Making [social] Change

Action in Bond Hill

2011-07-01T08:41:00.002-04:00

This summer I upped my hours with the Butler County Rape Crisis Program to about 25 hours/week. Yesterday, about 3 of those hours were spent at the groundbreaking at St. Aloysius Orphanage in Bond Hill. What does St. Al's have to do with Rape Crisis? Well, last year the Community Counseling and Crisis Center (RCP's parent organization) merged with/was absorbed by St. Aloysius out of Cincinnati. The merger allowed St. Al's to continue to expand into Butler County while keeping the CCCC fiscally afloat. I don't know or understand all of the details of the merger, but I do know that now us folk at Rape Crisis are affiliated with the folk at St. Al's. So there ya go.

In support of our new parent organization (or would it be our grandparent organization?), we attended the ceremonial groundbreaking for a new expansion to St. Aloysius on Reading Road in Bond Hill. It is a BEAUTIFUL building, and they will be adding on an addition (how redundant of me) to include more classrooms, a new cafeteria, and other neat stuff. It's the first major rennovation in the organization's 175-year history. Wowza.

But what fun would it be to just tell you about it. Here's Channel 9 WCPO's take on the day! If you watch the video package you will see an artist's rendering of the new addition, and if you look closely in the "crowd" shot, you'll see me standing in the background (focus on the left side of the screen).

After a few inspiring words from some important people (like Mayor Mark Mallory, as depicted in the video), it was time for the "groundbreaking." Of course, the dirt was already dug up in a little raised bed behind the podium, complete with about 10 golden shovels (I kid you not--they were some good looking shovels!) wedged in the dirt. About 20 people donned white hard hats and took turns posing with their shovels in the dirt. By the third round of photos, my adventurous boss Jane and RCP's board president decided to get down with a golden shovel, too. I wish I had the picture. Boo.

And that concludes my first ever ceremonial groundbreaking. Looking back, I should have gotten in on the shovel action. Oh well. I guess it's best that we didn't linger too long in Bond Hill because apparently the FBI raided the Community Action Agency. Yesterday. The FBI. For real. The search warrant is sealed so there aren't many details yet, but you can check out the story here. I mean, really? What the what?

Dear Future Me,

2011-06-23T20:55:00.002-04:00

I just found a really cool website I thought I would share. It's called FutureMe.org where you can write a letter to yourself, determine the delivery date, and the creators of the site will send you the email on the day you selected. So in a strange back-to-the-future-electronic-time-capsule kind of way, you can communicate your memories of the past and hopes for the future all in a simple email. For free!

If you're worried that this website won't be around when it comes time to receive your message, they've been in business since 2002, so odds are they'll be around in a year or two when you're looking for an email from yourself. And if you're worried about your privacy or the security of your letter, they don't sell any email addresses or information you provide, so there will be no spam clogging your inbox. You can also set your email to be privately delivered, or you can allow it to be publicly and anonymously posted on their website (and some are pretty interesting to read if you get a chance).

So check it out! I think I might write myself a letter, too. Though in a sense, I guess this blog has loosely served as a letter to myself for a couple of years now. Not bad.

All the single ladies

2011-06-21T22:51:00.002-04:00

Today I did my weekly Meals-on-Wheels route (first mentioned here). Since I began the route in January, 4 people have been added to my route--all women, all single--bringing my total to 9 lovely ladies in Price Hill. During that time, I have really gotten to know the residents on my route, and they seem to enjoy seeing me each Tuesday. I have connected with one woman who always invites me in to "sit down for a minute." She loves showing me pictures, talking about her family, and telling stories about her life. And before I know it, a minute has evolved into an hour and I don't want to leave! Time flies when the conversation is easy.

It's fun to do special little things for the ladies, too. For example, when one woman asked me to help her get a fan for her bedroom, I went back to the Sedamsville, asked around, and uncovered an unused box fan in one of the offices. The following week, I delivered the fan to her house along with her meals. She couldn't believe I had secured a fan for her, let alone remembered her request! Or how about the woman who recently celebrated her 85th birthday. That week, I delivered a bouquet of flowers from me with her meal. The look on her face as she opened the door and realized the flowers were for her was priceless. And for two weeks after that, the flowers stayed in a vase on her coffee table where she showed them off to friends and family, even after they had wilted and died. I felt good that I had made her happy with the flowers, but I felt even better that she had invited me into her life to begin with.

Each of the participants in my program are uniquely different, yet all of them offer comfort and wisdom in the brief moments we share together. It is these interactions and special moments that show me the value of this program. Not only does Meals-on-Wheels provide nutritious food to homebound seniors, it also provides opportunities for invaluable social interaction. And I love being a part of that.

If you ever have a lunch hour free, I would encourage you to connect with your local Meals-on-Wheels program. You'll be surprised how much you find yourself looking forward to your next delivery day.

Back in the saddle?

2011-06-17T16:27:00.002-04:00

It's been well over a month since I have posted on here. 36 days to be exact, but who's counting? Of course, I've been one busy gal. In the past 30 days, I have officially wrapped up my first year of graduate school (I got all A's!), completed my internship (to be resumed in Fall 2011), and have certainly been working my tail off at two part-time jobs (Butler County Rape Crisis Program and now officially Women Helping Women--did I forget to mention that?)

Even now that it's summer, I'm still plenty busy, with an increase in program assistant hours in Oxford and a few extra on-call shifts with WHW in Cincinnati, as well as weekly volunteer hours at Santa Maria. Yep--I liked interning at Santa Maria so much that I just couldn't walk away from two weekly activities: my Meals-on-Wheels route to several elderly ladies in Price Hill, and my youth group which I co-facilitate with the Youth Program Manager. Next fall when school and internship resume, I will be fully immersed in my administration specialty track, so I won't be able to devote any time to my kids or ladies. Hopefully this summer I can share more about some of my adventures with all of these activities.

On the homefront, Taylor and I are keeping plenty busy, as well. We've been gardening and landscaping, and making a few house updates (which I'll share), as well. Sadly, our family has experienced some other changes of late, as we recently lost our dear little Louise on May 28th. Her health kept deteriorating to the point where she didn't want to eat or do much of anything anymore, and we knew the time had finally come to say goodbye. It was a tough decision, but the right one, and we miss her all the time. We're lucky to still have our sweet 16-year old Thelma, but it just isn't the same without her other half.

So with the summer underway, I am optimistic I will be able to crank out more than 3 posts/month, which seems to be the going rate right now. Hey, sorry about that. I'm back!

More changes in Butler County

2011-05-12T10:19:00.000-04:00

This past February, the president and CEO of Butler County United Way resigned to take a job in another state. The resignation was sudden, but the county was hopeful something positive could emerge from this situation. For months, we've watched as the search committee interviewed candidates from around the country, and we've been waiting with anticipation to hear who would be selected as the new CEO.

This morning the Hamilton Journal-News reported Bruce Jewett, the county administrator and former director of Job and Family Services, resigned from public service to accept the president/CEO position at Butler County United Way.

I'm not sure what is in store in the coming weeks, months, or even years for this county. No one can be. But I hope that the leader of this organization can strengthen our community through innovative problem-solving skills, creative fundraising, and effective leadership. We need someone who will listen to the leaders of our community, and act with their best interests at heart. We need someone who will act with integrity and wisdom and humility.

I hope Bruce Jewett will be that someone for Butler County.

Deja vu all over again

2011-05-09T21:16:00.002-04:00

Last month I mentioned a couple of pending grants we had out to our funders for the Butler County Rape Crisis Program. We've been working really hard to narrow our cash match deficit and keep our federal grants after experiencing last year's devastating cuts from the Butler County United Way (read more about that here). And you know what? We've done a great job! In the last quarter of the year we are only a few grand away from 100% and I have no worries we will make our goal.

But now it's time to think about NEXT fiscal year starting at the end of this summer (at least I think--each funder has its own funding cycle). Anyway, despite being burned last year, we applied for funding again for the upcoming fiscal year, crossed our fingers, and hoped for the best. But wouldn't you know, it's deja vu all over again. Yes, once again, we have been denied funding from Butler County United Way. Which means before we even start the fiscal year, we are down $34,000 toward our cash match needed to secure our big federal grants.

It's a bummer, no doubt. But the silver lining in all of this is that because we experienced this last year (and we're making it through now!) we know we can weather the storm again. So we will pout a little bit (at least I will), lick our wounds, and move on. With a little creativity, a lot more grant-writing, and a little luck, we'll get through. Of course, any tips, ideas, or dollars from the blogosphere peanut gallery would be much appreciated. Just sayin'.

Like mother, like daughter

2011-05-08T23:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! Today I took a timeout from work, school, and internship to enjoy some quality time with my mom. I saw her 2 weeks ago for Easter, and this weekend we celebrated my 24th birthday and, of course, Mother's Day. My mom and dad arrived in Cincinnati late this morning, and we were off and running. While my dad played a quick nine holes at a local golf course, my mom and I enjoyed a Chinese food lunch and shopping excursion before rejoining my dad and Taylor at our house. From there we went to my favorite park in Cincinnati--Friendship Park--for a walk along the river. Here's a picture from the park:

For the first time in a loooong while, the sun was shining and the weather was warm and dry, perfect for a walk in the park. Eventually we headed back to our house and out to dinner where we heard some of the stories from this time 24 years ago when my mom took me home from the hospital for the first time on her first Mother's Day in 1987. By 8:30, Taylor was off to work overnight and my parents were on the road.

It was a great day, and I am sad that they can't happen more often. Right now, a 4-hour round trip isn't always feasible with only one day of the week open for visits. I look forward to the end of the school year (and eventually the end of this degree!) when my schedule gets a little less hectic. In the meantime, I need to enjoy the time I get with my family without feeling guilty for not doing homework the whole time!

These boots were made for walking

2011-04-28T14:39:00.002-04:00

Now that the rain has stopped, are you looking for something fun to do outside while also making social change in your community? I thought you might be! Well, you're in luck. Here are a couple of events in Butler and Hamilton Counties that you can enjoy while also raising awareness of sexual violence in our community:

Friday, April 29, 2011: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. What could be better than men, high-heeled shoes, and a half mile track? Put them all together and you get Walk a Mile--an event emphasizing healthy gender relations in which men "walk a mile in her shoes"--literally. You can attend the mile walk at Cook Field on Miami University's Oxford campus tomorrow at 4 p.m., followed by a high-heeled sprint at 5 p.m. Look for me at Butler County Rape Crisis Program's table!

Friday, April 29, 2011: Take Back the Night. If you live in the Cincinnati/NKY area, then perhaps you would enjoy walking with your sisters in solidarity at the Take Back the Night march. Rally at Sawyer Point at 6:30, then take the march across the Taylor Southgate Bridge to the Millenium Peace Bell in Newport, KY. The event empowers women to take back the night by not walking in fear of sexual violence or victimization. This year marks the 22nd annual TBTN march, hosted by Women Helping Women.

I know what you're thinking--sexual violence isn't really my cup of tea. Well, duh. But if we stay silent and keep pretending it isn't real and doesn't happen in our community, then more women will continue to suffer in silence. So tomorrow, stand up for your sisters, your mother, your friends, your aunt--for yourself! Together we can make social change.

Peer support

2011-04-26T23:17:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago, my boss at the Butler County Rape Crisis Program received word about a grant opportunity through the Ohio Department of Health. As a person who has been directly involved in the grant-seeking/grant-writing process over the past few months, I cringed at the news. I envisioned more late nights staring at a jumble of words, numbers, and dollar signs, and desperately dashing to meet the deadline (at the very last minute, of course). But this grant was different--instead of us jumping through a ton of hoops, all we had to do was express interest, briefly outline how we would spend the money, and wait for confirmation. And by "we," I really mean "not me." I didn't have to do a thing, which made the whole deal even sweeter.

Correction--I did have to do a small thing--I had to agree to help spend the money. Um, score! You would think it would have been a no-brainer--through some money to even the cash match deficit and call it a day. But no--turns out ODH money can be used for pretty much anything BUT leveraging state or federal funds.

(By the way, that cash match deficit has been slowly shrinking after revenue we received from the Vagina Monologues, not to mention anticipated funding from two grants I wrote in March--one to West Chester Community Foundation and one to Butler County United Way (yes-we're trying again for next fiscal year. Fingers crossed!)

Anyway, to spend the money, Jane asked me to help co-facilitate a group with a co-worker, Cindy. Long story short, our schedules didn't coincide, so she and Jane are facilitating one group, and I am co-facilitating a different group with our legal advocate, Jennifer. I've been putting a lot of time into recruitment, preparation, and planning over the past few weeks (which is partly why I've been so silent on here--that and I also got lazy. Hey, I'm honest.) I created a flyer, made calls to recruit for both groups, reviewed group procedures, created confidentiality and evaluation forms, bought a boat-load of snacks and drinks, and sketched out a general outline for the first night. As of Sunday evening, I had a few people confirmed to come to each of our Monday and Tuesday night groups, so imagine our surprise when we had a very low turnout. While many people might be disappointed by this outcome, Jennifer and I ended up feeling very encouraged. In talking with our single group participant on Monday, we realized there is a need for the support group--we just need to do a better job finding and inviting survivors into the group. It's very hard to convince someone to come out to a group on a weeknight for an hour and a half and talk about something you would rather not think about ever again. We get that--but once they get here, they will hopefully find the experience to be very supportive and beneficial. It's a tough obstacle, but we will do better. This week I'll put in more time for more brainstorming and problem-solving, and hopefully we'll double or even triple our turnout next week!

Whatever happens, though, our first week is out of the way, and I am feeling much more confident heading into subsequent group sessions. This has not only been a valuable lesson in group work and co-facilitation, but also in patience and problem-solving. All the makings of a good social worker, I guess! I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to be part of this project, and I'm hoping it will grow over the next two months.

If you or a woman you know live in the Butler County area, are a survivor of sexual assault or sexual abuse, and are interested in participating in a support group, give us a call--513-523-4149. The groups will be available through the last week of June, and are offered Monday or Tuesday nights from 6-7:30. A support group for Spanish-speaking women will be available soon, too. Check it out!

In my Easter bonnet

2011-04-23T22:51:00.004-04:00

Well, after about a 30-day hiatus, I figure I should post SOMETHING on here. I apologize for the long silence from my end--I think this might be a new record of blog inactivity for me. I let myself get a little too caught up in school/internship/work/house (and just about in that order) to check in with you, my faithful readers. (You are still faithful, right?) So hopefully we'll see an uptick of posts here in the coming weeks. Though, admittedly anything will be better than...nothing.

In the meantime, while I get my act together, I'd like to offer this token of peace and goodwill--a cute baby picture from Easters past:

Yes, that is me wearing a pink frock, white bonnet, and even though you can't see them, lace socks. And white dress shoes. My expression is one of confusion, probably as my dad says off camera, "No Katie, the eggs go in the basket. In the basket. Put them IN the basket." I guess I've just always known it's best not to put all your eggs in one basket. Ha! Zing!

So, Happy Easter! And with that, let my blog, too, be resurrected from the dead on this fine holiday. See what I did there? Oh yeah--I'm back!

Santa Maria's Annual Italian Dinner

2011-03-26T23:08:00.002-04:00

If you are in the Cincinnati area, plan on enjoying delicious food with us at Santa Maria's Italian Dinner! The event takes place tomorrow evening, Sunday, March 27th, at St. Simon Church, 825 Pontius Road in Delhi. Arrive any time between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. for a fun-filled evening with Santa Maria.

On the menu: spaghetti and meat sauce/meatballs, salad, bread, desserts, and a range of beverages, all graciously donated by talented chefs from local restaurants.

Disclaimer: No food was harmed in the making of this meal by inexperienced interns.

We will also have an accordion player roaming through the meal, as well as a ton of raffle drawings and prizes that you won't want to miss. Dinner is $10/adult, $5/child (under age 10), and don't forget about those raffle tickets! $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 could win you half the pot, not to mention a fabulous gift basket of goodies.

So join us for delicious food, fantastic entertainment, and fabulous prizes tomorrow night. I'll see you there!

Year one is done

2011-03-23T12:37:00.017-04:00

On Sunday, March 20th, Taylor and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary with a weekend getaway! Because I'm a giver, I will share the weekend in pictures:

We arrived in the little town of Leavenworth, Indiana, on Sunday afternoon where we stayed the night at a local Bed & Breakfast appropriately named Leavenworth Inn.

The Inn was comprised of several smaller structures on the grounds. Below is The Cottage where we stayed in the "Sweet William" room. In the evening we sat in the rocking chairs on the porch and watched the barges come up the river.
It was a beautiful weekend, much like it was on our wedding day one year ago. Shortly after we arrived we found a little gazebo where we enjoyed some really pretty scenic river views (like this one) in the hills of southeastern Indiana.

Please note Taylor's recently purchased Aviator sunglasses. He loves them so much he wears them indoors. Fortunately it was warm and sunny, appropriate sunglasses weather.

A little while later we took a walk into the little town where we discovered this old fire truck parked at City Hall. We thought it was so cool we went back to snap more pictures before leaving the next morning.
Later that evening we walked to the Overlook Restaurant, which as you might have guessed, overlooked the Ohio River. Note to self: when ordering catfish, pay close attention to the description of the dish, otherwise you will find a fish with bones, fins, and tail still in tact. After a mild freak out, Taylor filleted the fish for me and I was able to enjoy my dinner.

On Monday morning we awoke refreshed and hungry! Thank goodness for a hearty breakfast of french toast, sausage, fruit, juice, coffee, and tea at the main house (pictured below). We enjoyed meeting two other couples staying at the Inn, one celebrating 41 years of marriage next week!

After breakfast, we journeyed back across the river to Louisville, KY, where we took a self-guided walking tour of historic homes in "Old Louisville." This house was one of my favorites:

Then we used our reciprocal Cincinnati Museum Center membership at the Louisville Science Center. The museum was largely for kids (and wasn't that great, to be honest), but we had a nice walk around the building before taking one last picture in front of a big metallic, mirrored disk thing outside:And there you have it! The perfect way to end our first year of marriage and begin the second one. It's hard to believe it's already been one year, but I guess time flies when you're having fun!

At the end of the second quarter...

2011-03-17T13:36:00.003-04:00

Sounds like a line from an announcer at a football game, but NO--this is about me, me, me!

Just minutes ago, I emailed my last final exam to my professor, marking the end of my second quarter of graduate school. It's a tremendous weight lifted off of my shoulders, and I must say, a big accomplishment. At this point, I have completed one third of my graduate school education! Can you believe it?

Just like last quarter, here's a list of things I learned and did at school:

Attended a personal safety seminar; learned how to assess risks and implement techniques to deescalate dangerous situations
Wrote two reflections on my experiences with personal safety in the workplace
Created a comprehensive genogram outlining relationships, patterns, and history in my family for four generations
Researched and wrote an extensive paper on my family of origin, including more than ten sources of information
Analyzed the impact of race, class, and gender in colonial and modern families
Wrote an in-depth organizational review of my field placement site, Santa Maria Community Services
Engaged in exercises surrounding ethical dilemmas in social work
Applied the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics to two case studies
Created an eco-map showing all of the systems of a case study family
Completed a process recording following an in-class role play scenario in which I had to write verbatim what the client and social worker said in a session, including non-verbals, from memory.
Created a treatment plan for a case study client
Completed a comprehensive assessment, including mental status exam, for a sample client on video
Attended an all -day grant-writing workshop; learned how to write clear, realistic goals, objectives, outcomes, and indicators for funders

It's hard to believe I did all of that in ten weeks. No wonder I'm exhausted! Oh and that's just the stuff I did in the classroom--I haven't even touched my activities in my internship! We'll save that for another day.

Tax Breaks and Budget Cuts

2011-03-14T17:46:00.003-04:00

I saw this link posted on a friend's Facebook wall, and I couldn't not share it. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard a lot of talk of balancing budgets and reducing state and national deficits. You probably have some ideas on how to reduce budget deficits, and depending on your political ideology, they involve cutting spending or utilizing taxes. But what is the best course of action?

Well, the folks over at Center for American Progress decided to compare and contrast making spending cuts vs. reducing tax breaks, as seen here. And it's eye-opening. In the chart you'll see large sums of money that could be eliminated from the budget, depending on what gets cut. For example, low-income housing programs cost the nation $8.9 billion, which is the same cost of allowing mortgage interest deductions on vacation homes over ten years. Or how about $2.5 billion, which could be saved by either eliminating Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grants for poor families, or ending tax breaks for oil companies. And, one last particularly striking figure: $44 billion. That's how much the government would save by cutting all of the programs on Center for American Progress' list vs. the $42 billion which would be saved by not extending Bush era tax cuts for upper tax brackets in fiscal year 2012.

According to this article, "The Federal Treasury loses twice as much revenue due to tax breaks than Congress appropriates on all nonsecurity discretionary spending." And yet, all of the current budget talks have been focused on cutting spending, not eliminating monstrous tax breaks for the elite few. I believe the reason for this is that spending items have a tangible presence on a budget--tax breaks do not. Psychologically, we feel better slashing the dollar signs we see on the surface, rather than looking at the deeper, wider budget picture.

I have a liberal ideology, and I believe government has a place in our lives to do good. Quality programming and services cost money, and I don't take that lightly. But we certainly need to have an intelligent conversation about just that. I believe these budget crises could be resolved if we evaluate our values and prioritize our spending and saving accordingly.

Cleopatra's in Cincinnati

2011-03-12T22:28:00.003-05:00

Today I had the chance to go with my BFF to the Cincinnati Museum Center for a special exhibit on Cleopatra. They didn't allow any photography inside the exhibit, but you can click here to see some images and videos of the display. I highly recommend checking out the exhibit in person, though--it's amazing! You've got until September 5th. Here's a blurb from the website:

CLEOPATRA: THE SEARCH FOR THE LAST QUEEN OF EGYPT

NOW OPEN!

The world of Cleopatra VII, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, has surfaced at Cincinnati Museum Center with Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. On view through September 5, 2011, the exhibition features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra’s time and will take you inside the present-day search for the elusive queen, which extends from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria. See statuary, jewelry, daily items, coins and religious tokens that archaeologists have uncovered from the time surrounding Cleopatra’s rule, all of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time.

Ten years later

2011-03-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

What is the Ten Years Later project?

I heard about this project last night on Channel 9 WCPO News, and I highly recommend it.

Ten years ago this April, Cincinnati experienced serious race riots after a series of police shootings of African American suspects. In fact, here is one of the original stories written at the start of the riots:

This story was originally posted on April 9, 2001: The anger over this latest deadly shooting is at least partially due to the number of African American suspects who have been shot and killed by on-duty Cincinnati police recently.

Since January 1995, Cincinnati Police on duty have killed 15 African American men.

Fourteen of the 15 suspects were shot to death.

No white suspects have been killed during that same timespan.

This is the second deadly shooting by Cincinnati police so far this year.

Now WCPO is investigating the state of the city ten years later. In a 30-day special project, reporters will feature community dialogue on current racial relations in Cincinnati, showing how far we have come as a city and how far we still have to go.

With 52 distinct neighborhoods in Cincinnati, there's bound to be differences in racial relations among each population. It will be interesting to see what people have to say, but more importantly, it will be good to see people talking about such a controversial and often taboo topic.

Police Say Homeless Man Not Beaten To Death

2011-03-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

Police Say Homeless Man Not Beaten To Death

I heard about this sad story this morning. Billy Joe Begley was a chronically homeless man from Price Hill who was found unconscious last Wednesday behind Santa Maria's East Price Hill location, next to the Price Hill library. He later died over the weekend, and there are now conflicting reports about his cause of death. Originally, his death was thought to be a homicide due to the severity of the injuries he sustained to his face and chest, in addition to a missing wallet and money. But now police are saying he died from a fall caused by some kind of medical condition.

I don't have any answers. What I do know is what staff members at Santa Maria have told me--that Billy was a frequent, harmless visitor at Santa Maria and his death leaves a sad space for all who knew him. We are all left wondering what, if anything, else we could have done to help him; what else we could have done to prevent this tragedy.

I would like to think the police from District 3 are using the extent of their resources to fully investigate Billy's death. I have to wonder, though, if the fact that Billy was homeless has any bearing on the priority of this case. Regardless of his living conditions, Billy is a human being who deserves to be treated with respect, even in death.

Vacancies

2011-02-26T15:24:00.002-05:00

It's been a [busy] week since my last post, and I find myself charging full steam ahead into my 9th of 10 weeks of my second quarter of graduate school. I'm not particularly gifted in time right now, but I did want to post an interesting article about my neighborhood, more specifically, vacant buildings in my neighborhood.

It's no secret I intern and live in a "rough" part of town with its fair share of problems. And it's important to remember that people aren't solely to blame for all of their problems. Any social worker worth their salt knows the environment plays a leading role in the big picture of poverty. This quote from a city inspector tells the story:

"Here's a prime example of how vacant buildings create a domino effect to ruin a neighborhood," Bohnert said.
Once a house becomes vacant, "kids break out the windows. Then vandals take all of the copper pipes and anything of value. They knock holes in the walls and the roof. Water gets in. Floors buckle. Plaster and drywall fall apart. The interior is ruined. Garbage gets dumped in the yard. No one wants to live there. The house gets boarded up.
"No one wants to live next to a vacant house. So, the process repeats. Neighbors move out. One house after another gets boarded up."

So read the article (and view the slideshow) for a closer look at Price Hill, Sedamsville, Westwood, and Fairmount, to name a few increasingly vacant neighborhoods. It might shed some light on what we're working with here.

Dare I Say?

2011-02-19T10:01:00.002-05:00

Tonight concludes Miami University's production of Vagina Monologues, and if you haven't been yet, tonight is your night! I went with the staff ladies from Rape Crisis last night, and we had a blast.

It appeared other audience members had a good time, too. We met a few performance-goers at our display table before and after the show, where we officially launched our newest awareness initiative that I alluded to in this post.

Drum roll, please! It's called Dare I Say? and as our volunteer coordinator Becky eloquently put it, is in the style of the PostSecret books with the message of the Clothesline Project. In other words, we're asking for postcard submissions from the community speaking out about issues of rape, sexual assault, and abuse in our society. If you click here, you can see a few examples. Some are funny, some are hopeful, some are angry, but all are powerful. Once we amass enough cards, we will display them around the county during Sexual Assault Awareness month in April.

The beauty of this project is that it gives all people a voice to speak up about this issue, with the comfort of anonymity. It's an opportunity to use creativity through art, imagery, and words to speak out about an issue that is often taboo in our society.

To submit your own postcard (or two or three or seven), mail us a 4 x 6" postcard with your message to:

Butler County Rape Crisis Program
110 S. College St.
Oxford, OH 45056

Or via email: admin@helpandhealing.org

Or visit us on Facebook

Remember, anyone can and should speak up about this issue, not just survivors of sexual assault. If you have a thought about this topic, we want to hear it and see it.

Sexual Assault and the U.S. Military

2011-02-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

Today I was driving home from a meeting for my internship and I happened to hear this story on NPR:

Sexual Assault and the U.S. Military

It's about a lawsuit seventeen veterans and active-duty service members filed against the Pentagon for permitting a culture conducive to sexual assault in the military. Toward the end of the segment, a male caller from Florida weighed in saying it is important for women in the military to understand that men have more testosterone and naturally need sex more. In other words, women unrealistically expect to be "charmed and seduced" into sex, especially in a male-heavy military environment.

These offensive remarks are the caller's constitutional right to free speech, I'll give him that. But clearly he is uneducated and, well, just plain wrong. Men don't have the right to rape just because they are men. Testosterone or not, people must be accountable for their actions. And the fact that not all men are rapists is evidence of this fact.

My colleagues and I in rape crisis centers around the country have a lot of work to do to educate the public and reform these caveman attitudes. We all have a lot of work to do. When you hear something like this, please speak up and educate those around you. Policy change and legal avenues are important, but if the people don't revise their way of thinking, they will be largely ineffective. That's how we can make social change.

Tonight marks the beginning of the Vagina Monologues performances at Miami University in Oxford. Women stand up in a series of rehearsed monologues to celebrate women's sexuality and strength, while also addressing women's rights, including issues of sexual assault. Proceeds will go to the Butler County Rape Crisis Program, and I would highly encourage you to check it out--consider it homework in your quest to cultivate a more educated public.

More bandaids for school nurses

2011-02-15T12:30:00.002-05:00

In my short time in Cincinnati, I have observed quite a bit of tension between the city council, the mayor, and the constituents of this city. The most recent round of tension? The debate over school nurses.

The City of Cincinnati is facing a $54 million dollar deficit. That's nothing to sneeze at (pardon the pun). So how does Cincinnati reduce the deficit? Cuts. To just about everything.

I don't want to minimize the value of a balanced budget and a city operating in the black. But it's going to be painful getting there, and services are going to suffer. Lots of services, including highly-valued police and fire. For the sake of today's post, I'm only going to focus on school nurses.

In Cincinnati, there are 50 nurses covering 42 elementary schools. They are funded in part by the City Health Department (60%) and in part by Cincinnati Public Schools (40%). This is an unusual set up. Most school nurses throughout the state are paid through the district's school board, but not here. So when the city experiences financial strain, the schools feel it too. The proposed cuts would eliminate 35 of 50 school nurses by June, leaving a majority of the district's 33,000 students without health care.

For many of these students, the school nurse is their only health care provider, which would make for serious implications for the students and their families. Schools will undoubtedly have to call more parents to pick up kids with minor injuries, aches, and pains that the school nurse would previously have handled with no problem. And students with more serious health issues like asthma and diabetes will be less able to manage their health at school. In this way, cutting school nurses hurts the entire community. Kids with chronic conditions won't be routinely screened and monitored, which means absenteeism will go up, academic achievement could drop, and more community resources will be used up to meet the need.

You can read more about this issue here, including information about state mandates for school nurses (there aren't any in Ohio), and recommended nurse-to-student ratios (1:750) that are already not being met as it is.

If you are in the Cincinnati area and feel strongly about this issue, you there is a rally tomorrow to push city leaders to reinstate funding for school nurses. The rally will be held on Wednesday, February 16th at 12:45 p.m. at City Hall located at 801 Plum St., downtown. The public may also address the council at 1:30, before the regular meeting convenes at 2:00.

Statement of Impact

2011-02-14T12:01:00.002-05:00

I'm a proud AmeriCorps*VISTA alumna, having spent a year at Shared Harvest Foodbank in national service. So this bit of news I'm about to share was truly saddening. I received an alarming email from Krupa, the current VISTA at Shared Harvest today. Here's an excerpt:

"As you may know, Congress [the House of Representatives] is set to vote on a Continuing Resolution (CR) bill today that would extend federal spending temporarily. The bill that is currently set to be voted on completely de-funds the Corporation for National and Community Service. If this bill passes in its current form [in the House and Senate], all AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA projects will stop immediately.

"It is critical now more than ever that we educate our elected officials about the true impact of National Service."

The email goes on to call for brief statements of impact to be sent to Dustin Speakman at Ohio Association for Second Harvest Foodbanks by 4 p.m. today. Even if you were not an AmeriCorps service member, you know the impact this program has not only on our communities, but on the service members themselves. This blog is a testament to that very fact.

I always want to do my civic duty and advocate for things I believe in. So I just sent my statement of impact, and I would encourage you to do the same. I'll leave you with my statement, which combined with other voices, will make social change:

Last year I dedicated a year of my life to national service at Shared Harvest Foodbank in Fairfield, OH, as part of the AmeriCorps*VISTA program. It is, hands down, one of the best experiences of my life to date. I could tell you all sorts of stories about the people I helped--about the elderly woman whose monthly income I helped to increase by signing her up for food stamps, or about the thousands of school-aged kids who received school supplies because of my efforts. It goes without saying that AmeriCorps service members make a difference in the community. But have we ever stopped to think about the effect this program has on its members? Because of my service in AmeriCorps, I have a better handle on tough issues of poverty, racism, and hunger, just to name a few. I confronted my own white, middle class privilege, and learned what compassion really means. I am more engaged in my community and my mindset has shifted from one of selfishness to service. I am truly a better citizen as a result of my national service, and I believe all young people should have the opportunity to serve their communities--to serve their country. Please continue funding the Corporation for National and Community Service. Our nation's future depends on it.
Kaitlyn Baker Wessels,
AmeriCorps*VISTA alumna 2009-2010

Striking a balance

2011-02-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

Tonight will be my last ever shift at the YWCA House of Peace. I decided to quit about two weeks ago when I finally realized I had too many balls in the air. Never mind the fact that my husband, friends, and family have been telling me that for months. But I resisted because I felt like I needed to contribute more to our household, despite Taylor's assurance that I did not. Now after more than a month of late late Sunday nights at the shelter and early Monday mornings at my internship, I'm exhausted and ready to start listening to my pals. I needed to cut something. But seeing as how my classes and internship are pretty much non-negotiable, and my work with Rape Crisis is rewarding, long-standing, and largely federally funded through my financial aid award, the House of Peace was the most logical choice to get the axe.

So there you have it--I'm leaving House of Peace after 7 months of employment (read here about the day I started). The shelter environment is intense, and as glad as I am for this experience, I have a new perspective on shelter work. I'll gladly gain back a second day off each week, not to mention more sleep time, saved driving time, and a little more peace of mind. Still, my leaving is bittersweet as I will miss working with some very resilient shelter residents and some incredible advocates.

She lives

2011-02-12T17:54:00.002-05:00

As I wrote last week at this time, our kitty Louise was in bad shape. In fact, she was so sick, that our veterinarian advised we begin thinking about end of life plans. Louise has been sick before--she has visited the vet's office a handful of times since last May when she came to live with us. But never before have we had to seriously consider losing her.

So when we got the news she was in rapid decline, we trusted it was true and prepared for the worst. I spent last Wednesday and Thursday nights sleeping on the couch with Louise on my lap. It wasn't very comfortable but it felt like the right thing to do.

Slowly over the following few days Louise started regaining her strength. She ate with more vigor, she walked with more assurance, and by Tuesday of this week she was climbing up and down the stairs with ease. She's seemingly back to her old 15-year-old self, and for now, that's a gift. We've been on an emotional roller coaster in the past few days. We don't know if we have days or months or years left, but it's all worth it if we get a little more quality time with her.

If cats really do have nine lives, I'd say Louise is probably on her 12th. But we'll take it.

Acceptance speech

2011-02-04T19:06:00.002-05:00

I'd like to thank the Middletown Community Foundation for a $7,000 grant recently awarded to the Butler County Rape Crisis Program!

Last November I wrote the narrative for the grant application (read about that process here), and we just got news this week that a portion of our request will be funded. (Here's a link to other highly worthy award recipients for this funding cycle.)

We're doing everything we can to come up with local support for our program after the Butler County United Way decided to re-prioritize their funding, leaving us with a huge funding gap (read more about that here). Without those funds, we aren't able to provide the cash-match to secure more than $100,000 in federal and state grants. And without that funding, we lose our program.

This month will bring a new round of grant-writing to more local foundations, as well as a refresher grant-seeking workshop at Hamilton County Public Library next weekend. And soon I will announce a new project we are officially launching later this month at the RCP to help raise awareness about sexual assault in our community. Stay tuned!

(P.S.--Taylor tells me Louise had a good day while I was at work today. She still isn't quite herself, but she's a little stronger today and just as sweet as ever. We hate to get our hopes up, but it's nice to see her happy.)

End of days

2011-02-03T22:55:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I shared a brief history and some pictures of how we acquired our two cats, Thelma and Louise. In that post, I commented on how our kitties have made our home so cozy and warm, especially after a long hard day. Spending time with them is always a treat, especially when they're doing quirky, funny things, (like climbing among boxes and wrapping paper from Taylor's birthday celebration, seen here).

But there are times when spending time with them isn't so great. Like now.

About 3 days ago, Louise seemingly lost her appetite. This isn't particularly uncommon for her. When we adopted Louise, we knew she was 15 years old with an enlarged, diseased liver that has been increasingly encroaching on her stomach. Sometimes there just isn't enough room for her food to digest and she has a few days of sickness and finicky eating. After a day or two, she usually bounces back and even ends up taking over Thelma's food bowl in the process. But when she started coughing up bile and becoming more lethargic, we knew something else was wrong.

We called our veterinarian yesterday morning and got an appointment for the afternoon. Louise has been to the vet a few times over the past 8 months, so we're used to the routine. She is so sweet and small that everyone likes to say hello and take turns holding her; she has made fast friends with the doctors and techs who work there, just like everyone else she meets.

During these past visits, the doctor optimistically suggests a manageable treatment regimen, confident she will be just fine. And so far he's been right. But this time after poking around a little and taking a closer look at our kitty, he said the words every pet owner dreads:
"We have some options to keep her comfortable, but I think we need to start thinking about the end for her."

The mass in her liver had grown significantly since our last visit, and there isn't anything we can do to reverse it. The vet took some basic tests, and fortunately they revealed normal kidney functions, normal liver enzyme levels, and a normal body temperature. Still, she is sick and dehydrated, with a poor prognosis for recovery. He decided to have us administer subcutaneous fluids, give her special food if she'll eat it, and keep her comfortable.

If you've ever loved a pet, you know how hard this time is for us. We can't bear the thought of losing our beloved kitty, but we don't want to selfishly prolong her suffering. Most people say that we'll just know when it's time, but right now we're caught in a limbo. Louise has regained her appetite and has voraciously eaten each regular serving of food (and a few extras) that hits her bowl. She has been able to make it to the food bowl and the litter box, and has responded warmly to petting and cuddles just like normal. But she has a bit of a wobble when she walks, no longer climbs the stairs to our bed, and isn't able to fully clean herself after some messy trips to the litter box. She certainly isn't herself, but I don't think she's gone. Not yet.

Our vet agreed to call us every day to check on her and discuss our options. We appreciate that he has been honest and straightforward with us, and that he hasn't suggested any unnecessary, pricey operations or tests at the end of her life. We hope we can keep her happy and comfortable at least through Monday so that our friend (her original owner) can come visit and say good bye.

We're taking it one day at a time, and I'll be the first to admit it hasn't been easy. How do you spend your last few days with a beloved friend? Taylor and I have managed to alternately be home with her at all times so we can keep an eye on her and make sure she is doing okay. There have been a lot of tears (mostly from me), and a lot of desperate hugs and cuddles. Her purrs and meows show us she's still here with us, but we dread the day when she stops responding.

Until then we will keep talking to her, keep petting her, keep loving her, just like always.

Birthday buddies

2011-01-28T18:33:00.003-05:00

A quick shout out to two very special January birthday buddies:

Darcy Baker, born January 28th & Duane Baker, born January 23rd

That's right--my parents were born exactly 5 days apart in the same wing of the same hospital. Back then mothers and babies routinely stayed in the hospital for five days after delivery, so it's highly likely that my parents (along with my grandmothers, respectively) passed each other in the nursery hallways long before they would officially meet for the first time in middle school. In a sense, they've known each other all their lives, so I think it's easy to see why they are soulmates. Awwww.

This picture was taken 4 years ago at a particularly momentous birthday milestone, which I will not disclose for the sake of modesty.

But that 30th birthday party sure was fun, right parents? ;-)

"MEALS-ON-WHEELS"

2011-01-25T21:17:00.002-05:00

It's week four of my internship at Santa Maria Community Services and so far everything is going swimmingly. Today we finalized my learning contract with University of Cincinnati, and it's packed full of great activities.

One such activity is a weekly Meals-on-Wheels route to six elderly women in a neighborhood in East Price Hill. Today I made my rounds for the first time, delivering meals to these residents and chatting with them on their doorsteps. I was a little nervous about how I would be received at these homes, especially being an unfamiliar face in the neighborhood. But my fears were quickly dispelled when I was warmly greeted and welcomed at each home.

That isn't to say I didn't have any excitement along the way. I listened and empathized as a resident told me about her slumlord's unresponsiveness while their entire apartment complex went without heat this weekend. I hollered "Meals-on-Wheels" at the top of my lungs each time one woman in particular kept asking, "Who is it?" I helped one woman connect to assistance with her rent deposit upon returning to the office. I even helped chase down a little dog that had dashed out an open front door.

And you know what? I loved every minute of it. I look forward to further developing a trustworthy relationship with each of these residents over the next 6 months. After all, this is what social work is all about--getting out in the community and connecting with people in need of services. So who knows? Maybe I will continue to participate with Meals-on-Wheels into the summer and subsequent quarters, long after this portion of my internship has finished. It definitely couldn't hurt.

On track

2011-01-20T10:49:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to announce I am on track with one of my goals mentioned in my 200th post (as seen here): I'm getting active!

Inspired by my former-fellow-VISTA and good friend Alex's Couch to 5K running program (seen here at her blog), I decided to get in gear with a 5K training regime of my own. (Did you know Alex is getting married in October? And that I'm a bridesmaid?! Yippee skippeee!!)

Keep in mind it's only week one, but so far I have been very successful incorporating a few minutes of running into a mostly walking routine. Even though it is difficult at times, I always feel great when I'm finished, and I look forward to the next time around.

Perhaps best of all, I already have noticed a change in my energy level, and I am more motivated to eat right and take care of myself in order to become a stronger runner. I'm beginning to understand how fitness can be "addicting" so to speak.

For me, being active isn't about losing weight (though I can definitely stand to drop a few lbs.). It's about feeling good and accomplishing something. Sure, I've been successful in other areas of my life--I got all As in school, I was first chair in the school band, and so on--but I've never been physically fit. I've never played on a team (unless you count the junior high golf team or marching band), and I've never met a fitness goal. In other words, I've never really been an active person, so it feels good to be increasing my level of activity and taking charge of my health.

The fear of failure has held me back in the past--I've started something, encountered resistance, and given up so as not to fail in embarrassment. Of course, I realize giving up was the real failure. If I can keep at it this time, no matter how fast or slow my progress, I'll stay right on track.

The goal is to actually RUN in the 5K Price Hill Pacer Run/Walk benefiting Santa Maria Community Services this June. Assuming I am not part of the logistics team on race day, I want to cross the finish line. It will be my first 5K as a runner and I am determined to get there!

You heard it here, blogosphere--hold me accountable!

EPHIA

2011-01-18T19:13:00.002-05:00

Last night Taylor and I attended the East Price Hill Improvement Association meeting in...where else?...East Price Hill. There were about 25-30 people in attendance, mostly community council members and a few residents. Even a few non-residents like us.

So why were we there if we aren't residents of that neighborhood? Well, East Price Hill is home to one of Santa Maria's 3 locations and many of the agency's clients live in Price Hill. I thought it would be helpful to attend so that I could get a better idea of the issues specific to the community. Because social workers take a person-in-environment approach in practice, it would definitely help to learn more about the community environment of many of our clients.

The meeting started at 7:30 in a neighborhood Methodist church. This was my first community council meeting in any neighborhood, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Mostly there were a lot of regular agenda items like reports from various standing committees and such. I did notice, though, that regardless of what committee was presenting, the main focus was on crime. It was clear that the incidence of crime in the neighborhood was a major concern for the people who live there. Many residents believe that if we make more arrests and take the bad guys out of the neighborhood, then we can fully eliminate crime and turn Price Hill into a thriving community. I agree with that--to an extent. Not all of Price Hill's problems can be reduced to crime alone. We still need employment opportunities, income enhancement programs, access to affordable health care, reliable transportation, quality childcare, and so on. On the other hand, if the neighborhood is safe it will be more attractive for such growth and development, allowing the community to really prosper. It's definitely all connected.

Lucky for Price Hill residents, Santa Maria (among other local agencies) is working hard to implement programming in many of those areas. Combined with crime reduction, these social services will help Price Hill thrive.

In the meantime, I intend to spend more time in Price Hill patronizing local businesses, attending local events, and getting to know the residents. It's the neighboring community to our Western Hills home and I should get familiar with it!

A day off

2011-01-17T13:14:00.002-05:00

Last year on MLK Day I wrote about making your day off a day on in service. But this year I'm not practicing what I preached--I'm taking the day off.

As you might have noticed by the lack of blog posts, I haven't been around here much this past week or so. That's because I've been getting settled at my internship, adjusting to my classes, and juggling both of my jobs. It's been a lot to balance, but I'm hanging on!

At my internship last week, I distributed 2000 flyers for a free tax service, attended a staff meeting, and read through Santa Maria's board manual and employee handbooks. I also finished meeting with 9 of 11 program managers (just two more to go!) to get a better idea of the range of services Santa Maria provides to the community. My next step is to draft my learning contract with UC that will lay out everything I will work on over the next two quarters. It's quite a task--I've got to narrow down all of the program and project opportunities to something that is manageable between now and June. Because I can split my time between direct practice and administration this time, I've got a lot to choose from, which is exciting!

I've now had all of my classes, and I'm getting into the groove of the new quarter. Two of my classes are about working with individuals and families, and I'm already realizing how introspective I'm becoming with each class. In fact, I have two assignments in which I am to specifically reflect on my own family's experience. One is a Genogram, which is like a very detailed family tree. Not only does it show how people are related and the dates of their births, deaths, and marriages, but it also shows the relationships between each relative. Once that is finished, I will use that information to write a detailed paper about my family. I'm realizing that the more insight I have into my own family, the better prepared I will be to help others gain insight into their families, too.

And then there's my jobs. I'm now working regular hours at both Rape Crisis and House of Peace. It's great to have steady income, but the trade off is my down time. I now have one day off a week, if you count doing homework and housework as a a day off! So when you get a holiday like MLK Day, you really cherish it, especially when your life is already all about service.

So today I'm giving back to myself. I'm going to hang out with a friend I don't get to see nearly enough and then enjoy a lovely dinner with my husband. I'm learning that it isn't a bad thing to take time for myself, and I shouldn't feel guilty for taking a day off. Without a day off, it's hard to have good days on!

Right place, right time

2011-01-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

Part of the requirements of my new internship is a background check and fingerprint screening so that I can work with various populations and programming. Before the end of the day on Tuesday, I received a slip with instructions to go to the Hamilton County Justice Center any time between 7am and 4pm Monday through Friday, and Santa Maria would be billed for the screenings.

I didn't make it there on Wednesday, so I attempted to go yesterday morning before a meeting in Lower Price Hill. I knew it could take a while to complete, so I left with plenty of time. But when I got downtown I realized I was missing two very important things. Parking money and a plan. I hadn't looked ahead to see where I would park and even if I had, I had no cash on hand for the overpriced garages or lots. I don't know what I was thinking.

I pulled over at a random parking meter at least a half mile down the street and rummaged through my purse for some coins. But as I slipped each coin through the slot, my minutes weren't adding up as much as I would have thought. Suddenly, I found myself out of coins with only 33 minutes on the meter. I wasn't confident I would get down to the building, get through the line, finish the screenings, and get back to the car in that time, and I wasn't willing to risk the ticket, as I had watched several eager parking police guys converge on a car across the street just minutes earlier.

Dejected, I decided to leave the Justice Center for another day. As I drove out of downtown, I recognized the entrance to one of my favorite parks. I still had about 40 minutes before I would need to get to my meeting, so I pulled in and parked for a walk along the river. It was cold, so there weren't many people out, but as I approached the end of the loop, I saw an old woman huddled in a big winter coat on a bench near the path. I said good morning as I passed and we made a bit of small talk about the weather, the ducks in the river, and the new year. I kept walking, but about 5 seconds after I passed, I heard her call out to me and before I knew it, we were walking together back on the loop back towards the parking lot.

We talked for a bit about the day; I disclosed I was killing time between meetings for my social work program and she said she had come down to feed the ducks. A few minutes later she started to share about her volunteer work and some of the depression she had been experiencing. I listened as we strolled, offering an occasional thought, but mostly just listened. As we continued on the loop and passed the parking lot, I knew I should think about getting back to my car so I could make it to the meeting in time. I didn't want to get too far down the trail and take too long to get back. Still, something told me to keep going, so I did.

We made our way down the path, and several minutes later I knew it was time to turn around and go back to the car, so I slowed my pace. And suddenly the woman disclosed that she had been raped more than a decade ago. She said she had never told anyone that before, and wondered if maybe that could be contributing to her depression.

I couldn't believe it--I have a lot of training in this area, and if ever there was a time to put it to use, this was it. Suddenly I didn't care about the clock; I knew I needed to help this woman. I told her this was my area of expertise, and I carefully explained how her feelings could very likely be related to her assault, especially if she hadn't emotionally dealt with what had happened to her all those years ago. As I spoke, tears streamed down her face. She said she believed God had put me in her path today so that she could get help. I told her how glad I was that she trusted me and told me her painful secret, and I suggested that she look into counseling to process everything in more detail in the long term. I referred her to Women Helping Women and she said she would call them when she got home.

As I said good bye, she hugged me twice, thanked me for listening, and encouraged me to keep going in school because I would make a good social worker one day. I was flattered not only by her compliment, but that she remembered my program I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation.

My friend from the park served as a poignant reminder of why I'm doing this in the first place. We all need help sometimes. We all need someone to talk to, someone to help us find our strengths, regain our coping skills, and set us in the right direction. That's what social work is all about.

I don't know what will happen to her. I hope she finds peace and happiness, but I'll never know for sure, unless, of course, I run into her again. And if I do, I'll know it was for a reason.

Keep fighting

2011-01-06T14:00:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick update about the Walmart Fighting Hunger Together grant that I mentioned in this post. If you remember, the metropolitan community that received the most votes on Facebook would receive $1,000,000 and the 5 runners-up would each receive $100,000.

The winners were announced yesterday and the results are as followed:

1. Salt Lake City, Utah with 5,320,392 supporters. They win $1,000,000!
2. Fresno, CA with 4,125,544 supporters.
3. Columbia, SC with 356,020 supporters.
4. Ogden-Clearfield, UT with 305,512 supporters.
5. Charleston-Summerville, SC with 167,684 supporters.
6. Bakersfield, CA with 157,880 supporters.

I'm not sure where the Cincinnati-Middletown community fits on the list of 100 neediest communities, but I saw a lot of my Facebook friends voting in support of our community. Some of those voters don't even live here, but supported the community because they know how deeply I care for this community (and probably to get me to stop talking about it so much!) So I thank you for doing your part and speaking up for our community. I bet Walmart will do another similar competition in the future, and when they do, we'll be ready! In the meantime, you can donate your time or money directly to the agencies working to make a difference here at home. Let me know if you need any suggestions--I'm getting to know plenty of donation-worthy organizations that I would gladly point you to!

Just an intern

2011-01-05T12:35:00.002-05:00

I just completed my first two days (read: first week) of my 16-hour internship with Santa Maria Community Services. And after only two days, I know I have made the right decision and I'm in the right place.

My desk is in the administrative office in Sedamsville, just a 15-minute drive from home and about a 5-minute drive from the other two Santa Maria office locations. Staff just moved into the Sedamsville office, so when I arrived on Monday morning, I found the building full of boxes and cleaning supplies as everyone continues to unpack and settle in. It was exciting to be a part of the big move from the beginning, as I also established my own desk space in my own office!

On my first few days with Santa Maria, I spent most of my time meeting with my supervisor (the President and CEO of the agency) and setting up meetings to learn more about all of the programming at the different locations throughout Price Hill. As I meet with each program manager, I find myself growing more and more excited about all of the different opportunities within each area of the organization.

In a couple of weeks I will need to turn in a learning contract to my field liaison from UC that outlines my goals and projects for the next two quarters. As I told my supervisor, the hardest thing will be narrowing down which programs I'll have time to work with! Fortunately, I will be at Santa Maria through June 2012, so there will be plenty of time to explore all the agency has to offer.

First days are never easy--there's so much to learn and it's easy to become overwhelmed. While I still have a LOT to learn, I appreciate the warm welcome I received by the staff of the agency. Everyone was so friendly and patient in explaining various aspects of the organization, which really put me at ease. No one referred to me as "just an intern" and I felt like a valued member of the team from the beginning.

If the first two days of my internship are any indication of the next year and a half, I think I am really going to enjoy my time at Santa Maria.

New resolve

2011-01-03T21:47:00.001-05:00

Every January 1st, millions of people make millions of new year's resolutions, abstract statements aimed to drastically change their lives over the next 365 days. And yet by the following December 31st, many people haven't met one single resolution.

But why? Surely people are capable of meeting goals, otherwise no one would ever really accomplish anything. And heck, they have a whole year to do it!

The problem with resolutions, though, is that we set big, lofty, year-long goals and then we get impatient, tired, and discouraged. In a society of instant gratification, a year becomes too long to stick with something so seemingly impossible. And one month into the new year, we've lost steam and pretty much jumped ship. For example, many people resolve to lose weight at the beginning of the year. They say, "This year I'm going to lose 50 lbs. No! 60 lbs! Yeah!" But when February rolls around and they've lost only a couple of pounds, the end seems so far away that they abandon the means and go for that slice of cake after all.

So what if instead of setting grand yearly goals we broke up that goal into monthly, weekly, or even daily goals? Then it wouldn't be one insurmountable mountain, but a much more do-able set of steps. Both lead to the same place, but it's the way we get there that makes the difference. In other words, if we set ourselves up to succeed, we probably will.

That's why this year I'm not going to make a resolution in the traditional sense. But I am going to make some easy changes to my daily routine that should lead to some big changes in my life.

Lately, one of the major themes of my life has been gratitude. I mentioned a bit about that in this post a few months ago when I started a gratitude journal to help me recognize the good things in my life and to help me stay present in good moments. Sadly, my journal efforts fizzled out in the past couple of months or so, and I have found myself complaining more than usual about the little things. So this year, I "resolve" to be more grateful by consciously recognizing the good in my life. Whether that means writing it down in the gratitude journal, saying it out loud, or jotting a quick thank you note, I will be more aware of my gratitude. In fact, I was inspired to share my gratitude with others after reading about a man who wrote one thank you note a day to the people in his life, which you can see here.

The more I think about it, maybe the best way to accomplish a resolution is by not calling it a resolution. How's that for a little reverse psychology?

So what about you all? Any non-resolutions this year? Happy 2011!

Miracle on...22nd?

2010-12-31T08:09:00.001-05:00

Growing up, I had heard about the "Miracle on 34th Street," but it wasn't until yesterday that I came across the one on W. 22nd.

Earlier this month, The New York Times ran a story about two men who mistakenly received hundreds of letters addressed to Santa at their NYC apartment. They still can't explain how their address was confused with St. Nick's, but the pair didn't let the mix-up ruin the children's Christmas. They mobilized their network of friends and co-workers to respond to the letters and give the kids the Christmas they asked for.

While they couldn't answer all of the requests, they made a difference for hundreds of kids who wouldn't have had a Christmas otherwise. I would highly recommend watching the clip for the whole beautiful story.

What would you do if those Santa letters mysteriously arrived in your mail box? I'd like to think I would do something similar, but it's hard to know for sure. One thing is certain; the selfless giving of these two men is extremely touching. Though Christmas day has already come and gone, the Christmas spirit lives on through their generosity.

The holiday season

2010-12-30T23:29:00.002-05:00

After nearly a week of blog silence, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! My holiday season consisted of 4 family Christmases over the course of one week, not to mention the holiday work parties thrown in for good measure. I very much enjoyed seeing family and exchanging gifts, but all of the holiday hustle and bustle was just a tad bit stressful to manage, especially with multiple families and work schedules to accommodate.

My favorite Christmas celebration this year was the one spent at home with my husband--our first married Christmas. As nice as it was, it certainly wasn't your traditional Christmas! Taylor worked overnight on Christmas Eve but we still wanted to establish some sense of tradition and open our gifts together on Christmas morning. So around 6:45 a.m. I woke up extra early to cook a big pancake-bacon-egg breakfast (which I have never done before), light the Christmas tree, and get everything ready. Taylor arrived home from work about an hour later, and we quickly ate breakfast, chatted about his shift, and opened presents before the drowsiness set in. Taylor gave me a lovely Eucalyptus stoneware bowl and a cool old ladybug brooch, and I gave him an ice cream maker attachment for our stand mixer and a Dremel rotary tool kit. By 8:20 a.m., Taylor couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, so he made his way to bed while I cleaned up all of the dishes and packed up the presents for the next party. Then I took a nap until it was time to leave for Urbana in the afternoon. Less than 24 hours after arriving at my parents' house, we found ourselves back in Cincinnati so that I could make it into work on Sunday evening. Talk about a whirlwind!

It might not have been the most traditional Christmas Day scene, but it ended up working for us. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I was worried about all of the details and how everything would come together--that our Christmas would be ruined from our jumbled schedules.

But now that it's over, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I started a Christmas Journal so we can look back and remember this and future Christmases for years to come. It wasn't perfect--what holiday really is?--and that's okay. As I reflected on and wrote about 2010, I realized just how fortunate I am not only for my beautiful gifts from family and friends, but for my wonderful husband, adoring kitties, and a house full of love.

I hope the magic and love of the season linger into the new year for you and your family, too!

Greenery in the scenery

2010-12-24T06:54:00.000-05:00

Though it's hard to believe, it's already Christmas Eve in our first house! It seems like just last week we were signing hundreds of papers and carrying all of our boxes into our empty house. Now it's December 24th and we've been here for nearly seven months.

When we were buying our house, I daydreamed about all of the things that would make our house a home. I pictured growing vegetables in our garden, painting every room in our house, chatting with our neighbors in the driveway, participating in trick-or-treat night in our neighborhood, and decorating for Christmas, namely with a wreath on our door. I don't know what it is, but every time I smell fresh evergreen, I feel an immediate sense of comfort, security, and warmth. I know I'm home.
Our fresh wreath is a tradition I hope to continue for many years in the future. We sure have come a long way and we have so much to be thankful for, including our Christmas wreath!

Fight hunger in our community

2010-12-23T12:31:00.002-05:00

This morning I received an e-mail from Tina, the executive director at Shared Harvest Foodbank (where I used to be a VISTA, remember?), about a social media campaign to support agencies in the Cincinnati-Middletown community. According to Tina, Shared Harvest Foodbank is competing for a portion of the Walmart Fighting Hunger Together Facebook Challenge Grant, in which metropolitan communities across the country rally to get the most votes on Facebook for their community. The winning community shares a $1,000,000 grant, with five runners-up each sharing $100,000.

There are 100 metropolitan communities in the running for the grant money, and the Cincinnati-Middletown area has moved from 60th place to 33rd in just seven days. Tina says we need at least another 30,000 votes to move to the top, and that's where you come in.

If you are on Facebook, all you have to do is click here and press "Like" for the Cincinnati-Middletown community. That counts as your vote for our community. Easy, huh? Then we need you to spread the word and tell all of your friends--you can post the link on Facebook and have all of your friends vote, too.

Please help out our community by voting! It's so easy, and only takes about a minute to do. We all see these social media campaigns and think how great they are, but then we end up ignoring them and don't take action. Don't let that happen to you this time! Make sure your vote counts by December 31st.

Participate, get involved, and help strengthen your community--PLEASE and THANK YOU!

Giving gifts

2010-12-22T13:08:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to announce all of my food dishes made it to all of those holiday parties with no spillage. (At least not that I noticed! Sorry, Taylor.)

Now the next item on the holiday agenda is...gift-wrapping.

I know that Christmas is not about giving gifts. It's about sharing joy and giving thanks with friends and loved ones. For some, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ who saved the world from sin and despair. So why is it that so many of us end up focusing on the season's materialism instead?

I'm guilty of this, too. Last year Taylor and I had hardly any money so we made the majority of our gifts. And you know what? That was okay. The gifts ranged from homemade magnets, to personalized calendars, to jars of homemade cookie mix, to crocheted scarves (lots and lots of scarves). I really liked giving these gifts because they were meaningful and personal. The recipients knew a lot of time, thought, and love went into the gifts if not a lot of money.

This year, I was in graduate school and Taylor was working an average of 50+ hours a week throughout November and into December. This year we didn't have nearly as much time, but we certainly had more money, so our gift-recipients are getting stuff we bought. I still think the gifts are special but they certainly aren't as meaningful as something handmade.

And of course, the more focus there is on store-bought items, the crazier this season gets.

"Do we have enough presents?"

"Did we spend enough?"

"Is this gift good enough?"

These are questions I've been asking all month--I've definitely been stressing out over our gift-giving tradition. And I bet I'm not the only one. Anyone else out there stressed out by this holiday ritual? Look at all of those hands.

I've heard some great remedies families employ to curb the stress of the season. Some families opt out of gift-giving all together, deciding to sponsor a family in need in the community instead. Others donate money to a charity in honor of their family instead of spending money on material gifts. And others pool their money to provide a meaningful experience for the family, such as a vacation, instead of filling each others' homes with more goods, more clutter.

These are all great ideas, but some families just can't part with the idea of giving gifts. And that's okay! Instead of buying another pair of socks or another knick-knack for the house, though, maybe you want to go the homemade route. Here are 34 ideas for some personal, handmade items that are sure to be a big hit. And here are gift ideas for the social justice-minded individual wanting to make a difference in the world.

Maybe your holiday shopping is already finished for this year, and it's too late to reconsider your gifts. But remember these tips aren't just pertinent for the holiday season. We give gifts all year round--for birthdays, weddings, showers, anniversaries, etc.--and we tend to stress out at each of those happy occasions, too. It's something I'm definitely going to keep in mind as we head into 2011!

Holiday party animal

2010-12-17T20:49:00.002-05:00

I have 3 Christmas parties in 4 days. All require some kind of pot luck food dish, and all are at least 45 minutes away from home. Ack!

Today was party #1 at the Oxford Community Counseling & Crisis Center. Because I signed up to bring a dessert, I decided to make an easy, yummy favorite recipe in our house--lemon bars. Fortunately, I was able to make the dish ahead of time last night, but I wasn't able to guard them from my hungry husband when he came home from his shift at 4 a.m.! Still, most of the lemon bars successfully made it to the party, and we all had a great time chowing down on the spread of food.

Tomorrow is party #2 with my mom's side of our family. This one requires a 1-hour and 45-minute drive to Urbana, and I agreed to make a hot dip for crackers and chips. Hmm...I didn't really think this one through... Ultimately, Taylor and I decided to mix up some artichoke dip tonight and bake it when we arrive in Urbana tomorrow.

And the third party is on Monday with the House of Peace staff. We were asked to bring our favorite recipe along with the recipe card and a $5 gift to share. Well it just so happens one of my favorite recipes is turkey pumpkin chili, which is what I signed up to bring. As delicious as it is, it's not the easiest to transport to a party 45 minutes from home. Didn't really think that through either. Still, I am sure it will work out and will be as fun and delicious as all the others!

The holidays are a time for lots of celebrating, lots of eating, and lots of time together. In other words, I've got lots of good times ahead in the next week!

Stressed out students

2010-12-16T18:57:00.000-05:00

Today Taylor came across a very interesting radio show on NPR about the stress students experience in the American education system. Vicki Abeles, a filmmaker and mother of 3, created a documentary called "Race to Nowhere," which captures the stories of students, parents, and teachers caught in a system the demands educational quantity over quality. Essentially, the American educational system is test-oriented and not centered on the student's whole development.

This perspective is particularly interesting as world education reports show students in China and other Asian countries are out-ranking their American peers, who were deemed "average" in most recent studies. Policymakers believe this is evidence to push students even harder with longer school days, longer school years, more extra-curricular activities, and tougher assignments and classes.

But at what cost? Students are stressed out and crumbling under the pressure as they desperately try to keep up. They are loading up on college prep courses and filling the rest of their schedules with sports, arts, volunteering, etc. There is little "free time" for students to learn through play and discovery, and students are missing out on their childhoods. As a result, students are not prepared for the "real world." Abeles says it best with this statement:

“I think today’s system isn’t generating kids who are independent thinkers and ready to contribute to the world,” Abeles says. “So I think we have to ask ourselves whether we are wanting to create a generation of test-takers and resume-builders, or do we want problem-solvers and life-long learners and healthy young adults.”

If you click on this link, you'll find the complete radio show on this topic, as well as the trailer for the film. I haven't seen the movie, but from what I have heard, read, and seen, it's definitely worth a look. As a high-performing student myself, I know firsthand the pressures kids in America experience in the schools in the race to "get ahead." In fact, I recently wrote a post about this very issue as an adult in graduate school! As much as I say I am going to relax and let myself off the hook, the reality is I am pushing myself just as hard as I did in high school and college.

Good grades are certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but they aren't the only indicator of success, as they only measure one aspect of a person's intelligence. We need to realize test scores and grades aren't everything, and adjust the way we structure our educational system accordingly. After all, what good are straight As if you can't think critically and creatively to function in the "real world?" The grade at the end of the term isn't nearly as important as the knowledge I have gained, and I need to keep that in mind as I approach the winter quarter.

Now if only I could get the scholarship people to recognize that fact...

Cinci Christmas

2010-12-12T22:49:00.007-05:00

In our continued quest to fully experience our first official Christmas as Cincinnatians (read about our first adventure here), my best friend and I journeyed to Fountain Square on Saturday night for the annual Macy's Downtown Dazzle in which Santa rappels down the side of the Macy's building.

It rained pretty much all evening, and we were uncertain about weather Santa would "fly" due to the weather, but we decided to brave the elements and go anyway. After all, Santa is only scheduled to appear on the roof of the building 3 times this month, so we didn't want to miss him.

We left with plenty of time to navigate all of the one-way streets and find parking downtown. When we emerged out of the parking garage, we were greeted by this lovely figure on Fountain Square:

And this majestic Macy's tree at the U.S. Bank Ice Rink:

But the best sight of all was Santa, Rudolph, and a little green elf rappelling down the side of the Macy's office building. They broadcast the action on a big screen above the square, which is what my BFF photographed in this shot:

Can you believe Rudolph is going down head-first? They were all little daredevils, doing flips and hanging upside down along the way, and it was a lot of fun to watch! When they reached the next rooftop, there was a big, spectacular fireworks show to end the night, even in the rain.

Afterward, we walked a block or so to the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza to see the gingerbread display, and a couple of blocks in the other direction to the Duke Energy Building for the model train display. And by that point we were rain-soaked and ready to leave for dinner at Frisch's in my neighborhood!

Despite the rain, a lot of people came out to see the show, and it felt really good to be part of a community in a big city. We also learned more about what the Central Business District has to offer and we plan to take part in the downtown hustle and bustle for a little Christmas shopping this week.

If you are in the area, I would highly encourage you to make your way downtown for these holiday events. Santa will make one more appearance on the roof of Macy's next Saturday, and the other sites last all month long. All of the links in this post contain information about each event, and they are all well worth the trip!

A special thanks to my dear friend for the use of her photos for this post (and this post)!

TV Land Transformation

2010-12-11T08:40:00.002-05:00

After sharing our office and dining room transformations, as well as my dresser renovation, I might as well share our latest decorating update; this one is in our living room. First, the drab before shot taken just a couple days after we moved in:

Note the little red end table is a hand-me-down from Taylor's parents, and while it's solidly built, it doesn't quite work as a TV stand. So earlier this week, we journeyed to IKEA for a new look. And this is what we came up with:

The TV stand is made of solid pine and is the same style as a coffee table we bought from IKEA a few months ago. On Thursday night I finally managed to put the TV stand together and I did it all by myself. It only took me 4 hours and 3 tries, but I finally got it.

Okay, actually, I only managed to get to step 34 out of 35 before giving up and waiting for Taylor to get home to put on the finishing touches, aka the drawers. Still, I am mighty proud of my handiwork. If you've ever put a piece of IKEA furniture together, you know the directions contain no words, only pictures, which aren't always the easiest to decipher.

Here's a closer look at the 'after' shot:

Oh and in case you were wondering about the cast iron on the staircase, that's where we are hanging our stockings this year, considering we have no mantel or fireplace. The little green stockings are for Thelma and Louise.

Slowly but surely we're making little changes around here, which are adding up to make a big difference in our home!

Holiday in Lights

2010-12-10T15:43:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday night I attended my second annual Holiday in Lights tour at Sharon Woods in northern Cincinnati. Last year I went with Taylor and my parents; this year I spread the cheer by taking my best friend through the display.

But display doesn't even begin to describe it. Holiday in Lights is a paved, mile-long trail with all sorts of little lighted figures dotting the path. 120 lighted scenes to be exact.

For instance, here is a charming little scene of two elves decorating a Christmas tree:

The lights moved to show the elves picking up ornaments from a box and throwing them onto the tree.

The displays were also clever. Here is a play on the Goodyear blimp, which we photographed as an homage to my husband's childhood hometown of Akron, Ohio:

Cute, eh?! And then some of the displays were just plain weird. Like this little guy:

His friend Godzilla was also nearby. Not exactly the type of scene you would think should be depicted in Christmas lights, but hey, it works!

Holiday in Lights was international, too, with many bright holiday greetings in lots of lights and languages. Here are a few of my favorites:

Dutch Santa, complete with wooden shoes, is probably my favorite scene on the trail, largely because of my husband's Dutch heritage (which he is very proud of, I might add).

Holiday in Lights at Sharon Woods is a fun tradition I hope to continue every year I'm in Cincinnati. If you live in the area, I would strongly encourage you to get out in the community and see it. You pay by the car load, so pack your car full of family and friends and head on over for a great evening. If you click on the link above you can even print a coupon for $2 off!

Dining room re-do

2010-12-08T14:56:00.007-05:00

As you might recall from my 200th post, goal #5 on the list was to continue the process of making our house a home through home renovation projects. So I thought I would share our most recent renovation endeavor in our dining room.

Back in September, Taylor and I removed the carpet, tack strip, and staples from our office floor just hours before my first class of graduate school. So we thought it would be fitting to remove the dining room carpet just hours after my final exam on Monday evening.

Let's start with the very first before shot, taken just a couple days after we had moved into our house:
Certainly not much to write home about, but after a little paint and some new furniture, the dining room was starting to take shape:

It's hard to see in pictures, but there were numerous old pet and food stains from the previous owners and no matter what we try, we can't seem to remove them. So the only way to take out the stains was to tear out the carpet.

It was a bit of a process but we tackled it together with teamwork. Taylor cut up the carpet, I rolled it up and took it to the basement, and then Taylor got to work pulling up the tack strip and I removed the staples from the floor. Before long we ended up with this:

What a big difference! We did find a few damaged boards from old termite damage, but we can replace those. Soon we'll finish this project by painting the trim and chair rail, adding a filler piece to the baseboard to fill the gap the carpet left, and ultimately sanding and refinishing the floor. Until then, this is the after shot:

What do you think? Do you prefer carpet or hardwood floors in your own home? I think it's clear where our preference lies!

Baby it's cold outside

2010-12-04T20:46:00.000-05:00

Today marked the first official snow fall of the season! It snowed overnight, through the morning, into the afternoon, and the flakes are still falling as I type this tonight. The ground is still fairly warm, so only a few inches are sticking, but still it makes for a beautiful scene outside our window. This is a view from our kitchen (note the difference a couple of months makes):

As temperatures dip into the 20s, our impending heating bill has been increasingly on our minds. We've never had a gas furnace, so we're not sure what to expect, but we're bracing for the worst. To help lower our utility costs, we're doing the following:

Turn down the thermostat. Most of the time you can find ours set somewhere between 68-72 degrees, depending on the time of day and whether or not we're home.
Dress in layers. Because we don't live in a sauna, we are sure to have a sweater or light blanket near by whenever we're feeling a little chilly. This prevents the urge to crank up the heat.
Close off unused rooms. We have one guest bedroom that is rarely used, so we see no point in heating it all the time. The floor vent in that room is closed off, and the door remains shut.
Insulation. We live in a brick house built in the late 1940s, so there isn't a whole lot we can do about our walls, but we can insulate our pipes. Taylor wrapped the hot water pipes in our basement in foam so that they would keep their heat longer.
Seal drafty doors and windows. We were lucky our house had all new windows when we moved in, but we recently discovered one drafty old door in our kitchen. Taylor lined the door with this clear, gel-like "Seal 'n Peel" stuff, which as its name suggests, seals the door for the winter and can easily be peeled away in the spring.

We'll have to let you know how well these tips work when we get our first big heating bill this month. Until then, we do have one more strategy for keeping warm this winter.

6. Keep the floor vents clear to maximize air flow. That includes all furniture, rugs, and other obstructive objects:

The end is near!

2010-12-02T22:34:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that ten weeks ago today marked my first day of graduate school. And yet, here I am, almost on the complete other side of my first quarter of my MSW program. Tonight was my last class of the quarter and next Tuesday I'll take my last final exam to officially end the quarter.

I thought it would be fitting to do a brief recap of what I accomplished this quarter. Let's see how much $4,412 gets you in the School of Social Work:

First and foremost, I secured my internship for the next 5 quarters at Santa Maria Community Services. Read about that process here, here, and here.
I took a ten-hour online course on Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Theory and developed a set of therapy sessions using the TF-CBT method for treatment of a hypothetical rape victim.
I analyzed and wrote about the role the media plays in perpetuating crisis in our daily lives.
I learned several different approaches to crisis intervention with a variety of people in a variety of situations.
I researched and created a presentation on the strengths and weaknesses of the Over-the-Rhine community in Cincinnati.
I researched the topic of same-sex marriage and presented it as part of a larger project on GLBT clients and how their issues pertain to social workers.
I interviewed a key staff member at Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and wrote about the advocacy services they provide in the community.
I researched and summarized a qualitative community study on community-based loans for expectant mothers in rural Nepal.
I critiqued a news article that surfaced around the mid-term elections this fall on the Obama Making Work Pay tax cuts.
I researched and critiqued a journal article describing culturally competent strategies for use with African American rape victims.
I interviewed my nine-year-old friend to learn about developmental tasks and the psychosocial crisis of middle childhood.
I wrote a final paper about the experiences of a member of a racial minority group and how they have affected his human development.
I researched, wrote, and presented my first ever policy brief. The topic: Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
I took 3 regular in-class exams; one open-note, open-book final in-class exam; and 4 online exams.

So there you have it. One quarter's worth of work--and that's just the big stuff. This isn't counting the hundreds of pages of reading or the countless hours of studying or the endless nights spent staring at the computer screen. I can't say I've loved every minute of it, but I certainly have learned a lot.

Now for a well-deserved break and a little R & R.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-11-26T11:42:00.011-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was delicious! Taylor and I went to my parents' house for turkey and all the trimmings (including that ice cream cake I told you about here!) I contributed by signature turkey pumpkin chili dish, which people actually ate! I couldn't have been happier.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we can officially look forward to Christmas! My parents are loaning us their 7-ft. Christmas tree until we can purchase one on clearance after the holidays. (We also have a small 4-ft. pre-lit tree that Taylor's parents gave us last year.) It's our first Christmas as a married couple and our first Christmas as homeowners, so I wanted to celebrate in style. I could hardly wait to decorate the house upon arriving home last night!

Thelma was particularly fond of the decorations:

Each branch was color-coded, so we got to work on sorting and inserting the right branches into the right area of the tree:
Finally the tree was assembled, but we needed lights. My parents had given us two strands of multi-colored lights with the tree, but we were going for a silver and white theme this year, so they weren't going to work. Instead of calling it an evening and getting the lights later like a normal person, I threw on my jacket and dashed out to Wal-Mart at 9:30 p.m. in a torrential downpour to pick up some lights so we could finish the tree.

Before long we were back in business, and we had even managed to put up some ornaments:

You'll notice they aren't all silver or white (some were just too meaningful not to put on the tree!) but for the most part, we followed our theme. Last weekend we went to Crate & Barrel to get some special "Wessels' First Christmas" ornaments, and naturally they were the stars of the show:

Some of the ornaments were so pretty that we decided to share the love with our entryway mirror all season long:

And we would be remiss not to spread the sparkle to the other areas of the house. Here's a glimpse of the dining room table (as seen in the background of the above Christmas tree picture) complete with silver ball ornaments:

Even though I love our festive decorations, we aren't losing track of the real meaning behind the holiday. We have so much to be grateful for, including our warm house, complete with sparkling Christmas tree and blossoming traditions.

Happy birthday!

2010-11-23T23:41:00.004-05:00

Today, November 23rd, is the 23rd anniversary of Taylor's birth. However, because Taylor worked overnight last night and spent most of the day sleeping (and because I worked in Oxford today to finish up the grant from last week and then had class this evening), we knew we weren't going to get to celebrate in the traditional way today.

Which is why we deemed this Birthday Week! We kicked it off on Sunday with a small party with Taylor's parents. I made my first double layer chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (Taylor's fave), and ended up with a huge mess on my hands. Literally. The cake collapsed in several spots around the edges and ended up looking like a mudslide before he had even blown out the candles (all 23 of them!)

Taylor opened presents from his parents (shop-vac, winter coat, clothes) and presents from me (electric shaver, Foo Fighters CD, and subscription to This Old House magazine) and before long, our living room was covered in wrapping paper and boxes.

The cats wasted no time in enjoying the house in this condition:

Louise hopped right in the box and made herself at home.

Thelma thoroughly enjoyed making the wrapping paper crunch under her feet.

But the birthday fun doesn't stop there. Tomorrow night we'll celebrate with my parents in Urbana with cupcakes and presents, and Thursday (Thanksgiving Day, of course), we'll celebrate with my extended family with, get this, a homemade ice cream cake. I know.

So Happy Birthday-week, Taylor! Hope it is as wonderful as ever.

General Grant

2010-11-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

I'm back in the saddle as a grant-writer! A couple of days ago the Director of the Rape Crisis Program emailed me about my work for the week. Instead of data entry, she asked, would you be interested in helping us write a grant?

Ummm chya!

So the next day when I arrived in the office, I found the grant proposal guidelines, sample grant narratives from previous grants, and a note with instructions. I was all set--I hopped on a computer and got to work.

At first I spent most of my time sorting through previous grants and locating their electronic version on the computer. There were certain parts of each grant that would work beautifully in this one, so I was just in the compiling phase. Before long though, I had reached 7 pages--more than double the maximum length of the proposal. I trimmed it down, cringing every time I had to cut a solid statistic or a persuasive emotional appeal, but I still can't get it to less than 4 pages. I will be returning next week to tidy that up.

As much as I love this added responsibility of grant-writing, it's a terrifying job at the same time. Granted (ha!), this grant request is for less than $10,000 to a foundation I am very familiar with from my last spell of grant-writing during my VISTA days. But every dollar is crucial to the future of the program right now.

If you recall, the Butler County United Way recently cut all of their funding to the Rape Crisis Program and other mental health agencies, choosing to focus instead on job-training programs. As terrible as it is to lose a funding source, this loss packs a second punch. Without that funding, the Rape Crisis Program can't provide the necessary 25% cash match for their federal and state grants. Losing UW funding potentially equates to losing nearly all of your funding.

We can't count on Butler Co. UW to reinstate their financial support of our program in future years, so we have to figure out a more sustainable solution for future funding cycles so that we can hold on to our federal grants. At this moment, though, we're scrambling to make up the immediate loss with one-time emergency grants from other sources, like the area community foundations and benevolent groups.

So that's where we are. By helping to write the grant narrative for one of these potentially program-saving grants, now more than ever before I need to get this right! The grant is due next month, so we won't know for a while whether it was accepted, but I'll keep you posted.

And if you happen to know any wealthy donors looking for a worthwhile project in which to invest thousands of dollars, we've got just the program for you!

Kitty therapy

2010-11-17T15:23:00.010-05:00

In all the 200+ blog posts I've written, I don't think I've mentioned much about two members of our family: Thelma and Louise.

Thelma is the white calico on the right, and Louise is the gray tabby on the left. We adopted them from a friend of ours who was moving to a new city and could not bring them along to his new apartment. He sent a message out to his friends to find a new home for his cats, and from the minute I saw their picture, I immediately loved them. By May 25, 2010, Thelma and Louise came to join us at our apartment in Fairfield for a few days until we moved into our house on the 29th.

It didn't take long for them to settle right in. Both cats are 15 years old and came from the same litter. Louise has a few health problems, but overall both cats are happy and full of mischief. They are amazed by the refrigerator:

And the kitchen table and the food that magically appears there:

And the cozy warm floor vents. This may be one of the reasons our heating bill is so high--Thelma blocks all the warm air from entering any of the rooms!

After long, busy days away from the house, we look forward to coming home to cuddle with our kitties. They seem to have powerful calming powers--no matter what has happened that day, petting our kitties always makes me feel a little better. Call it kitty therapy, but it works! We love our cats like members of our family and I couldn't imagine our lives without them.

Under pressure

2010-11-17T00:37:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while, you hit a week or two of life that is just...hectic. You know what I'm talking about--the times when it seems like everything is happening at once and you're unsure how you're making it day to day, moment to moment.

Well, I'm experiencing one of those times right now. And I don't anticipate it ending until, oh, December 7th.

Yep--graduate school is intensifying as we approach the last two weeks of the quarter. As cliche as it sounds, it really is amazing to think how fast this quarter has gone. But before I can celebrate the end of my first quarter of graduate school, I've got to get through final exams, final projects, group presentations, and final papers galore. I won't list everything that is due in the next two weeks--I'm not sure even I could handle that right now--but know that it's a lot.

Actually, I should clarify. It isn't so much the amount of work due that is overwhelming. In fact, each assignment is pretty manageable on its own, and with a little time management magic, I should have no problem completing everything. What's overwhelming is the pressure I put on myself to excel.

For those of you who have known me through grade school and college, this isn't a shock. I was Valedictorian of my high school class, and I graduated summa cum laude with my undergraduate degree. I've always been a bit of a perfectionist, and grades have always been "my thing." I pushed myself in high school to get top grades to get into college, and I pushed myself in my undergrad to get top grades to get into graduate school.

So why am I pushing myself now? After all, as long as I maintain a B average, I can keep my financial aid and I'll graduate with my MSW degree. I can coast through the program and I'll be a social worker like any of my peers.

But I just can't do that. I can't bring myself to cut corners and take shortcuts because I really want to know this stuff. I want to learn it and internalize it so that I can be a knowledgeable, well-rounded professional. I figure if I am putting this much time and money and energy into this right now, then I should probably have something to show for it more than just a piece of paper at the end. Lastly, and perhaps the most self-centered reason of all, I don't want to look bad! I genuinely want to earn the respect of my professors and peers as I progress through the program; I don't want to be known as a "slacker" student right out of the gate!

So I'm setting the bar for myself this quarter, and I'm setting it high, even by my own standards. And as a result, I can expect more than a few late nights over the next couple of weeks (okay, let's face it, years) while I work toward this degree. What I need to keep in mind, though, when I am feeling like this--aka overwhelmed--is that I am doing my best and that's all I can ask of myself.

That, and, it'll all be over in a few weeks. No matter what happens, it'll all be over on December 7th and THEN I can relax!

The Nina, the Pinta, and...

2010-11-11T19:36:00.003-05:00

The Santa Maria!

Silly me, not that Santa Maria--this one:

That's right--I've officially accepted and confirmed my MSW internship placement at Santa Maria Community Services! As of January 2011, I will be spending 16 hours a week at the organization, learning all about administration and the joys of social work. Until then, I know I've made a great choice, and I'm so excited to get started soon!

Ship image borrowed from here, and logo image borrowed from here.

Decision time

2010-11-08T09:47:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm in a pickle. A good pickle, but a pickle nonetheless.

After a month-long interview process consisting mostly of waiting, I've been offered two internships for my MSW program. And now I have to pick-le one over the other. (Yes, contrived pun intended!)

In all seriousness, though, this is a tough decision for me. The School of Social Work matched me with my top 2 agency choices for interviews. One agency is in my neck of the woods and offers a ton of different services in the community. They have great community partnerships with lots of potential for admin experience, and my supervisor is absolutely fantastic. I would have a lot of guided autonomy, which is something I particularly value. I know that I would enjoy the next 5 quarters there and I would have plenty of opportunities for growth and development in many different areas of social work.

The second placement option is within a huge organization. It is internationally recognized and receiving a lot of funding attention right now. They are a top-notch future employer around the world, which is something I need to especially consider in the midst of a crappy job market and recession. They offer primarily medical-based services, and I my internship would really challenge me both emotionally and professionally. Despite being an admin position, though, there is more of an emphasis on direct practice in the medical setting, which has its advantages and disadvantages for my professional development. While I want to be a well-rounded social worker, I don't want to lose focus of my specialization.

So as you can see, I have a critical decision ahead. Taking a strictly logical, pro/con approach isn't particularly helpful, and making the decision purely on emotions isn't advisable either. To further overwhelm me, I just received a call from the field placement coordinator at UC for my decision (due to aforementioned scheduling delays, I am one of the last people to lock into an internship). I told her I still wasn't sure what my choice would be and that I needed more time. But after talking through both options, she expressed concern over my second internship offer, saying that she needed to make some calls and get back to me before I make a decision.

Umm, okay? Maybe this decision isn't so difficult after all.

Greatest weakness

2010-11-07T15:40:00.003-05:00

Last week I had my second of two interviews for my upcoming internship through my MSW program. As often happens in an interview, the interviewer asked the classic interview question: "What do you consider your greatest weakness?"

Of course, there are many ways to answer this question, but generally you want to pick something that could be perceived as a strength. After all this is an interview and you're trying to market yourself for the job. If you start ticking off a long list of faults, you're likely not to get hired. Duh.

In my early interview days, I thought this was the trickiest question and would rehearse my answer over and over in preparation. When I was in high school I used to bat my eyes and say:
"I think my biggest weakness is that...well...I just care too much! tehehe!"

And in college, I would say something along the lines of:
"Sometimes I think I work too hard. I guess I'd say my greatest weakness is that I am a perfectionist."

These answers aren't particularly awful. After all, I did exactly what I was supposed to do-- I provided a weakness that was really a strength in disguise. The problem was, though, that there was no disguise!

More often than not I would get the job/scholarship/position/etc. But it was all so cliche. I felt like I was just memorizing and reciting interview catch phrases--that I was essentially absent from the whole equation. It was all so mechanical.

I've been more cognizant of this lately, especially after completing many interviews for jobs earlier this summer and now again for my grad school internship. My general goal has been to be more genuine, more memorable; to be less predictable; to be myself. And in an interview process, that includes coming up with some more original answers to the classic interview questions.

So in my most recent internship interview, when I was asked about my greatest weakness, I answered honestly: "I take things personally. If something goes wrong or I fail at a task, I tend to really internalize that."

One reason this particular weakness came to mind (because I certainly have more than one weakness!) was a very difficult day at the House of Peace last week, just one day prior to my internship interview. The work shift consisted of two problematic residents getting very upset over something considerably trivial. Due to their behavior, the women were eventually 'departed' (or asked to leave) shelter. In the hours leading up to their departure, I absorbed a lot of obscenities, intimidating gestures, and overall hostility from the women. I knew that they were upset about their circumstances, but it sure did feel personal when they were aiming those outbursts in my direction. It was a really tough situation, and my stomach was in knots even after I had arrived home for the evening.

And perhaps worst of all, I felt like I had failed these two women. Most of the residents who come through our doors get back on track. They find permanent housing, get connected to counseling and other general resources. They move forward. So when these two residents weren't accomplishing that, I took it personally. I was unnecessarily assuming responsibility for their unruly, inappropriate behavior, and neglecting to see their role in the situation.

I ended up telling this story in my interview to better demonstrate my point. But I didn't just leave it at that. I explained that this is something I'm working on by reaching out to coworkers and superiors to process and improve upon my experiences, and to stay grounded in reality. And if the day is just super overwhelming, as some days in social work inevitably are, I am learning to utilize better coping skills to decompress and move forward. Last week when I got home, I took a shower, changed into pajamas, and crawled under the covers. I just needed a quiet place to breathe and relax for a while, and after a half an hour or so, I was recharged and ready to enjoy the rest of my evening.

I really don't know how my interview answer was perceived. I'm hoping that because it was personal and real, that it was also memorable in a good way. Every social worker has bad days, and hopefully my response was something my interviewers could relate to. I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I'm offered the internship or not! We shall see.

Anyone else out in the blogosphere have a "greatest weakness" they'd like to share? I mean, really, how DO you answer that question?!

Workin' it out

2010-11-05T20:44:00.004-04:00

I've just passed the half way point of the quarter and I have a wonderful milestone to report: I'm finally work-studying!

As you might recall, I was awarded $3,000 of financial aid for the academic year through the federal work study program. That means that I can work a few hours each week in exchange for the financial aid. The money is paid directly to me just like a regular paycheck, with the federal government paying 75% of the wage and the employer paying the remaining 25%. Once I've earned $3,000, the award is maxed out and the employer would have to pay the full wage for continued work.

Unlike other universities, UC collaborates with non-profit organizations in the community to extend the perks of federal work study employees to their agencies. Earlier this summer, I applied for a work study position at a local non-profit, was hired, but with less than a month before school started, the agency mistakenly gave my spot away to another student. I thought my precious work study award was lost forever, until I got a little creative.

I approached the Butler County Rape Crisis Program, with whom I have been volunteering for a year and a half, about using my federal work study award to work for their agency. One woman had recently retired and many of the staff shifted positions, leaving the Program Assistant position vacant. Due to budgetary constraints, the staff intended to leave the position open, but still needed help completing some of the routine office tasks. And due to my time constraints, I wasn't looking to work too much, but still wanted a small, flexible position with a few regular hours each week.

You can see where this is going. The RCP liked the idea of utilizing the work study award to fill a few hours of the vacant Program Assistant position, and diligently worked with UC for more than a month to hire me. From my perspective, it's a win-win situation: they get a part-time Program Assistant at a fraction of the cost of a "regular" employee, and I am able to access my financial aid!

I've been working in this position for a couple of weeks now, and I love it just as much as I thought I would. My job mostly involves data entry, as well as a few other projects as needed. I process the paperwork from all of RCP's hospital accompaniments, legal cases, and hotline calls--meaning every case of sexual assault that an RCP staff member or volunteer handles now comes through me. At times it can be a little overwhelming to bear witness to all of that trauma, but the staff is so emotionally supportive that I have adjusted well to the position.

My hours are flexible (which is a MUST for this grad student) consisting mostly of Fridays in the Oxford office. I share workspace with the Volunteer Coordinator who works part-time and usually has Fridays off, making it easy to access the databases from a shared computer on those days.

And in case you're curious about what that workspace looks like, at least from the outside, here it is:

The windows on the left side of the second floor belong to our office. There are stained glass windows on the side of the building and an awesome attic upstairs, complete with hardwood floors, wood-paneling, and built-in window benches. Cool, huh? I like it there a lot. Nope, scratch that, I love it! I'm a lucky lady to have this opportunity to work in such a great place, inside and out!

Image above borrowed from the Community Counseling & Crisis Center. Isn't it gorgeous!?

Trick-or-Treat

2010-11-01T16:14:00.010-04:00

October 31st marked an important day at the Wessels' house: Trick-or-Treat night!

I've been pretty excited for this day for quite a while now. And it's not because of all the leftover candy--although that does play a small part, let's be honest--it's because of the sense of community and belonging that trick-or-treat night invokes.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I grew up in Urbana, Ohio, in the house where my mother grew up (click here to link to my dad's webpage for an image of that house). I lived there all my life before attending college, so I have a lot of fond memories of that house and surrounding neighborhood, especially at Halloween. For instance, here's a picture of me as a young pumpkin:

And see that big yellow bowl full of candy? That has been THE candy bowl at my parents' house for as long as I can remember. Years later when I was too old to trick-or-treat, I would join my mom on the porch steps to pass out candy from that bowl. It was so much fun to see the kids from the neighborhood dressed up as princesses and pirates and pumpkins, and enjoying the same neighborhood tradition that I had loved for so many years.

(Oh, and this trip down memory lane wouldn't be complete without this darling photo of a certain young blond Lego I happen to now be married to):

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, the sense of community that trick-or-treat night creates in a neighborhood. Ever since leaving Urbana in 2005, I've had a hard time defining what it means to be "home." I've lived in college dorms and crummy apartments for the past five years, many of them not big trick-or-treat zones for the kids from the community. I haven't known my neighbors and I haven't really felt a part of the place where I've lived. So ever since last February when Taylor and I decided to move out of apartment housing, I started picturing all of the things that I would love about living in a real house. I thought about having a garden, having a basement, having neighbors that care about each other. We chose our house because we liked the neighborhood, and we have enjoyed getting to know the people who live here. So you can imagine our excitement to finally a be part of the trick-or-treat tradition, or in other words, to be a part of the community.

Of course, there's no trick-or-treat fun without candy. And we were prepared. I was tempted to buy the cheap stuff in an attempt to be frugal, but Taylor said, "No! It's our first Halloween, and we're going to do this right." We picked out three big bags of candy including highly-coveted M&Ms, Twix, Nerds, and the like. Here's the bowl along with the vintage pumpkin on loan from Taylor's parents:

At 6:00 on the dot, the church bells chimed and the kids and parents started to emerge into the neighborhood, ready for a fun, candy-filled evening. Here are some neighbors we met last night who live up the street from us:
And here is Taylor, enjoying a random bowl of soup while we waited for our first trick-or-treaters:
Don't worry, I gobbled down my soup much earlier so that I would be ready:However, I was only able to participate in the first hour of trick-or-treat at home before heading to work until midnight at House of Peace, where the fun continued with the residents and their kids, too. The shelter provided transportation into safe neighborhoods for the families to partake in area trick-or-treat festivities, and even provided costumes for the kids who didn't have one. Earlier in the weekend, the Children's Coordinator hosted a Halloween party complete with pumpkin-carving and goodie bags. It might not seem like a big deal, but Halloween was a great opportunity for the residents to re-build their sense of community in a safe environment. And that's pretty meaningful.

By 1 o'clock in the morning, I was home again, eager to hear the stories from the last hour of trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Despite getting first dibs on the leftover candy, Taylor and our kitty Thelma were just too tuckered out to talk:

What a night! Not too shabby for our first Halloween in the neighborhood, if I do say so myself.

200th in two

2010-10-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

This is my 200th post on this blog in two years (well, more like 15 months, but you get the idea). It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating 100 posts together last January during the Shared Harvest food drive season! Good times. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I thought I would talk a little about my goals over the next 200 posts.

So here goes:

1) Relax. I imagine I will still be in graduate school, plugging away on my Master of Social Work degree by the time the blog odometer hits 400 posts. So over the next two years, I aim to breathe a little more.

2) Make time for fun. Pretty self-explanatory, but I am realizing that without scheduling regular breaks with the people I love, I am setting myself up for severe burn out! That's a no-no.

3) Be active more regularly. I struggle with this one. If you recall last year I wrote about a similar goal to take better care of myself by increasing exercise and healthy eating. But after my wedding and our move to Cincinnati, I've definitely fallen off the health wagon. Of course, one of the perks to being in graduate school is "free" access to the spaceship-like recreation center on UC's campus. With a little motivation and luck, I'll be back in a good routine (and shape) in no time!

4) Leave work at work. I work in a high-stress environment, at least on some days anyway, and I've found it easy to carry the stress and pain from the women at the shelter home with me. Thanks to my experience as a Rape Crisis victim advocate, I am getting better at leaving it behind, but there's always room for improvement.

5) Continue to make our house a home. In the 5 months we have lived in our new house, Taylor and I have tackled a variety of home improvement projects. And it has become addicting! We have a lot of grand plans for our place, and I hope to share more of those 'before and after' posts with you.

6) Re-organize this blog. As my faithful readers know, a lot has happened over the past two years in a lot of different areas of my life. I am thinking about reorganizing this blog to better capture my story and the things that I care about. And maybe include more pictures in my posts. What do you think? Any ideas?

Thanks again to everyone for hanging with me for the past 200 posts. Stay tuned for more adventures, more pictures, more soapboxes, and more stories from the life of a social changer!

Extreme Makeover: Basement Edition

2010-10-25T00:18:00.012-04:00

Lately our weekends have consisted of a lot of work. All of my hours at the shelter have fallen on Saturdays and Sundays, and Taylor has logged plenty of weekend hours in the ER. That leaves little time for weekend projects together at our house, but that hasn't stopped us from getting stuff done! We just utilize what little weekday time we have to tackle some of the projects on our list. (Check a couple of those out here and here.)

Anyway, last Tuesday Taylor had some time off so he decided to redo half of our basement floor. Our furnace, laundry machines, water softener, etc. are on the other side, so we thought we'd start with this side first. First Taylor swept, brushed, scraped, vacuumed, and mopped the floor to take up all of the old flaky paint chips. Here are the before shots:

Next, Taylor primed the floor with a water-proofing sealant. Our basement has been remarkably dry, and we want to keep it that way! After the primer dried, Taylor painted the floor:

And once the paint dried a couple of days later, Taylor and I constructed some new shelving units and started organizing all of our stuff. We even carved out a little gift-wrapping station for the approaching holiday season. Here are the after shots:

There's still a little bit to do, but we are so glad to have this project pretty near complete! It feels great to get organized and better utilize our space. It's just another step in turning our house into our home.

A 3-hour tour

2010-10-22T21:25:00.008-04:00

Taylor and I have been working on the east side at our respective jobs for several months now. Ironically, we live on the complete opposite side of town, so we know very little about the Eastern area and the people we serve who live there. After finding ourselves off of work and school this afternoon, we decided to remedy this with a road trip into Clermont and Brown Counties.

Our first stop was New Richmond, Ohio. It's a pretty quaint little village nestled right on the Ohio River. We stopped at an overlook for a picnic and a little barge-watching. Here are a few pictures:

As we finished eating, we noticed a very interesting sign. If you're looking for an exotic vacation destination, but don't want to bother with the long drive to Florida, then this is the place for you!

But we weren't looking for an exotic getaway, so before long it was time to head out. We packed up the picnic basket and set off to our next destination: Moscow, Ohio--famous for its big power plant.

But Moscow came and went quite quickly, and if Taylor hadn't said, "We're in Moscow!" I would have probably missed it. Next we programmed the GPS for Mt. Orab in Brown County so we could check out the new Mercy ER recently built there (yes, this was Taylor's idea). It was so new that the GPS couldn't locate the hospital, so we just decided to wing it and see if we could find it once we got into town. If we could ever get there! The drive there took about twice as long as it normally would for a couple of reasons. One, in many places, the road was only one lane wide and twisted and turned alongside a little creek. The hills, sharp curves and resultant poor visibility definitely slowed us down. And two:

Yes, that is a tractor. And to the left of the tractor you can see the double line that ran for many many many miles. We chugged along behind, and eventually we arrived at a clearing where we could safely pass and continue on our way. As we arrived in Mt. Orab, though, we didn't see any signs for the ER. We drove aimlessly through the town, and even pulled over to Google the address, but had no luck. Feeling a little dejected, we set out on Rt. 32 heading west back to Cincinnati. And what do you know, we passed right by the new ER on the way back! Victory was ours.

Unfortunately due to the summer drought, the leaves were pretty much one crunchy shade of brown, so I didn't get any good pictures of fall foliage. But all in all it was a good day. We were able to get a much better sense of where many of our patients/clients come from, and we now have a better understanding of some of their needs. Transportation, jobs, housing, schools; you name it, Taylor and I both saw the need.

When you think of 'poverty,' you probably associate with images of inner-city, slum-like housing, crime, and other "urban" scenes. There certainly is poverty in these areas, but there is also a wide range of services available to people in cities. Poverty also affects the less-populated towns and villages of rural areas. It's these communities that often are neglected by social and medical services. I don't think it's anything personal; it's just that there are way fewer people per square mile and it's difficult to concentrate resources in such a far-reaching area. The House of Peace serves women in the Eastern area of Greater Cincinnati, which encompasses Clermont, Brown, and Adams County. That's a huge region for one 16-bed shelter to serve. And Taylor has seen patients who have driven to Mercy Anderson in Cincinnati all the way from Brown County for quality medical care!

As beautiful as it is, Appalachia has high rates of unemployment and generational poverty, with few resources available to meet the need. It is important to be mindful and aware of the needs of all people, not just the ones living in highly-populated areas. We all have a long way to go to effectively meet the needs of people from all regions of our state.

Unpacking the knapsack

2010-10-21T08:33:00.001-04:00

As you might expect, the MSW program at UC includes a plethora of courses exploring the dynamic impact of race, class, and gender on human development in society. We spend a lot of time talking about how our individual positions affect the whole. What you might not expect, though, is how some of these conversations play out in the classroom. Not every MSW student is a bleeding heart liberal; not every student is even quite sure about the existence of racism, sexism, classism, able-ism, etc. in our country. Because some students have never experienced the '-isms' in their personal lives, they are quick to claim that they no longer exist:

"If racism exists, it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be. We have a Black president, after all! African-Americans have made tons of progress."

"Women can do anything they want now. They have the right to vote and they can get to upper levels in the workplace if they just work hard enough."

"If they would just get up and get a job they wouldn't be poor. If I can do it, they can!"

And on and on.

These statements reveal a position of privilege. People in the majority group (typically white, male, wealthy, able-bodied, heterosexual, etc.) don't consciously think about the experiences of minority groups because they don't have to. The majority has a series of advantages in society simply because of how they happened to be born. Some of these advantages are explored in the classic text, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," in which Peggy McIntosh, a white woman, explores the ways she has benefited because of her race. By acknowledging such unearned privileges, McIntosh confronts the root of oppression in our society:

"For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject. The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are true, this is not such a free country; one’s life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own."

Whether we like it or not, all of us are affected by certain unearned privileges. While we may not actively discriminate against others, when we do not acknowledge our privileges, we oppress minority groups by perpetuating the myth that success in society is based on merit alone, thus discounting the minority experience in America.

If you aren't familiar with Peggy McIntosh's work, I'd encourage you to check it out. Dr. Kathy McMahon-Klosterman and Dr. Jean Lynch (my mentors/professors in my undergraduate career) introduced me to her work several years ago and forever changed the way I thought about myself and the world. This article was assigned for my class tonight, and I have enjoyed revisiting it now with a different perspective. I remember the first time I read it I felt defensive; I wanted Peggy McIntosh's observations to be wrong, because if they weren't I would actually have to confront racism in our society and do something about it. I could no longer sit back and think racism was someone else's problem.

We can not be afraid to confront such privileges in our lives--instead, we must take a critical look at our experience and use our knowledge to lift up others. By recognizing our own privilege, we can identify where others are not privileged and use our power to make a change. It isn't painless and it certainly isn't easy--after all, subjects of privilege, racism, and discrimination rarely are--but it's an important piece in promoting the equality and progress of our society as a whole. For me it's a continual process, and I hope it is for you too!

Justice for all?

2010-10-19T07:24:00.000-04:00

After a long hard day of work, what do you like to do? Read a book? Table a bubble bath? Watch TV?

Chances are, your answer probably included kicking back with the remote every once in a while. And when you do, what do you typically watch? Taylor and I still don't have cable, so our TV consumption is whatever is on the main networks. And during the week, about 80% (my estimation) of the primetime shows on TV have something to do with crime. Have you noticed that? You've got about a hundred different Law and Order, CSI, or other crime/law thriller shows out there to choose from:

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
Law and Order: Los Angeles
Chase
Undercovers
Castle
Detroit 1-8-7
Hawaii Five-O
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
Criminal Minds
The Defenders
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Miami
Blue Bloods
48 Hours Mystery
Dateline

Okay, so maybe it's not a hundred, but it's quite a few crime-themed shows, and these were just what I've seen listed on 3 networks. There's plenty more where this came from on cable.

Aside from being a little jumpy when the suspenseful music started, these shows never really bothered me. I didn't think much about them, but I suppose they were kind of exciting from time to time. After all, it is quite thrilling to witness a crime, track down the perpetrator, build a case, and get a conviction all in an hour's time. Add a few twists in there, and the puzzle is that much more fun to solve.

After I started working with the Butler County Rape Crisis Program and the House of Peace, though, my perception of these shows began to change. Suddenly it wasn't nearly so exciting to watch cases of rape, domestic violence, or other assorted violent crimes as entertainment. In fact, those Law and Order chimes brought out the cynical, resentful me:

"Where are the advocates? Where is the SANE nurse?"
"What the? That's not how real police interact with rape victims."
"Please show me a real precinct with marble floors, huge plasma screen TVs, hologram models, and plush leather chairs. I've yet to see one."
"You know, hospitals are never this dark. Especially not in the ER. And look at the size of those rooms! Sheesh!"
"Oh my gosh, are you serious? There is no way they would get lab results back that fast."
"Seriously, they are going to a full trial just one week after the rape/murder/etc.? As if that would EVER happen."

Needless to say, I make TV-viewing less than enjoyable for my companions. And yet, I don't feel too badly about it. I think these types of TV shows do a huge disservice to our communities and maybe we'd be better off if we weren't watching them at all.

First of all, these shows distort the public's view of what rape, domestic violence, etc. even look like. These shows sensationalize violent crimes to make them sexier, more provocative, and more outrageous all for the sake of entertainment. However, that's not always on our minds when we're watching. While the shows don't claim to be reality-based, these are likely the only views people have of rape or domestic violence or murder. They start to buy into the myths that these shows perpetuate (i.e. rape happens only to vulnerable women out walking alone at night) instead of examining the real facts and statistics in our communities. And God forbid when it happens to them, they have little real knowledge about what is happening or what to do next.

Second, these shows give victims a false idea of the legal process ahead. I have seen dozens of rape victims who believe that the detectives will personally process their rape kit upon leaving the hospital, and that we'll get the "results" back in a few hours. The truth is that it takes weeks and sometimes months to get any analysis of the evidence back from the crime lab.

And speaking of slow processes, the court process is definitely not "as seen on TV." These shows make it look like we are in a full-blown trial with a guilty conviction just days after an arrest. It's just not the case. There may be a preliminary hearing shortly after an arrest, but there are a whole slew of additional hearings, motions, and procedures that have to happen before we get to a trial. The courts are so backed up that it can be weeks and months between each hearing and before you know it, a year has lapsed and we're just now making it to trial. That is, if we even get that far. In many cases, victims get worn down from retelling their story over and over and drop the charges out of exhaustion. Or there just isn't enough evidence to go to trial and the case is dismissed.

And third, perhaps most importantly, I think these crime shows are an injustice to victims of violent crime. Since when do we consider it entertainment to watch someone go through crisis? It's amazing that we can watch hours of rape, murder, and abuse and not even bat an eyelash. These crimes happen to real people in the real world, and I think we forget that.

Surely there must be healthier forms of entertainment out there. I would encourage everyone to really think about your choice of primetime television shows. Before mindlessly flipping to Law and Order: SVU, think about the millions of women who experience such trauma in their real lives every year. Suddenly it doesn't seem so entertaining, does it? Please join me in taking a stand against shows that exploit violence against women and children. When a show comes on with this as the main theme, change the channel and find something else. You'll be glad you did.

And if nothing else is on TV, hey, you could always pick up that book.

You know it's fall when...

2010-10-14T12:09:00.003-04:00

...the view from your kitchen window looks like this:

...your dining room table looks like this:

...your calendar is full of assignment due dates, study reminders, and tests that suck the life out of you, your family, and your blog. Or maybe that's just me.

Sorry for being MIA this week. You should know that instead of thinking up witty posts I have spent my time reading hundreds of text book pages, researching ethnic sensitive strategies in therapy, generating developmentally-appropriate questions for an interview on middle childhood, completing 10 hours of online training on trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with kids, finding news articles relating to social policy, and studying for and taking my first graduate school exam. (Which, by the way, I scored a 92.5/100. How does one not get a perfect score on an open-book, open-notes, online exam? Grr.)

What's even more incredible are the men and women who are doing all of this and more. The ones who are still working full-time, who are raising young children, AND doing the graduate school thing. When I start to feel stressed out and tantrum-y, I remind myself how truly fortunate I am to have a partner producing steady income so that I can go to school and dabble in work in my spare time.

If only my kitties could be a little more supportive. They are so gosh darn cute that I can never seem to concentrate on my work when they are around. :)

Real lifesavers

2010-10-08T08:36:00.000-04:00

As my loyal readers may know, my husband is a scribe in a local emergency department, the chief scribe to be exact. But before that, he worked as a nationally registered emergency medical technician. Although he isn't working on a squad anymore, Taylor still reads a lot of EMS blogs and keeps up with the latest information from the field.

A few days ago, Taylor came across this article that he rightly assumed I would like: "Utah Medics Offer Domestic Violence Support." The article shares the account of a woman who credits the paramedic first responders in her community for helping her take the first steps in leaving her abusive relationship.

So often we think of domestic violence as a social work-y thing, that only people in "social services" will ever have to really deal with that kind of thing. The reality is that survivors of domestic violence will come into direct contact with many different professionals, each having an impact on her health and well-being as she works to regain control of her life. If the paramedics or ER staff had been judgmental of her situation, she might not have been comfortable leaving the relationship or seeking help in the future.

One thing we advocates know is that women will leave their abuser an average of 7 times before they leave for good. There are a variety of reasons why women go back to their abusers, but lack of empathy or support from medical professionals should not be one of them. First responders must combine training in social issues and medical knowledge when administering services. The article states "44 percent of victims killed nationwide in a domestic-violence related homicide had visited an emergency department within the two years preceding death." That statistic is indicative of the tremendous responsibility emergency service providers have in properly responding to the needs of the whole person, not just the cut lip or the fractured arm that the patient may initially present with.

Social workers, counselors, advocates, law enforcement, and medical personnel must collaborate to effectively care for survivors of domestic violence. It is their combined diligence and support that will encourage survivors to take the steps best for them to maintain their health and safety.

Alphabet soup

2010-10-07T10:53:00.003-04:00

For the past two weeks I have been doing this graduate school thing. Five courses, 3 nights a week, 16 hours of classroom learnin'. And in each of those 5 courses, the professor usually has a roster of the class that she uses to take attendance. Some professors have a list printed with all of our names and we are to sign next to our name. Others just call the names in alphabetical order, you raise your hand and say "here!" (or you grunt or nod or make a peace sign, as I have observed), and that's that.

Since September 23rd, I have been through this process 11 times. And yet, I still panic every time when the teacher gets to the C's and she hasn't called my name. Yep, I keep forgetting that my last name is now Wessels, not Baker.

The odd thing is that I have been married now for six and a half months, so I'm definitely used to signing my name or introducing myself as Kaitlyn Wessels. I think the reason I still haven't made the name transition in academia is become I have always been at the top of the alphabet in school. The Student Me has always been at the top of the list, always the first in line, always at the front of the room. I have gotten used to leading the class when we're ordered by alphabetical ranking, and as I went back to school this fall, I guess I just fell right back into that role and alphabetical identity.

I will transition, it will happen--I will become a 'W' in all aspects of my life. Until then, I will resist the urge to scream in panic that my name isn't on the class list (I'm a little Type A, can you tell?) and I will be pleasantly surprised when my presentation is due a week later with the second half of the class.

I'm loving the N-Zs!

Introducing: October

2010-10-04T22:07:00.002-04:00

Somewhere between now and last week, we stumbled across October. I rang in the new month with Taylor and my parents in my hometown of Urbana, Ohio. We spent the weekend doing yard work (okay, Taylor helped my dad trim the huge 40-ft tree in the front yard while I went shopping), dining local, and catching up. We also went to the community craft fair known as Octoberfest (not to be confused with area beer festivals known as Oktoberfest). And in the middle of all of that, I fell drastically behind in my graduate studies.* Such is life.

(*Note: Instead of knocking out a few chapters of reading tonight, I thought I'd write this blog post instead. Besides, after 6 straight hours of class, preceded by 3 hours of training on recognizing and preventing child sexual abuse, I'm spent for the evening. So I guess I'm not that far behind. Or maybe I am in denial.)

Anyway, October seems to be off to a great start, with plenty of fun stuff to come: leaf-raking, cider-drinking, pumpkin-carving, and of course, awareness-raising for domestic violence!

Yes, October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. To help you out, I've compiled a few events for you to attend in the Cincinnati area hosted by the YWCA:

In Hamilton County:
Bark Out Against Violence Pet Fest, Saturday, Oct. 9th, 11a-2p
She Screams Without Sound candlelight vigil, Tuesday, Oct. 26th, 6:45p-8p
A Tribute to Esme: Journey of Grief and Healing art exhibition, Oct.1st--Jan. 14th, 2011

In Clermont County:
Proclamation of Domestic Violence Awareness month, Wednesday, Oct. 13th, 1p
Clothesline Project, Oct. 18-22
Hearts and Hands/Men Against Menacing, Tuesday, Oct. 19th
Domestic Violence Vigil: Mending the Wounds, Thursday, Oct. 21st, 5:30-7:30p

Of course, there is plenty more in-depth information about all of these events (plus additional events in Brown and Adams Counties) here. (You can also visit ywca.org to search for events in your area.) Unfortunately I will not be able to attend most of these events due to my evening class schedule, but I would encourage you to check them out if you can. These are bound to be very powerful, empowering experiences not to be missed.

We must come together as a community to talk about and solve this serious issue. When we pretend domestic violence isn't happening, we enable it to continue to affect thousands of women and children each year. We must send a message to abusers that we as a society will not stand for domestic violence. And we must offer our continued support and resources for victims who suffer in silence.

If by chance you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, remember you aren't alone. What's happening to you isn't your fault, and you don't deserve to be hurt. Please feel free to call our 24-hour helplines to talk about the abuse, to create a safety plan, and to secure additional resources.

Cincinnati helpline:

LOCAL (513) 872-9259
TOLL FREE (888) 872-9259
TTY Accessible

Eastern area helpline:

LOCAL (513) 753-7281
TOLL FREE (800) 540-4764

National helpline:

1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
1.800.787.3224 (TTY)

Anonymous & Confidential Help 24/7

Office space

2010-09-30T11:56:00.006-04:00

Today marks my first complete week of graduate school, and I couldn't be happier. Amazingly there are only 9 more weeks to go in the quarter, and I'm still not sure how everything will get finished in time. To facilitate the creative/work process, though, I now have an awesome new work space where I can tackle all of my assignments.

After sharing our dining room with our office space (read: after our office swallowed our dining room table and chairs) last year in our one-bedroom apartment, we were ready to devote an entire room to our books, computer, files and accessories. So when we moved to Cincinnati, we selected the master bedroom for our office because of is spacious size, multiple outlets, and corner location.

Check out the "before" picture:
Note the bland walls and pet-stained carpet. Oh, and all the boxes. As we repainted and unpacked every other room in the house, this one stayed like this for about 4 months this summer. Finally with the school year upon us, we just had to get it done. Soooo...

Check out the "after" pictures:
Yes, we spent a week and a half and re-painted, de-carpeted, and unpacked (never mind the boxes of office stuff stacked in the guest bedroom right now. It's a work in progress, okay?)! In fact, I was pulling up the last of the staples and tack strip from the floor just one hour before my first class last week. Yesterday, Taylor surprised me with this new computer (from which this post originates) and finally our work space was complete. For now.

So far I have used my new work space to accomplish quite a bit on the e-mail, facebook, and blog front, so perhaps I shall end this post to actually get a little homework finished before class tonight.

Then again, I haven't made it over to YouTube yet today...

Day 2: Specialized study

2010-09-27T22:08:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I have been in graduate school now for 3 school days. And so far I really like it! After 18 years in rural Western Ohio and 5 years in rural Southwest Ohio, it's quite an adjustment being on an urban college campus,* but I'm learning and enjoying the journey.**

*Note: one way streets go only in one direction, making travel a challenging adventure.

**Note: I am making friends!

On my second day of graduate school, I was told that in one week I would have to choose my specialized area of study. This decision will impact the courses I'll take in my second year of the program and where my 16-hr/week field study placement will be, which begins in January 2011 and lasts through graduation in June of 2012. Needless to say, this decision isn't a small one, and I am surprised to be making it so soon.

My choices are:
Administration
Mental Health (Direct Practice)
Child and Family (Direct Practice)
Health and Gerontology (Direct Practice)

After hearing from professors and alumni in each field area, I have decided to go into administration. With this track, I will learn more about how agencies and non-profit organizations work. I will be equipped to move up in the ranks of social service organizations and influence change within the organization and in the community. One professor described an alumna from the administration track who used her specialty to advise legislators about social policies at the state level. And because no one jumps to being the vice president of an organization right out of grad school, my foundation courses in my first year will prepare me to work in any setting, including direct practice.

If after a few years in administration I change my mind or decide I want to try out something new, again, my MSW degree will enable me to work in any setting. That's what I love about this program--it allows and encourages range and flexibility throughout my career. Specializing in administration doesn't mean I'll sit behind a desk writing grants for the next 40 years. It just means that I will have specialized knowledge in one area on top of the knowledge I'll have in the other three (mental health, child and family, and health and gerontology).

One week from today I will turn in my proposal for the administrative track, and after considering my past experience and future goals, the School of Social Work will give me two agencies where I will interview for my field placement. Hopefully I will find a match the first time around, but if for some reason I don't like an agency or they don't like me, UC will set up additional interview opportunities for me.

It's going to be a whirlwind of a process, but I am really excited for my placement and the opportunity to gain more experience in the field! I'll keep you posted.

The big league

2010-09-23T23:27:00.003-04:00

A few hours ago, my first class of my graduate career ended. At which point, I wandered around campus for twenty minutes trying to figure out where my parking garage was. Don't worry, I'm not typing this from the campus library--I did eventually find my car. But during that 20-minute stroll I had time to reflect on my first real graduate course experience.

The class is about Human Diversity in Social Work, and, as the title suggests, will cover a range of experiences across humanity. This course is designed to raise cultural awareness so that we may effectively practice with a variety of populations. It's geared toward preparing social workers to interact with every client without judgment or prejudice, no matter our own personal background, beliefs, or values.

I think it will be a good class. The professor talked us through our 3 assignments for the quarter, and they seem manageable: a one-page journal critique, a 5-7 page midterm paper, and a 10-page final paper. Yet, as she described each assignment, I heard several students huffing and puffing about the page requirements. I could tell they were feeling overwhelmed, and I've got to admit, I was surprised by this. I had classes in my undergrad with twice as many papers and assignments as this! I guess I have been preparing for the worst, fully expecting grad school to be my toughest academic challenge to date. And I'm sure it will be. We all just need to take it one day at a time, one project at a time, and hopefully this will be a smooth transition.

One more thing. The professor gave us a glimpse into her 40-year career as a social worker, and her stories were fascinating. It was encouraging to know that a degree in social work will prepare me to work in a variety of placements during the course of my career. Perhaps most inspiring, though, was when she described the profession in general. She said that sociology is about theories, and social work is about taking action on those theories. It's about educating the public, influencing policy change, and making life better for everyone.

Yep, I'm definitely in the right field.

Back to school

2010-09-21T21:16:00.003-04:00

In May of 2009, I graduated from Miami University with a B.S. degree in Speech Pathology, and an acceptance letter from University of Cincinnati's MSW program. At the time, I decided to defer enrollment for one year so that I could do the AmeriCorps*VISTA program. It was a great year, but in June of 2010, my VISTA term came to a close. Which means? It's time to head back to school.

Tomorrow is the first day of classes at University of Cincinnati, but my first class isn't until Thursday evening. Even so, this week marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life. For me, getting my graduate degree means equipping myself with the tools I need to work in a field I love. I know I have the heart for this work, but now I need the knowledge, and I'm excited to get started.

My Master of Social Work degree won't be easy, and it certainly doesn't come cheap. One quarter at UC costs $4,412 alone! That amounts to about half of my salary last year. Fortunately, a large chunk of my Segal AmeriCorps Education Award combined with a small university scholarship paid the bill this time, but I'll be facing this same expense in another four months, and another four months after that, and so on for the next two years. Thanks to my parents, I was fortunate enough to escape my undergrad with no student loan debt, but I'm not sure I'll be so lucky this time around.

Did I mention that $4,412 was only for tuition? Today I dropped in at UC to pick up a few other things I'll need this quarter:

That's one student ID, six textbooks, and one parking pass for the quarter. Would you like to guess how much this cost? $200? $300? Not even close.

$650. And that's the expense for just this quarter. Next quarter will have its own set of books and another parking pass to buy. And so will the next and the next and the next. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, everything is taken care of, and I'm ready to go. As costly as education can be, I know that it is an investment in my future and in the future of my family.

Cheers to the future!

Ask for it

2010-09-18T10:45:00.000-04:00

Last night my parents had an amazing experience--and all because of a little question.

My mom and dad got to fly over Urbana in the Grimes Flying Lab plane, which was used to test and demonstrate airplane lights made by Grimes Manufacturing Company (now known as Honeywell) in Urbana. After sitting in an abandoned field for 14 years or so, a team of volunteers has spent the better part of a decade restoring this historic plane at Grimes Field Urbana Municipal Airport.
My mom and dad grew up in Urbana and remember watching this plane fly over the city in their younger years. So when the plane began restoration, you better believe I heard all about its history/function/purpose/updates/etc. My dad has always had a healthy obsession with planes--we had an annual father-daughter trip to the United States Air Force Museum every winter for as long as I can remember--so he loved that this amazing little plane was being restored right in his hometown. During special events, the airport would open the hangar containing the Flying Lab and let people take a closer look at the progress on the plane. And in recent years, the Flying Lab has been known to do a Labor Day fly-over at Indian Lake, just north of Urbana. With all of this history, it's no surprise that my dad has always been a fan, and has longingly dreamed of riding in that plane.

Well, yesterday was that day. But how?

My mom works in a family practice in Urbana, which means she knows pretty much every resident of the small city who visits the doctor. Every time a volunteer from the airport would come in, my mom would bat her eyelashes and say, "Oh, you work on the Flying Lab? My husband loves that plane, and he would love to ride in it. Would that ever be possible?"

And the volunteer would say, "Well sure, but you would need to talk to Mr. So-and-So."

So my mom would follow up, and that person couldn't authorize a flight or was no longer a volunteer or some other dead end would get in her way.

But my mom didn't get discouraged. She asked every single volunteer who came through the doctors' office, and finally connected with the right person (who, as it turns out, lives across the street from my parents--who knew?) He put my dad's name on a list and said he would call my mom when his number came up. We were excited, but we weren't getting our hopes up. My dad keeps a rigorous work schedule, and we weren't even sure how long the list was! We kept the whole thing a secret from my dad, just in case it didn't work out.

Miraculously, my mom got the call last night and quickly had to come up with a story to get him to the airport. She decided to call my dad and say that she had had some "business" to attend to at the airport, but when she went to leave, her car wouldn't start. My dad was a little suspicious of the whole story, but still stopped at home to get his battery charger and jumper cables before dutifully driving out to the airport to retrieve my mom. When he arrived, my dad was ready to get to work on the car, but my mom was standing watching the planes. The Flying Lab was out and ready to go, so she casually said, "We can go take a look inside that plane, if you want." To which my dad replied, "Oh I've already seen the inside." (Of course.) And then my mom said something like, "Wouldn't it be great to take a ride in that plane someday?"

By this point my dad had figured out that he wasn't there to jump my mom's car, but he was still in disbelief that he would actually get to fly in the Flying Lab. They made their way across the tarmac, and before he knew it, they were BOTH getting in the plane--that's right, my mom got to ride along too! They flew for about half an hour above Champaign County and took lots of pictures--I snagged these from their Facebook pages:

It was undoubtedly the best surprise my mom has ever given my dad, and it's all because she asked a simple question. Even after hearing "no" a couple of times, she didn't give up. She knew there was no harm in asking, and she wasn't afraid to try a bunch of different angles until she found one that worked. As awesome as the flight itself was, I am most impressed with my mom's courage and perseverance. This whole story reminds me of the subject of one of my favorite books--Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want, by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. This book discusses the importance of negotiation, which begins by asking for what you want. Negotiation isn't easy for anyone, but I have found that women especially struggle with it, because they don't want to appear too demanding or needy or selfish. As a result, many women don't get what the fully deserve; they don't get their raise, they miss out on experiences, etc., all because they don't ask.

I know my mom has never read this book, but in this case, she seems to be quite the expert on its content. Way to go, momma! Thanks to you, you guys had the ride of a lifetime, and you should be proud of that.

Give thanks

2010-09-15T23:32:00.001-04:00

I know we've got a little more than two months before Thanksgiving, but Taylor and I started a new year-long tradition in our house that I thought I should share. It's called a gratitude journal. And just as it sounds, it's a book where we can write down the things we're grateful for.

It's nothing fancy. Just a few days ago, I picked up a little 280-page, black leather-bound journal with a bright blue 'W' on the front from a craft store for about $2.50. The pages are unlined, so we can write or draw or scribble or scrapbook or whatever we see fit to record our gratitude. Usually the entries are pretty simple, just a few sentences about what warms our hearts at that moment.

For example, on Friday, 9/10 at 4:04 p.m., Taylor had just left for a 10-hour shift in the ER. And I wrote:
"At this moment I am grateful for my hard-working husband who puts in long hours at the ER so that we can have a comfortable life and I can follow my academic dreams and dabble in part-time work."

On Tuesday, 9/14 at 10:50 p.m., I had just finished about 4 loads of laundry. I took a minute to jot down the following:
"At this moment I am grateful for our washer and drier in the basement. I am grateful that we can use our quarters for anything else in the world other than washing and drying our clothes now. And I'm grateful we have a home where we can keep these wonderful little machines."

It doesn't have to be anything particularly insightful or poetic--just an honest reflection of the moment. And over the past few days I've already noticed a difference in my attitude. I'd been feeling pretty down since finding out that I would never receive my final paycheck from the property management place and that my work study income was in jeopardy for the school year. So by consciously remembering the things that bring joy to my life, I can keep things in perspective and not get so consumed by the things that don't go my way. I've also found that by writing down these experiences, I am more apt to reflect daily on my experiences. Not a day has gone by that I haven't been able to find at least one thing for which I am grateful, but without my gratitude journal, I likely would have overlooked it.

I would encourage everyone to start a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or formal--a few scraps of paper or an old legal pad would work just as well as an expensive journal. For just a few minutes every day, you can focus on the good in your life. And after a while, when you see all of those good things filling the pages of your book, the world will seem a little brighter.

Running for office

2010-09-13T02:24:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago I attended a women's leadership conference called NEW Leadership Ohio through the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. The week-long program is designed "to encourage and empower college women to take on public and political leadership roles." It was during that week that I first entertained the idea of running for political office one day. We'll see what the future holds--I need to learn a whole lot more before I could ever consider running for any office.

One thing I should probably practice is my speech-making. Perhaps I could take a lesson or two from Phil Davison, GOP Candidate for Treasurer of Stark County, Ohio.

A lesson of what not to do, anyway. He didn't win the nomination.

Watch the clip to see why.

Plan B... or C...or D?

2010-09-10T10:07:00.003-04:00

Things aren't going so well in job-land. Don't worry, everything's still going well at the domestic violence shelter. Unfortunately, though, my work study position for this fall that has fallen through. I interviewed for the position earlier this summer in June, and officially accepted the position a few weeks later. But because it was a work study job, it wouldn't be starting until at least September 20th, when UC classes start. We agreed to get back in touch closer to that date, and left it at that.

A few days ago I sent the director an email about my fall work schedule. He responded by saying that there must have been a miscommunication and they had already given away all of their work study positions for the school year. As disappointed as I am, I have little recourse in this situation, and my only real option is to move on and try to get another work study job. I applied for about 8 other positions last night in a frantic effort to find another placement before school starts, so here's hoping thousands of my peers are not in the same boat!

And in other news, remember the receptionist job that I had for about two and a half weeks in August before I quit? Well I've been waiting for them to mail me my last paycheck for about two weeks now (I had even enclosed an addressed, stamped envelope in my resignation packet to make this a little easier). After about a week of a checkless mailbox, I sent the owner an email to find out if the check was ready for me to just pick up. When my email went a week unanswered, I called to see if I could pick up my check. But after getting a busy signal even after business hours, I knew something was up. I went on their website to look for other options to contact them, but when I typed in their web address, the site was "under construction" and "offline." I mentioned this to a friend of mine who was online at the time, and she searched for the company on the BBB's website. I had actually researched the company through the BBB a few weeks earlier, and their profile was "under review." This time, though, the BBB reported that the company had apparently gone out of business on August 25th--just 3 days after I submitted my letter of resignation.

No wonder I wasn't getting any response! I immediately emailed our attorney, who advised that while I could sue the company, I would have very little chance of collecting, even if I won the suit. There are so many other vendors, property owners, and businesses with an interest in this case, that my part-time paycheck would probably be pretty low on the list. Bummer.

I'm pretty upset over this--I feel betrayed, duped, and hundreds of dollars poorer, that's for sure! I filed a complaint with the BBB, who referred me to the Department of Wage and Labor. I don't imagine it will change things much, but I feel better to get it out there.

All things considered, I'm just glad that I trusted my instinct and didn't stick around to see the business' collapse. I'm sticking to non-profits from now on, and I hope nothing like this happens again!

Labor day weekend

2010-09-06T15:24:00.001-04:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope it is labor-free, and if it isn't, that you are getting compensated fairly for your work on this holiday weekend.

This weekend has been a whirlwind, and quite non-traditional in the way of labor. For the next six weeks I will be filling in on a weekend third shift for a staff member at the House of Peace. Saturday night/Sunday morning was my first shift on my own, and let me tell you, it's quite a big adjustment working third shift one day a week. It's difficult to get on a consistent schedule! In the days leading up to my shift, I tried staying awake later and later, but it's not quite the same as staying up all night. When school starts this will really get interesting, especially if other co-workers ask me to fill in for them on other days/nights. Fortunately all of my graduate classes will be in the early to mid evenings, so maybe I'll just end up turning into a bit of a night owl anyway.

Nonetheless, I survived the night and crashed immediately upon returning home Sunday morning. I was up by 2:30 that afternoon, and after some delicious scrambled eggs courtesy of my faithful husband (hey, it's breakfast somewhere!), I ventured off to my best friend's apartment in preparation for Riverfest Fireworks in Cincinnati. By 4:30 or so we had successfully staked our spot at a beautiful overlook in Eden Park. Check out all of the boats!

Then it was magazines, crocheting, and chatting for the next 5 hours or so! We got to know the people around us, and we even scored free snowcones for saving a spot for a family of 3. The fireworks were spectacular, and it was a lot of fun to take part in this Cincinnati tradition. We've only been here for about 3 months or so, and I enjoyed feeling part of the city and getting to know some of my fellow Cincinnatians. By the end of the night I was exhausted, but it was well worth it for the sense of community I felt. And of course hanging out with my best friend is always worth a little sleeplessness. :)

Speaking of sleeplessness, Taylor worked all night last night, and he's finally up today. Time for breakfast!

Just what the doctor ordered

2010-09-05T08:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted about a new government pilot program launching in Massachusetts intended to encourage healthy eating among food stamp recipients. If you actually followed the link to that article, you might have also noticed a reference to a new idea circulating among health centers in that state in which doctors are writing prescriptions for fresh produce. In an effort to curb the effects of obesity among America's poorest, some clinics are now dispensing $1 farmers' market coupons to their patients.

The New York Times recently reported on this program, pointing out that the concept itself isn't necessarily new. In the 1980s, Massachusetts was the first state to dispense farmers' market coupons to low-income pregnant women to help prevent malnourishment during the most formative years of children's development. There are now similar farmers' market programs for women and children in 36 other states.

While this program seems like a great idea, it isn't going to solve the obesity epidemic singe-handedly. The article points out that while the "veggie vouchers" are likely to produce results in the short term, that they do not have the potential for long-term sustainability. The fear is that people will go back to their old habits when the voucher program ends or in the winter when the farmers' markets are closed. To decrease this risk, the same health centers dispensing the coupons are taking a holistic approach by encouraging families to cut back on unhealthy snacks and increase their physical activity.

Personally, I think every little bit helps. Every year childhood obesity costs $14.1 billion in health expenses like emergency room visits and prescriptions. And left untreated, those children grow up to be obese adults--which cost an additional $147 billion to treat annually. A few dollars at the farmers' market is a drop in the bucket compared to these exorbitant costs. Health clinics in Massachusetts are realizing that we can either pay now or we can pay later. In time we will have a complete picture on how effective this program is, but for now, kudos to the clinics who are taking action against a national epidemic one step at a time.

30% off

2010-09-04T09:04:00.005-04:00

Check out this article about a food stamp pilot program launching in Massachusetts. As the title of this post suggests, food stamp recipients will receive a 30-cent discount on every dollar they spend on fresh produce. The goal of this program is to determine if people will eat healthier food if it is more affordable. My guess is: yes. When Taylor and I received food assistance, we found it frustrating that our food stamp dollars were stretched thin just because we filled our cart with fresh produce instead of Ramen noodles and boxes of mac 'n cheese. The difference in cost between sodium-filled, shelf-stable items and nutrient-rich, freshly grown produce is obvious, and tends to be a disincentive to healthy eating. No wonder there is such a correlation between poverty and obesity in this country.

Of course, people who don't qualify for food assistance would be grateful for such a subsidy, as well. When you think about how much the government subsidizes corn in this country (contributing to the production of shelf-stable food made from corn, corn syrup, etc.), it's no wonder people will reach for the bag of chips instead of the box of strawberries. It's cheaper; you get more for your money because the government enables it to be so. If the government threw their weight behind fresh produce like they have behind corn, imagine the difference that could make in grocery store prices and food choices across America. It would mean parents wouldn't have to choose between a gallon of sugary fruit juice and a bag of fresh apples for their kids. And two 20-somethings in Southwest Ohio wouldn't have to feel guilty about their selection of asparagus and spinach over the cup o' noodles two aisles away.

Hopefully this program does what it is intended to do by increasing access to fresh produce, thus promoting healthy eating among America's most at-risk populations. I hope to see something similar heading towards Ohio soon!

The effects of abuse

2010-09-03T13:43:00.001-04:00

I've been a women's advocate at YWCA of Greater Cincinnati's House of Peace for two weeks now, and I can already say that this is the toughest job I have ever had. On some level this would be expected. Domestic violence and abuse are heavy issues to deal with; but remember this isn't the first time I've worked with difficult social issues. No, the toughest part for me is managing conflict within the shelter. With only 16 beds in the shelter, we are frequently at full capacity with women and their children needing protection. And when you have so many different people from different backgrounds living on top of each other, there is bound to be conflict. Believe it or not, residents don't always agree on cleanliness, parenting, meals, hygiene--you name it, there is bound to be a disagreement on it!

It's only natural that people disagree with each other while staying in shelter, but it's the way in which residents handle such conflict that I find most draining. Some women don't hesitate to raise their voices and get in each others' faces to get their point across. At first, this behavior really bewildered me. It's no secret that every resident in shelter has experienced some kind of traumatic, abusive history to get here, and I had wrongly assumed that this shared experience would create a calm environment with lots of quiet, soothing conversations among the residents. Instead, some women lash out at each other (and staff) during conflict because they know no other way to communicate. After years of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from their partners, some women resort to screaming and yelling because they don't know other more effective methods of communication. All they have known is violence, and it definitely shows.

Of course, not all survivors of domestic violence react to conflict in an explosive manner. Each woman is different, with different experiences. However, when conflict does arise, it's our job at the shelter to defuse the situation and model healthier ways to manage emotions and conflict. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done, and I'm learning every day.

The who of abuse

2010-08-27T10:15:00.003-04:00

It's been quite a week; over the past 4 days I have logged quite a few hours in training and observation at the YWCA's House of Peace shelter, with several more shadow shifts to go until I am completely on my own. I'm still learning all of the policies and procedures in place at the shelter, and I am hopeful that I'll get it all down.

There were a couple of things that I picked up right away:

1) Domestic violence affects women from a variety of backgrounds. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, socio-economic status, disability, or any other factor. However, as I learned in training, we tend to see more women from low-income backgrounds come into shelter. It isn't that poorer women are abused more--it's just that shelters tend to be a more common solution for this group. Wealthier women may have more connections or resources in place, allowing them to stay with friends, in hotels, or to travel out of the area. Again, this is a generalization, not a hard and fast rule. Abuse is all about power and control, and abusers frequently exercise control over every aspect of a woman's life, no matter what their income. From visits with her family, to outings with friends, and even limiting employment, an abuser can ultimately isolate her from the outside world, thus cutting off those resources. Women from high-income backgrounds may come through our door because it is their only safe option--it's the only path left to escape their abusers.

2) Domestic violence is a big problem for women. You might be saying: "Yes, Kaitlyn, it is. *pat on the head* Good girl, here's a cookie." But I don't think we realize how BIG of a problem domestic violence is in this country. Based on a survey conducted by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. And every year in this country, more than 1000 women are killed by their partners or husbands. That's four women every day dying at the hands of their abusers.

Despite knowing how prevalent domestic violence is in our society and working in a domestic violence shelter, I still find myself surprised when we have a new resident or the hotline rings with a woman needing help with leaving her abuser. I guess it's just hard to stomach the fact that millions of women (and their children) are in danger every day.

I continue to find correlations between my work with the Butler County Rape Crisis Program and my work with the YWCA. Sexual assault and domestic violence are close cousins, as one can be categorized as the other. Remember, a majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the woman, like a boyfriend or even a husband. In these types of relationships, rape is domestic violence, as it is used to take power and control away from the victim. Similarly, topics of domestic violence and sexual assault are clouded with all sorts of myths and misconceptions, usually wrongly blaming the victim for the abuse. In the coming weeks and months I will explore more of those issues and debunk the myths--someone's got to!

Last day, first day

2010-08-23T19:20:00.002-04:00

So there are a few reasonably-sized changes in my life that you all should know about.

First, I quit my receptionist job at the property management company. Friday was my last day, and yes, I only had the job for two and a half weeks. Having a paycheck was great, but I missed having a more hands-on role in an organization; I missed making a measurable difference in people's lives. And turns out there were some organizational things I just couldn't adjust to (and yes, that statement is left intentionally vague).

Also as it turns out, I had a new position waiting for me at the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. After an extensive interview and background check process, I finally got the call last week that I had been cleared for employment as an on-call shelter advocate.

So what does that mean?

Well, it means I am the back-up person for the part- and full-timers at one of YWCA's domestic violence shelter. When someone is sick, goes on vacation, or there is just a gap in coverage, they call me to fill the slot. While it won't offer consistent hours, it does allow me to keep a flexible schedule that will allow me to go full time to grad school, which is, of course, my number one priority.

Today was my first day, so I am still getting a feel for the position. So far, though, I have learned that I will be answering crisis calls on the hotline, giving referrals for community resources, performing intake procedures for new clients coming into the shelter, monitoring the facility, and resolving conflicts among the residents. It's a lot to learn and manage, but I am confident that my experience with the Butler County Rape Crisis Program (along with my AmeriCorps experience) has laid the foundation for this position.

It probably goes without saying, but with this position comes a lot of confidentiality. I won't be able to share much about my shifts at the shelter, but I hope to shed some more light on abuse and violence in general. These are topics that most people tend to shy away from, yet affect millions of people every year.

So there you have it--I'll be making social change this fall by going to graduate school and working for the YWCA. And putting in a few hours a week in work study at a different non-profit. And volunteering for Butler County Rape Crisis.

No big thing.

Happy school year!

2010-08-16T19:09:00.002-04:00

I am pleased to announce the final results of the Butler County School Supply Coalition. Even though my AmeriCorps term ended in June, the supplies weren't distributed until about a week ago. Krupa worked diligently to make arrangements for distribution, and it sounds like everything went off without a hitch. Had I not been hired a week and a half ago at my part-time job, I would have loved to see the tangible results of my hard work.

Still, the numbers are rewarding in themselves. The final tally put us at 8569 kits, a 71% increase from last year's efforts. Through donations from community foundations, service clubs, individual donors, faith-based organizations, and the county commissioners, we raised more than $47,600 for school supplies.

I'm really proud of this initiative. It feels really great to know that because of my hard work and dedication, more than 8500 kids are going to start the school year with the supplies they need to succeed. Happy school year!

The value of volunteering

2010-08-15T12:26:00.002-04:00

I was reading "Get Rich Slowly," one of my favorite personal finance blogs, and the guest post today really caught my eye. It's titled: "Reader Story: I Quit My Job and Joined the Peace Corps." In the article, the author discusses the sacrifices he made to spend two years abroad in service, which were significantly outweighed by the benefits he gained during that time.

While I didn't necessarily quit my job to join the AmeriCorps national service program, I did make sacrifices in income and time to serve others (just ask my husband). Still, I wouldn't trade that year for anything, and I am grateful to have had such a powerful, life-changing experience at such a relatively young age. My perspective on the world is forever changed--I learned the difference between want and need, and the importance of empathy.

I strongly believe that every American should devote some of their life to service. Whether that service is overseas in the Peace Corps, here at home in AmeriCorps or Teach for America, or in your local neighborhood once or twice a month, the more you invest of yourself in service, the greater return you'll receive. Not only will you be making the world a better place, but you will shape yourself into the type of person you want to be.

There are hundreds of opportunities right where you live to make a difference. Find something you enjoy, something you are passionate about, and get out there and do it! You will be happy you did.

What it's worth

2010-08-11T17:03:00.002-04:00

I came across a pretty interesting article today on a friend's facebook page that I thought I'd pass along. It's titled "Five 'Impractical' College Majors That Just Might Make You Rich," and originally appeared on a Daily Finance section of AOL. As the title suggests, it talks about college degree programs that many believe will lead to a life of limited job opportunities and general failure. But as this author suggests, that's just not true! At least, it doesn't have to be.

When I tell people that I am entering a career in social work, I get a range of reactions, most involving crinkling the nose and skeptical eye brow raises. "Not much of a living," they say.

Aside from being completely rude, those kinds of statements may just be inaccurate. Yep--check out the top of the list of majors: social work! In fact, here is the segment specifically on the subject:

Social work is all about communication -- and the study of the dynamics of human relationships and how to improve people's lives in the context of themselves and their communities. I would argue that this background in understanding relationships is a big part of what helped Suze Orman reach millions of people in ways that more conventional finance-major-turned-financial-planner types couldn't.

Social Work Major Who Struck it Rich: Suze Orman, financial advisor, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and host of The Suze Orman Show on CNBC.

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/d8uzKh

So yeah, maybe social workers aren't known for rolling in the dough, but it doesn't mean the skills I learn in social work are worthless! The general skills, the soft skills if you will, that the programs develop can't always be taught. You can teach people how to process paperwork, but you can't teach people to empathize with their clients. And that sense of empathy is a valuable asset in any work environment.

I guess what it all comes down to is that you can make the most of any situation, of any knowledge or educational background as long as you don't limit yourself or put your career into a box. So don't listen to the naysayers who scoff at English majors and tsk drama students. If you're smart, resourceful, and a little lucky, you can be happy and successful in your career, even when everyone tells you it's impossible. I hope to be living proof of this very notion!

Making social change

2010-08-07T20:25:00.002-04:00

I came across this article on the Cincinnati Enquirer's website that I thought I would pass along. It's about a group of teenagers from Mason who "panhandled for panhandlers" at Fountain Square today. Their mission was to raise awareness about homelessness in Cincinnati, where government officials have proposed legislation to ban panhandling and even withhold funding from shelters that house panhandlers.

Being from a pretty small town, I never had much experience with panhandlers growing up, though in hindsight I am sure there were many homeless families residing in my hometown. My first real memory of panhandlers was during a junior high school trip to Washington, D.C. Before we left, our teachers held an assembly to go over the itinerary for the trip and to lay out some basic ground rules. Rule #1? Don't give anything to panhandlers. Our teachers told us that all panhandlers were out to scam us and they would probably even hurt us if we looked at them or got too close. From that time on, I learned to fear people who were homeless. I learned to fear people who were different from me; I learned to fear the unknown.

I think that's one of the biggest reasons for inaction in this country. People are afraid of what they do not know. Sure, no one wants kids to go hungry or for a veteran to have to sleep under a pile of blankets in the park. But these problems seem too big and scary to actually do something about them.

Maybe that's why I was so struck by this article. Here is this group of teenagers from an affluent part of Southwest Ohio who saw a problem and decided to do something. Instead of saying, "Someone should do something about this," they decided that they are 'someone' and they can make a difference. The city of Cincinnati continues to foster a hostile climate towards people who are homeless, and many people either don't know or don't care enough to speak out against it. These teenagers recognized that once you know something, you can't 'un-know' it, and they set out to spread the word to anyone who would listen. They took a step to raise awareness about an ongoing issue in Cincinnati to people who typically have the privilege of not paying attention.

This group is taking action and making social change, all before their 20th birthdays. Rock on, young people. This is what it's all about.

The new girl

2010-08-04T20:50:00.003-04:00

The unthinkable has happened. A Wessels went to work today, and it wasn't Taylor.

That's right--I have a job!

I interviewed for an Office Assistant position with a local property management firm on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Forty-five minutes later I was filling out payroll paperwork, and less than 24 hours after that I was fielding calls and navigating my computer screen like a pro. Yep, today was my first day.

I can't honestly say I set out five years ago to become a receptionist. With a Bachelor of Science degree and a year in national service under my belt, I would have preferred something with a little more influence, and a little more pay. But jobs are scarce, especially when you require more flexibility than the average bear to go back to school. So I'm grateful for the opportunity to work, gain more experience, and contribute financially to our household.

I probably won't blog much about my job, but what I will tell you is that the company has about five employees (six now with me!) and is located about as many minutes away from my house. They manage rental properties and help people get into affordable housing. According to the president of the company, about 60% of their tenants receive some kind of housing subsidy, such as Section 8. I'm still learning about this program, but one thing that took very little time to learn is how important each and every one of the tenants is to the company, no matter how much they personally pay in rent. The property managers know every tenant by name and they pride themselves on providing responsive, quality customer service. This service-minded perspective makes me feel right at home, even outside of the non-profit sector.

I look forward to many more days at my new job. I look forward to having a purpose everyday, to helping people find good housing. And I look forward to having a paycheck again--weekend renovation projects, here I come!

Fixer Upper-ing

2010-08-03T07:38:00.003-04:00

Just over two months ago, Taylor and I purchased our first home in Cincinnati. It was a short sale home, making the entire complicated transaction span more than four months. We closed with two days left before our apartment lease was up; we signed the papers and moved in the next day.

Now that the dust has settled a bit, we've been taking on some minor home decorating projects. Before Taylor accepted his new position in the ER we did a lot of this stuff together. But now that he is working overtime at all hours of the day, I've started to venture out on my own into the world of home renovation. Without a regular job to go to, I've decided I can contribute to our household by pumping time and energy into our place.

Some of the projects I'd like to do take money, so I've been careful not to go too crazy in spending Taylor's paycheck before he brings it home. But mostly I've been putting in a little elbow grease for the biggest payout.

Here's a picture of a recent re-furb I completed on a built-in dresser in our bedroom:

Before I refinished it, the dresser was painted ivory with antique bronze handles (note to self: take a 'before' picture next time!). It had a cool vintage look but wasn't really what we were going for. Originally we had pushed our bed against that wall to cover it up, but one day I decided to switch up the furniture in the room, exposing the built-in dresser, which prompted a total renovation! I dismantled the drawers and handles, sanded them down, and applied a few coats of paint. Then I found some new drawer pulls and attached those, as well. And voila! The dresser has new life, all for less than $20.

I imagine quite a few young people are in my shoes right now. With the recent tax credit for first time home-buyers, many people snatched up older foreclosed and short sale homes on the cheap, knowing that they were in for a long road of renovations. With good jobs scarce, many people have all the time in the world to do this work themselves instead of contracting it out (which probably partially contributes to the job shortage in general labor). For my fellow DIYers out there, check out this blog for more practical, affordable tips for any project you are ready to tackle. It's one of my new favorites, and you can link to it directly from my "fave blog list" on the right of my page.

When I was younger, my dad was laid off from quite a few factory jobs as companies bought and sold the plants where he worked. And every time he was between jobs, a new project in our house would get done, like refinishing the hardwood floors or stripping wallpaper or working on an old car. I think this is a pretty common experience for people looking for work--there is plenty of work to be found right where you live and somebody's got to do it! It doesn't pay too great now, but it keeps me busy and it keeps my morale up. At the end of the day I have something tangible that I have contributed to our house, which is important to me.

I'll post more pictures--hopefully of the 'before' and 'after' variety next time--as I get more work done. If you'll excuse me, I need to go clock in!

R & R

2010-08-02T13:47:00.006-04:00

This past weekend Taylor and I journeyed down South for a wonderful Wessels Weekend at Pickwick Lake, TN. Taylor's aunt and uncle own a fantastic house on the lake that has served as a family hang-out for many years, but this was my first trip down. We left on Friday morning after Taylor worked all night in the ER, and returned home Sunday evening. The 8+ hour drive was well worth the days of sunshine, water, good Southern cooking, and family that followed.

We are very lucky to have had the opportunity to make the trip at all. Because I'm still unemployed, my schedule was wide open, and with Taylor's new supervisory scribe position, he was able to tweak the schedule to accommodate our travel plans. And this weekend getaway couldn't have come at a better time. Taylor has been working days upon days of overtime lately, and we haven't had much time together. This trip gave us a chance to reconnect not only with extended family, but with each other as well. On the way home I was reflecting on the importance of continuing to take time out for ourselves even after the vacation ends.

I wanted to share a few pictures with you. Check them out below:

The lakehouse came complete with a dock, sea doo, and a golf cart to shuttle us up and down the steep hill to the house.

One of the rocking chairs on the wrap-around porch. Great views made this one of the best seats in the house.

One of the beautiful flowering crepe myrtles surrounding the house.

I realize that not everyone has the time, money, or circumstances for a weekend vacation to a beautiful lakeside property. But I hope that you can at least make a little time to recharge your batteries. You don't have to go far away to reap the benefits of a little time to yourself--it might mean an afternoon at a local park, a few hours in the garden, or even just a few minutes in a quiet corner of your house to read or meditate.

My year in service as a VISTA exposed me to many over-worked, overwhelmed, exhausted social workers. In less than two months I'll be starting my MSW program and soon I'll be joining this group of workaholics. I'll have to keep this blog post handy to make sure I can maintain a good balance between work and play.

In the mean time, we're still working on Taylor. Poor guy.

Getting oriented

2010-07-28T20:06:00.002-04:00

Last Friday I attended my MSW orientation session at University of Cincinnati. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and I was a little nervous to step back into academia after a year off in the "real world." But after an hour of flipping through my program binder and listening to more details about the degree, I'm feeling much more excited about heading back to school this fall.

One important detail I learned last week is that starting in my second quarter, I'll have 16 hours of field experience at a local non-profit or government agency each week. This experience is unpaid, and an additional requirement on top of my regular class schedule. And it'll be this way until I graduate in June of 2012.

With 16 hours of field experience and 16 hours of classes this fall, it doesn't leave me with much time for work, especially not at a full-time position. I considered dropping to part time at UC so that I could work more, but eventually the field experience requirement would catch up to me and create scheduling conflicts anyway. Taylor and I decided the best thing at this point is to go full time and get done as quickly as possible so that I am free to take a position I want without the stress of graduate school hanging over my head.

As good as it is to know this now, it's still a little disappointing. Today I was offered a full time position with Interfaith Hospitality Network as their Childcare Coordinator and I had to turn it down because of school. They plan to keep me in mind for a part-time position that may open up soon, but as of now I'm still unemployed. In a few weeks I may be starting as a paid on-call advocate with YWCA's House of Peace in Greater Cincinnati, but those hours won't be set in stone. And of course I still have my 10-hour/week work study position starting in late September when school starts.

So I'm still looking for a part time job but if I don't find one I'm not stressing. Between graduate school, field experience, work study, and an on-call position, I'll be plenty busy this school year. I'm lucky to have such a supportive partner, both emotionally and financially, to be in such a good position!

Dateline documentary

2010-07-24T19:28:00.003-04:00

I've received quite a few Facebook invitations to this event, so I thought I'd pass it on to you. This Sunday, July 25th, Ann Curry features rural, hard-working Southeast Ohioans who are living on the brink. Check out this blurb I borrowed from the Dateline website below to learn more.

Sunday, July 25:

'America Now: Friends and Neighbors'

Ann Curry/NBC News

"For some this economy may be turning around but the reality is millions of families are at risk of going hungry, in one of the richest nations on earth. In the past two years alone, the number of Americans visiting food pantries has jumped 30 percent. Over the last nine months, "Dateline" focused its cameras on how the Great Recession has impacted some of the poorest people in America – those who are the first to feel the downturn, and will likely be the last to feel the recovery.

"For the report, "America Now: Friends & Neighbors," airing on Sunday, July 25 (7:00 PM/ET), "Dateline" anchor Ann Curry travels to Ohio where the hardworking poor, with deep traditions in mining, manufacturing and military service, are increasingly seen in food pantry lines ashamed and angry. Recently, the people of Southeast Ohio made pleas for jobs and food written on thousands of paper plates to President Obama. One message reads: "My husband worked hard all his life and he died hungry." Curry interviews people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and reports on what they're doing to make their lives, and their children's lives, better.

"Their stories, and the images, push beyond stereotypes and reveal a hidden America that is both surprising and haunting but nevertheless, hopeful. While most television news reporting on the recession has focused on those with a voice and influence -- the middle class -- this hour-long look at how the recession has affected America's poor is a rare chance for viewers to get a comprehensive look at what poverty looks like over time in the heartland.

"Viewers will hear from a woman who despite being poor herself, opened a food pantry, "Friends & Neighbors," that feeds thousands; a young mother who spent Ohio's cold month of November sleeping in a van with her children ages 1, 2 and 3; an extended family of 14 crowded into a 4-bedroom house to survive; and a father who was laid off and unable to pay for heat so he woke every two hours to feed the woodstove to keep his two young sons warm."

To see a preview of the show, click here. I hope you'll tune in tomorrow night, at 7:00 p.m.

Farmers' Market Incentives

2010-07-20T18:13:00.002-04:00

About a year ago,Taylor and I ventured to the Oxford farmers' market to buy some tasty, fresh produce. But this wasn't your typical trip to the farmers' market--this was an experiment in using food stamps to buy local.

If you haven't been here from the beginning, Taylor and I qualified for food stamps for about 7 months while I was serving in the AmeriCorps*VISTA program (click here to read more about that experience.) So when we read a story in the Hamilton JournalNews about the Oxford farmers' market accepting food stamps, we decided to go check it out. We'd been using our EBT card to purchase fresh produce at the grocery store, but would have preferred to buy local straight from the grower. With this program, the folks at the farmers' market were able to convert our food stamps to paper vouchers for use at the farmers' market.

It was a great experience, and had we lived closer to Oxford we probably would have utilized this program more. The only problem was that locally grown produce, while usually fresher and of higher quality, tends to be more expensive than the stuff in the store. On the way home from the market, I remember commenting to Taylor that it would be awesome if we could make our food stamps go a little farther through some kind of incentive program that rewards food stamp users for buying healthy, locally grown food. People seem to have a lot to say about people in poverty making bad food choices. "They shouldn't buy chips, candy and pop; they should use that money to buy healthy food," they say. But, fruits and vegetables are more expensive than the shelf stable junk that many people in poverty fill their carts with. From an economical standpoint, if you're trying to feed your family, you're going to try to get as much food as possible for your dollar, and produce just isn't always the best choice. So it sure would be nice to have an economic incentive to go along with the nutritional benefits of fresh produce.

Well the folks at Findlay Market in Cincinnati seem to understand this concept, launching a new program called SNAP Plus. Through this program, participants can earn up to $120 in matched food stamp dollars for use at the farmers' market. To receive the credit, participants must attend nutrition classes offered by partners of Findlay Market.

Findlay Market has served as a model farmers' market in the state, as one of the first farmers' markets in Ohio to accept food stamps. I hope that this new program will catch on throughout the state (and country, for that matter), so that more people in poverty can have access to healthy, locally grown food at a lower cost.

As Karen Kahle, resource development director at Findlay Market, said, "It helps families on food stamps improve their access to healthy local foods. It helps the farmers in our farmer's market, increases the number of dollars in our farmers market and it also reduces the carbon footprint of the food that we eat."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well done, Findlay Market!

Smell the roses

2010-07-17T21:03:00.003-04:00

A few days after my AmeriCorps service ended, I was talking with my dad about how hard it is to find a job and how desperate I am for work. I was nervous about stranding Taylor with all of our bills while I settled into a mindless routine of daytime talk shows and bon-bons. And my dad, who taught me everything I ever needed to know about hard work and finance, gave me some interesting advice that I wouldn't have expected.

He said, "Take some time for yourself, Kate. This is a rare opportunity for you to relax a little bit and do some things that you want to do. There will always be time for work. You have a long road of work ahead of you, just enjoy this while you can."

Of course, in my frenzied state I disregarded this advice, thinking 'What does he know, anyway?' The mortgage won't pay itself.' Which is true. But I failed to see what my dad was really saying. He was saying, "Continue searching and applying for jobs, but after you've done that, move on to other things you want to accomplish in the day, too. Don't let the pressure of finding a job hold you captive from enjoying life and getting other stuff done."

Or something like that. Still, I found it difficult to close the computer and do something just for me. I thought it was selfish of me to do something fun when I still didn't have a paycheck to bring to the table.

After Taylor found his new job, though, a lot of that job hunt pressure was lifted off of my shoulders. Financially we were fine, and the sense of urgency to replace my income was suddenly gone. But I still couldn't let myself off the hook. I spent way too much time on job search sites, constantly refreshing the web pages, even late into the night, so that I wouldn't miss any brand new postings. After a couple of weeks of this unhealthy, obsessive behavior, I fell into a funk, and started to believe my value as a human being rested only in my ability to find (and keep) the best job ever. And when you're jobless, that means some pretty low days.

I'm trying harder now to not make my entire life about CareerBuilder. To continue searching for jobs, but to move on to other goals, just as my dad said. I want to have something to be proud of, something to share with Taylor when he comes home from work besides, "I applied for 3 jobs on Craigslist. Woo."

I recently shared my problem with a good friend of mine over coffee, who advised that I make a point to schedule "fun time" into my day. She pointed out that I have been really good at focusing on one task (the job-hunt), but lousy at giving attention to anything else that might actually make me happy. I'm still working on it, but in the past few days I've actually gotten quite a bit of stuff done around the house that I've been putting off for no good reason. I've cleaned up an unusable room in our house, I've made a little stepping stool for my elderly cats, and I've been assembling a scrapbook of our wedding pictures--all tangible things that I can hold up at the end of the day and be proud of.

So in short, you were right, Dad. I should take your advice more often.

But don't let it go to your head.

The waiting game

2010-07-14T06:54:00.000-04:00

It has been 23 days since my service at Shared Harvest ended. And in the past 23 days, I have frequented Career Builder, Indeed.com, Craigslist, and Idealist more times than I can count. Morning, noon, and night, I pour over the postings, find something that looks promising, and then customize my cover letter and resume to fit the requirements for the position. I gather all of my materials into a carefully edited e-mail, click send, and hope for the best.

So far this process has been tremendously successful for my husband, Taylor. If you recall, Taylor found a new position in a hospital ER and received a promotion, all in about two weeks' time. But this process has been a little slower for me. Sure, I've had some good interviews at some pretty diverse organizations, and that has been a great success in itself. It's difficult to make your resume stand out against literally hundreds of other applicants', and I am truly grateful for the chance to interview.

While each of those interviews has been positive, generally speaking, they just haven't been the best fit with my graduate school schedule this fall, which is a top priority at this point in my life. I already deferred graduate school for a year to do the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, and it's time now to move forward with my educational and professional goals. Working around a rigid course schedule, though, poses an additional challenge in trying to secure gainful employment. At this point, though, I am fortunate to have accepted a work study position at a local nonprofit for the fall. It will offer continued experience in social services, but unfortunately it only offers 10 hours a week or less at a little over minimum wage, so like it or not, I've got to keep searching for at least another part-time job.

It's tough to keep searching and stay optimistic, but every interview is encouragement that I'm on the right path. In the meantime, each day without work is another day not only without pay, but also without the potential for health insurance. It's an uneasy feeling knowing that I am one accident or illness away from serious financial trouble, and it's not a risk I would like to prolong. Yet, millions of young adults are in this same boat. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association:

A recent report by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundationthat supports health policy and health system reform research,shows that 13.7 million young adults aged 19 to 29 years areuninsured, comprising about 30% of the estimated 46 millionindividuals without coverage.

As I touched on in a recent post about the state of new college graduates, it's hard enough for my generation to find a job, let alone one with good pay and benefits. Like many of my cohorts, I am looking at a conglomeration of part-time jobs to pay the bills, not necessarily the pretty full-time package that most college grads dream of. And as a result, we've got to get creative to find affordable health insurance.

Option #1: Kick it with the 'rents.
With the new health care legislation, some of my peers are lucky to be able to stay on their parents' insurance plans up until age 26. Even so, many families are having difficulty navigating the new policy change with their employers and insurance companies, leaving many young adults with a gap in coverage or an increase in their premiums. However, I don't think I have this option because I am married now. Wah wah.

Option #2: Marry up.
I am truly fortunate to be in a happy, healthy relationship with lots of love and support. But let's be real--equally important is my husband's full-time job with highly-coveted health benefits. We are still waiting to receive information on the plan, but it looks like his coverage will be extended to me, and it might even be retroactive back to his date of hire. Still, this privilege doesn't sit well with the social rights activist in me. With this kind of system, partners in same-sex relationships are less likely to get employer-sponsored dependent health insurance than their heterosexual counterparts. Of course this inequality, among others, will continue to be an issue as long as same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in this country, but that's an issue for another blog post.

Perhaps on a larger stage is the need for dependent health insurance at all. I had a family studies professor at Miami who shared with the class that her impending need for health insurance was a large factor in deciding whether or not to get married and when. And that was more than a decade ago. The fact that many women (and men, to be fair) still must weigh access to health insurance as a reason to make a lifelong commitment to each other seems sad to me. There need to be other viable options besides saying, "I do."

Option #3: Stay in school.
Universities require that their students have health insurance, and unless you can show proof of coverage, this will be automatically tacked onto your tuition bill. Because I am going back to school, I will have the option to purchase insurance through the University of Cincinnati, which might not be the best, most affordable option, but it is a solid, short-term option should Taylor's health plan not cover me. And if we can't afford it, well, that's what student loans are for, right?

Option #4: Just buy a private plan for yourself.
Of course, if you have a pre-existing condition or limited income, this is probably your worst option, at least through 2014. And hey, even then, no guarantees.

So there you have it. Not only am I trying to find a rewarding, fulfilling position in which I can give back to society, I am also looking for decent pay, decent hours, and health insurance. The odds aren't great, but I'll figure it out.

Come to think of it, maybe I'd do better to play the lottery...

Happy Anniversary!

2010-07-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

Making [Social] Change turns 1 today!

That's right, one year ago I started this blog to reflect on my year of service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Now, 165 blog posts later, I'm still going strong! Although my year of service ended in June, I will continue to use this space to reflect on social justice through the eyes of a 20-something, mixed in with a little more personal experiences, as well.

If you've been with me from the beginning or have just become a follower, thanks for your readership. I hope Year 2 will not disappoint.

Hail to the Chief

2010-07-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to say "CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!" to my husband, Taylor, on being appointed Chief Scribe in the emergency department where he works. After a unanimous vote by the scribe trainers and the medical director, Taylor was selected to coordinate all of the ER scribes' schedules, to facilitate skill development, and to serve as a liaison between the scribes and the medical practice.

Why? Because he is a good, smart leader. With years of supervisory and leadership experience from old jobs at summer camps and Miami's Rec Center, Taylor was the clear choice for this position. He also is the most level-headed person I know, which comes in handy when the ER is overrun with ailing (or semi-ailing) patients. And quite frankly, he just loves this stuff. Taylor comes home every day with a positive attitude and lots of [non-identifying] stories to tell. Of course, I've always known this about Taylor (which is partially why I married him) and I am glad that his superiors were able to recognize his good qualities so quickly.

So just to recap, in the two short weeks of his new employment in the ER, Taylor has been promoted and his pay has now doubled from when he worked as an EMT. To celebrate, we bought Taylor a Droid phone to "assist" him with his new duties as Chief Scribe and went out to dinner afterward. After going without such luxuries for so long, we are finally in a place that we can do and buy things that we want, not just things that we need. And for the first time, I was able to enjoy dinner without fretting over the bill coming at the end of the meal.

It's a little unfamiliar, but I think I could get used to this financial security thing. :)

Break it down now

2010-07-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite housewarming gifts is one that came from Taylor's parents: an Earth Machine. In other words, a composting receptacle!

Composting is a fantastic way to produce hearty, nutrient-rich soil at home. And it's easy, too. We collect scraps from the kitchen and take it out to our composting bin every few days. We dump it inside, cover it with some dry yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, etc.), and we're good to go! The important thing is to make sure that air is getting into the pile so that aerobic microbes can break down the organic matter. Without enough air, the bin will smell like, well, a rotting pile of hot garbage.

It's also important to put the right stuff into the bin. We tend to fill our compost with vegetable scraps, fruit peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds. To avoid attracting flies, we thoroughly cover it with leaves, dead weeds, and yard clippings. But you can't just throw all of your kitchen scraps into the bin. Avoid putting any meat, dairy, fat, or bones into the pile, as these materials break down very slowly and may attract neighborhood pests. Also keep any diseased or chemically-treated plants, pet waste, and pernicious weeds out of your compost. Remember, the things you put in your bin will ultimately go back onto your plants in your yard, which can be especially harmful in a vegetable garden that you're eating from.

Why compost? From a financial perspective, it reduces the cost of purchasing topsoil and fertilizer for your plants. Why buy a big bag of dirt when you can make it yourself? Chances are, your composted material will be a lot richer and healthier than anything you buy in a store because you know exactly what's going into it. Because we're just getting started, we won't be able to use our compost until next growing season, but we know it will be worth the wait.

From an environmental perspective, you will significantly reduce your household waste. Between our recycling bin and our composting container, Taylor and I have put out only one bag of trash for the weekly collection, compared to two and even three bags a week.

Your composting bin will even encourage you to eat healthier. I don't know what it is, but there is something very rewarding about filling up our compost bin every week. To do that, I have to buy (and consume) more fresh fruits and veggies, which is ultimately better for my health and well-being anyway!

So you can see how positive of an impact one little composting bin can have on your wallet, your world, and your waistline. I encourage you to give it a shot!

You're hired!

2010-07-02T23:26:00.000-04:00

After my Debbie Downer post on how impossible it is for young adults to find a job these days, some pretty ironic things happened. I was called for a couple of interviews. I answered questions, handed over a long list of references, and smiled pretty. And guess what? I was offered a couple of jobs.

And guess what else? I turned them down.

Yes, after all of my complaining about not being able to find a job, I was offered two positions at two different places, which I eventually passed up. One was in a social services agency where I would have been implementing a new system for senior meal distribution. It was an awesome work environment with a great team of people, but it just wasn't meant to be. There wasn't much scheduling flexibility, and the only shift that would have worked with my grad school schedule would have been 4 a.m.-12:30 p.m. With some of my classes starting as early as 3:30 p.m. and going as late as 9:40 p.m., I just couldn't figure out when I would sleep, do homework, or see my husband. Unfortunately, I had to turn down the position, but I hope they will keep me in mind when it's time for my social work field experience.

The second offer was for a toddler teacher position at a Cincinnati daycare facility. I saw the posting on Craigslist during my "apply for anything and everything" phase, so of course I applied for it, despite having no formal childcare experience. I was pretty surprised to get an interview, and even more surprised to be offered a part-time position pending a second "working interview" to see how I would interact with the kids. But something didn't feel right about it. The daycare facility was owned and operated by a property management company, and I could tell that was the business that took priority. My interviewers weren't particularly warm, either, and even talked down to me at times, though I was probably three or four years their senior. It just wasn't right and I had to say no thank you.

You may be thinking, "But Kaitlyn, if you turn down every position that comes your way, then you can't complain about not having a job."

You are right. But I'm not out of options quite yet. Today I interviewed for a job through University of Cincinnati at a local non-profit agency. I would only be eligible to work about 10 hours a week at $8/hour through the federal work study grant, but it would give me continued social services experience while I attend graduate school. My interviewer even mentioned a possible full-time job opportunity that he would also like to consider me for, and said he would give me an update later next week.

Also next week, I am scheduled to attend an interview for a totally different work study position at a totally different agency north of Cincinnati. It would probably also be "quarter-time" for the same wages, but if the first option does not pan out, it could be another opportunity for more social work experience. Either way, I know I will still need to keep up the job search, because neither work study position begins until the fall and neither would give me enough hours or sustainable pay to stand alone.

As I continue the search, though, I am more optimistic than even a week ago. My interview successes have boosted my self-esteem, and I am hopeful that eventually I will find a job that is a good fit for me and vice versa. It might not be my dream job, but it will meet my needs for now, and that will be enough. It is comforting to know that with Taylor's recent job change and salary boost, I can afford to trust my intuition and be a little pickier when browsing the classifieds.

That being said, Taylor, I won't hold out for too much longer, I promise!

United Way cuts

2010-06-30T14:13:00.000-04:00

Bad news on the Butler County homefront. Yesterday I received an email from the director of the Butler County Rape Crisis Program about some impending budget cuts to our services.

As my faithful readers may know, I have been volunteering as a victim advocate with the Rape Crisis Program in my spare time since May of 2009. My days as an advocate may be numbered, though, due to recent cuts from the Butler County United Way. As I understand it, the United Way's fund-raising campaign was not as successful as in years past, and as a result, they are cutting all of their mental health funding to member agencies. All of it. Instead of putting a small amount into mental health services, they have decided to amp up funding for their job-training programs, among other things, thinking that if people can get jobs they will not need to rely on United Way agencies for their needs. It's a good idea in theory, but the truth is that many people are working multiple jobs and still can't pay their bills. Of course, there are also limited job opportunities in Butler County right now, at least jobs that pay a living wage. No amount of job training will make up for that fact. But if we really think critically about this, the real issue is a matter of priority. If a person does not have access to counseling, treatment, and other mental health services to meet their immediate needs, no amount of job training classes will help that person hold down a job in the future.

So how does this affect the Rape Crisis Program? Well, Butler County United Way funding comes under the category of "mental health," so now that funding is cut. Normally, the RCP could make up such a loss, but the UW funding means more than just a single check. Federal grants rely on a cash match option, which has traditionally been met by the United Way. So without UW funding, the RCP loses their federal grants, as well. Translation: the Butler County Rape Crisis Program is losing 80% of their funding.

No organization can operate at 20% of their current capacity, and of course the program is at risk unless this funding can be recaptured. The program director is looking for any and all suggestions for finding more funding, and are happy to meet with any potential donors at any time.

I don't know what lies ahead in the coming days, but I do know that if the Butler Co. RCP can not recover from this loss, a tremendous service will be stripped from the community. It's hard to understand the importance of our services until you find yourself in the middle of a crisis; hurt, scared, confused, and otherwise alone. Thanks to this program, victims become survivors and their families learn how to cope and move forward out of crisis. Our educational programming helps school kids learn how to stay safe in their relationships, as well as with strangers. Our Hispanic/Latino outreach provides services to a typically under-served population, especially in Butler County.

Our community can not stand to lose this service. If you would like to support the Rape Crisis Program, please do not hesitate to contact me for more details.

My noble scribe

2010-06-27T17:57:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Taylor on his new job: Emergency Department Physician Scribe! After only three 24-hour rotations on his new shift at EMT, Inc., he was offered the new job and he took it. Now instead of taking senior citizens to dialysis and making emergency runs out of nursing homes, he'll be following ER doctors around and basically writing down everything they say and do. It should be much more interesting, with a much more diverse caseload. And this move couldn't come at a better time. With me unemployed, his new salary will be the equivalent of his old EMT paycheck and my AmeriCorps stipend combined. There's also the potential for health insurance, for growth, and for just overall life improvement!

So how did this come about? Well, I have been job-searching 24/7 for the past, oh, two months. As I searched for "administrative assistant" positions, I came across this scribe position, probably because of its assistant nature. I looked it over, but saw that the company preferred to hire EMTs and paramedics for these positions because of their medical background. Fortunately, I happen to know an EMT so I passed it on to Taylor on a lark. I knew he already had a job and shift that he liked, but I noticed the pay was higher and thought he might like to see other career opportunities that EMTs can take besides working for lousy ambulance companies that suspend yearly $.05 raises because of "budget concerns." So he applied. And a few days later, he was taking a typing test, doing a phone interview, and filling out tons of paperwork. He was hired just like that.

As happy as I am for Taylor, a small part of me is saying, "Are you kidding me?" I'm the unemployed one! I'm the one with Career Builder as a shortcut on my web browser! I'm the one who needs a job!

But the truth is Taylor was, and still is, more employable than I am. You see, Taylor decided to leave college at the end of his junior year. Just walked away. He said that he never really liked college, didn't like his major (English...yeah, talk about unemployable), and he didn't want to get further and further into debt over something he just wasn't that into. That isn't to say Taylor doesn't recognize the value of a four-year degree, or that he never wants to go back to school. But Taylor did want some time to figure out what he really loved--and that turned out to be the medical field. He enrolled in an EMT program at Butler Tech and within months of leaving Miami, he had state licensure and national registry as an Emergency Medical Technician. And most importantly, he had a set of skills that made him highly employable. I'm not saying that he is rolling in the dough or that this is the career he'll retire from, but for now he is gainfully employed in a job he loves. And he is happy. How many recent college grads do you know who can say that? How many people do you know who can say that?

I hope to be able to say that soon. After one week of unemployment (minus the unemployment check), I am feeling restless. I don't like sitting idle. And I don't like not contributing--both to society and to my household. We have a mortgage to pay, kitties to support. I need to give my share.

In the meantime, thank goodness for my patient, and recently promoted husband. It certainly is nice to have someone to lean on in times of stress and instability.

My replacement

2010-06-24T15:12:00.003-04:00

I have officially been replaced at Shared Harvest! Please join me in welcoming Krupa, the newest VISTA to join the Shared Harvest team. She has a new blog and I would encourage you to check it out to stay up to date on all of the latest happenings at the foodbank.

Welcome aboard, Krupa! You're in for a great, but challenging year, and I know you'll enjoy it.