Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

Busy, busy, busy.  But all in a good way.

I have found myself eyes deep in the water of non-profit videography. The good news is that I know how to swim. Everything I have learned at Capital University and from my previous employers has prepared me quite well for my Fellowship.  Over the past few years I have learned how to fill the role of film producer, director, and editor; it is finally being put to good use.

I have spent the last week and a half “on the road”, traveling all around to Columbus to listen to the many voices of Habitat For Humanity MidOhio.  Whether that be a loving and hardworking family, or a group of hungry and helpful volunteers, I have gotten to know some of the most inspiring people in Columbus.

The most interesting aspect of conducting all these interviews with complete strangers is how quickly I have become friends with all of them. It becomes difficult not to feel close to someone after you sit in a chair 5 feet away from them and ask them intimate questions with extremely personal answers.  I learn who they are and how their life has been changed by this non-profit I represent. I must say, video work has never felt more rewarding or more meaningful than this current role I find myself in.  Habitat is doing “God’s Work” as one of my interviewees put it.  Another even labeled the employees and volunteers from Habitat as “Angels”, saying “they should put wings on the back of their shirts”. Wow.  I have worked on lots of videos for clients before but never have I been labeled an angel.

You would assume that with all these compliments being thrown their way, all of the Habitat employees would smile and kick their feet up for a second to bask in their holiness.  However, this non-profit is filled with the type of people who will never be satisfied with the work they have done because there is always work left to do.  Habitat’s mission statement is as follow, “A world where everyone has a decent place to live. Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.”  Making sure everyone in the world has a decent place to live is a lofty goal that many hope one day to achieve, but I can say with confidence that there is no one better to lead this mission than Habitat For Humanity.  Bravo.

Monday, I had a productive outreach visit at Hilliard Horizon Elementary School with our volunteers Megan and Missy. We partnered with SON Ministries summer camp free lunch program for this visit. The kids for this visit were the MOST energetic and engaged kids I have ever worked with on an outreach visit! They were ALL over the activities and games that we brought, asking tons of questions, helping us by teaching the other kids the activities, and generally, enjoying themselves while learning! I really liked meeting the staff and volunteers from SON Ministries, and I was especially impressed with the number of activities and games they had for the kids. The program description as a summer camp is very accurate because it was not just a free lunch program for the kids. The day we visited the program, they also had tons of other games and playground equipment for the kids to play freely on, a presentation by a group of nursing students from Columbus State Community College, and more activities during eating. I think that having all these activities for the kids, especially during the summer when school is out, encourages them to want to play, learn more, and be more engaged during the summer. This excitement and engagement transfers to the school year, as well. I think this is why the kids during our visit were so engaged: SON Ministries has been doing a fantastic job fostering the growth of the kids!

On Tuesday, I spent the morning contacting principals at schools we would like to target to expand our outreach program. I used the list of percentages of students that received free and reduced lunches that I compiled from Ohio Department of Education data to prioritize schools to target. I prioritized our schools and created the final list based on how near the schools are to our clinic and how much need there is at the school, based on the percentage of students that qualify for free and reduced lunches. I spent the afternoon finding the contact information for the principals of each school and sent emails to almost all of the principals with schools near our clinic.

I went to the clinic later on Tuesday afternoon where Mrs. Zuber and I visited a focus group meeting organized by the Bhutanese Nepali Community of Columbus, a community organization of local Bhutanese Nepali community members, including a large number of recent immigrants. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about the Bhutanese community and to meet with leaders from the community organization. The Columbus Police Department was also invited to the focus group to discuss race relations and concerns about safety and security raised by Bhutanese Nepali community members.  I learned of the extensive outreach and community engagement initiatives by the Columbus Police Department, as well!

I found a good and very recent article by The Columbus Dispatch about the Bhutanese Nepali community in Columbus, which includes a brief history of Bhutan and Bhutan’s relationship with Britain and India since the 1850’s and an overview of the conflict and ethnic cleansing of all Nepali’s in Bhutan. This ethnic cleansing began in the 1990’s, which forced thousands out of Bhutan as refugees to different countries, including the US. The Dispatch article also describes the experience of new immigrants into context in Columbus and central Ohio. I also found a ThisWeek News article summarizing the Associations mission and efforts. At the beginning of the meeting, I was heartbroken to hear the struggles the Bhutanese Nepali community members faced day to day explained by the focus group members, but I was very optimistic about the determination of the Association leadership and community members in the focus group.

I had a productive check-in meeting with Laura in the afternoon and determined some deadlines to get some of my other projects this summer off the ground now that I’ve gotten a handle on my outreach responsibilities. Then, that evening, I went to the Clippers game with the other Columbus Foundation Fellows! It was a blast!

I had my most productive day yet on Wednesday! I started with a Fellows Learning session in the morning, where we met leaders in the central Ohio non-profit sector from BESA, Westerville Symphony, Forge Columbus, and a local charter school system. After our Learning Session, a few of the other Fellows and I grabbed lunch and hung out at North Market! When I got to the clinic, I worked on researching other successful dental clinics with unique operating and funding models. I then worked on gathering examples of clinic brochures from other organizations to base a rough draft of a brochure for the KidSMILES outreach program. These two projects took up several hours on Wednesday afternoon, but they were well worth the time spent!

On Thursday, I went to an outreach visit at another WARM summer lunch program in Westerville. Our outreach visit site was located at Huber Village Park, which is the park that my family and I would go to very frequently when my family lived in Westerville. Unfortunately, it was raining a LOT when we started our visit, which meant only the ten kids attended the free lunch that day go their lunch. The other thirty kids who normally come to the lunch program did not receive their lunches. Every one of the kids that came to the lunch program came to talk to Megan and I and to try all of our games at some point of our visit. Most of the kids came up individually to our table. We answered a lot of questions they had that came up during our oral health truth and false quiz game. What surprised me the most was how open the kids were about their experiences; almost all of them mentioned that their families could not afford them to take them to the dentist. While that broke my heart, I was so happy to talk to them about our clinic and give them goodie bags with our clinic information in it. Megan and I made sure that each kid knew to show the bags to their parents, so hopefully they would be able to get care from KidSMILES. On the way back, I even stopped my house that I lived in until sixth grade since it was five minutes away from our outreach site!

On Friday, I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning, but went straight to lunch with our executive director and our two new AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers at KidSMILES. The VISTA Fellows, Eric and Tionne, will be doing a  one year stay at KidSMILES where they will work full-time to help build capacity and sustainable growth at the clinic. The three of us went to meet our other volunteers at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Hilliard for an outreach visit with SON Ministries Summer Lunch Club. Just like our visit on Monday, the kids at SON were so energetic and ready to learn! After lunch, the kids had time for free play in the church gym and outside on the playground, and almost all of the kids came by our table at some point. We had a lot of volunteers for this visit, so everything went very smoothly! It was the best visit this summer yet! Every week is getting better and better!

My boss was out for the week, but left me with plenty of direction.  I had a busy week of crunching numbers.  A program manager from a different office suggested that perhaps January was so high because we weren’t using In-Kind as much.  I investigated and found that the amount of IK we use is consistently average.  My second project I’ve been working on is a cost comparison between fiscal year 2014 and 2015.  In the middle of 2015, our chapter implemented some cost saving strategies.  So far, costs have been significantly down in 2015.  I’m doing my own in-depth investigation to be sure it is a direct result of our cost-saving strategies.  I find myself feeling very skeptical that these strategies brought our numbers down so much, and so quickly, although I very much hope it’s true.  It’s tedious business to analyze this because I’m trying to hold the numbers constant by adjusting for inflation, number of wishes per quarter, and number of people who go on each wish.  I analyzed the type of wishes from 2014-2015, breaking it down by National Type, travel vs. non-travel, then domestic vs. international travel.  I found no significant differences.

I had also been analyzing limo costs, but put that on hold.  They’re relatively difficult to analyze because it’s very time consuming and there are a lot of variables.  I found that one Wish Coordinator had much lower limo costs than any other WC, so I emailed her to ask what she does differently.  She attributed it to having many more limo companies in her region than others in our chapter.  This means that she is better able to find limo companies close to her wish kiddos houses, making the ride cheaper.

My project for the summer is a large task and I believe it could be turned into a full or part time position.  That person could develop templates for easy analysis to perhaps sell to other chapters.  The office has been expanding in the past year, so I believe it would be feasible to add a permanent Program Researcher position.

This has been such a great week at Shepherd’s Corner. We hosted a group of local youngsters for a week filled with summer camp fun!

On Monday I was able to meet the campers, and it was such a joy to see how excited they were, and to see that they were so eager to learn all about mother nature. They learned all about composting, and how recycling goes way beyond just putting paper and plastic in bins. With composting, microorganisms, such as worms, break down materials, such as food scraps and vegetation, to turn it into organic materials to create a rich, nutrient-filled soil. This is then used in gardens to provide nutrients to the plants, and the process starts all over again. It’s the ultimate recycling!

Matt, my co-worker who is doing a year long stay at Shepherd’s Corner through Americorp., and I took the kids on a woods walk through the big woods on Friday. It was so much fun! We stopped at so many interesting spots along the path and had short lessons to go with them. For example, we stopped at the tree with the giant Pileated woodpecker holes where the kids were able to get up close and touch the holes. Did you know that woodpeckers have really really long tongues that they store by wrapping it up into the back of their heads?! It’s gross, but fascinating! We also stopped at a tree that is in the process of falling over, and the roots are exposed. Matt and I connected this with the life cycle of a tree; a seed is dispersed, a sapling/baby tree forms, a mature tree develops and becomes the home and support system for many animals for animals and surrounding vegetation, the tree grows old and dies, the tree becomes week and falls becoming food for decomposers, and that decomposed tree is transformed into nutrients for the next tree that will grow in its place. There were so many other stops and lessons along the way, and this experience made me even more confident in my choice of eventually becoming a biology teacher.

It was so important to have the kids out to Shepherd’s Corner because they are the future… literally. No pressure to them, or the rest of the younger generations, but the well-being of the earth is in their hands. However, they will not know how to take care of it if they don’t learn from those that already know what they are doing. Teaching these kids about conservation, gardening, and care for all of the earth has restored my faith that Earth is in good hands, and that it will thrive for many more generations to come.

In continuation towards preserving the earth, the resurveying for Ask the Land is still going strong! I have contacted everyone on the list given to me by Mark Dilley, and we have three confirmations from people that are willing to come and survey at Shepherd’s Corner!!! Jeff Bates (wetland specialist), Dan Boone (plant specialist), and Michael Hoggarth (malacologist – mollusk specialist) will be visiting to do their resurveying in July, and I cannot wait to be by their side and take in all of their knowledge that they have to share.

Hello all! This week I’ve been out of the office on a family vacation, working remotely from the sandy beaches of Hilton Head Island.

The view from my “office” for the week.

So since I have been away from the Per Scholas team this week, I thought I would share a bit about my interest in this fellowship and the non-profit sector in general. I have had the privilege of serving with and supporting several non-profit organizations since high school. I’ve served within my church and school for many years, and more recently in my community, so service has been a part of my life for a while now. To be honest, it probably started as a way to build up my college applications, so keep up pushing those extra-curriculars, universities!

Organizations focused on providing HIV/AIDS education and treatment are especially close to my heart and I have had the privilege and the pleasure of serving within two such organizations. I traveled to Swaziland two summers ago and served with The Luke Commission, a medical ministry based in Swaziland that is providing hope and healing across that beautiful country. In Swaziland, I helped set up TLC’s bi-weekly clinics, tested patients for HIV, distributed medications, unloaded entire shipping containers full of medical supplies and donated materials, and worked on a number of other tasks. At the end of the day I was bone-tired and fully aware that this work was done each and every day, whether a team of volunteers was there or not. It was an undeserved privilege to work with TLC and see how their operations are changing lives. The next summer, I put my tireless organizational impulses to good use and served as an administrative volunteer at ARC Ohio. My contributions were simple; anyone could have re-organized a filing cabinet or scanned some documents into a computer. But I was the one with the opportunity to do these things and again I recognized the distinct pleasure of service. These experiences showed me that it is an honor to serve another human being in any capacity.

I share these experiences with you because they are a huge part of the reason why I am here today. As I neared my graduation, I began to look for ways to use the skills I’d acquired in college for the service of others. Then I stumbled upon this incredible opportunity, applied, and was offered a spot amongst these excellent fellows. I realized then more than ever what a privilege it is to serve. Plenty of people wanted this fellowship and were certainly qualified for it, but I was awarded the opportunity. With such a great honor comes a great responsibility—did I just quote Spiderman? Oops!—to work diligently and to do good. It is my hope that I never take the chance to serve for granted and that I always do my best to love others and serve them well.

Be sure to check back next week because it’s the Per Scholas Columbus graduation and I am so excited to share it with you!

My work week was consumed by my desk phone, as I spoke with the representatives of our legal software program, and one hour bled into two, and then three, and then a day, and so on. I am working to improve our understanding and utilization of this software, in hopes of bolstering our organizations efficiency, as well as enlarging our capacity. After my time with Vineyard expires on August 7th, my boss, and the lone attorney leading the Immigration Counseling Services, will be alone, save for her team of volunteers, taking on virtually all of the work for the program. Thus, my efforts at upgrading our usage of the software, although not particularly exhilarating, are abundantly important; more of my boss’ time will be freed up to invest in our clients and continuing to better the practice, enabling her to provide counsel and assistance to more immigrants than ever before.

My time on the phone with sometimes less than helpful customer support representatives is not nearly over, but the time I get to spend in the client meetings each week reminds me of the colossal impact we are having on the lives of our constituents. Our intercession and aid is the difference, for many, between legally living and working in Columbus with their families, and being separated from their loved ones and forced to return to a violent, destitute homeland. Moreover, the majority of those that we serve are children and young adults; knowing that we are helping provide them with a future much brighter than the alternative makes all of the work, irrespective of how tedious some tasks may be, more than worthwhile.

-Abdul Alwattar

One of the best parts about this Summer Fellowship experience has been the learning sessions at The Columbus Foundation.   Every other week, the fellows take time out of their busy work schedules to come together to learn more about the nonprofit sector and reflect as a cohort about what they have been doing. This most recent session was particularly inspiring as panel of five young professionals from the Columbus nonprofit community spoke to us about their organizations and the challenges of the nonprofit world.

The key advice that I gleaned from the panel was the importance of storytelling for a nonprofit organization. Nonprofits can be doing amazing things, but if they don’t know how to tell their story they are losing major opportunities to get new donors and share their mission with the community. Storytelling is essential for development, marketing, volunteer management, employee engagement, and much more. You need to be able to convince people that you are not just a charity, but your support, time, and money is an investment in the betterment of the community.

In addition to the learning session this week, the fellows were also treated to a Clippers game Tuesday night. I’m pretty confident in saying that I know next to nothing about baseball, but it was still a fun night with my fellow fellows (and Dan and Melissa) full of conversations about experiences, hopes, dreams, and ice cream. It’s strange to think that all the fellows were strangers less than a month ago and that through this program we have been connected through our united passion of achieving good in the world. I’m dying to insert some sort of baseball pun about nonprofits here, but I will refrain for the reader’s sake.

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We have to have a focus on Youth Development. We have to raise up future leaders. One of the ways that I find this to be achieved is through programming. There are two things that I have realized this past week that are two imperative to having successful programming. The first being the power of advertisement. The second is having a diverse amount of activities are important to have. The power of advertising is real.

The first week we did programming there were not any kids who attended, but with a week of advertising we had five children attend the program at one of our local YMCA Branches. We distributed fliers, made social media posts, and had personal conversations with families as much as possible. The most important thing about advertising is creating excitement around the programming!

I have learned so much about the YMCA and the programs that they run for Youth Development. This past week I had the pleasure of visiting the Delaware YMCA camp for a day, and visiting their branch. Similar to the other branches I work with, they have a day camp, before and after care program, kids’ time, child care, and teen programming. Not only do YMCA’s have a lot of programming, but they are so diverse. They cover a wide range of ages, needs, and educational opportunities.

That’s how Youth Development is most effective is through advertising and diversity. We need to raise up leaders and keep our children safe. I love being associated with a nonprofit organization that holds Youth Development near their hearts, and is always striving for more in that area!

Well, here it is… The long-awaited arrival of the most revealing, inspiring blog of all time. The 300 words that will reshape the next 300 years of society. You’ve read many stories about teamwork, but none quite like this (or, maybe you have..).

Alright, overly-dramatic and satirical intro aside, I really do want to talk about an afternoon spent taking apart, picking up, rolling, and re-shuffling furniture. Why, you ask, would such an activity be noteworthy enough to include in a blog specifically designed to showcase the remarkable impact young people in the nonprofit sector? Because, people. That’s why.

Much is made of office dynamics in this place called the “real world”. It is often said that the people in your office can make or break your entire experience. But how often do you really get to spend quality time in the office with co-workers? Sure, there are happy hours all around the city and every once in a while you may run into a cubicle-mate at a weekend arts festival… but it’s rare to share team building experiences in the office (not including mandatory “team building” workshops and retreats). But that’s exactly what happened this week at Clean Fuels Ohio. For a couple hours, we all put aside our tiring efforts to save the world one electric vehicle at a time and we dove head first into an intimidating endeavor: renovating the conference room.

“Out with the old in with the new” is just too simple to describe the process. Measuring, folding, lifting, sliding, and more measuring…

*takes hour break to celebrate the legalization of same sex marriage*

But anyway, this seemingly minor activity turned into a lengthy bonding experience that made me realize how fortunate I am to work in an environment (pun intended) as tremendous as the one here at Clean Fuels. The people really do make all the difference and this adventure (turning the conference room from pic #1 to pic #2) has made it even more clear.