Member Heather Daly teaching a nutrition lesson to elementary school children

     Bells were ringing around Tiger Academy on December 14th. This year, the Jingle Bell Walk tradition was lead by AmeriCorps member Heather Daly, a healthy living program assistant from First Coast YMCA. The Jingle Bell Walk was started by last year’s NFHC AmeriCorps member Laurel Chadde. The Jingle Bell Walk is a mile long walk that carries on a whole block around the YMCA-affiliated charter school, Tiger Academy. The holiday spirit was captured throughout the event, as each student was wearing a necklace with a bell attached.
    The principal kicked off the event with a warm welcome speech. Heather and Airen, a Physical Education teacher, conducted a physical fitness warm-up before beginning the walk. As the students made their one mile walk around the track, they were able to glance at posters containing healthy living facts that were made by the Tiger Academy’s Student Wellness Council. The posters informed the students of facts such as, “drink water instead of sugary drinks” and “do physical activity every day.” Staff and volunteers also provided refreshments such as water and oranges to help students start the day healthy after completing the walk.
    “It was nice to see how enthusiastic the staff was about the walk and the students too”, said Heather. She also mentioned that the walk sparked interest in students to join the Student Wellness Council.  In this council both 3rd and 4th grade students help plan and organize wellness events at the school.
    “It was nice to be carrying on a tradition that an AmeriCorps member started”, said Heather as she reflected on being able to take part of the tradition. “It’s great to see the impact that Laurel made and hopefully it’s something I’m expanding upon this year.”
    Heather Daly is from rural New York and throughout the service term she is helping to implement the Youth Fit for Life program in the after-school sites from First Coast YMCA. It is her duty to go to the after-school programs and motivate students about fitness and healthy living.

Read Part 1 of our January 2012 Newsletter here

Read Part 2 of our January Newsletter here

     Sometimes the smallest actions can have the greatest impact. This was especially true on December 10th 2011, at the MS Service Day, a collaborative effort between the MS (Multiple sclerosis) Society and North Florida Health Corps members. MS is a disease that affects the brain and central nervous system, and for patients with advanced cases, MS symptoms can significantly interfere with daily activities such as cleaning their homes or maintaining a yard.
    Volunteers arrived at the home ready and willing to clean bathrooms, change sheets, file papers, and rake leaves among many other household chores. Melody Engelbrecht enthusiastically led other NFHC members in their tasks, “I stayed outside to do yard work which mainly involved cleaning the gutters, and collecting tree trimmings, pine cones, and weeds.”
    While many of us take for granted our ability to maintain our homes, the clients who were served sincerely appreciated the members efforts. Lauren Tevelow remembers, “at the end of the project, the homeowner came outside to personally thank each and every member and volunteer that assisted with project. Not only did she verbalize her appreciation, it was apparent in her demeanor, voice and smile. Her thank you was something that I will never forget as well as a huge part of why I enjoy service.”

Read Part 1 of our January 2012 Newsletter here

Read Part 2 of our January 2012 Newsletter here

 

Member Jeffrey Yu teaching a nutrition education class

    As a WIC educator at Wesconnett Health Center, Jeffrey Yu wears many hats. His daily responsibilities range from nutrition education for clients, cross-indexing immunization records for WIC children, client contacts, reading to WIC children as well as completing community health outreach by teaching nutrition and chronic disease prevention classes.
    For Jeff, the past five months at WIC have been filled with learning experiences, but the takeaway lesson has been “to have confidence in [his] material, and to be all the more appreciative of those that [he does] manage to reach.” This lesson came from an unexpected source: a client that approached Jeff after a nutrition class covering heart attack and stroke prevention. This individual, despite having attended two months worth of Jeff’s lessons, had never said more than five words to him. On this occasion, however, he opened up, telling Jeff that he had attended similar lectures for years without anything sinking in. And yet, Jeff’s lesson had struck a chord with him. He now felt the motivation to improve his quality of life: to begin walking again, to take care of himself and to lose weight.
    As Jeff states, “When providing health education, it’s generally difficult to get instant gratification because your efforts rarely result in immediate measurable results…It’s important to keep in mind that not everyone will respond positively to your
efforts, but for the sake of those that might, one cannot stop trying.”

Read Part 1 of our January 2012 Newsletter here

Read Part 2 of our January 2012 Newsletter here

 

Elizabeth Cottrell, JaxHATS patient assisatnce provider

     Elizabeth Cottrell cares about people she has just met. “Commitment to helping others is powerful—letting a new acquaintance in need know you are somebody that cares makes an impact,” says Elizabeth Cottrell. Every summer in high school, Elizabeth took weeklong trips to rural West Virginia with the Appalachian Service Project to repair homes and meet local residents. Her positive experiences with Appalachian Service Project led her to continue service through the North Florida Health Corps.
     Elizabeth now serves as a patient advocate with JaxHATS, a medical home for youth with chronic disabilities transitioning into adult health care. “I assess client needs to transition to adult care, develop a transition plan and provide the necessary education to make the transition seamless,” explains Elizabeth.  “Effective transitions, for me, begin with establishing rapport and providing examples of how I have helped other clients to build patient confidence.”
     Elizabeth also provides intakes and community referrals for JaxHATS’ 450 clients. She relies on counseling techniques to address the various needs of her clients. Elizabeth graduated with a Bachelor’s in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2010. She hopes to work in health psychology, evaluating patients holistically to improve health, a career goal that parallels her current service.
     Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Elizabeth is from the South, but she grew up in the suburbs. “Jacksonville's certainly the South, but the feel is completely different and I’m really enjoying it.”

Read more of our December newsletter here

Emily Parrott (left) and Katherine LaMar (right) pose for a quick picture while serving with The Blood Alliance.

        Each service term North Florida Health Corps members choose a Training Coalition to serve with based on their future career interests. The purpose is to gain exposure in their field through group trainings and group service projects each quarter. The eight members of this term’s Medical Training Coalition include Rose Dowd, Melody Engelbrecht, Katherine LaMar, Kirsten Ohmer, Sarah  MacDowell,  Emily Parrott, Nahstajia Pinnock, and Jeffrey Yu. These NFHC members have a passion for clinical medical practice and have been very busy filling out applications to medical or nursing schools. This daunting task hasn’t kept them from working together as a team to attend Grand Round Seminars at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville or learning more about Health Literacy through a webinar to increase their skills when communicating with patients.
        In addition to the trainings they attend as a group, these eight members were able to set up a partnership with The Blood Alliance to volunteer at Everbank Stadium for their 17th annual Jags Gift of Life Blood Drive on Tuesday, December 13th.  The event included live music, free massages, and special appearances by the Jaguars players and their mascot, Jaxon de Ville.  There were also a variety of children’s activities including face painting and appearances from clowns, like Ronald McDonald.
        The single day event set a new record for The Blood  Alliance, registering 1,006 donors who gave 824 units of blood. With such a large event, the members were fully utilized from 9:30am to 8:00pm on three different levels of the stadium. Members greeted new arrivals, directed donor traffic, assisted with donor registration, helped watch children whose parents were donating blood, and ensured each donor had a positive experience.

Read more of our December 2011 newsletter here

NFHC members unload food donations for the United Way. Kirsten Ohmer (left), Rose Dowd (back), and Tavia Mirassou-Wolf(Right)

     On Saturday, December 3rd, a superb AmeriCorps team joined together to help make a difference in the Jacksonville community with Second Harvest Northeast Florida and United Way.  Both non-profit organizations came together to host a food drive at the Orange Park Mall. Second Harvest serves the community by distributing food and meals to over 500 agencies, including local homeless shelters, the Salvation Army and food pantries.  The group’s mission of the day was to collect and sort through food donations.  To be a part of something with a huge impact gave the members great fulfillment.
     The food drive accepted donations from anyone who offered.  The donations came from individuals or organizations and were divided into three separate boxes: canned, dry foods and bottles.  It was the responsibility of AmeriCorps members to merrily greet and thank everyone for their donations. Some motivated members stood on the street holding signs in an attempt to get more people in the community involved. “I was thrilled by the generosity and kindness I saw from the donors, the volunteers, and even the news crew that was at the drive,” says Kirsten Ohmer. “It was a wonderful feeling to know that the holidays can bring out the best in people.”
     Emily Phillips agreed. “It was great to see people go out of their way to make a donation to help those is need, especially around the holiday.” Emily was also featured on First Coast News for her lively and optimistic attitude during the event.  The news station also took footage of AmeriCorps members engaged with food sorting.  The holiday spirit was in the air and the members agree that the day was an unforgettable one.

Read more of our December 2011 Newsletter here

LaRonda Hannans serves with the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition.

LaRonda Hannans serves at the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition as an Outreach Specialist. “I teach nutrition classes for pregnant women and their families to reduce infant mortality,” says LaRonda. LaRonda schedules and rallies community support for her nutrition classes at local
agencies—that is her Outreach part, and her Specialist part is health education for pregnant women and families. Maternal and child health issues arising from poor health, particularly losing a baby, affected LaRonda’s family and other families she knows. “Infant mortality is a pressing issue, and my service reiterates the fact,” says LaRonda. Growing up in rural Folkston, Georgia, LaRonda did not have public service opportunities. After receiving her bachelor’s at Valdosta State University, she moved to Jacksonville in 2006 to start a position as an Employment Specialist with Goodwill’s Job Junction program. LaRonda learned about North Florida Health Corps from a friend who was a member. After reviewing the North Florida Health Corps website, she applied. LaRonda is working on her Master’s in Public Health at Walden University. While enrolling, she was not sure what to specialize in, but realized her passion is for maternal and child health, particularly infant mortality. LaRonda credits her parenting with her current interests and activities. “I was the first generation to go to college. My advantages growing up led to a ‘pay it back’ mindset.”Her parents emphasized helping the community, another value in her upbringing, she adds.“I am my parents’ oldest child and the only daughter. There’s sometimes pressure for the oldest to succeed, but I enjoy a challenge.”

Read more of our November 2011 newsletter here

Elizabeth Cottrell and Sarah MacDowell are excited to help sort clothes at City Rescue Mission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, November 19th, North Florida Health Corps members spent the afternoon serving at the City Rescue Mission Thrift Store. The City Rescue Mission provides food, clothing, shelter, emergency services and residential recovery programs to Jacksonville’s homeless men, women and children. Since City Rescue Mission does not receive government funding, a large source of revenue is the thrift store. The thrift store is run by seven  employees with the aid of volunteers. Corps members sorted through bags of donated clothes, deciding what could be re-sold. Other members priced Christmas items and arranged displays. It was a fulfilling afternoon, spent supporting an organization that provides services essential to the Jacksonville community.

Read more of our November 2011 newsletter here

Jeff, Kirsten, Megan, Sandy, Heather, Stacey, Melody, and LaRonda get their hands dirty at the Jacksonville Arboretum.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A small but triumphant group of AmeriCorps members awoke early on November 12th to serve at Jacksonville’s Arboretum and Gardens. Combined efforts from members afforded a team dynamic and a memorable experience for the group. Full of wandering paths and riveting flora, the Arboretum struggles with an invasive plant species known as Air Potatoes, one of Florida’s most invasive plant species that disrupts ecological processes like water flow and natural fires. Air Potato vines can grow 70 feet or more, while the tubers are round and vary in size. The Corps mission of the day: collect as many of these menacing tubers as possible. One ambitious member, Jeffrey Yu, scaled up a tree full of vines to clear out a large section of the invasive plant. “It was really dirty and meticulous work, but once we had the hang of it, it was fun and rewarding to find the potatoes,” stated member Heather Daly. Member Melody Engelbrecht agreed that preventing the overgrowth of the potatoes made me feel like we really accomplished something that day. But the group consensus on the service project’s impact is mutual: providing a more stable ground for future plants to flourish at the Jacksonville Arboretum.

Read more of our November 2011 newsletter here

Dr. Schare, Rose Dowd, and Dr. Solo-Josephson make a great team at the DCHD Beaches Family Health Center.

     Rose Dowd is a 2011 graduate of Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, with a bachelor’s in cellular and molecular biology. Rose serves as a Community Outreach Specialist for the Beaches Family Health Center. Rose’s daily tasks include translating and creating information folders for pregnant Spanish-speaking patients for pre-natal care, Medicaid applications and WIC eligibility. “The goal of the Center is to get these mothers’ children accessing care when needed, Spanish-speaking or not,” says Rose. Rose developed Spanish language skills traveling abroad in Mexico and Spain, and she became interested in clinical settings by volunteering in the emergency room in college, discovering the difficulties in assessing care for those with language barriers. “I feel clinical settings allow me to directly serve those in need and give back,” says Rose.

     A major factor that contributes to Rose’s passion for service is her mother, a teacher in a low-income area. The lessons Rose learned from her
mother’s experiences as a teacher created her goals today. “People can’t change their birth circumstances. I was born with basic privileges: food, good schooling and a home. How can you not want to help someone that already has an enormous disadvantage?” Rose also performs asthma and maternal depression screens for children, explains clinic services to patients in Spanish and is working on a medical home for children patients so that  these patients make the Center their primary care clinic. When asked about career goals, Rose intends to pursue pediatrics because of her love for children.  Rose is sad about the needs of some children in clinical settings due to extensive health issues, however, that does not stop her from pursuing her goal of helping those in need, especially those in the Hispanic community.

Read more of our October 2011 newsletter here

Andrea Birget, Emily Phillips, and Tavia Mirassou-Wolf completing the quilting project at the Sept. 11th Group Service Project.

     The September 11th group service project for the 2011-2012 North Florida Health Corps was hosted at Klutho Park and led by the Women of Color Cultural Foundation. On September 11, 2001, most members were middle school students, unable to fully comprehend the acts of terrorism committed against the United States. On Sept 11, 2011,  these same students are now NFHC members that came together to serve the community of Jacksonville, Florida, in recognition of that tragic day.

     From planting two “Twin Tower” trees donated by Greenscape to stitching a 13 square foot quilt made of  2,752 cards, members served in multiple capacities. Members also assisted Duval County Master Gardeners in planting 220 planters of radishes for future use by clients at the Clara White Mission. Tavia Wolf, a Patient Education and Support Coordinator, served in the quilting project and reflected on the most moving aspects of the day: “What stuck out the most for me what seeing how many different organizations and people were at the event to show support in memory of 9/11,” said Wolf. Asthma Education Facilitator, Rose Dowd, agreed. Although it was “sad remembering the trauma of that day and the loss that the victims’ families continue to experience,” she thought it “was a good project because it’s something that we support as a nation and not specifically as individuals.”

     In addition to the highly visible support of Corps members at the event, other groups and individuals including local Wells Fargo employees, Hands on Jacksonville, students from Duval county schools, active or retired service members of the US Navy and Duval County Health Department employees came out to serve and support the September 11 memorial event.

 

Read our October 2011 Quarterly newsletter here

Kirsten Ohmer and Lauren Tevelow climb to the top of the Alpine tower using teamwork.

September 7, 2011, just one day after beginning the new service term, found the 2011-2012 North Florida Health Corps at Jacksonville’s
DuPont YMCA enjoying a day of team-building exercises.  The featured activity of the day was the Alpine Tower, a 55-foot climbing course. While most members were eager for a chance to prove their climbing prowess, others saw the task as slightly daunting. “The best activity was the tower because I’m afraid of heights and still completed it,” said Nikki Pinnock, a Wellness Coordinator at The Arc Jacksonville. Completing the course was not an issue for WIC Educator Jeffrey Yu who scaled the tower multiple times with impressive speed and aerial acrobatics. “Since we all had met only a day before, our activities helped reassure me that my fellow members were competent, coordinated and kind people,” he said.  “The challenges we did later in the afternoon helped us build trust with one another,” said Marie Lenoir, a Patient Advocate at Beaches Community Healthcare. And while she enjoyed the day for many reasons, she recognized that those challenges “forced us to problem solve as a group and communicate our ideas with one another.”  But WIC Educator Kirsten Ohmer has, perhaps, the most poignant memory of the day “Lauren Tevelow and I were the first two volunteers to climb the Alpine Tower. I was struggling to reach the top but she was giving me suggestions and cheering me on. I almost gave up, but it was with her help and the encouragement from everyone on the ground that helped me to finally pull myself to the top. I'll always remember that feeling; knowing that I was able to finish a seemingly impossible task because of the support I was given by almost-strangers. Thanks guys!”

 

Read our October 2011 Quarterly newsletter here

The 2011-2012 NFHC members pose for their first group picture!

NFHC members and the State park members pose after a hard day of serving

NFHC members enjoyed partnering with another AmeriCorps program

    

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On May 12-13, 2011, several North Florida Health Corps members teamed up with the AmeriCorps Florida State Parks organization to do a clean up of a ravine at Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, Florida. The AmeriCorps Florida State Parks program “improves natural resources in state parks and other public lands throughout the State of Florida by removing exotic plants, reintroducing native species, surveying for endangered animals and plants, improving beaches and rivers, conducting controlled burns, and maintaining trails.” The organization is broken up into the North and South team, and the teams spend their year doing different environment projects in parks across the state of Florida. The North team consists of their leader Jose Santiago, a group leader, and ten members.
     For this project, NFHC members worked along side the Florida State Parks group cutting out weeds, removing logs that blocked the flow of the ravine, and clearing out other debris. The service was physically grueling but members thoroughly enjoyed their experience. “Teaming up with the AmeriCorps Florida State Parks program was a fun experience for me. It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it because at the end of each day you could see the difference you made,” said Amanda Hedemark, a NFHC member.
     A sense of camaraderie between the two AmeriCorps groups also developed, as NFHC members stayed overnight with the AmeriCorps Florida State Parks North team. Tania Lugo, a NFHC member states, “I had a great time. It was nice to see the dynamics of another AmeriCorps program and how they differed from ours.”
 Thus, the service project with AmeriCorps Florida State Parks was a very rewarding experience in many ways. There was a collaborative effort shared by both AmeriCorps organizations and the staff of Gold Head Branch State Park in making this project successful. All members valued the importance of making an environmental impact, and shared in enjoying the unique opportunity of serving together.  “Working with the Health Corps crew was an amazing experience. Their positive attitudes and outgoing personalities led to a fun filled, productive day,” says Keith Miller, a Florida State Parks North team member.

Read our May newsletter here

NFHC member Linda proudly represents her site

NFHC member Caroline provides blood pressure screenings

     On May 9th, the Johnson Family YMCA teamed up with the North Florida Health Corps (NFHC) to host a health fair filled with information about each of the NFHC members host sites. The NFHC Service Project Committee, a group of members who coordinate monthly service projects related to our service commitment, chose the Johnson YMCA because of its location in an underserved neighborhood on the North side of Jacksonville. Each member represented NFHC sites by providing a health screening service and/or information specific to programs offered by their site. Members provided services such as blood pressure readings, diabetes risk assessments, and BMI/bone mass index readings to the underserved community surrounding the Johnson YMCA.
     Attendees were also given information about what the NFHC is all about. Although many of the NFHC service descriptions are very different from each other, we all have a common goal: to inform others about practicing healthy habits and getting things done in Jacksonville! Olivia Gibson, NFHC and Service Project Committee member, states that, "On the whole, I think the fair was very successful.” Cassie Sager also enjoyed the health fair, “Because each member had a chance to showcase what services he/she provides at their site to members of the community.” The health fair is just one of the events that show we make a collective difference in the community, and sharing that with others is an important aspect of our time as AmeriCorps members.

Read our May Newsletter here

NFHC members stop for picture as they begin their walking tour of St. Augustine

NFHC members enjoy a picnic lunch catered by a local pizza shop

The 2010-2012 NFHC AmeriCorps team pose for a picture on St. Augustine's bayfront

     Each year North Florida Health Corps (NFHC) members mark the middle of their service term with a Mid-Year Retreat. The retreat is intended to provide members with a day full of relaxation, reflection, and the chance to rejuvenate and motivate themselves for the second half of their service term. This year, NFHC members traveled down the road to historic St. Augustine and met at the Fountain of Youth Park. When members first arrived they were greeted by beautiful weather, NFHC staff, and free roaming peacocks, a staple of the park. First on the agenda were team building games and energizing activities. After a competitive relay race, members relaxed in the shade and began a period of reflection. Members randomly chose questions about their service and were able to give examples and stories of rewarding and challenging times that they have faced so far. NFHC member Cassie Sager states, “my favorite part about the retreat was when we sat in a circle and went around and reflected on our term of service so far. I felt this was a really good time to learn from each other and also about ourselves”.
     After reflection, lunch was provided by a local pizza shop. Members then made a short trek to downtown St. Augustine. As the final part of our day approached, we were tasked with completing a scavenger hunt in small teams. Members were given clues and had to take pictures with certain things or find out historical information about the city. Blue shirts were seen running all around downtown as members hurried to finish the hunt and to be the first team back with the most completed tasks. The deciding factor between teams came to the final mission to tell as many people about the NFHC and to get their signatures. Robert Hsu, Cassandra Tardif, and Denise Adame were the winning team and edged out the competition by just one signature!
      The retreat was a great way for members to get together, relax, and look back on a great first half of service. Everyone was able to reconnect with each other while sharing valuable experiences from their service term thus far. The activities and reflection truly allowed members to set goals and gear up for the second half of the year!

Read page one of our April newsletter here

Read Page two of our April newsletter here

NFHC members Tania and Nicole enjoy facepainting at Camp Boggy Creek

     On the weekend of April 15th, several North Florida Health Corps (NFHC) members drove to Camp Boggy Creek, a year long camp serving children 7-16 years old with chronic or life threatening illnesses. Located in Eustis, FL, the camp creates memorable experiences for both campers and counselors. The main mission of Camp Boggy Creek is to “Forget you have what you have.” Many times, children with serious illnesses are bogged down with medical treatments and do not have the chance to be who they are: kids that just want be kids. NFHC members had the opportunity to be camp counselors for the weekend alongside a number of other volunteers. Some counselors had participated before, and several were campers themselves when they were younger. More than 30 children with Sickle Cell Anemia had the opportunity to just be kids for the weekend.
     The theme of the weekend was the Circus. Both campers and counselors participated in face painting, arts and crafts, archery, fishing, swimming, circus-themed singing and dancing, and a talent show. Since camp was very secluded, participants were able to just be themselves and have a break from their typical fast paced, stressful environments. NFHC members had several memorable moments at camp. Britta Roach shares hers, “At the beginning of camp, everyone was given this ball of yarn. To show appreciation, you would give pieces of this yarn ball to others. On Saturday night, we had a circus themed dance, and the camper who was about nine years old, thanked me for dancing with her by giving me a hug, followed by a piece of yarn. I thought it was very touching!” Tania Lugo thought the dance and talent show were very memorable. One particular act that stood out was, “A camper named Lil' Smooth's performance of a rap his mom wrote while he was in the hospital”. This service proved to be a genuinely touching experience, and one that several NFHC members will remember as a pivotal moment during their time as AmeriCorps members.

Read page three of our April Newsletter here

Read page four of our April Newsletter here

Members paint Ben's Place during a Corps created service project

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

     Ben’s Place, a center for developmentally disabled adults, is a place where NFHC members have been volunteering weekly throughout the entire service term. Seven NFHC members, and continual Ben’s Place volunteers, noticed that work needed to be done to improve the quality of the Ben’s Place facility. In January,  Project Ben’s Place (PBP) was created to do just that. It was decided that Ben’s Place would need paint, new storage, and numerous other renovations. 

     After months of planning, PBP members and the Service Committee collaborated to designate the clean up and painting of Ben’s Place one of March’s service projects. More than half of the NFHC members dedicated   themselves to at least one of two four hour shifts on March 26th to improve the conditions at Ben’s Place. The morning shift tookeverything out of the building, swept and cleaned, began painting the walls and organizing arts and crafts. The second shift worked hard doing touch-ups on the walls, painting the bathroom and doors, continuing cleaning and organizing, and putting everything back into the building. PBP member Amanda Hedemark volunteered both shifts and put a lot of effort into obtaining materials for our service day. From Amanda’s perspective, "After months of planning, it was great to see how much Ben's Place improved from the NFHC members hard work and dedication. I think the new paint and organization will make Ben's Place more enjoyable for everyone."

      Although a lot of hard work and time was put into the service event, there are still a lot of things at Ben’s Place that need improvement. PBP has future plans that include creating an outside garden and recreation area, and helping find donations for a new floor. With continued efforts by NFHC members and other       collaborators, Ben’s Place will be at its full potential in no time!

Read page 1 of our March newsletter

Read page 2 of our March newsletter

Habijax Service Project

On a gorgeous day near the end of February, a group of NFHC members spent the day volunteering with HabiJax, a branch of Habitat for Humanity that serves the Jacksonville area. Members arrived at 7:30 AM and were joined by other members of the community who had also chosen to serve that day. After a welcome from the HabiJax team leaders, NFHC members were assigned to two different house sites; one that would be doing exterior painting and another that would be doing house wrapping. House wrapping consists of wrapping the entire exterior of the house with insulating plastic to waterproof it before the siding goes on.

Along with devoting their time and efforts toward home construction, members also got a chance to talk with the other volunteers from the community who were serving alongside them at their house sites. Each house site was led by a HabiJax Team Leader; these team leaders are also AmeriCorps members, however they participate in the Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps program. It was interesting having the opportunity to discuss the various experiences of the two different AmeriCorps programs while serving side by side. Along with the team leaders, some of the other volunteers were soon-to-be beneficiaries of the Habitat for Humanity program. These individuals must be willing to partner with the HabiJax program by serving 300 hours of home construction alongside other volunteers. Having the chance to talk with some of these community members was an invaluable experience. NFHC members had a great time serving with HabiJax and left knowing they had brought a family closer to having a place to call “home”.

Read more of our February newsletter

 

NFHC members participate in the beautification of a cemetery that is home to many prominent civil rights leaders

MLK Day of Service

For many employees, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day off. However, for AmeriCorps programs around the U.S., it is a “day on”: a day of community service and a chance to do something great for the community we serve.

On a beautiful late January day, North Florida Health Corps members combined forces with  St. John’s Reads AmeriCorps members and other volunteers from St. Augustine, FL for a day of service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Many prominent African-American civil rights leaders have been buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, located in St. Augustine, FL. The cemetery was in desperate need of cleaning, so the entire day was dedicated to making the leaders’ final resting place look more presentable. Before the start of the day, volunteers spoke to give thanks to those who are buried there, many of whom dedicated their lives to the civil rights movement. After an energy-filled breakfast, volunteers were assigned areas of the cemetery to clean. Most of the graves were covered in weeds, leaves and years-worth of solid dirt. Volunteers had to rake or shovel out the dirt covering the graves and headstones. The graves dated as far back as the early 19th century, and several as recent as 2010.

After a productive day of cleaning and wondering about the lives of the deceased, volunteers joined together for a delicious lunch made by St. Luke’s AME Church. Volunteers had a chance to discuss and reflect upon their commitment to community service. Julia Muntean, a North Florida Health Corps (NFHC) member, said: “It was nice to start the day by learning about the work of the people buried there and to see how much nicer the place looked at the end of the day.” Robert Hsu, another NFHC member agrees, “To see the clear differences we were able to make based on our hard work that day really made an impact on how the event shaped our commitment to service.” After lunch, volunteers continued to clean, still filled with energy and the commitment to creating a more sustainable cemetery. As the day came to a close, members drove away, looking back upon their work and happy with the change they created for the leaders.

Read more of our January Newsletter

NFHC member packing up gifts for families

Salvation Army Toy Shop

Each year Salvation Army sets up Toy Shops around the United States to help needy families who cannot afford to buy Christmas presents on their own. This year AmeriCorps members contributed to the success of the Jacksonville Salvation Army's Toy Shop event. Starting in October, families submit applications to participate in the Toy Shop and are selected based on income level and other standards set by the Salvation Army. Families list their children's ages and genders and also indicate a present that each child wants the most.

Toy Shop volunteering was divided into three different stages: set-up, distribution, and clean up. AmeriCorps members, alongside hundreds of other volunteers, worked in four hour shifts or sometimes all day. During the first week, members and other volunteers helped divide up the donated gifts. Days were spent sorting through and organizing thousands of gifts which would eventually be given to the participating families.

The second week of the Toy Shop was distribution. This week participating families came to pick up the gifts for their children. There were different stations set up throughout the distribution days. Some volunteers were given sheets of paper with family names on them and would retrieve the gifts in order to bring them to check out. Other members were "checking out" the families and making sure they received the right gifts. Lastly, volunteers assisted the families in bringing the gifts to their cars.

The last few days were break down and clean up. AmeriCorps members spent time sorting through the gifts that were not picked up by families and preparing them for especially needy families who are selected to have their entire family "adopted" by another family. The donating family is given a list of what each family member needs and wants for Christmas and compiles gifts for the whole family rather than just the children. Members helped to go through these donated gifts and prepared them for pick up.

Over 5,000 children in Duval County were given gifts this holiday season through the efforts of the Salvation Army, volunteers, and those individuals and families who donated gifts. It was amazing to see how many families will be helped this year.

Read more in our December 2010 Newsletter

NFHC members help hand out clothes from Dignity U Wear at Clara White Mission's Feed the City event

Feed the City

On November 20, 2010, several NFHC members along with other volunteers from various organizations served Thanksgiving dinner and donated clothing to over 800 low-income and homeless individuals from Jacksonville. The event was sponsored by the Clara White Mission, which helps Jacksonville’s at-risk residents by running job trainings, daily feedings and offering shelter to those living on the street. Throughout the day, volunteers were designated tasks of setting up tables and chairs, organizing clothes, or serving food to participants. Once the participants were seated, each raised their hands and was waited on by the volunteers. After they finished eating, they stood in line to get an assortment of clothes.

R&B and jazz music blared from an enormous stereo system and warm weather throughout the day provided an enthusiastic environment for both volunteers and those in need. After duties were completed, volunteers had a chance to sit down with the participants to share a meal and get to know one another. Caroline Hemeter, a 2010 NFHC member, “thoroughly enjoyed serving at Feed the City. My favorite part of the day was sharing a Thanksgiving meal with the event participants…One man even praised my decision to pursue a career in medicine and encouraged me to travel abroad. I was impressed by how strong these people seemed despite their current living situations."  Britta Roach, another NFHC member agrees: “Feed the City has been my favorite group service project. The Jacksonville indigent community truly appreciated our volunteer services, while we appreciated their company!”

By breaking down the stigma associated with homelessness, Feed the City showed life can be unpredictable and difficult for anyone from different backgrounds. However, having fun is a must for all, regardless of the daily challenges faced.

Read more of our November 2010 Newsletter

Members enjoy getting to know one another through team building activites during Pre-Service training

Pre-Service Training

On Sept. 7, 2010 we officially began our service term as AmeriCorps members in the North Florida Health Corps (NFHC). Everyone seemed a little unsure of fellow members at first, but we quickly warmed up to each other once the pre-service teambuilding activities commenced. Probably the most memorable pre-service training activities included the DuPont YMCA teambuilding and the “Walk in My Shoes”.

Training at the YMCA consisted of physical activities and games encouraging teamwork. Some adventurous members took on a ropes climbing course, while other members cheered them on, showing support, pushing them to climb as high as they could. Several individuals surprised themselves and made it to the very top of the course, some even despite a fear of heights. The day’s activities truly helped us collaborate as a team and bond together as a corps. Tania Lugo says, “The best part of pre-service training was getting to know all the amazing members! I feel so lucky to be a part of this group.”

The “Walk in my shoes” activity provided us with a new perspective of the community we would serve. After being told by AmeriCorps Program Manager, Erica Coleman, to, “Dress as if you would be digging a ditch,” many of us were a little unsure & nervous of what to expect. Meeting in front of the library of downtown Jacksonville, small groups were presented with family scenarios and various medical destinations.

The purpose of the activity was to put ourselves in the shoes of the population we would be serving by using the community’s public transportation to try and reach our destination. The task seemed simple enough until discovering some destinations had moved a few miles away, or we imagined having to travel with multiple small children and additional baggage. The training accomplished its purpose and we walked away empathizing with the process some clients go through just to arrive at one of our facilities.

Read more of our October 2010 Quarterly Newsletter