Sierra- UCP- Day Three

On our third day, we worked with the admin office and with the Early Intervention office. When we got to the admin office, some of us made phone calls to schools around the area to ask if they would be interested in participating in a fundraising event. But the schools were all on spring break, so we started calling businesses. The event is on April 25 and is called Casual Day, where employers let their employees buy and wear T-shirts from UCP on that day to show support for UCP and people with disabilities in the area. I usually don’t like telemarketing calls, but I felt some sort of a passion for this task because I had already met some of the participants this fundraiser would be affecting. It made me more driven to talk to people and explain the importance of the cause. We’re going to buy Casual Day T-shirts tomorrow to show our support for the organization.

After we made some phone calls, we went to the Early Intervention office and helped them sanitize and organize certain areas throughout the building. Early Intervention is a program at UCP that works with newborns through 3 years old to try and improve or combat any potential struggles they may encounter with their disabilities. I think this program is a great idea because it’s being proactive about the situation. We even got to see small glimpses of the little children, although we didn’t work directly with them today. But tomorrow we will be working there all day, and I think it’s safe to say it will be our most exciting day.

When we got done, our volunteer coordinator took us to a place called Steel City Pops that has gourmet popsicles. I bought a chocolate and blood orange popsicle and they were amazing! We all decided we will definitely be going there again. Then our volunteer coordinator hooked us up with a free tour at the Alabama Theater. It was built in 1927 for silent movies, but is now also used for concerts. The architecture was unbelievable and it definitely felt like we were soaking up a part of history by being there. I’m glad we were able to see it and I’d definitely recommend going there to anyone who visits Birmingham.

Sierra- UCP- Day Two

The second day at UCP was a lot less fun than the first, just because we worked with maintenance rather than participants. I think we all expected to be directly working with UCP members the entire week, so it was a letdown at first. But we wanted to do whatever we could to help so we were glad to do it even if it wasn’t very exciting. The men we worked with were so nice and friendly that it made the strenuous labor a lot more bearable. We began with cleaning out the maintenance room and stocking the shelves according to items. It took a couple hours to organize the room, and then we went into a trailer by the maintenance room and starting cleaning and organizing that area. We sorted through a ton of boxes full of random items from plumbing to electrical to Christmas decorations, and consolidated like items. We made several trips out to a trash area to throw away unwanted items and recycle cardboard boxes. Then, my favorite part of the day, I learned how to operate a forklift. It was actually really easy but something that I’ve always wanted to do! I picked up heavy construction items and moved them to another location where they were sorted and bundles, then brought back.

I’m not sure what I expected, but I was really surprised with how much the maintenance workers cared about the participants and loved their jobs. Our task instructor told us he’d had jobs in the past where he didn’t look forward to going to work at all. But he said that with this job, it’s easy for him to get out of bed in the morning and he genuinely looks forward to work every day. I thought hearing that was really special, because even though he doesn’t work directly with the UCP members, he still feels touched and is affected by their everyday struggles. He said it makes him complain less and appreciate life much more, which I think is going to be the main lesson we learn from this experience.

After we got done, we were planning on going to the zoo since it is half price on Tuesdays. But we didn’t end up getting done until 4:30 and the zoo closes at 5, so we decided to go on a drive. We drove through downtown to the Alabama Theater and then to West End. The west side of Birmingham is known for being among the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods, so I really wanted to see that side to get a better perspective of the diversity. I actually didn’t think it looked that bad, just had some rough houses and businesses. Right after we saw that, we went to Mountainbrook, which is among the wealthiest neighborhoods, to compare it to the west neighborhoods. It was very beautiful, but a little sad to see the poor distribution of wealth.

Sierra- UCP- Day One

Our first day at UCP Birmingham went completely different than I expected, but was still amazing. I came into it thinking that I would feel awkward and would have to struggle to find things to talk about with the participants. But as soon as I walked in, I was immediately greeted by several people who had neurological disorders. They were all extremely welcoming and very curious about who I was and where I came from. I helped four members bowl in the hallway and it was a lot of fun. They were able to do a lot more than I thought they could, like roll the bowling ball with some assistance, and they had a great time knocking down the pins. I met a woman named Shelly who had a great time bowling, especially when she got a spare. Then we all went back into the classroom and I was able to meet even more people. I was introduced to a woman named Lynne who sorted through magazine cut-outs of fancy outfits, and we talked about which ones we liked and didn’t like. Then a young man came into the room and completely stole the show. His name was Jercolbie and he had such a great spirit about him. He started singing for us and I danced for him. Then I gave an older woman, Faye, a manicure. At first she was very adamant that she did not want one, but eventually warmed up to me. I also met a young man named Ben, who was unable to talk and had a hard time using his hands, but I talked and played games with him. There was never a dull moment at UCP with these wonderful people. I was extremely impressed with the staff and the attention they gave to each member. They all had so much love and passion for what they were doing and the people they worked with.

            We were planning on going to the McWane Science Center in the evening, but there was a “huge” thunderstorm. (“Huge” meaning just some rain and lightning, which is fairly common in Kansas.) But one of the girls and I got trapped at Starbucks when the rain started pouring down heavily and the other girls called and said the power had gone out in the church we were staying at. When we finally made it home, we ended up taking a nap for a couple hours but the power was still off when we woke up. So we had to go out to eat, and chose a place that was recommended to us called El Barrio and it ended up being a really good Mexican restaurant. By the time we got back home, the power was on again.

Megan- Cheyenne- Day Five

Today was our last day on the reservation at the youth center. This morning we helped run an Indian taco sale at the teen center. A few members of both groups woke up early to help out the executive director make the special bread early in the morning, others helped serve the food, and a handful of people also went out into the community (some dressed up as tacos) to spread the word about the sale. With the sale going on and cleaning the building, the morning was very busy.

Today we also had a speaker from the community. A man who was born here in Lakota territory and was sent off to a boarding school at age 6 in which the school attempted to take his culture away from him. After years of abuse and brainwashing, he was expelled at age 16. He returned to the community a harden man. He answered so many questions for us and his story was incredible.

He talked about the Lakota people and their values, how they are not materialistic at all. He talked about how the Lakota people are a family, and they share everything. He told us a story about how he felt at one point that he wasn't living up to the standards he wasn't end to. He began to choke up as he said that one day he invited everyone he knew over to his house, and by the end of the day, he gave away everything he owned.

Another strong point that he made was something that we had already discussed in class and as a group here that we felt like the other group was struggling with. He talked about how these people are fine; they don't need to be fixed. They are fine with outsiders coming in to learn and to help, but not to fix. They don't need to be fixed, they may be one of the poorest counties in America but they are rich in their cultures and their values.

Megan- Cheyenne- Day Four

Today was a very enlightening day. We had the same tasks as the previous days and spent time with the kids too. We had the opportunity to hear from speakers today give was a new experience for us.

The first speaker we heard was a man from a nearby area called "iron lightning", a population of 25 people. He was a really incredible man who has traveled all over North America, but has returned to the reservation area and makes art and jewelry for a living. He talked about how much the Lakota people care for each other and how precious their language and traditions mean to them. It was interesting to hear from a man so dedicated to his ancestry that had also experienced so much in the world.

The second speaker was Julie, the executive director of the organization. She told us some of the back story of the organization and answered questions. This was very eye-opening experience because we are here with another group from another university. They asked a lot of questions that went along the lines of more if suggestions for the organization, and what they think should be done. Generally, they prepared their trip here by having very structured plans and ideas, while we prepared more by learning about volunteerism and non-profit organizations. As a group, we discussed that we believed that we have gained more from our experience by being open to help in any way, rather than following a structured plan. We related back to the first article we read in class, "To Hell with Good Intentions". We believe that the other group here has very good intentions, but very stressed about following the specific plan they have made and assuming that they are doing what is best for this organization based in their opinions. Thanks to reading this article, and other class time preparations, we believe that we as a group were more prepared to do what the organization needs from us, not necessarily what we think they need.

Tomorrow is our final day, it will be busy. I am excited!

Megan- Cheyenne- Day Three

Today was the most enjoyable day of them all I think for the whole group. We all had so many enjoyable experiences with the kids.

This morning we continued to be in our same groups as the day before. Some people who were in he warehouse the day before moved to family services, because Wednesday is when the citizens of the community come in to ask for needed supplies. The others in the group continued cleaning and organizing with most of the others. Some of us, including me, continued to work on the banners and other art projects.

After lunch some of us began cooking for the kids. Myself and one other girl from my group and two members of Iowa State helped out too. We made a chicken tortilla soup and potatoes, the kids weren't too excited about the soup first but once we got them to try it, they loved it. 

Tonight we had a great time with the kids after dinner. They all had great energy and made us all laugh. Some of the other group members presented a "college night" to the teens while we were cleaning up dinner, we heard that it went well but it was hard to get the teenagers attentions. When asked who was interested in going to college, very few raised their hands.

Another interesting thing that happened today was a nearby petroleum explosion. Unfortunately a woman's house exploded here in town today, we felt it it Tyne building and the force of the explosion actually knocked some pictures off the wall. The woman was fine, burger house was destroyed. The most surprising part about all of it was the relaxation of the staff. Apparently the houses are very poorly built here, and it wasn't that big of a deal that it exploded, which shocked a lot of us.

We had a great time with the kids today, I hope tomorrow will be as great!

Megan- Cheyenne- Day Two

Today was our second day at the youth center on the reservation. This morning we split up into four groups and did more cleaning and organizing. We did the same activities in the afternoon until the younger kids arrived from school.

Today I spent time with the younger kids, they were a blast to work with. Their energy and enthusiasm made the entire afternoon enjoyable. The kids were having fun dancing and running around in the gym. Getting the kids to be physically active was a lot of fun for everything.

After physical activities in the gum we did some crafts, origami in one room and drawing flags in the other. I worked with the youngest age group in the room where we made the flags. The kids were really into it, they tried to make as many as they could or they also liked to copy the examples that we made. Afterwards we fed the children dinner.

After we spent time with some of the teens, playing basketball and board games. The teens were not as enjoyable as the younger children but it was still nice spending time with them and getting to know them on a more intimate level.

In our group discussion afterward our day we talked about a lot of different things. One thing that was addressed tonight that had been previously talked about in class was exactly ho much we can help and in what ways. We discussed the structure of the organization and some of their regulations. We also talked about how we can make the best of the rest of the week and reflected on personal experiences.

In general, we all talked about what an eye-opening experience we have had this week and how we are personally reacting. I feel like I am learning a lot about reservation life but also reflecting on myself and my experiences when I was younger.

These past few days have been very eye-opening. Hopefully the work we do the rest of the week will be beneficial to the youth and this organization.