"MAIL CALL!"

The small window flew open and I feasted my eyes upon a line wrapping out the door and around the building.  It was mail pickup day at Transition Projects, Portland.  When I arrived that morning for service I was given my task which seemed pretty straight forward.  Sort the mail alphabetically and then when the client arrives check their ID and give them their mail.  Seems simple right?

Well as soon as that window opened, chaos erupted in the mail room.  Cabinets were flying as I attempted to find each person’s mail while trying to shrink the line down to avoid traffic being stopped on the main drag.  My head seemed to be spinning as each client came up with a nice demeanor asking for their mail politely and watching me run around this tiny, tiny room searching for their stuff.  Now although I was somewhat freaking out, I made sure that my emotions were in check on the outside, but basically I was anxiety stricken! Luckily as the line got under control, I was able to relax, get a system down, and remain calm as each person came in to request their mail.  I have to give kudos to those that run the mailroom on a daily basis, cause to be thrown into that can potentially cause a early heart attack for someone like me. 

Anyways, Transition Projects is a fantastic organization that is located right near downtown Portland.  Being one of the largest homeless services in the city, it has played a huge role in providing for that population since 1969.  Transition Projects has many shelters across the city serving both single men and women helping those that need a place to stay to transition out of poverty. 

The mission of Transition Projects is to serve people's basic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing.  The amenities that are provided include a place to stay, a hot dinner everyday of the week, new clothes, shower facilities, a permanent address, and several other things that individuals lose once they have become homeless. 

By providing these amenities, Transition Projects facilitates additional mentoring, job skill trainings, and other services to help the individuals they serve “transition” into affordable housing in the city of Portland.  Transition Projects receives funding both from local government and private grants.  However, their recent partnership with the Portland local government has produced HUGE upcoming plans.

Having already broken ground on the project in November of 2009, Transition Projects is partnering with other organizations and local government in the creation of a brand new Resource Access Center for the homeless population of Portland.  They will be constructing basically a “luxury” shelter with over eight floors of services.  On the bottom floor will be a place for temporary shelter as well as a long-term bed option.  In the floors above they will have service ranging from employment support, medical services, computer labs, clothing drive storage, and many other things still in the works.  They expect that once the building is finish to serve roughly 1,000 clients per day in various ways! 

On the top five floors, luxury studio apartments will be constructed and sold as affordable housing units.  Many of these rooms will house some of the most medically severe clients as well as get many people into apartments of their own.  And the project will be completely green and hopes to reach the prestigious Platinum LEED certification! Check out the pictures below and find out more about Transition Projects at the following address!

http://www.tprojects.org/default.cfm

http://www.tprojects.org/default.cfm

The Building is starting to take shape

Going to be HUGE!

Lents International Farmer's Market

Signage for the Market

Entrance with the flagsI hung up!

 Early morning rose on the city of Portland as I rolled out of bed.  Excitement ran through my body as I showered and got ready for a very eventful morning working at a Farmer’s Market.  To give you all a little background about why I was so thrilled to be awake at 5:30am, I was in Portland two summers ago on an Alternative Break with the national alternative breaks office, Break Away.  For a week we worked with organizations throughout the city that focused their work on sustainability practices and teaching me and 59 other students from across the country on how to be a steward to the environment. 

One of the organizations that I worked with, Zenger Farm, creates opportunity, education, and a TON of produce through their organic farm found on the outskirts of the city.  The farm stretches several acres and grows just about everything you could imagine as well as maintaining a giant flock of chickens (see picture)! While working there, we discovered that not only does Zenger Farm create amazing fruits and vegetables but has numerous other programs throughout the year that reach out to the community. 

Several of their programs are youth focused where children can come and learn about organic farming, tend their own small gardens, and work as a team to produce some rockin’ vegetarian treats.  Another program that the farm has is it donates parts of its own land to immigrant families who are looking to make a living but have not found many opportunities yet.  Many of the families bring their own cultural agriculture methods to the farm which helps to enrich the sharing of knowledge between community farmers in the area.  Zenger also partners with Lents International Farmer’s Market located at SE 92nd and Foster in the Lents neighborhood to help sell the crops that are produced in these families plots and all of the money goes directly back to them.

The Break Away Crew at Zenger Farm!

The Chickens

Caught one!

So, Lents is where I was off to that early morning in Portland to help in the setup and do a little shopping myself! Upon arriving I met several wonderful people who have been participating on the board of directors for the market for several years now as well as other volunteers.  Setup went pretty smoothly setting up several tents for vendors, stringing up signs and flags, and setting up the community table in the center of the market. 

Lents International Farmer’s Market was quite unique to any organic farmer’s market I had been to before.  It is very community based and has several programs throughout the day in addition to the selling of produce by the vendors.  When you arrive in the market, you are greeted by a volunteer who is running the educational program for the day.  I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the dot survey that day and was the only one from outside Portland at the market! Off in the corner is a mini grass stage where musical performances by community artists and cooking demonstrations are held.  There is a professional gardeners table, which provides individuals the opportunity to perfect their gardening skills and troubleshoot with the panel of professional gardeners. 

In the center of the market is the community table which is definitely unique to Lents.  Any and all local community gardeners can sell their produce here at the table and make a little profit from the food they have worked hard growing.  This adds to the community feeling of the market and helps increase sustainability efforts within the community as well!

Now as you all know, I have this weird erotic affliction with fruit according to my last encounter with a Golden Nectarine in Seattle.  Similarly, I fell in love with one of the vendors strawberries.  They were the perfect ripeness and were the perfect breakfast treat after a hard mornings work!  I encourage all of you to go out and support your local farmer’s markets.  What I like to do is plan a Sunday dinner based off my trip to the market. Eating Healthy, Fresh Organic Produce, and Supporting Your Community. A simple way to support your community and tummy every week!         

Tent City 3

As I approached the enclosure I was a bit apprehensive to what I was getting myself into.  I had made the appointment for a tour of Tent City 3 through its sister organization, SHAPE, that works as a resource center and contact for the physical tent city.  At the entrance I was greeted by several people, acting as guards just like in 18th century English castles, minus the drawbridge and moats and such.   After signing in, I met Roger who had been giving tours and living in the encampment for several years.  After a brief introduction and background about the tent city, Roger and I were off and running ducking in and around tents as he toured me through the city. 

Tent Cities have been a concept for many years and stem from the development of shanty towns, which are areas of land where impoverished people live together in housing made from scrap materials.  They have only recently developed to the point of becoming permanent living choices in some of the major cities in the United States. Tent City 3 is run just like any other city.  They have a mayor figure and a “city-council” that help to enforce laws and advocate on behalf of the entire city.  These positions are elected by the members of the community and each candidate canvasses on their behalf to be elected.  Once elected, these representatives ensure to keep order of the community by maintaining all the by-laws of Tent City.   

Citizens of Tent City 3 are expected to be highly involved in their community.  Each member must adhere to all the by-laws, which are located in a book about the size of a college science textbook! Chores are given out to help upkeep the community and help
residents build a sense of ownership over their community.

Anyone can be admitted into Tent City 3 and can stay as long as they want.  More long-term residents often times have their own tents that they set up in a designated area.  Residents who are brand new to the city are often set up in dormitory style tents with three bed platforms that are made out of wooden pallets, milk crates, and cardboard pieces.  All of the tents are raised up on platforms constructed out of wooden pallets in order to prevent rain water from leaking into the tents.  Although the quarters are not luxury, the simplistic nature by which the residents live is honorable and something we can all take a lesson from. 

At the end of the tour, I was introduced to one of the residents named Matt.  He was known around camp as the beast because he soared 6’ 5” and weighed around 350lbs.  After sharing a few words back and forth he handed me a short story he had written.  Matt suffers from a condition known as Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome, which causes lesions to form all across the body resulting in the need for multiple surgeries to have them removed.  Due to the high cost of medical treatment, he has found himself unable to hold stable housing for about 10 years and has been living at Tent City 3 off and on during that time.  The short story he shared with me was a brief look into the emotional roller coaster he has gone through with every surgery.  Very detailed, the story allows the reader to enter Matt’s world and understand how one can feel trapped and no longer in control.  Please take the time to read his story in an upcoming post! Meanwhile, discover a little more about Matt in an interview found at: http://www.youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=2641

Tent City 3 provides a place for individuals to call home who are not otherwise afforded the opportunity of a permanent residence.  The strength of community that Tent City builds is stronger than many of our own.  How invested are you in the well-being of your neighbors?  Would you lend a helping hand or come to their defense whenever they needed it?  By living simply and supporting one another the citizens of Tent City 3 lead a relatively happy and fulfilling life.  Take a lesson from their sense of community and start becoming more involved in your own. 

I have included below a list of items that Tent City is in need of to continue running their programs and supporting individuals who finally need a place they can call home.  If you live in the Seattle area please contact SHARE to arrange a drop off of materials to Tent City itself.

Donated Items Needed for Tent City 3

General
•    Tents (complete with poles)
•    Tarps, rope
•    Sleeping bags, blankets, and mats
•    Flashlights, lanterns, staple gun w/staples
•    Toilet paper, paper towels, wet-wipes
•    Hand sanitizer, rubber & work gloves
•    Towels, wash cloths
•    Soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene supplies
•    Bleach-bottled and/or cleaning wipes
•    Slippers, sandals, flip-flops
•    AA/D batteries
•    First-aid kits/band-aids/gauze strips/anti biotic creams/cold & flu medicine
•    ICE to keep food cold
•    Paper plates, napkins, plastic cups & flatware
•    Reusable ice packs
Food
•    Coffee, tea, cream, sugar
•    Canned protein: tuna, ham, spam. chicken, chili, soup (canned or packaged)
•    Canned fruit and vegetables
•    Butter, margarine, salt/pepper, seasonings
•    Peanut butter
Move Day Supplies (Next Move Day is tomorrow September 25th)
•    Duct tape (36 rolls), 3 Crowbars
•    33 gallon heavy duty trash bags (500)
•    300 feet of twine, 200 feet of rope
•    Black Sharpie pens
•    Zip ties-2 jars, 1500/jar
•    8 lbs box of nails (2 1/2 inches long)
•    Roofing nails (6 lbs) box
•    lxlx8 fencing wood-bundle of 36

http://no4corners.com/life/?p=3539

http://www.greaterseattlecares.org/

http://www.greaterseattlecares.org/

http://www.greaterseattlecares.org/

  

Real Change News: A Paper Changing the City of Seattle

On my last day in Seattle I was lucky enough to meet with Tim Harris, the Executive Director of Real Change News.  Real Change was developed originally as a street newspaper to be distributed to the community by members of the homeless population in Seattle.  If you have ever read through a “street newspaper” the majority of the material is not substantial enough to entice readers to keep coming back for more.  After talking with Tim I learned that Real Change does things a little differently to ensure that their readers anticipate each weekly addition and build a strong relationship with their vendor to heighten the sense of community through their readership.

When Real Change started in 1994, it was founded as a way the homeless population to sell and be apart of the process of creating the paper. The street vendors purchase the paper for 35 cents on the dollar and then resell it at $1 a paper. The entire profit that is made goes straight back to the vendor as there is no vendor fee associated with this organization. Vendors are encouraged to identify their own territory and build relationships with their clients to gain a better rapport with them.

Now many of you in the various cities you live in I am sure you have come across a street vendor selling a newspaper. I would also assume that you may have purchased that paper based on the fact that you wanted to help out the person selling it but had no intent in diving into the articles found within.  Real Change found this to occur with over 60% of it's readers and wanted to change the way that individuals viewed the newspaper.

By using the newspaper as an advocacy tool, Real Change has changed the way that the city of Seattle looks at “street-newspapers”.  As an organization, they have played an integral part in educating and fighting for many prevalent community issues on many different platforms in the last 5 years.  They were the primary player in getting the mayor to veto the panhandling law that was enacted in the city of Seattle in April 2010.  Although the city counsel had a majority of supporting votes to pass the bill, it was not enough to stop a direct veto of the bill by the mayor. 

The ordinance laid down strict behavior rules for beggars such as no panhandling at ATMs or at parking stations, no blocking a person's path, or repeatedly begging after someone has already said no. A statement given by the city’s mayor Mike McGinn showed his support of the creation of strong community within Seattle:

"Adding this new law doesn't add anything towards existing laws and has the risk of essentially criminalizing being poor and that's not right."
~ Mike McGinn, Seattle City Mayor

What I learned during my conversation with Tim is that there is a need for resources in cities that allow the creation of a community voice.  Real Change News accomplishes this in Seattle through their very unique model for a street newspaper to be used as a advocacy avenue.  Articles are based on what the public needs to know and wants to understand about the community they are living in but would otherwise not be shown if it wasn’t for their committed readership to each weekly edition of Real Change News. 

When I asked Tim if his model could be implemented in other cities, he said that he wished more cities would look at Real Change’s model to create as equally as successful papers that they have.  It’s important for people to understand the audience when developing a street newspaper.  There is no need to publish homeless resources as your centerfold article every week unless you are creating a street newsletter for the common homeless person who is looking for that information.  Tim strongly advocates for creating articles that are intellectually stimulating and controversial to keep the readers interested in what the writers are going to report on week after week.  Tim is very open to speaking with anyone interested in creating a street newspaper in their own city but warns those interested that they have to prepared to put all of their effort into creating a newspapers that can go up against most local and even national newspapers. 

Check out the video below of Tim talking about his organization and start to follow this newspaper online at: http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/site/curr-issue-index/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm5y1Pk0QL0&feature=player_embedded

Cheers,
Bryan   
 

Millionair Club: Executive Director Jim Miller

So while at the Millionair Club I was able to have a great conversation with the Executive Director, Jim Miller.  Having worked with their organization for 4 days I was able to ask more in depth questions to start identifying if my root causes of poverty could be seen by other's in the field.  

Some of the questions I asked him revolved around the potential barriers faced by the homeless population in Seattle, what kind of advocacy work his and other agencies are doing, and the changes that need to be made in order to start attacking the issues of poverty in America.  Also listen in towards the end of the film, where he encourages and shares with us the importance of getting out into our communities and helping out first hand! 

Jim was my test subject with my new camera, so I apologize for my interjections and the weird movie transitions but I hope you all enjoy! 

Again please visit the Millionair Club Charity's website and find out even more about the great programs that they offer! 

http://www.millionairclub.org/index.html

Millionair Club Charity: Access to Resources

“I haven’t checked my email in about 6 months!” said Nathan as he entered into the Resource Center for the first time.  Nathan is one of the many clients that the Millionair Club serves on an average day.  As a veteran, he found himself homeless about 10 years ago and has been struggling to get back on track for some time.  Thanks to the veteran assistance programs in Seattle as well as gaining employment skills from the Millionair Club, he is now living in an affordable housing complex town and is starting on the road to self-sufficiency.

After helping Nathan to log into his account again, the inbox count popped up to be above 18,000 new messages! As I helped him go through his mail, together we found many important messages he had received months ago. Many of those emails were time sensitive but Nathan was unable to gain access to a computer.  That’s where the new Resource Center comes in at the Millionair Club.

Being a job referral agency and working towards its clients being self-sufficient, the Millionair Club has recently added a Resource Center for its clients. It provides a total of four computers that access the internet, are installed with Microsoft Office Suite, and will soon have a typing program for people to work on their typing skills.  In today’s world, it is impossible to progress in the job market without computer skills.  Technology has found its way into every profession imaginable and often time if an individual does not have basic knowledge of these skills their opportunity to gain full-time employment is greatly reduced.

With the Resource Center, the Millionair Club hopes to provide an opportunity to their clients to gain access to resources online, partake in computer skill trainings, and interact with community members who are experts in these areas.  I am excited to see how the club develops the Resource Center in the next year to better service clients as they gain more and more skills through their day labor employment.

In addition to Nathan, I had the opportunity to interact with numerous other clients in my three days at the club.  Charles for example used the resource center to apply and search for job opportunities and went to an open interview the same day.  Several clients were able to understand the process of getting a state photo ID so that they could start working.  Another gentleman by the name of Sam (who convinced me to join the military in the next 2 years if I’m not employed) was excited to start learning computer skills so he could navigate job searches for himself.

Sometimes it is as simple as providing resources that the majority of us take for granted to individuals that can help them to advance themselves towards self-sufficiency.  Opportunity and access to resources play a huge role in developing chronic homelessness in today’s society.  If everyone was given the same opportunities or afforded equal resources, then and only then could we blame someone’s economic state off of their actions alone.  Until then we need to start critically analyzing what structures are in place in today’s society that cause individuals to fall below a defined poverty line, and in turn become homeless.  I encourage you to ask these questions the next time you sign on to your computer to read my blog.  Try working without a computer for a week and see how messed up your life becomes.

Cheers & Happy Browsing

Bryan

Millionair Club Charity: Job Placement Services

http://www.millionairclub.org/index.html

The majority of my time at the Millionair Club Charity was focused on understanding their job placement programs.  To give you a brief background, the Millionair Club provides a work referral service for all of its clients.  Employers which include homeowners, investment property owners, and businesses around the Seattle metro area contact the club with jobs that need to be filled 3 days prior to the actual date of hire.  The Millionair Club then compiles the jobs into a database system and doles them out to members based off of skill set, specific requests by the employers, and through a seniority rotation process. 

Jobs are generally awarded to members in the morning between 6-8am and in the afternoon from 12-2pm.  Clients are welcomed to a hot meal for breakfast and lunch before they are hired for the day.  On average, members are hired between 2 and 4 days a week depending on the season.  In the summer, more jobs are available especially since the homeowner employers increase projects during this time.  When demand is high, the Millionair Club has placed up to 120 jobs in one day during the summer months. 

In order to qualify for jobs through the Millionair Club, clients must become an official member of the club. Unlike their food services program, which is opened to the public, the job placement program is for members only.  All club members go through an extensive screening process before given their official Millionair Club Member Card.  This is to ensure employers that they will be hiring employees who have had background checks and are prepared to work both physically and mentally. 

The Millionair Club advocates strong relationship building between the employer and their employee.  Employers are required/suggested to hire their workers for a minimum of 4 hours and pay above the minimum wage salary in Seattle which is at roughly $9.00/hour.  Many times, employers are so thrilled with the work ethic of the Millionair Club members that they often pay way above the suggested $9.00/hour.  Most club members are fed on the job by their employers and are also given bus passes, called taxis, or picked up by their employers on the day they are hired.  Members are encouraged to build strong relationships with their one-time employers in order to create opportunity for them to work for that organization again or be hired part-time!

The creation of employment opportunities is at the root of the Millionair Club’s mission.  Instead of solely providing a hot meal and a shelter at night for its clients, this organization works to improve the lives of those struck with homelessness.  Many times it takes a middle man to provide opportunities to a population that otherwise would not have access to such opportunity.  If you are a Seattle resident or know someone who lives in the metro area of Seattle, please take the time to look at the programs that the Millionair Club provides.  Hire a worker for a day, go down and join the clients during one of their meals, or act as a reference for someone else who needs some day labor.  Not only will you gain services from this organization, but you will provide someone with a day of honest work and more importantly will meet a great member of the community of Seattle!

You can request a job hire at the following link!
http://www.millionairclub.org/hire_form.html

Cheers,
Bryan

 

“Would you like to try a piece of my..."

Entrance to Pike Market Center!

Pike Market is a must see when visiting the city of Seattle.  It is composed of a long strip of stands that range from organically grown produce to beautiful floral arrangements that mark up at around $5.00 per bouquet!  My first impression of the market was a bit overwhelming.  As you enter, an instant explosion of senses erupts and creates an almost mind-altering experience. You pass street performers playing a banjo and a swamp, string drum and your nose fills with the music of fresh-cut flowers and crisp fruits and veges! I walked up and down the market getting lost in everything that was happening around me until I found the new love of my life. 

She had an slender body with some curves and a magnificent glow about her.  With a soft body and enhancing aroma, it was difficult for me to turn down her constant enticing advances.  As I approached her, my breathe was taken away and I could barely formulate words to say Hello.  It has been a while since I have fallen in love at first glance, but she made my veins pulse and my heart beat faster.  I had never tried her kind before, which added to the nerves, but I knew that I had to make a move or else.  I dove in, her sweet skin brushed mine and our mouths locked.  Another explosion of sensory overload occurred and I was lost in the moment.  The market had disappeard and it was only us, in this warm embrace.  As soon as it had started it was over and I had to run to my next meeting at University of Washington.  I promised her I would be back for her before I left Seattle, and today I will go back and embrace her once again. 

 

Wednesday, Spetember 8, 2010: The Day I Fell in Love With Golden Nectarines!

Best Freaking Organically Grown Fruits and Veges!

The Famous Fish Tossers

Pepper Trees

Giant Alaskan King Crab Legs....YUMMY :)

Close-Up of One of the Beautiful Bouquets

 

Cheers, 

Bryan      

Millionair Club Charity: Food Service

Mission: To encourage self-sufficiency through jobs and assistance to those that want to help themselves.

http://www.millionairclub.org/flash_videos/vids2.html 

Today I felt instantly welcomed into the Millionair Club family when I arrived at 6am to report for food service duty.  This incredible organization is constantly moving, starting with their breakfast service to over 150 people each morning.  I was put right to work prepping all of the home made dishes Terry, the kitchen manager, had prepared for that morning.  Unlike many food service organizations for the homeless, Millionair Club prepares all of its meals fresh every day in house.  The club has excellent facilities including an entire basement warehouse, which food banks and other organizations are envious of. They receive all there food through donations and spend a minimal amount of money on purchased food each month because of all the donations they receive.  

Terry has been working as the kitchen manager for the past 15 years.  His attention to the needs of those he is serving comes through in the flavors of his cooking and you can taste the passion in every meal.  The rest of the kitchen staff love to joke with one another and are some of the most hard-working people I have encountered.  

Many of us when thinking about homeless services automatically turn to food service and soup kitchens.  The need for these services is apparent and helps in providing meals to those who cannot afford to make or buy their own.  Millionair Club looks at meals a little differently.  The main focus of their organization is to provide members with daily job opportunities that help individuals build up enough self-sufficiency to become employed in a full-time position.  Each meal that the Millionair Club creates ensures a proper amount of nutrients, high protein, and a healthy balance of fruit and vegetables for its client’s diets.  They do this to prepare their clients to work at their best when sent out on jobs for the day.

The Millionair Club has an open door policy when it comes to meal service and anyone is allowed through the doors to get a hot meal for breakfast or lunch.  The population served through this program ranges from the chronic homeless to the recently unemployed and on average they serve between 150 – 300 people for each meal.  On holidays, they sometimes serve over 600 people for one sitting! 

I encourage those of you who have the time to check out your local food service agencies.  Call them up and check to see how they serve meals.  Do they have an open door policy?  If so, are you allowed to come down for a meal and sit with clients?  These are the questions we should all start asking ourselves in order to get involved in our communities.  Start asking those questions people.  Opportunities are only out there for the people who seek them.  Be that person, make that contact, experience community!

Cheers,
Bryan  

Take-Off...The Start to Any Great Adventure NEEDS Music

Take-Off!

I am officially sky high presently located somewhere over Montana hovering at around 36,500 feet and it feels good.  I’m still in awe that this project is up and running and for the next month I will be touring the country coast to coast. I will also visit every corner of the continental US and cannot wait to explore the diversity that this country has to offer.

Many of you may not know that I am not a huge fan of flying.  I don’t mind being in transit but it is the take-off and the landing that make me a bit anxious when I’m traveling.  I don’t know if it’s the turbulence when you increase or decrease your altitude or if it’s the concern that most plane accidents happen during these two designated times, I just am not a fan of those two “key” aspects of a flight.  Regardless of the reason I find myself in need of a relaxant in order to get through them. 

Now while some may turn to good ole Dramamine or a cocktail or two, I turn to my IPod.  I am a strong believer in the power of music to influence the body and create a right song for any and all situations.  One of my favorite pastimes is when I am rocking out to some of my favorite tunes in the car.  Window down and bass bumping, there is no greater sense of freedom at that very moment.  I used to be embarrassed when another car would pull alongside me as I reached the climax of a song belting the “hard-to-reach-note” at the top of my lungs.  Nowadays, that doesn’t even phase me.  Instead I turn towards them hoping they will join in on this amazing moment that is this song and sing a brilliant harmony to complement my vocals.  But unfortunately that has yet to happen to me, so if you come across me during my travels and this happens to you, please make my day and sing along!   

My whole point to this story was that I NEED music in order to get myself through both landing and take-off.  Unfortunately for me, it is illegal to listen to an IPod during both of those times on a plane because it interferes with all the equipment and the captain/flight attendants will throw a hissy fit and literally pull the plug on your harmonious groove session.  So how do I deal? I wish I could say I’m a BADASS and do it anyway, but already being concerned that I will be in that 2% population involved in an airplane crash I choose to abide by the rules.  Instead I get all pumped up for take-off by jamming out to what I refer to as take-off songs. Let me explain.

A take-off song has a few very key characteristics.  First it needs to be danceable.  The reasoning behind this is it is important to get your blood pumping before take-off in order to get your adrenaline coursing through your veins.  Although you may attract several awkward looks for fellow passengers, my only advice to get rid of those is to invite those sitting next to you to also dance with you! How great would it be if you got a random flash mob to occur right before take-off, AMAZING!

The second thing your take-off jam needs is a build.  I have no clue what this is characterized in musical jargon but it is when your music reaches it climax and the song turns from AWESOME to AMAZING all in the matter of a few seconds.  This may be a different feeling for everyone but I think you can understand what I’m talking about. 

The last thing necessary for a GREAT take-off song relies solely on the individual listening to it.  In order for it to work, the individual needs to release all tension in every part of their body and allow the music to course through the body till it hits the top of your head and the tips of your fingers and toes.  Allowing music to do this can be challenging, but I’m telling you once you will your body to do this you will not be disappointed!

Each leg of my journey I will be posting my take-off song for the day.  I encourage everyone to leave ideas for great take-off songs that can get me through my travels in the next 30 days.  I will start a discussion thread on the Facebook group as well as be looking for comments left on the blog.  I have included a sample of a great take-off song, which fits perfectly with my first stop! Hello Seattle [Remix] by Owl City is an excellent example of how you can start your flight off right. So sit back, imagine you are taking off and enjoy the music folks! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-15Pe1f3UI

http://www.polyvore.com/hello_seattle_owl_city/set?id=11917977

Cheers,
Bryan    

And I'm Off...in 5 Days

Well folks, here it is! The long awaited itinerary for the trip! I can’t believe that in just 5 short days I will be standing, in hopefully a very short JetBlue boarding line.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to my fund and I continue to encourage donations for my project.  In order to fully facilitate an urban poverty experience, I will be living off a budget of $933.00 for the entire 30 days.  This represents the amount of money an individual living at the poverty line lives on each month out of a year.  My plane ticket, which I purchased, will act as my housing costs since I have generous hosts in every city! So, on my trip I will be living on roughly $15.00 - $20.00 a day for food and transportation costs.  Rough I know but I will hopefully feel the pressures that come with living at the poverty line.

Below is the final itinerary for my trip.  Each heading represents the symptom of poverty that I will be addressing in each city! Enjoy and again thank you all for the tremendous outpouring of support you have all shown me thus far!

CHEERS!
Bryan    

Hunger & Homelessness
Seattle, Washington
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 – Saturday, September 11, 2010
Portland, Oregon
Saturday, September 11, 2010 – Wednesday, September 15, 2010
San Francisco, California
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 – Saturday, September 18, 2010
Youth & Education
Los Angeles/Long Beach, California
Saturday, September 18, 2010 – Monday, September 20, 2010
Chicago, Illinois
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 – Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Denver, Colorado
Thursday, September 21, 2010 – Monday, September 27, 2010

Affordable Housing & Rebuilding Communities
New York, New York
Monday, September 27, 2010 (Day)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 (Night)
Monday, October 4, 2010 (Day)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Monday, September 27, 2010 – Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Jacksonville, Florida
Thursday, September 30, 2010 – Monday, October 4, 2010

Government & Policy
Washington DC
Monday, October 4, 2010 – Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wrap-Up SessionsBoston, MAWednesday, September 22, 2010 (Overnight)
Thursday, October 7, 2010 – Sunday, October 10, 2010

I Found My Heart at Wounded Knee

 I’m sure many of you are sitting there after a long, hard day’s work reading away and are saying to yourselves, “Where the hell did all of this come from?” Yes I admit I am usually known as the planner, who wouldn’t drop my work for anything, even y own god damn birthday party. Recently, much against my personality, I have been trying to become more spontaneous.  I like to think of myself as having guided spontaneity, meaning I like to jump and act on ideas with a well thought out plan or plan details as I go.  However, two years ago on an Alternative Break through the University of Connecticut I was awakened to the effects of rural poverty in our very own country.

Larry Mandell, the president of United Way New York, accounted experiencing poverty on a daily basis.  He stated in relating his experience with American poverty that “[he] get[s] to walk in both worlds.  In a given day [he] might be in a soup kitchen and also in the halls of Fortune 500 companies dealing with the senior executives. [He has] become acutely aware that the lives of those who are well off are not touched at all by contact with the poor. It's not that people don't care or don't want to help. It's that they have very little awareness of poverty.” This is where my story begins, two years ago on a service trip…
  
The bus bumped along the mudded and poorly paved roads of the Pine Ridge Reservation.  I peered out the window letting my eyes wander across the vast, flat landscape.  Looking up at the rising sun, I squinted to avoid the glare bouncing off the dirtied glass pane.  The sky went on forever with nothing to obscure the view of the sacred land we slowly drove on.  In such a wide open space I never would have expected to feel so closed off from the world.  

I was on spring break in the frozen, barren prairie of South Dakota and on my way to a cemetery in which lay victims of a massacre that happened many years ago.  I was leading a group of twelve UConn students on an Alternative Break service-learning experience exploring the culture of the Oglala Lakota Nation and the way that poverty has affected them.  Although I was at first excited about leading this trip, as we got closer to our destination I began to regret ever agreeing to go on this trip in the first place. 

“Almost there now” exclaimed Tom, the director of the organization that my group was working with that week.  He was a well statured man with a long white ponytail that made him look like a rebel out of the 1960s.  His voice droned on as the bus pulled to a halt at the bottom of the steep muddy hill that led up to the Wounded Knee Memorial. 

 

 Cautiously we marched off the bus and formed small huddles in order to defend against the ice cold wind that battered us from above.  The earth beneath me began to quake with the rhythm of the native drum as the images of the massacre flooded my mind.  The Indian Wars of the late 1890s were coming to a close and the last Sioux nation was confronted by the United States Cavalry to disarm them of all weapons.  During the surrender, one native fumbled beneath his cloak causing an onslaught of fire from the soldiers igniting chaos on the hillside of which I stood.  As natives were murdered their bodies were strewn across the surrounding prairie and frozen over by the morning frost.  My stare fell on a child lying on the ground beside me, face contorted in pain, alone.  I began to panic and my desire to help this young child overwhelmed me.  The howling wind brought my attention to my group scaling the hillside and when I turned back the body was gone.    

I tried to take in every inch of the expansive blue sky, spotted white with puffs of clouds that surrounded us.  The expanse before me held so much freedom, if only the natives were able to take flight to escape the berating bullets of the soldier’s gun.  As the group reached the top, our eyes set themselves upon a small, trash-strewn graveyard.  Framed by metal fencing and an archway overhanging the entrance, the cemetery looked like something out of a Hollywood movie set.  Tom turned to the group and started describing the Wounded Knee Site and the history behind the cemetery.  

My mind started to wander as Tom’s voice became a part of the gusts of wind that hit our group with an undeserved wrath.  Standing in front of this cemetery I realized it had been a full three years since I had returned to the gravesite of my grandfather, causing an overwhelming emotion to tear through my body.  My grandfather’s death had been the most difficult time for me during my college career.  Ever since he passed away I have never been able to come to terms with his death or build up enough courage to pay my respects to his gravesite.  

A crisp wind struck my face as Tom’s voice shouted, “I encourage each and every one of you, after paying your respects to the memorial, to separate yourself from the group and reflect on your experience thus far.”    

One by one we entered the enclosure to view the obelisk-like structure.  My turn came to enter. I walked carefully down the single paved walkway that was put in place to prevent observers from stepping on the sacred burial site.  Standing in front of this stone structure, as if controlled by another power, my hand rose up and placed itself on the memorial.  Images of pain and suffering ran through my head like I was fast-forwarding through an old movie.  Pictures of women and children fleeing for their lives, men shot down by rifles, and then my grandfather’s face staring back at me alone and pleading, frozen in a pool of blood on the floor.

My hand shot back as I snapped back to reality.  The people around me must have noticed something had disturbed me, as I made a quick escape out of the metal enclosure.  I started to wonder why that could have happened to me.  Was my conscience really that guilty?

In order to take my mind off of what had just happened, I started picking up pieces of trash that covered the cemetery.  We were there for a service trip after all so I figured this would help ground me back to my original purpose for traveling here over my break.  As I meandered through the cemetery grounds, I read the beautiful poems and sayings that had been written on gravestones by the families and loved ones of the deceased.  Eventually I found myself separated from the pack and off by myself in a corner.  I decided to take Tom’s advice and dig a little deeper with my experience on the reservation.  

In South Dakota, especially in Pine Ridge, I realized how removed I was from my normal everyday comforts.  Transported here by the vision of helping a 

community, I found more and more each day that I was the one who was being helped.  Each of the Oglala Lakota people I had met this week ignited a new passion within me.  The stories that they told and their way of life made me reflect on how I had lived my own.  Most importantly, the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation led me to realize I had let the memories of my grandfather, which I held so dear to my heart, slip away.

Grabbing on to the chain-link fence that had captured me and the other students in this historical land mark, I looked out over the horizon.  This was the first time I had built up enough courage to talk to my grandfather’s spirit, which I felt around me at that very moment.  The release was unfathomable.  As if he himself had come down and touched my shoulders, I suddenly felt that I had somehow reconnected with him and forgave myself for the guilt I felt over his death.  The wind whipped through my hair and froze the single tear that was slowly slipping down my cheek.

Sometimes, we must travel away from our everyday lives to realize what is truly important to us.  The interactions with new people, the partaking in new experiences, the desire to learn, are all things that can allow each individual to understand his full potential.

As I turned to start heading down back to the bus, my eyes found one last grave stone that read the following message, “For This Is A Journey We All Must Take And Each Must Go Alone”. For each person his life is left in their hands and it is up to them to travel a journey of self discovery.  The wind picked up, leading me to the never ending horizon where one day my own sun would set.    

A Peak into Poverty

Poverty.  How does one define poverty?

How much do you really know and understand about what poverty is? The root causes, the symptoms, actions to take, or education to pursue are all areas that even in my mind are not completely clear.  I would like you to take 5 min of your time to complete an activity that I myself completed when I decided to take on this project. 

I would like you to first take out a piece of paper and your lucky pencil.  Shut off any and all distractions including your 80’s Rock Tunes and reality TV shows.  And at the top of your page I would like you to write the word POVERTY. Seems simple enough right? Now in 5 min, I want you to define what poverty is, to list the causes of poverty, and then I want you to list the characteristics of poverty.  Now don’t go add a tab and find the Google definition and research everything to look smart, this is for you, to see how you understand poverty in its simplest form. 

READY…GO! (Cue Jeopardy Music Here)

I encourage you to share with everyone some of your answers to the questions I asked you to think about above.  You can do that by adding a comment to this post or going to the Facebook group and posting it under the discussion board!

When using the Merriam-Webster, ‘picture-perfect’ definition of poverty we get:

POVERTY ~ the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty


Basically this definition looks at poverty from a solely economical view point.  Now I am sure that we have all been at this stage at some point in our lives.  The United States is driven by its economy and as American citizens, we drive ourselves along that never-ending highway right into retirement or the poor house, which ever comes first.  Now I could bore you all by going into a cost-benefit analysis of why money is good and why it’s bad but instead I would like to deconstruct the above definition I have presented you with.

Like many of you, I would guess we had similar definitions as the one above when completing the exercise.  Most people look at poverty from a monetary perspective because that’s the easiest way to measure it.  However, I ask you to reflect on the definition above and your own based off my following observations.

The Unusual Use of the Word Usual
The use of the word USUAL in the definition brings me to my first concern about who exactly is the one defining USUAL.  So, we go on the internet, turn the pages of a book, searching for that specific answer and realize that USUAL is defined by our government.  They set what is known as a POVERTY LINE.  This is an average number collected by surveying through the Census Bureau of the pretax annual income of a single individual.  Presently, awaiting the results from the recent 2010 Census, the United States Government defines the poverty line for an individual citizen below the age of 65 as $11,201.00.  So the usual amount of money for a US citizen to live on is slightly higher than that total.  Now I believe that the definition would make more sense if the usual amount of money was defined by a range as opposed to a single averaged value.  Unfortunately the Census does not supply this information so we are left to believe that if our yearly bank accounts are wavering somewhere around this number, we are at risk for being impoverished members of society. 

Socially Acceptable Money?
Now that we understand what exactly usual amounts of money are defined as, let us look at the next option the definition gives us.  Someone who lacks a socially acceptable amount of money or possessions is considered to be poverty stricken.  Now when we define socially acceptable certain basic life necessities come to mind.  Access to a food source, shelter, safe water, access to healthcare and education, and perhaps even an Ipod are all items that one may considerable socially acceptable.  Now in the grander scheme money is necessary for all of these services or entities so, someone who is able to afford a home, food, healthcare, and bottled water is doing relatively ok.  It’s the people that are not able to afford such basic needs that are truly stuck at or below the poverty line. 

In trying not to sound like a complete cynical college graduate, I would like to challenge the use of the phrase “socially acceptable amounts of money”.  Now who’s to say that our star athletes, some of our mediocre actors, and certain government officials who find their salaries sky-rocketing into the 10s of millions of dollars are not poverty ridden?  By the definition it states that people who “lack” the usual amount of money needed to survive are considered to be living in poverty.  How is a paycheck for 20 million dollars to make an hour and a half film considered socially acceptable?  I believe that we need to move away from an economically dominating definition for poverty and look at it on multiple levels instead.

Root Causes of Poverty
I want you to look back at your list of causes for poverty.  Going back to our definition, most people when looking for the direct causes of poverty consider money to be the largest factor determining an individual’s status.  This often times creates the poor-man’s stereotype that the primary causes of poverty result from the individual characteristics of the poor themselves.  David Hilfiker, a family doctor turned clinic specialist, discusses this notion in a short book entitled Poverty in Urban America: Its Causes and Cures.  http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/seeingpoverty/pamphlet1.shtml 

He challenges that it is not the individual’s characteristics that define the root causes of poverty but instead results from imbedded “social structures that are beyond the individual’s control”. 

It is important when looking at a social issue, such as poverty, that we are able to differentiate between the root cause of the problem and the symptoms that are produced from those causes.  Many times we will confuse a symptom for a direct cause to the problem.  This is what Dr. Hilfiker discusses in his above book, that our society looks poorly on the poor because often times we blame their condition on their own actions.  We blame the poor for being lazy, uneducated, drug addicts, and violent.  Now this is not to say that these above issues are present in the urban poor of America, but it is a very small percentage. 

So where does poverty come from? Certain social structures that are presently in place in the United States continue to result in poverty and cause the symptoms that you and I are more readily familiar with.  The root causes that I am going to present you with result from completing a Root Cause Analysis.  This summer I had the great opportunity to work with a summer program that partnered with Ashoka Youth Venture Programs where I was introduced to this exercise.  It follows the 5 Why’s Model to find the primary causes of a problem rather than solely working on fixing the symptoms.  I encourage you to use this same model to identify for you what the root causes of poverty are in America today and compile your own list. http://www.slideshare.net/CharlesGYF/cat001-root-cause-analysis  

Root Causes of Poverty
Government Policies
Racial Inequality
Segregation/Wealth Disparity
Corruption
Economic Re-Structuring
Lack of Basic Human Rights

My above list is not all encompassing to say the least. However, in the next 30 days, I will be exploring if my list is actually true.  Could it be that the US government is causing poverty within its own borders? Is their still racial inequality in the land of the free?  Isn’t economic restructuring necessary for Third World countries to join the rest of society? I hope to answer these questions along with many others on my travels of the US.

Characteristics or Symptoms of Poverty
The last part that I asked you to do is to create a list of characteristics of poverty.  I want you to consider this list more of a list of symptoms that occur because of the above causes.  Again as I had stated previously, these “symptoms” are generally what each of us would think about when asked what we understood the word poverty to mean.  These may include low-income, job loss, domestic violence, limited access to healthcare and an education, and perhaps housing issues as well. To give you a brief (not all inclusive) list, here are some major symptoms that result from the causes of poverty:

Symptoms of Poverty
Hunger & Homelessness
Decreased Access to Healthcare
 Decreased Access to Education
Increased Violence & Crime
Destruction of the Environment
Non-Sustainable Living

Decreased Access to Affordable Housing
Employment Opportunities & Income Levels

Now on the surface level, it is these symptoms that we “Do-Gooders” try to work on eradicating when we contribute to our own communities.  The food and clothing drives we run so that the homeless person on the street won’t go hungry or cold or the houses we build for those less fortunate are thought as addressing the issue of poverty directly.  Just like when a doctor makes a diagnosis, treatment is mainly focused on improving the symptoms of whatever ailment your body is going through.  It has many positive outcomes such as increasing your daily health, creating hope and a vision for a healthier future, and better yet attacking the bad organisms or juju that is raging through your body and making you sick in the first place.  Without organizations that are addressing the above issues in our communities we would be nowhere right now, and the world may look a little darker than it may seem now. 

However, I pose this question to you.  How many times have you gone to a doctor, been prescribed medicine based off your symptoms but never actually told what was causing those symptoms in the first place? Or better yet, been given medication that actually worsened your condition because the root causes of your symptoms were not addressed?  As individuals, organizations, and human beings we need to be asking the root cause questions on a daily basis.  We are not looking for a quick fix here and a new house there, but rather ensuring that the long-term benefit of each of our actions has been well thought out and ties back to the greater issue, in this case poverty. 

As I embark on my adventure on September 7th, I look forward to working with some of the greatest organizations in the 11 cities I will be landing in.  I plan on talking to agencies working on the larger picture of attacking the root causes of poverty while working for organizations that are doing diligent work to help fix the symptoms in hopes of providing a positive sustainable change in the lives of many US citizens.  As my excitement for the trip heightens I encourage you to reach out to more of your friends and family members to start thinking more constructively about issues happening in your own communities. 

Cheers to discovering the roots of every tree in the country!
Bryan