Secret Service Hero #2

Hello Everyone,

Ready for our second secret service hero?

This person studied philosphy and music in Paris. (lucky!)

This person had a piano delivered in a dug-out canoe.

This person believed that respect for life is the highest principle.

This person was left-handed, vegetarian and a cat lover.

This person won the Nobel peace prize.

This person worked against nucleur weapons.

This person established a hospital in Africa.

This person said,

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing."

so here it is......anyone want to take a guess?

till Monday,
LA

Secret Service Hero #1

Okay, Ready?

I will give you clues to this person and you have a few days to guess who it is.

This person is known for peaceful civil disobedience.

This person wore glasses.

This person spent time in jail.

This person ispired movements for civil rights around the world.

This person made their own clothes.

This person was married at age 13.

This person was assasinated.

This person was runner up for Person of the Century in 1999.

This person said,

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world".

So who do you think it is?

LA

Secret Service Heros

Happy Monday...or is that an oxymoron? Just kidding. I am still trying to shake the crud which I have had since last Wednesday.

Love your comment, John. Grand gestures or grilled cheese? And sometimes they are the same! A grilled cheese with safety and respect IS a grand gesture to a young person who has had a diet of neglect, abuse and/or anger. That is what our programs are about. Gestures that we often think are little meaningless ones turn out to be grand to hurting and needy youth.

I wanted to look at some of our service heros...these people have or are doing incredible things in our world. And you are a part of the solution just like them.

I also want to have fun with this. So.....

I am going to play a game where you guess the service hero. Each day this week I will give you different hints and you get to guess who I am referring to. Maybe I can drum up a prize for whoever gets the most correct.

It is important to have heros and these folk are certainly inspiring for us who value service.

so I hope you will join me tomorrow for the:

Secret Service Hero Game

Coughingly yours,

LA

Service V

Hey, everybody,

I think next week we will look at some famous people who are known for their service.
People like Mother Teresa, Albert Schweitzer, and others.

And us. You and me. Each person that you connect with in a positive way is changed for the better. Each time you respond to a young person with respect and patience instead of anger and disappointment.... Each time you show up for service when you don't feel like it.

There IS so much need. What can we do? We might feel that we aren't making a difference like those people!

This story has a message for those of us who might feel that way:

The Original Starfish Story

There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked, “Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time.” The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. “But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!” exclaimed the young man. “How can you make a difference?” The old man looked at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said, “It makes a difference to this one!”

That kind of says it all, don't you think?

Who made a difference in your life?

LA

Service IV

Hey, how do you like the dots? I love John's comment about Independence Day. What a fun movie that is. There is defintiely power in numbers and there is power in one person doing something meaningful as well. Cool.

I am reading a book called Happy for No Reason and one of the Hppiness Habits she mentions is "Contribute to Something Greater Than Yourself". In other words , service to a great cause. In fact research shows that those of us who give to others are happier. Knowing that every day I go to work helps young people is so fulfilling. Even on the days when everything seems to go wrong or it doesn't seem like I make any difference....my being there IS important to others.

A lot of us may be in this line of work...helping youth...because of our own childhoods. I have interviewed many people who wanted to become volunteers with teens because they had a troubled youth themselves. They know what it feels like to have no one there for them, and they want to make sure that they are there for a hurting youth.

Is that true for any of you? Looking back on my youth, I believe that I suffered from depression. But as long as I wasn't getting into trouble, no one seemed to care. My self-esteem was so low, you would have had to get down on your hands and knees to find it. I was alone a lot and now I wish I could have come to a shelter like Oasis.

So why are you serving youth? I would love to know your stories.....

I'll end wtih this cool quote about service:

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

Albert Schweitzer

And you all have found how to serve......

LA

Service III

Hello Everyone,

Let's get into service as a value. I think just about everyone agrees that someone doing service is to be:

respected
admired
appreciated.

Why? What is it about people who give of themselves to serve? Why do we value them? Why do we value service?

What is a value anyway?

The dictionary gives lots of meaning for the word value....notice the one in red.

val�ue ��
(vly) KEY
�NOUN:
An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair
and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.
Monetary
or material worth: the fluctuating value of gold and silver.
Worth in
usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit: the value of an
education.
A principle, standard, or quality considered
worthwhile or desirable: "The speech was a summons back to the patrician
values of restraint and responsibility" (Jonathan Alter).
Precise meaning or
import, as of a word.
Mathematics An assigned or calculated numerical
quantity.
Music The relative duration of a tone or rest.
The relative
darkness or lightness of a color. See Table at color.
Linguistics The sound quality of a letter or diphthong.
One of a series
of specified values: issued a stamp of new value. TRANSITIVE VERB: val�ued ,
val�u�ing , val�ues
To determine or estimate the worth or value of;
appraise.
To regard highly; esteem. See Synonyms at appreciate.
To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability; evaluate:
valued health above money.
To assign a value to (a unit of currency, for
example).
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from feminine past
participle of valoir, to be strong, be worth, from Latin valre; see wal- in
Indo-European rootsOTHER FORMS: valu�er (Noun)
Thesaurus:
synonyms for value

So we are saying that we hold service as a principle...a standard that is highly desirable.

Do you?

Research shows that those people who valued service were much happier than those who didn't.

Why?

Next we will look at some famous people and check it out.

Till tomorrow.

LA

Service II

Well, Everyone:

I missed yesterday, so I will blog on Saturday this week. There is a lot of sickness going around here and I seem to have picked up my share....brain fog seems to be a symptom as well as the sore throat, cough and head congestion. Hope you all escape it.

We are still talking about service. And really, what is the difference between service and work? You are obviously working hard at your agencies. You have a job description of your duties (I hope!) You may even appear to be doing the same things that some staff are doing.

So what makes it service?

1. Reward: Instead of a regular paycheck, you receive a living allowance. Your reward is in the actions you perform. You do not receive payment from the site. You do receive an educational reward.

2. Cause: You are dedicated to the youth you serve not the pay. You have a cause...to better the lives of those you serve.

3. Term: You have agreed to serve for a certain amount of time....usually one year, although you may apply for a second year.

4. Membership: You are members of an organization. This organization has a reputation for accomplishing amazing things in the community. Americorps has a Code of Conduct which you follow. You represent America at its best.

5. Iniative: You are part of a national initative even though you serve on a local level. You are meeting community needs as have thousands of others before you as members of our national service programs.

6. Commitment: You believe in and practice helping others....direct and meaningful service.

What do you think the difference is between service and work?

Till tomorrow.....lets' see.....where are my cough drops?

LA

Service

Hello All!

Happy President's Day. If you are like me, you are at work today anyway. At least my phone didn't ring much.

Well, today I was going to tell you about how I got into service. My first volunteer activity was in 10th grade. I had a teacher who decided that a group of us immature girls needed to get interested in the community. So she started driving us into the inner city of Baltimore on Saturday mornings. We met in a community center and tutored 9-12 year old children in their school work. After we had worked on academics for a few hours, the youth put on music and we all danced. I did that all year.

How did that affect me? Well, I got that funny feeling. You know, the one you get when you help someone. And for a teenager like myself, I was amazed to see how others lived who didn't have what I did. (Before that I compared myself to others who had more than me.) I loved the feeling of helping. I enjoyed the kids. I got better at dancing too! It was a win/win.

I continued to volunteer through high school, college and thereafter. I have now interviewed and placed many many volunteers here at Oasis Center. Volunteers are the nicest people. You have to have a heart to want to serve. You have to have a heart to want to help young people....to care about the disadvantaged groups of our society enough to serve them. And young people are one of those groups.

As members of Americorps, you are committed to serving our youth. You care. You have a heart. And as one our international 14 year olds said,

Volunteering doesn't pay in your pocket, but it sure pays in your heart.

So not only do you have to have a heart to serve, but your heart grows larger and larger. Like the Grinch. And that is what our youth need....people in their lives with heart. That is what our community needs and our country and world.

Heart

Impact

Happy Friday!

Americorps has obviously had an impact on the people and communities where the members serve. But what is the impact on the members themselves? The following are some of the findings:

Members were more connected to their community.
Members knew about the problems in their community.
Members participated in more community-based activities.
Members experienced increased work skills.

So basically americorps members become very active citizens.

So why did you join?

For the adventure? to put your heart for others into service?
For the experience? working with youth?
For the benefits? work? college award?

Whatever your reason, you will reap the benefits. And so will the agencies and the youth you serve.

which is a great lead in to next week's topic:

Service.

I can't wait! I first volunteered when I was in 10th grade and have been doing so all my life since. I will tell you all about it on Monday.

I'll end with this quote from Oprah.

I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.
Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, September 2002

Have a good weekend!

LA

When & How?

Hello Everyone!

So we are now at the how and when did Americorps begin? I was really surprised at this. I thought Americorps had been around for a long time.....and for me 1993 is not so long ago. On the other hand that is the year I moved south to Nashville, so I guess it is a long time ago. :)

Yes, President Clinton...Bill.... created Americorps in September 1993. It was the National and Community Service Trust Act. It was designed to allow Americans to better serve their own community. Serve America. Like you all are doing.

The first year of Americorps began in 1994 with 20,000 members. By 1999, Americorps had 150,000 members.

I came across what President Clinton said when he swore in the first Americorps members:

Service is a spark to rekindle the spirit of democracy in an age of uncertainty...When it is all said and done, it comes down to three simple questions: What is right? What is wrong? And what are we going to do about it? Today you are doing what is right- turning your words into deeds.

You all are turning your words into deeds each day as an Americorps member...helping youth.
I hope you are proud of yourselves. You deserve to be.

Till tomorrow!
LA

What IS Americorps?

Let's look at what the organization of Americorps is. (First I will tell you that it is absolutely freezing here. We had ice and snow and they didn't even call a snow day.)

Ok. What is this thing that you are a member of?

AmeriCorps is an American network of more than 3,000 non-profit
organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations. It was created in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. More than 70,000 individuals join AmeriCorps each year. There
have been more than 500,000 members since 1994. The work done by these groups
ranges from public education to environmental clean-up.[1]AmeriCorps is a division of
the Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees the Senior
Corps and Learn and Serve America. Collectively, these three programs represent a total of more than 2 million members in service each year. AmeriCorps itself is split into three main
divisions, including AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), and NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps).


Ok. Now we are getting somewhere. (This is from Wikepedia which is my favorite way to get answers these days.)

Americorps is a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Some people say that Americorps is like the Peace Corps but you get to stay in the States. Let's check to see what Americorps' website says about that.

Is AmeriCorps like Peace Corps? Yes. AmeriCorps is often referred to as "the
domestic Peace Corps." Both agencies are committed to service, and both offer
challenging and rewarding full-time opportunities. Peace Corps assignments are
all overseas, and AmeriCorps members serve only in the US. While Peace Corps
Volunteers serve for two years, a stint in AmeriCorps usually lasts 10 months to
one year. (Some AmeriCorps projects also offer part-time opportunities, and some
AmeriCorps members serve more than one term of service.)

So that is what you are doing.....serving in the American "Peace Corps". Americorps. Wonderful. Wow. How cool is that?

Stay warm,

LA

What IS Americorps?

Hello Everyone.....here in Nashville it is dreary, cold and rainy. I hope your weather is better than ours!

Today we will look at what Americorps is. Let's do what I always do when I want to know about something...surf the web! We will go to the Americorps web site.

Scroll down to the bottom of the main page and there is our question :"What is Americorps".

What Is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.

Wow. I don't know about you, but I believe that making a difference in other's lives and our own is what life is all about.

So there you have it...Americorps is an opportunity.

Tomorrow we will look at the organization, and I think a cool topic to come would be what it looks like to make a big difference in lives.

All for now,

LA

Americorps & Service

Hello All,

This blogging is all new to me and I hope you guys get on here and start blogging soon, so I don't feel like I am writing to outer or rather cyber space!

I want to talk around a topic or theme for a week or two at a time. So please let me know what topics you would be interested in.

Since you are all Americorps members, I thought we would start with that.

What is Americorps anyway?

When was it founded?

How was it founded?

What has Americorps accomplished?

Why do people want to be a member?

Why do YOU want to be a member?

Check in tomorrow and we will start exploring the answers. Hope you have had a good Monday.

Louisa Avery

Diggities, As a former Americorp National Service member I find myself in a spot to think to support your initiatives. I'll share with you more about my own adventure and will be in touch soon. Wrap your arms around this, your greatest opportunity. Jesse Jordan

Hello all. I am your blog coach.

I will be working with you all to support, inform, amuse and encourage you in your year of service. You are not in this alone. We are on an exciting journey together.

You may ask, "Who ARE you?". I have spent the last 10 years at Oasis Center in Nashville TN. http://www.oasiscenter.org/ Oasis Center is a youth-serving agency with many programs including an emergency shelter, transitional living residence and a street outreach program. My job has included being a volunteer coordinator, intern supervisor, and Safe Place coordinator with an office in the shelter. I have worked every day with the most wonderful people in the world....youth workers.

I am making it my mission to blog with you each day Monday through Friday. Just so you know, blogging is new to me and so I will be trying out new things as I go. I welcome all comments from you.

Please let me know what you want to know more about as well as any comments and good stories. Together we can build a great community and have a terrific year together.

LA