Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

THANK YOU to the Columbus Foundation and to the Homeless Families Foundation! I am so thankful for all of the opportunities that the summer fellowship program has provided me over the past 10 weeks! I have learned so much… about homelessness… about the clients of the Homeless Families Foundation… about child transportation… about other community non-profits… about non-profit leadership… about Columbus… and so much more.

I feel so fortunate to have experienced so much in just 10 weeks. This has really been an incredible experience, and I’m looking forward to today’s luncheon where all of the summer fellows will be presenting their experiences and accomplishments.

This is a summer that I’ll never forget… thank you so much… for EVERYTHING!

I realize I write about almost all other experiences than my actual projects assigned to my role but I think that’s because working in multimedia for the past 6 years that it is second nature to me and I don’t really notice it anymore. The last couple of weeks after Freedom Schools ended I have really been able to dedicate to the other media projects for my host site.

I have been working diligently at branding a new initiative that is a branch separate from CD4AP. I love designing new logos and media materials, a very similar experience I had in my junior year at OSU as the founding officer for the Latino Student Association. I was Vice-President of Communications so I had a lot of branding I had to create from scratch. Working with CD4AP was a bit challenging because they had no strong direction in the beginning or influence for me to work from and I made millions upon millions of different logo iterations. My experience with the team is very similar to other clients I’ve worked with in the past; most of the time the client does know what he wants but doesn’t realize that they do and it can be like pulling teeth trying to get them to articulate it. That’s the beauty of designing however, creating a lot of different styles and images and working together in the creation process. The new organization is called South Side Renaissance and it will focus on housing in the community. (See my post from the Mayor’s press conference that touches upon this new partnership).  I’ve never had to design for a housing initiative so my research and creative process was a lot more involved and wide spread of ideas than I how I normally create brands but it was a lot of fun.

Lastly, I’ve been slaving away at OSU’s Digital Union (basically a technology lab) trying edit an awesome video of CD4AP’s first summer youth program as a Freedom School host site. That has also been a lot of fun, minus the various crashes and misplaced media files, the joys of working in multimedia. All in all it’s been a very great summer tinkering away in InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Web media!

-Amber

“The time has come,” the Foundation said,

“To talk of many things:

Of fellowships—and Kids Lunch Club

Of magic shows—and swings—

And why it always rains at noon—

And tangled-up tent strings.”

-adapted from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass” 

The last day of the Kids Lunch Club was on Friday, and the children returned to school this Wednesday.  It’s hard to believe ten weeks has passed, as it seems we just began our journey with the Fellowship.  Last week was a strange mixture of sadness and joy for the end to a successful program.  The children expressed their sorrow in parting ways with site staff and the new friends they gained while attending the KLC.  The W.A.R.M. Lunch Club staff and VISTA Summer Associates had a closing get-together to properly conclude the program and our time spent together.  It was a great way to celebrate our achievements and take the time to say our goodbyes to one another as well. 

This week was spent tying up loose ends before tomorrow.  I logged our final numbers of total meals distributed for children and adults, and made several graphs demonstrating a 2-year comparison, meals distributed by site, and an attendance trend line by week.  Deb and I submitted our final claim for reimbursement for the months of July and August.  While completing an inventory of the site equipment (tents, tables, arts and crafts materials, sit-upons, hand sanitizer…you name it, we’ve got it…), the equipment manager, a site staff member, and I had an unfortunate issue arise.  The warehouse space we were borrowing was rented and we had to evacuate immediately!  Needless to say, Tuesday and Wednesday were days filled with manual labor, doing work that needed to be done.  We moved all four sites’ equipment from the warehouse into the W.A.R.M. trailer.  I wish I had a photograph of myself on the board on the “second floor” of the trailer….or maybe I’m glad there isn’t one!  We created an inventory list and a map so next year’s staff will know where specific supplies are located.

I also went to Otterbein University to meet with the professor helping the KLC with the program evaluation.  Unfortunately, since the survey distribution was only during the last program week we had a relatively low response rate.  However, he and I input the data from the surveys and analyzed it.  He will complete this project in the next month by writing a summary and suggestions for potential changes for improvement.  Plans are in place to complete surveys at the onset and culmination of the program in the summer of 2013. 

I would like to take the time to thank everyone who made this Summer Fellowship possible—the Columbus Foundation, Dan and Alicia, the Selection Committee, W.A.R.M., Scott, Deb, and the other W.A.R.M. staff, who welcomed me with open arms.  It was an enriching experience, both professionally and personally, and I am grateful for the people I met and worked with above all.  Thank you!

Hello all,

Today was exhausting, but fun!  In addition to finishing bar crawl wrap up, email drafts for the AIDS Walk email campaign, and other housekeeping things, I also was assigned the duty of dropping off all sorts of promotional materials at different businesses throughout Columbus.  This included Short North, Downtown, German Village, Bexley, Upper Arlington, and Clintonville.  Even though I have lived in Columbus for four years, I never had the opportunity to really explore the layout of Columbus.  This is especially true because I am unfamiliar with 670 and 70, so I definitely took some wrong turns and ended up seeing even more than I had planned 🙂

Some of my favorite stops of the day included the Bexley Public Library (beautiful!), The Book Loft in German Village (I didn’t shop, but it was hard to walk away!), Pisticia Vera in German Village (yum!), Press Grill in the Short North (they were so nice), Stauf’s Coffee Roasting House (I bought a drink–so delicious), and Global Gallery in Clintonville.  Even though that much city driving is enough to fray even the strongest of nerves, it was still enjoyable to see the different areas of the city, take in the skyline from the highways, and finally come back home to a comfier seat than my car seat.

It also gave me a lot of time to reflect on my experience this summer.  I immensely enjoyed my time at AIDS Resource Center Ohio.  So much so, I decided to stay in Columbus and continue working there seasonally and part-time until I find whatever is next in my life.  At previous internships, I rarely got to see the full execution of events and long term projects that I was contributing to; this time, I will get to continue working on Art for Life and AIDS Walk, as well as attend them!

Thank you all for reading this summer.  I hope the next Columbus Foundation Summer Fellowship class appreciates their experience as much as I did mine!

–Katie

The memories and the highlights of my 10 weeks with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio don’t reflect the extra chromosomes, the cognitive delays, the struggles at golf, or anything like that. They reflect the people. They reflect the personalities, the adversity, the positivity, the joviality, and the accomplishments.

It’s not about the struggles, it’s about the growth. And here comes the ultra-highlight of my Summer–the signature moment that still makes my stomach feel all jittery: one of our Summer Learning Academy students had gone through our five week program almost entirely non-responsive. She didn’t enjoy participating, she didn’t feel inclined to communicate much more than to tell us “no” or “later.” She was special though; in fact, behind her stubbornness (which we all had, I mean, really) existed a child who enjoyed learning, who enjoyed celebrating the small things, and who enjoyed goldfish; whose sometimes beautiful if not poorly-timed smile was a sign that every situation has its bright spots. She had scored a zero on our pre-assessment. She had stemmed and remained silent during almost every question we asked her during the program. But the post-assessment was her time to shine. The single-greatest moment of my summer sprang up unexpectedly when this young girl wowed me by answering EVERY QUESTION. Incredible. A miracle. She said more words to me in that 10 minutes than in the previous 5 weeks! I can’t really put it into words, but I almost cried. Coming to terms with the fact that I was never going to know if our five weeks had made an impact in her life, I then had to come to terms that no other first grader could have made more of an impact in my life. Crazy, huh?

I remember the people. Lunch with Scoonie Penn: man, I played it cool in BDubs, but I was calling my mom as soon as I got into the parking lot!

I remember the people: Goofy poses at golf academy. I don’t know how well they shot, but they made pretty good impersonations of Tiger Woods’ photo at least.

I remember the people:

Last Thursday we had the Summer Learning Academy 2012 Graduation Celebration. Kids running everywhere but to their diplomas while this powerpoint with pomp and circumstance played. “When your name is on the screen, walk to Miss Cindy and Miss Shelli [not sprint to your mom’s lap!]” Afterwards, I was picking up and swinging around the kids at every request. I enjoyed talking with the parents, and was so humbled when presented with these:

I mean, I’m not even a teacher!

I remember the people. I worked with the greatest office staff out there. Whether I spent afternoons laughing with Denise, tried hiding my excitement around basketball players with Laura (well she didn’t have as much to hide), sat in the wisdom of our Ex-Exec Nancy,  rivaled Abbey for best make-shift work space, or enjoyed the ups and downs during the Summer Academy with my partner in crime Marge, I remember the people.

Thanks to everyone involved with this. Thank you so very much.

Today’s my last day at the office as a Local Matters fellow! Tomorrow brings the final luncheon and all of our presentations that will enlighten everyone as to the incredible work that’s been going on this summer. I can’t wait to hear what everyone has accomplished.

This morning, the staff gathered at our central meeting table to watch my presentation. I felt silly at first, since all of the people watching me were involved in the project for much longer than I. However, I received warm and receptive feedback after the presentation. I truly feel as though I’m capable of representing this fantastic organization and all that it does. The staff here is welcoming, committed, and truly amazing. I can only hope to make myself a career in an organization like Local Matters.

Speaking of careers, another reason I’m thankful for this experience is that it confirmed my notion that I want to set foot on the non-profit career path. I’ve worked in many settings in the past – schools, government organizations, retail, and non-profit – and hands down, the work that I’ve done with non-profits has been infused with the most excitement and fervor. I’m moving to Minneapolis in October, and I’m using the next month to look for jobs. I definitely know where I’m going to begin my search! If anyone has connections at a food related non-profit in Minnesota, send them my way!

I also have insane amounts of gratitude for the Columbus Foundation. This experience was so much more than summer employment. It was an opportunity to engage in important conversations, expand my horizons, and set the base for what I want to do with the rest of my life. Not to mention that I met some really fun people along the way! Here’s a photo of some of the Fellows at a Columbus Crew game last night: 

The best news is that even though today is my last official day at the Local Matters office as a Fellow, it’s not my last day with Local Matters. The staff is going to a party together on Saturday evening, there are still a bunch of events left for Local Foods Week (check them out and join us – http://local-matters.org/local-foods-week), and I’ve been given the opportunity to continue working at the Food Hub for the rest of my time in Columbus.  What a lucky duck I am. 

Hello all!

Today was a very interesting day.  I represented the development office of AIDS Resource Center Ohio at the Central Ohio HIV Planning Alliance, or COHPA for short.  This is a monthly meeting where agencies that provide health services for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS send representatives to confer with Columbus Public Health.  As one of the largest service providers in the state, ARC Ohio has so many reasons to be there!

Today was particularly interesting because we went over an epidemiology study for Franklin County and a presentation over high risk heterosexual individuals.  The epidemiology study was by far the most relevant part to what I am doing at my fellowship. The stats and trends that we went over showed some very interesting things.  First of which was that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS increased by 9% between 2006-2009 and slowed to 7% these last 2 years.  This is a great thing–it hopefully means that central Ohio is doing all of the right things to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Secondly, for men, male-to male sexual contact is the most common method HIV/AIDS is transmitted.  However, more and more heterosexual men are also contracting HIV/AIDS.   When we discussed this point, there was general agreement that there is a sense of invincibility among straight men when it comes to HIV/AIDS.

Thirdly, the most at risk population is 20-24 years of age.  This is really pertinent to me as most of my friends and me are in this age range.  This really brought the issue back home for me.  In the same vein, while women may overall have a lower rate of infection, African American women are 8 times more likely to contract HIV/AIDS.  I find this interesting because it comes down to the ability to negotiate condom usage.  As an anthropology major with a focus on cultural studies, this is an issue that I find really important.  The ability to negotiate safer sex practices is often viewed as a developing world problem.  It’s surprising to realize it is a problem here as well.

The second part of the COHPA meeting was an assessment of two social intervention programs.  The most best program to listen to was SISTA–Sisters informing Sisters on Topics of AIDS.  As you can guess, it is a program focused on African American women.  It was great to listen to the information about this program after seeing some of the statistics about African American women as a demographic.  This program highlights the holistic approach that is necessary to change behaviors, including negotiating safer sex practices, finding pride in ethnicity, and connecting as women.  The findings of the assessment were also positive in that the SISTA intervention is successful.

Overall, I really enjoyed this meeting.  I also got to share our AIDS Walk updates: 145 registered and more than $7,000 raised!  Also, the building that Columbus Public Health is in has great historic value.  It was a great afternoon with impact.

–Katie

Each summer, the Homeless Families Foundation helps families prepare for their children to go back to school. HFF’s goal is to provide each elementary school student with 2 new outfits and a backpack full of supplies. Middle school and high school students are given a budget, and then staff members and volunteers take these older children shopping for school clothes. This allows the older students more independence in selecting items that they need and that will help them “fit in” with their classmates at school.

This morning, I was very fortunate to to assist a group of middle school & high school boys to shop for their own school clothes. It was really a great experience… the boys were shy at first, but they had such engaging and wonderful personalities. They were very appreciative of the opportunity to get new clothes, and they were very responsible in the use of the money allotted to them. After checking out at the store, the boys were very happy with their purchases, and it was so great to see them smiling and laughing! I know their new clothes will give them additional confidence to achieve success at school.

This was such a rewarding experience… I loved being able to help the kids in finding the items they needed, finding the correct sizes, and finding bargains! Tomorrow, I hope to be able to assist middle school & high school girls with their back to school shopping!

Local Foods Week is off to a great start! I volunteered at two fantastic events this past weekend. First was a large conglomeration of events at the Hills Market: a foodie spelling bee, the Hills farmers’ market, the grilled cheese throwdown, and an auction to benefit Local Matters. It was a ton of fun, and I was honestly surprised by how many people attended the grilled cheese throwdown! Last night was an all-Ohio cookout at the Hoover Y learning garden. There was beautiful music, a tour of the garden, and some fantastic food provided by two caterers. I couldn’t have spent the evening in a more pleasant way! If the remaining line up of events this week is anything like the ones that already happened, then this week will be an incredible success.

Check out what’s left to come this week here: http://local-matters.org/local-foods-week

Whether you’re in the mood for a cooking class, a kid’s activity, a food or beverage tasting, or a suggestion of a fun place to hang out on any given night, you’re in luck. I’ll see you all there!