Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

The poor, the sick, and immigrant populations are the most vulnerable in any community. With diminutive funds and frequently little to no support, many are unable to receive medical care nor health education. Catherine Nelson Black used her civic power and leadership to change this. Catherine “Carrie” Nelson Black founded the Instructive District Nursing Association (IDNA) in 1898, which is now named LifeCare Alliance. The IDNA became Ohio’s first organization to offer in-home health care, a service which still remains today through LifeCare Alliance.

Carrie devoted her life to the service and aid of others. In addition to the IDNA, she founded the Columbus Society for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis and the Columbus Cancer Clinic, which is now an agency of LifeCare Alliance. She not only provided immediate aid to those in need, but created societal change which has had an everlasting impact within the Columbus community. Imagining the role of women in society at this time, Carrie’s courageous leadership and impact is remarkable. Her energy, passion, and dedication to diminish the suffering of those most in need is truly inspiring, and is a legacy that is still visible today at LifeCare.

Carrie’s Café, where I have devoted most of my time this summer, was named after Carrie. In honor of Carrie’s 157^th birthday on July 21^st, we threw a birthday party at the Café. We celebrated Carrie with live music from Ray Pauken, balloons, party games (including pin the party hat on Carrie!), and cake. The party was a hit! Everyone loved the delicious cake and singing along with Ray. Seeing all the people having such a wonderful time at the party reminded me of the new sense of hope that Carrie gave to so many in the Columbus community and a legacy that has lasted far beyond her death.  In addition, it is amazing to witness every day how so many people at LifeCare have such similar values to Carrie and inadvertently continue and live out Carrie’s vision through their work.

Mid-way through week 8, I am finally wrapping what has been my favorite part of my summer working at CRCHS. I’ve spent the last few weeks scheduling phone calls and interviews with development directors in Cristo Rey schools across the country to  discuss experiences with their first graduation ceremony. My plan was to ask as many questions as I could, with special attention to common pitfalls, successes and any words from wisdom from the schools who boast 10+ years of amazing graduation ceremonies. It was a really cool experience connecting with schools in very diverse cities, from L.A. to Brooklyn to Indianapolis, and even to small-town Waukegan, Illinois. Every development director had a different approach to their school’s graduation and the strategies they’ve established to ensure its success. These conversations were extremely fruitful as they allow me to report a vast array of options for what Cristo Rey can implement in the upcoming year and recommendations for how they can adjust these ideas to fit well with their vision for CRCHS.

Despite the differences between the schools, however, the realization I met towards the end of the interviewing process was the remarkable support system that the Network provides for Cristo Rey schools. There are over 30 schools who are in various stages of operation; some have just celebrated their 10 year anniversaries, others were just granted permission to open two weeks ago, and others are preparing for one of the biggest milestones of them all, their first graduation (us!). There was enthusiasm and excitement present in each and every conversation I had with schools in the Network. They were eager to share their experiences, brainstorm ideas, and provide some insight on upcoming challenges or joys that were sure to arise in the upcoming year. Overall, it was an altogether enjoyable experience that shed a new light on each school’s role within a larger Network-wide vision.

There has been such a tremendous(ly awesome) focus on the Columbus community and its members throughout my time with Cristo Rey and the Columbus Foundation. I have truly learned so much about its people and organizations and I have realized a new sense of pride for the city I call Home. However, acting as the liaison between Cristo Rey schools across the country has introduced such a feeling of solidarity and support that I was not anticipating. These schools are rooting for me (only a temporary fellow here at CRC!), the work I’m doing, but especially the kids that Cristo Rey Columbus is serving. It is important to them that Columbus is successful. Their overwhelming support & good wishes further prove their dedication to the mission and I truly wish I could share their words of encouragement with every faculty member, teacher, administrator and student here at CRCHS. As a result from my direct engagement with schools everywhere, I have no doubt that the Network will grow until the U.S. is bursting at the seams with these incredible educational institutions that empower low-income youth to be successful in their college and career ambitions.

Learn more about the Cristo Rey Network founded in 1996 by John P. Foley, S.J. here: http://www.cristoreynetwork.org/

Last week I had the opportunity to tour Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC), an organization that works to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and their allies. Back in April of this year Kaleidoscope moved their space from North High Street to a beautiful 5,000 square foot home on Town Street. Because I have been thinking through how to best create a space for the teens at Southpoint, I realized I could learn a lot from the process KYC went through when they had the opportunity to re-imagine and create a new space for the youth the serve.

Siobhan Boyd-Nelson, the Development and Marketing Manager for Kaleidoscope, met with me to give me a tour of the house.  One of the more striking and beautiful parts of the space is that every room is painted a different bright and bold color. KYC youth chose the color palette – one of the many ways they contributed to the development of the space.  As we walked around I got to see their living room, creative arts space, computer and tech area, kitchen and snack area, library and my favorite part – a performing arts stage.  KYC staff had youth do a collage of what they wished to see in their new youth center, and most of it has come to life there in a beautiful way.

Siobhan and I discussed the importance of youth being directly involved in the design of a space; without their by in the space will end up not being utilized and lack meaning for youth. At KYC, youth helped in the development of principles that everyone must follow when spending time in the space. KYC has monthly meetings where youth can give feedback and input about things that are and aren’t working, and contribute ideas.  I hope to find a way to adapt the same guidelines that KYC utilized for the purposes of a teen space at Southpoint.

For more information about the services that Kaleidoscope Youth Center offers check out their website here.

This week, I was busy going to sites for History to Go. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, I went to three of the ETSS sites. ETSS may sound familiar to some of you since Anastasia Martinez, another fellow for the Columbus Foundation, is working at ETSS for the summer. On Thursday, I also went to Brentnell Community Recreation Center and had a wonderful time facilitating programs.

I have officially been to all of the ETSS sites now and I have one more program for them on Monday. It’s been a great learning experience to see the diversity and differences among different immigrant communities in Columbus, Ohio. Just at ETSS, I’ve had the opportunity to work with kids from many different places like Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Even the physical buildings themselves are vastly different from one another.

The quality of buildings is something I notice now more than ever at all the sites I am going to. From going to so many community centers and schools, one can see the disparity in the quality. I would love to see some research on how physical surroundings affect behavior and attention. I found a couple of studies that relate to this idea, but it seems like I have more research to do on this topic and/or that more research should be done. While, the correlation between a physical space and behavior may seem obvious, I think if research is conducted that has concrete data it could help to influence policy decisions.

Anyways, I was not the only one who was able to come out to the ETSS sites this week from the Columbus Foundation. On Wednesday,  Nick George, the photographer from the Columbus Foundation came out and took a few pictures of History to Go. One of the pictures he took is on the Columbus Foundation Instagram. Anastasia Martinez also came out on Wednesday and got to see History to Go in action.

While, I am sure that Nick took significantly better pictures, I thought it would be nice to share some of my own pictures.  So, prepare for some cuteness:

A few weeks ago one of my co-workers mentioned she was in the process of granting a ‘Gift of Kindness‘. Curious, I asked her what a Gift of Kindness specifically was. She explained that a Gift of Kindness is a onetime grant given through the Columbus Foundation to individuals who may experience an unanticipated setback, and are in need of immediate financial assistance. Gifts of Kindness can include money for rent, modes of transportation, utilities or a variety of other needs. In my co-worker Caitlin’s case, the Gift of Kindness was a new washer and dryer for one of her clients.

After doing some research, I learned the Gift of Kindness Fund was established in 2014 when an anonymous donor contributed $500,000 in an effort to encourage the Columbus community to share kindness in any way they could, whether that be through volunteering, donating, or simply a kind act. Usually the gifts are something we take for granted everyday such as the washer and dryer. Such seemingly simple gifts are huge for those most desperate in trying to move forward and stay independent. A Gift of Kindness may enable them to do so!

On Monday, I had the chance to visit Louise’s* home with Caitlin. When we pulled up to her condo, the Lowe’s truck was waiting outside and we knew we were at the right place. As Louise welcomed us into her home, it was easy to grasp the sense of excitement that she felt. She eagerly led us downstairs, ready to show us her brand new whirlpool washer and dryer. Louise was absolutely thrilled, to say the least.

As Louise faces many challenges, receiving a washer and dryer allows her to stay in the comfort of her home and move forward without sacrificing rent, food, or other necessities. Without this Gift of Kindness, it could have created unbearable amounts of obstacles for Louise, ones that could have produced a domino effect, even leading to possible loss of her home. The Gifts of Kindness offered through the Columbus Foundation have a tremendous impact on individuals and families. The goal is to create permanent solutions to what could be permanent problems.

While the fellows did not have a meeting this week at the Columbus Foundation, I found my Columbus Foundation and LifeCare worlds overlapping as I was able to view a Gift of Kindness in action. It was amazing to see the way in which nonprofits interact to benefit those with crucial needs in our community. The collaboration between the Columbus Foundation and other nonprofits around Columbus, especially LifeCare Alliance, is so important to make sure the needs of all people can be met and those most desperate can receive assistance when needed. The way in which people and organizations work together for the benefit of those needing immediate support has encouraged me to spread kindness wherever I am. As I conclude this post, I encourage those reading to share a gift of kindness this weekend. No matter how small it may be, you can make a difference!

Louise*: The client’s name has been changed to respect the privacy of the client.

This week, I was given the task to build a database of dietitians to market the nutrition app to (do you realize how many dietitians in the United States there are?!). This app will be starting internally at the end of 2016 but eventually, it is the Center’s hope that others in the eating disorder field and the larger nutrition field will use it to increase productivity and efficiency. On the other side of the screen, this resource will create convenience and hopefully lessen both confusion and anxiety for clients.

I feel like Eleni in saying that my week has been me + my spreadheet + not much else. At each learning session when the fellows go around the table and share what we have been working on, she tells us all about the awesome data and spreadsheets she works with on a daily basis. I’m assuming that mine is much less complex or number-oriented but yes, it has been fairly awesome.

This is what I have learned from Excel this week:

• It is overwhelming (not excessively but, yes; a big project).
• No matter how much I try, I’m going to make mistakes by missing information
• It is time-consuming
• Looking away from the screen to blink a few times, occasional walks down the hall and ice cold water next to my laptop are helpful
• Nevertheless, it is still hopeful and exciting

These five bullet points of characteristics can practically be applied to any project but also, a glimpse of the place where students entering their final year of their undergraduate college career may be.

This fellowship with all of its networking opportunities, learning sessions and not to mention, incredible experience at a Columbus-area nonprofit couldn’t have come at a better time. My senior year worries and confusion may still be present but with new knowledge, connections and skills I can take onward, I am…

• Overwhelmed? Add confidence to that mix.
• Making mistakes all along the way? You bet! And learning from them.
• Busy with a packed scheduled? A packed schedule that provides me with daily valuable experiences!
• Breaks necessary? Always.
• Hopeful AND exciting. Of course!!

Thank you for refreshing my outlook on the year ahead, Excel. Now back to saving the world (let’s call it that!) one dietitian at a time!

Maybe it’s because I’ve been working in a school, surrounded by things targeted at little kids, but I’ve been reminiscing a lot about my childhood lately. One of my favorite TV shows when I was growing up was “Arthur,” whose theme song is still such a jam and whose lyrics fit really well with what I’ve been contemplating this week:

“Every day when you’re walking down the street,
Everybody that you meet has an original point of view.
And I say – Hey! (Hey!)
What a wonderful kind of day, if we could learn to work and play
And get along with each other”

KIPP works to promote a safe culture for its students and staff, and I think that’s a big part of why I have so many “wonderful kind of days” here. Everyone really works to understand and learn from each other. I’ve got a perfect example of this in action. In the wake of recent events, the KIPP Foundation’s Facebook page posted a series of submissions from KIPP students, alumni, and staff from all over the country on the issues of police brutality and racism (if you’re interested in reading some, go back to July 7th and 8th on the page. Seriously, they’re worth looking through.) I’d seen people sharing some of these posts on Facebook, and was blown away by the eloquence and power of their statements. At work this week, I helped create a poster for the office with quotes from these Facebook posts taped up all over it–it’s now hanging right in the center of the office for all to see. I’ve watched all of my coworkers walk past it and carefully read the statements upon it, informing themselves on the situation and shaking their heads at the upsetting state of our nation.

That sort of thing is what KIPP is all about: working to create a safe place for everyone, and staying informed in order to be able to give voice to those who are in need. One of KIPP’s national mottoes is “Work Hard. Be Nice.” Because at KIPP, working hard is incredibly important, and being nice to others isn’t a suggestion; it’s a guarantee. Treating your fellow humans kindly is not something that you should do, it’s something that you must do. Amazingly, everyone seems to wholeheartedly comply, and it makes the office such a cheerful, comforting place. It just makes you wonder how much brighter the world would be if everyone took the same approach.

During the latter half of my college experience, there was nothing more stressed by my professors and mentors than the importance of learning how to network. From learning the proper communication channels all the way through the infamous elevator pitch and how to carry a conversation, I had spent two years learning how to make valuable connections in the professional world. Up until this week, I was under the *false* impression that my networking skills had been mastered.

There I was on Monday morning, freaking out as I began prepping for three coffee meetings that were set up for later in the week. See, I was used to being the one to initiate the meeting with whomever it was I was hoping to connect. Whether it be one of the very many interesting people in Washington DC where I had spent my time as a congressional intern or a friend of a professor who had a particularly diverse career path, I was used to approaching an older professional after already establishing a reason for me to be speaking with them. This situation was slightly different because Carly, the Development Coordinator here at Cristo Rey, thought I would benefit from conversations from a few incredible Columbus community leaders that she knew from her time at Mortiz School of Law.

I was so appreciative of Carly and her willingness to connect me with a few of her colleagues, but I realized I was out of my comfort zone. They were high profile people in the community with whom I had little in common and I hardly knew anything about. I also came to the realization that I no longer had the cover of “oh, I’m just a college student from your alma mater trying to see what careers are out there.” I felt the pressure to take the conversation up a few notches and ask more significant and probing questions other than, “Can you tell me a bit about what you do as ______?” What in the world am I gonna ask them and how am I going to justify taking up an hour out of their day spent with me???

Well today is Friday and I am convinced this has been the most productive week of my Fellowship since the start. Not only have I gotten the ball completely rolling on my research project, but I had three incredible meetings with very inspirational and successful community leaders. Honestly, I feel leagues ahead of where I was on Monday in terms of my personal professional development. The conversations I had over coffee were thought provoking and more helpful than any meeting I have had in the past year. This seems like a very juvenile conclusion that I should have met years ago, but this week was a testament to the value of pushing yourself outside the areas where you are confident & comfortable. Not just socially, but professionally. The perspectives provided this week really hit home in ways I didn’t anticipate and led me to ask myself some extremely important questions about my future and my personal brand as a worker. I have Carly to thank for this, and its these moments throughout my summer here at CRC that make me feel truly spoiled. They have provided me the opportunity to not only grow within the framework of what I am doing for them, but also grow as an individual as I continue to navigate the immediate post-grad life. I could not be more thankful!

“The greatest resource that any country can have is its children” -Danny Kaye

That quote was stolen off the door an incredible youth manager who is now on her way to Cambodia. It embodies every aspect of my passion for children to succeed, despite their background, culture, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status because they are greater than that.

I always think back on my own journey from East Toledo and how fortunate I was to have supportive parents and  encouraging mentors. I initially had a full ride to the University of Toledo with tuition, books, and on-campus living paid for, for four years. Because of my parents and mentors, a spark ignited in me to do better, hence Ohio State. Though it’s been a struggle to find funds, balance work, school, extra-curricular activities and volunteering, it’s the best decision I made. I want to instill the same spark in youth to push them to aspire for greater and not settle for the norm or take the easy path. I want to show them where they are now does not dictate where they can be and what they can do.

This week I’ve been able to travel to all four sites and truly engage with the youth. It’s so heart-warming hearing, “Hi Miss Ana! I loooooove your hair!” and hear about their summer experiences.It makes me wish August 5th wasn’t around the corner so I could see the progress each youth is making every day. Hearing their hardships and achievements is the greatest aspect of this internship and has fueled my passion for equity in education.

Speaking of hardships and achievements. This Thursday, I was able to attend an emergency community meeting for the Wedgewood Apartment community. I believe I gave some background in my last blog, but it never hurts to repeat. The Wedgewood apartment complex is home to 2,500 residents (2,000 are children) and 90% of these residents are Somali refugees. Crime and violence within this community has escalated to the point that children are too scared to leave their homes and guns are being found daily in the bushes. The emergency meeting was between community leaders, organizations and school principals and teachers to not only educate all on the issues, but to brainstorm solutions. The long-term solution is a community center, which would give the youth a safe, fun environment to play and learn in not only after-school, but throughout the summer. The short-term goal is to pull all resources together and bring them to the apartment complex. I could go on and on about this issue but I’m going to jump ahead to the achievement part…

FREE WATER BOTTLES. After weeks of emails, denied requests, and one or two tears, I finally found an incredible organization, Green Spot, who is not only donation 400 reusable water bottles, but will be leading a “Going Green” workshop for our youngsters at the Youth Summit! Now that is a happy ending to a marvelous week.

P.S. HAPPY FRIDAY! Guess who is going to JazZoo tonight and is super excited? This gal!