gardens and we look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come. We always want the students to feel like they are part of our team!”
Volunteers interested in joining Habitat Gardens on the next community gardening day are invited to email habitatgardensiowa@aol.com or visit www.habitatgardens.net for more information.
Habitat Gardens Iowa is a community-based organization that brings together local schools, families, businesses, and individuals to help plant gardens while educating families on gardening basics. Equipped with this knowledge, these families will have the tools they need to plant their gardens year after year, adding beauty to their homes and neighborhoods and healthy fresh produce to their tables. For more information, visit the Habitat Gardens Iowa website at www.habitatgardens.net or follow projects on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HabitatGardensIowa.
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Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Week 10: Building on Faith
By Bea Flodeen
It took days stalking through three airports and riding
bumpy trails in a bus with no real roads to reach her destination in Zambia,
Africa. The team from her church, Hillside Wesleyan, planned to assist a
hospital while visiting. Two American doctors were the only staff, with
missionaries or volunteers filling in where they could. She planned to help
deliver babies and take care of sick patients like the rest of her church team,
but the still, small voice whispered again; she and some others from her group were going to the nearby
orphanage.
When his mother died in childbirth, Royal was brought to the
orphanage by his father because he could not take care of him. When he was just
months old, Royal had seizures and was left alone, causing damage to his young
brain. The cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities affected his ability to
speak and move even so far as to open his hands all the way. His difficult life
had not taken away his joy though, and his bright smile is what drew Erica to
his side.
Remembering the cable ties in her pack, she raced for them
and returned shortly, carefully connecting the chair back to its frame again.
For the first time, Royal was able to sit up and smile, taking in his
surroundings as the ground moved underneath him.
“Pack the zip-ties,” a still, small voice whispered to Erica
as she packed her suitcase for the trip.
Cable ties seemed like the last thing to pack when getting
ready for a mission trip with her church to Africa. Even so, she placed the
package in her luggage and zipped it closed. “It’s not like there will be a Wal-Mart
out in the savanna to pick these up if I need them,” she thought to herself
before heading out the door.
It took days stalking through three airports and riding
bumpy trails in a bus with no real roads to reach her destination in Zambia,
Africa. The team from her church, Hillside Wesleyan, planned to assist a
hospital while visiting. Two American doctors were the only staff, with
missionaries or volunteers filling in where they could. She planned to help
deliver babies and take care of sick patients like the rest of her church team,
but the still, small voice whispered again; she and some others from her group were going to the nearby
orphanage.
Sitting in a worn chair that he was beginning to outgrow,
with a scuffed table and stuffed bear, Royal smiled at Erica and immediately
she knew why she had traveled all this way.
When his mother died in childbirth, Royal was brought to the
orphanage by his father because he could not take care of him. When he was just
months old, Royal had seizures and was left alone, causing damage to his young
brain. The cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities affected his ability to
speak and move even so far as to open his hands all the way. His difficult life
had not taken away his joy though, and his bright smile is what drew Erica to
his side.
Back in Iowa, Erica worked at The Arc and had very specific
training to assist clients just like Royal. She knew how to speak his language,
even though words were not used. Seeing how he was carried by the other
children in the orphanage, she was certain with the assistance of braces for
his arms and legs, he would be able to someday move on his own. In the
meantime, she was told of an old, broken stroller that had been donated. They
occasionally used it to help move him around, but the back was broken so he had
to lay flat as he was rolled around the yard.
Remembering the cable ties in her pack, she raced for them
and returned shortly, carefully connecting the chair back to its frame again.
For the first time, Royal was able to sit up and smile, taking in his
surroundings as the ground moved underneath him.
Erica visited with Royal for the rest of her time in Africa,
but promised to return. With measurements of his arms and legs for braces in
hand, she left Royal and his repaired stroller. She is reaching out to contacts
in Iowa to help make the braces that she will get to him, hopefully before her
next trip to Zambia in a year.
---------
Erica lives in a home with her mother, grandmother and
daughter. It is a Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity home, built in the early
90’s. Even at three-years-old, she still remembers seeing the volunteers
working on the home she would grow up in. That spirit of service was instilled
in her at a young age, and is reflected to this day in her work and the
connections she’s made half-way around the world.
In October 2013, work will begin on her own Habitat home,
with the partnership of 25 area churches and hundreds of volunteers stepping up
beside her. Erica’s daughter, Alivia, will be three when the build starts. She
will see love in action, just like her mother did years before. Perhaps Alivia
will someday make her own trip to Africa, or Asia, or South America, to
profoundly impact a life in ways she has yet to imagine; in ways the still,
small voice has yet to whisper to her young ears.
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