The Neighborhood House is having a fundraiser-Annual Wine Tasting next week, Thursday April 29

They are selling raffle tickets for lots of great prizes.  You do not have to be present to win. $5 per book of 6

Please bring your cash on Thursday to buy tickets! I will have a list of prizes that can be won.

 

Thanks

Michele

Today, Thursday dropped off all the organic soil mixture for the garden bed---about 6 to 7 different formulas to put in. We will have to mix it up just like a cake recipe.

Many of the seniors were there today, enjoying a sing-a-long and I joined in with them for about 20 minutes. A lot of fun since I like to sing!

On my first visit to the Neighborhood House I found out that Gloria, a senior herself, is president of the ‘Canteen’-a large amount of seniors that meet on Thursdays. We hope to invite her as a representative of the Neighborhood House to our presentation, as a thank you for the seniors welcoming us to their center. I found out today, Thursday, 15^th, that there are no other presidents…so I hope we can do that. Professors, can we send an invitation to her?

We are still looking into ongoing care of the garden…and I have a few leads that I hope to keep clearing up tomorrow and in the next couple of weeks.

I am prepared to do ongoing care through the summer for one or two hours week if the ongoing care has not been established; however, I am expecting something to come up. As a group we have not yet discussed what our intentions for involvement will be after May 18^th.

The president of the board told me today that they have several local businesses that they work with, and we may be able to get some volunteers from there. I also called the Greenburgh Nature Center and have contact with someone there too. Several other places.

The president also let me know they have contacts with the Gannett paper, to do a spread about our work at the Neighborhood House, and one of us will speak to Graziella tomorrow.

Here is our objective again: to create a garden in a senior center which will empower the seniors and offer them recreational and emotional involvement while being an example of sustainable, water-wise cultivation.

The times I have been to the Neighborhood House have been gratifying. Everyone is enthusiastic about our project, and have helped in their own small way---suggested plants that should be grown; how to turn the turf over in the bed to return the nutrients back to the earth; drawing us while we were working away one Tuesday.

I believe this project not only gives to the seniors, it gives back to the earth, and in turn, for our group, it teaches us many new skills that we can use to help our world be a sustainable world.

Wednesday Kevin, Usha, and I broke ground.  It was boiling, and hard work, but we did it.  One of the seniors, Elaine, sketched us while we were busy working.  She also gave us tips on what to do with the dug up grass----fold it over, put on the border of the soil, thus will nourish the earth.

We have been waiting for the wood to come in, to make the bed, and it should be in tomorrow...so we will be buying that tomorrow, and soil, to return to The Neighborhood House and finish up making the bed.

We bought some materials at Sprainbrook Nursery.  We got some great feedback from Al the owner, and he has pointed us in the right direction of where to buy the right wood to make the bed.  He even made a phone call for us, and assured us the wood will be in next week. I asked him if he thought we should start digging now, and he said of course!

We asked for a discount, and he is giving the project a 15% discount, plus the project will be tax exempt.  We would have gone to the Neighborhood House tomorrow, but everyone is away for the holidays.

Kevin, Usha, and I met at the Neighborhood House.  Not all the seniors were there.  However, those who were there made suggestions about what plants to grow.  We will be adding some vegetables as they have cooking classes, and they said they would like to use the herbs and veggies for this class.

We also suggested they might want to paint different designs on the planks of wood for those who are not interested in gardening.  There are many talented artists at the Neighborhood House!

I am working on getting a compost bin at a reduced price, and have someone come into the center to explain how to use it. 

Usha is keeping track of budjet, and looking for the right wood that is not treated.  We got a lead from Sprainbrook Nursery about non-treated wood, and we hope to get more advice from them when we go to buy material.  The owner said he will give us some discount.  Not sure how much?

Kevin is looking into contacting the Science Barge in Yonkers in regards to creating sustainable drip-feed bottles.

We hope to get to Sprainbrook Nursery asap, at least to start on planting seeds.  The Neighborhood House have windows with good sunlight to get things growing.

We are still looking for gardening tools that anyone can donate.  Any Global Scholars have thoughts?

Kevin, Usha, and I met on Saturday.  I came up with a plan, and we have planned our schedules to meet with the seniors as a team tomorrow, Tuesday.

Please see attached file.  Not sure how it will come up in this blog.

Our new project will be working with seniors at The Neighborhood House, in Tarrytown.  I went on Thursday, and the seniors are very enthusiastic about working with us.

More comments to come...

Our mission is to empower and inspire at risk children at Leake and Watts to continue their education and see their talents flourish. We plan to accomplish this via a motivational recycling art project. This project will not only help them to develop themselves, but also contribute to society. The children will be proud and honored to have their art work displayed in the new Gateway Center or student art center (AAB)  at Westchester Community College. This is a long term vision where Leake and Watts will participate with other WCC volunteer students each year to encourage the brightest, most needed students to succeed. Ultimately this project will be a symbol that future generations of children can look to and find inspiration in.

 

We have chatted and we would really like to work on the recycling program.  We have thought that we could create an art installation in the Gateway Center, and this project would encourage the 'teens and up' to think about where they have come from and where they are going; thus, to realize their goals.  We have asked Terre Wisell, who is is involved in the Gateway Center, if this could be possible, and she loves the idea!  The art work would be displayed in the center, with people invited to the opening, and hopefully this would encourage the young adults who participated to enroll in WCC etc.

When we went Leake and Watts Center we realized that the children in the center have no planning about what they are going to do in future. Hopefully this project as a whole will encourage them to do something in future. Appreciation of their work in the community will also encourage them to contribute more to the society. Not only that as what ever they will make is out of the recylable material they will show everyone that we can create some useful thing out of it if we just give some time.

 

 

During the week of March 23rd, we will present our CdLS powerpoint to the RN and LPN nursing classes. The goal of these presentations will be to educate the future health care professionals at WCC about this rare syndrome and its manifestations. We hope they will gain a sufficient knowledge base to recognize an individual with CdLS, to provide sensitive and nonjudgmental care to the affected individuals and support to the families. We have numerous informational packets which we will distribute to the students and professors so that they may share their awareness with fellow health care workers. In addition, we will organize a table at the WCC Health Fair in April. The health fair is located in the main student cafeteria and is a highly visible campus event. Our table will be laden with a large banner, powerpoint slide show and many pamphlets and written material. We hope to spread awareness about CdLS to the campus community during this event. We are considering presenting our powerpoint in a hospital setting such as Westchester Medical Center or Hudson Valley Hospital. It was suggested by a nursing professor and we are reviewing our schedule of events.

Our project will focus on sensitivity and awareness about a rare congenital syndrome, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. Siobjan and Ingrid are both RN nursing students. We will make powerpoint presentations to the RN and LPN nursing students during classroom time which will focus on identifying CdLS individuals and their physical and psychological needs. We will also educate future nurses on the psychological and emotional impact of the diagnosis and support services available for the families. We have already met with the nursing professors who are eager for us to present during each of their five nursing sections. In addition, we will organize a CdLS awareness table at the Health Fair 2009 at the Student Building during common hour. We will prepare handouts for all interested.