Jennifer Yvonne Cannon
   

I volunteered for a non for profit called HEY GURL(Girls Under Reconstruction Accomplishing Life).  This organization is located in Maywood, IL, a western suburb of Chicago.  The purpose of this organization is to provide mentor ship and a positive network for girls in the community.  The service activity I helped the organization with a sexual assault and awareness event. Prior to the organization’s event, there were three sexual assaults within the community.  As discussed in class, we learned that sexual assault affects the individual and the family unit as a whole. By assisting speakers who told testimonies, and provided expert opinions I was able to network with professionals by listening to their stories, and engaging in conversation with all participants of the event.  By doing so, I was able to gain insightful information on the topic of sexual assault.  Through the organization’s event on sexual assault, I believe the community became more aware of the issue. Although, members knew about the sexual assaults that occurred in the community, this event gave them an outlet to express their concerns and take a stance on the issue. Overall, I think the organization is power instrument for the community as a whole. Although HEY GURL is geared towards women, I believe it has the potential to touch the lives of many.

New Life Covenant Life Church (Children's Ministry): Kids-4-Jesus

I volunteer at New Life Covenant Church (Children Ministries): Kids-4-Jesus. The lesson that was given demonstrated after everybody walk out on you, reject you, or does not want to be bother with you; God is always there to show you unconditional love. It also showed treat others how you want to be treated, and do not judge before getting to know the individual. Working with the other staff we had to come together as one to make sure the children understand but make sure it was age appropriate. The children learned when they interacted with their peers it would be different from how other children their age would handle the situation. For example if a child goes to school with a child that is behaving badly he or she will try their best to be friends with that individual.  They have learned from church that everyone is different in their own way and realize we still have to treat them with respect.

After volunteering in the Children Ministries our children still need our attention. Just like adults children have hurt and pain. The children deal with their feelings different than adults. Even though these children come to church they still are growing and learning. I have to remember all children are not the same and no matter how I try to put them in the same category they still are unique. Some of the children need one on one whiles other would try to be a teacher helper. But they are next future leaders. The bible teaches us “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”.

Sharrell Stanley

Volunteer Service

I have done my volunteer work at PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) in Mattoon. PADS provides shelter, hot meals, and guidance through various agencies of Coles County. We have learned how family live in poverty. We have also learned the different resources that are available for individuals or families that live in poverty. Some people are qualified to receive some aids from the government. They receive aids such as food stamp, health insurance etc. but it seems as others are not qualified for these kinds of aids. Those who are not are receiving support somehow. Providing a shelter and food for these people is one way that the government is doing to help these people. PADS provides shelter, meal for people. Some people go there every day to eat. They go there twice a day, for lunch and dinner. They even sleep there sometimes. There is one large room for them and it is divided into three sections, one section was for women and the other two were for men.  There is a bathroom there to take their shower. They can even do their laundries in that shelter. I networked with other professionals in some ways.  The professional provide the service, I did not provide any service but I was at one of the shelter to help, by preparing the meal for people who go to the shelter to get their daily meal. Professionals provide help for people who are in need. Even though people who go there to receive the service were not there to thank me for cooking the meal for them, they will still appreciate my help because I used my time to prepare a meal for them. Even the community will appreciate someone for doing a good thing. Helping one another is not a bad thing. And it is never a waste of time. The community will always appreciate the kindness of its people.

I have never participated in this kind of service, but I was glad that I did. Somehow I felt sorry for these people then I realized that I don’t have to pity anyone. Anyone can end in this situation. No one knows what brought them there, meaning no one knows how they end being in that situation (living in poverty). And as future professional, I don’t have to pity anyone but instead find a solution to their problem. I was glad I helped in cooking their meal, and I am will to keep helping. I actually told the director that I will come again to help cook the meal. I will provide supplies next time I go there. This will be another way that I can help.

Maguy Kanam

My Experience by Courtney Akins

 I decided to go home and volunteer with an non for profit group that I use to be involved with in highs chool.  CEP Youth Leadership now known as The Leadershop in Lagrange, IL.  They had their annual Summer Kick off where you can meet alumni and you can also meet new youth that are in the group.  The group is programed to help young kids and young adults make I difference in the community and in the world.  The group helps under privilege kids also by providing them with a positive way to be involved with the community.  The kids that are underprivileged are kids that actually live in a group home because of family issues.  Sometimes their parents are on drugs, can’t afford to take care of them, or send them so they can have a better opportunity than they did.  This related to Fcs because we talked about how kids don’t have any place to go after school or just to a place safe to get away from home problems and that will also be a positive influence on their life.  During this activity I networked with some of my old peers, some of the new kids that are in the program and people in the community.  I feel like a gained a sense of appreciation for the group because it helped me not only meet new people because I didn’t have many friends in high school, I gained new friends and I also gained a love of service with this group.  The affect the service has on the community is incredible because they have came a long way from helping about 500 kids to now helping over 1,000 kids.  I know the group is keeping a lot of students out of trouble because they show they care what’s going on in their life and what their future holds.   Overall I enjoyed this assignment because it aloud me to return to my old town and give back to the people that helped me a lot during my high school years.  I also enjoyed meeting the new kids and I plan on volunteering even more now especially when I get a chance.

Courtney Akins

I volunteered at an organization named Highsight. HighSight is a non-profit organization that gives under privileged teenagers the opportunity to attend a private high school. A lot of these teenagers have had a rough past and are trying to take the right path and go to a good high school. The director Mark is a very kind gentleman and took a major decrease in his salary when he left his job and decided to help this organization full time. I helped these teenagers with homework but mostly I was their outlet because they have so much going on in their life that sometimes they just want someone to talk to. A lot of the kids can’t really talk to their parents because they are always working so that’s where this organization is helpful to them.  This service activity reflected concepts learned in class. It thought me to assume diversity and not judge any child that might be acting out; you don’t know what’s going on in their life until you talk to them.  I talked to other professionals in the organization and gained a lot of insightful information on why they work for the organization and continue to make it as successful as it is.  

This service organization has a positive impact on the community and encourages other teens to want to succeed. They also have others resources that are available to families. I enjoyed this assignment because it was good to know that I gave back to the community and helped someone who is disadvantaged.

Patricia Flores  

Dr. Taylor's FCS 4840- B.Miller volunteer

On May 29 and June 5 I volunteered for the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL at The Caring Place. While volunteering I worked with sixteen two year old children. While interacting with the children I was able to observe the developmental differences of the children that were raised in various environments and cultures. It was interesting to see how the children reacted to myself and how they interacted with their peers. From this experience, and learning about disadvantage in society, I was more aware of why a child might isolate themselves from others and what might cause them to behave a certain way. During my time at The Caring Place I conversed with the teachers, and was able to gain more insight as to why some of the children behaved a certain way. By doing this I was able to adjust how I dealt with certain situations. The teachers were excited to have me do volunteer work in their classroom for the reason that they had just recently gained seven additional two year old children and there were only two teachers, until they are able to hire another teacher. By having me in the classroom I was able to help them with numerous tasks to ease their work load. They have expressed their appreciation for having another adult in their classroom to help. I enjoyed my time at The Caring Place and I plan on volunteering at Carle for the rest of the summer. I am glad that I can give of my time to help a child care facility that needs more people to help care for children that are currently there.

For my project link assignment, I volunteered at Teen Reach. The first time I offered to volunteer, CJ, the director of Teen Reach forgot to mention the kids where going to the community pool that day; and therefore, I was unable to go because I had no money on me or my swim suit. However, I called again, and this time I was prepared to go swimming. Teen Reach is a program that reaches out towards kids of all ages who are underprivileged. CJ, the director is very warm and welcoming and loves the children he works with. He is a great role model to the kids and makes a huge impact towards this community.  He checks each child’s grades to make sure they are working hard in school and keeping their grades up. If the child does poorly, then he/she has to take summer school and once they finish summer school they are then able to join CJ and the other kids in activities such as going to the lake, pool, or parks. Since its summer it’s important for them to hang around their friends, relax and just to have fun. These kids are able to build their social skills by interacting with one another and their counselors. In addition, CJ also wants the kids to know how to behave in public. Children may not have the privilege to do any of these activities because their parents are unable to take them or they don’t want to. I also liked that the program had their own transportation to pick up the kid’s from their homes because parents may be busy, or unable to do it themselves. This program allows kids to not be stuck at home all day and to actually enjoy their summer. It allows them to have something to look forward to everyday. Another benefit of the program is kids are probably staying out of trouble. I was surprised to hear the kid’s living conditions, which was living in sheds or sharing a room with multiple siblings. Looking at these kids and interacting with some of them, you could never tell they were living in conditions like these.  I’m glad they are able to go somewhere for the day to get away from their family and just have fun and forget about things for a while. I really enjoyed my experience at Teen Reach. I really wish I could stay here all summer so I could volunteer more and get to know everyone better.  I think it’s important for kids to have good role models. I think it’s a good idea for college students to volunteer there more because it could really motivate a child to do better in school and to dream about going to college someday. I will defiantly be volunteering in the fall, since the kids need help with homework and board games every day is not necessarily fun. 

Teen Reach

Lakresha Lucas

      On June 4, I volunteered at Teen Reach in Charleston. I volunteered once during the school year so I knew exactly where it was located. The children there are very friendly and it seem like they enjoy when there are volunteers there. The staff there is very friendly as well especially C.J (the director). While I was there I played the Wii with some of the children and then we went swimming. I had a great time with the children; I plan to do some more volunteering there throughout the summer. The service actively reflected concepts that were learned in class by having this program available to disadvantaged children. I networked with other college students and the director. I was able to ask the other volunteers who go there often about how long they have been volunteering there and how they like it. I was able to talk to C.J to get more information about the program. He mentioned how some of these children come from poor or unstable homes and he allows them to have fun and still stay focus in school. During the school year the children in the program have to do their homework first before they are able to have fun.  This organization can have effect on these children that come into the program because they are able to meet other children like them and they are able to go places that their family can’t afford to take them, such as the pool.

This assignment was a great way to get involved in community and to get some volunteer hours in. I feel that Teen Reach is a great program to have in the Charleston community because the children that go here are able to get help with their homework during the school year, they have some where to go to stay out of trouble and they are able to meet others just like them. If there were more programs like this in different communities, there would be more children staying out of trouble, and the children would have some place to call home away from home.

Child Care Resource and Referral

Lauren Harris       
        On June 1, I volunteered at the Child Care Resource and Referral office which is located in Khlem at EIU.  During my two hours in the office, I tallied surveys from several different counties in Illinois that were sent back from child care providers. The surveys were sent out by Child Care Resources and Referral to surrounding counties to receive feedback about their training. This experience related to both FCS 4840 and other FCS courses. It relates to the Disadvantaged Family course because it allowed for professionals that provide child care to provide information on a survey about what kind of training sessions they would be interested in. I didn’t work directly with any of the professionals, but I did sit in the office with them and got an inside look at what their days consist of. I gained knowledge about how the Child Care Resource and Referral office operates and what they do around the community. By tallying the surveys, I got to see all of the different places that provide day care and how the surveys help to know about each one’s training sessions. This organization has a huge effect on the community. They offer resources to families for child care. They also help families find the right child care to suit their children’s needs as well as their own. I really enjoyed helping out at the Child Care Resource and Referral office! Even though I wasn’t working directly with referring families to resources and child care, I still helped to get things done.  This allowed the professionals working there to help the families in need.  The ladies working in the office were constantly busy with phone calls to potential day care providers, which allowed me to see just how important they are to the community and how dedicated they are to helping!

Coalition for People in Need

           I have volunteered at the Coalition for People in Need (CPN) since September. I recently went again for this project, and am still enjoying the time that I spend there. People can come into CPN for emergency assistance for things such as groceries, prescriptions, gas, rent assistance, and utility assistance. Once the clients are approved, they receive a certain type of voucher, depending on the help that they need. The clients are encouraged to take advantage of the food pantry, which is located in the same building. The food pantry and assist people every 30 days, where CPN is to be used for emergencies only because they are privately funded.

            It is extremely interesting to me to talk with the clients, and how some of their lives have been completely turned upside down. I have heard many of them talk about how they hate using services such as these, but really need them to survive. It is also amazing to hear how grateful most people are of services such as this. I was allowed to talk directly with clients and get their information for what assistance they needed. A lot of what we have learned in class is what I have already been exposed to while volunteering at this facility.

            This volunteer experience will greatly help me in the future, because of all the exposure I have seen. I have also met and talked with other volunteers who have been helping for years. I plan to get a job with the Department of Child and Family Services, and I have talked with at least 3 different people who have already retired from DCFS. This volunteer experience has helped widen my network of people in the industry I plan to go into.

            Overall, I really enjoy my time spent at CPN and I can’t wait to continue to volunteer again in the fall.

Erin Kirk

P.A.D.S

I volunteered at P.A.D.S Homeless Shelter in Mattoon. I found it rather difficult to get a hold of anyone at P.A.D.S to even volunteer. I had to go back and forth from Charleston to Mattoon a few times because the shelter was very unorganized with the times I was told to go and the people there actually knowing that I was coming. Once I was finally able to volunteer my time, thy once again did not know that I was coming due to a lack of communication amongst the people.

When I was volunteering they had me cleaning up different areas of the shelter, first I had folded sheets and blankets, then they had my organize a few bookshelves and swept up a few messes, put tables and chairs away and cleaned up the kitchen. There were only men who came to the shelter that night and I was able to sit down and talk with a few of the men while they were eating dinner. Some of them were willing to talk to me about how they ended up getting in the shelter, the challenges that they came across. There was one man who told me he worked hard all of his life and ended up losing his job. After a while he ended up losing basically everything. He comes to the shelter to eat  and sleep at night.

Hearing his story makes me think about what could happen to my family, my dad worked at the same company for 25 years and lost his job out of nowhere due to the economy. My family struggles everyday to keep what we have. There were a few times that we thought we were going to lose our home. Thankfully my dad just started a new job that seems to be permanent. But we still have to struggle due to the fact that my mom just recently lost her job due to them relocating it to Texas. My family is not out of the woods just yet, but it seems as if we are getting closer.

It makes me very thankful to know that what happened to my family did not have us end up with no home like the man I talked to. It also makes me very sad for the man that ended up in the shelter cause I could only imagine what he has gone through and how hard it had to have been for him. I hope that he will be able to catch a break and get back on his feet like my dad did.

We learned in class to always assume diversity when you meet someone. That’s always something that I do when I meet someone, and I made sure that I did that when coming into the shelter. Many people think that homeless people did it to themselves, they were lazy, they are crack addicts, ect. However, that’s not always entirely true, maybe for some people who are homeless but not all. Homelessness can happen to anyone.

Having this homeless shelter is a good thing for the community. For some people this may be the only place they are able to have dinner, get a shower, and have a warm place to sleep at night. The shelter was not very big but the few people that it can house for the night its better than having them out on the streets. 

For the project link, I volunteered at Teen Reach on Tuesday May 29, 2012. I volunteer the whole time the day care was opened, 1 to 5. Their summer activity that day was going to the community swimming pool.  This service activity reflected the concept of children in poverty for me. I never have worked with kids who were underprivileged before.  It was really eye opening for me. CJ, the director, was very open with the kid’s situation and talked with my roommate and I how this program does so much for them. CJ talked about the kids living arrangements and how they share rooms with tons of siblings, living in sheds, and kids just always by themselves.  Another concept that was reflected on this day was assumed diversity. I would have never guessed these kids lived in such harsh living conditions. They were all pretty much good kids, and they looked just like the rest of kids at the swimming pool. It was really shocking to me.   

I networked with professionals while working at Teen Reach because C.J. was willing to talk to my roommate and me and explain the program. In the future I want to own my own child care and working at Teen Reach opened my eyes to ideas, or doing something more like Teen Reach. Volunteering there really opened my eyes and seeing more what I could do in the future.

                This service organization has a big affect on this community.  CJ checks all of the kids’ grades, and most of all of them have their grades improved.  The kids who didn’t have good grades are in summer school, and once they finish that, they can come back and join the fun activities that CJ has planned for the other kids. This program teaches social skills as well. CJ express that the kids need to learn how to behave in public as well. That is a main reason he takes to the parks, pools and lakes. Also the kids would never be able to go to these places without this program, because they have parents not able to come to these places or even want to. This program also helps kids to not be home alone all day long to, help them to stay out of trouble.

                I really enjoyed volunteering at Teen Reach, I wish I volunteer more this summer but I leaving to go back home. These kids really enjoyed our company, and I want to do more for these kids. CJ talked to me how much they need college students to help them with their school work in the fall, and how it makes a big difference in their lives. So I am hoping my schedule will allow me to go a few times a week in the fall and help out. This program was a big eye opener for me and it will be an experience that I wouldn’t forget it. 

- Kelli Arigi

Teen Reach

On Tuesday May 29, 2012, I volunteered with Teen Reach here in Charleston. I worked with underprivileged children of Charleston and we went swimming. This service activity reflected the concepts learned in class by this quality of daycare. The program is only offered 1pm to 5pm so most of these children are at home alone in the morning or with a lot of older sibling. Most the children expressed how much the love going to Teen Reach to get away from home and all their other siblings. Teen Reach is a privilege to them because C.J. (the director) has them turn in their report cards. If their report cards aren’t up to standard then they cannot participate during the summer activities. I networked with professionals while working at Teen Reach because C.J. was willing to talk to me and explain the program. In the future I could see myself being the director of an after school program for underprivileged children and working at Teen Reach opened my eyes to ideas. I loved the idea of checking the grades so that the program is seen as a reward and not a right. I learned from C.J. that one must be upbeat and lifting to the children while also seen as a disciplinary. It seemed as if all the children look up to him and respect him for what he is doing for them. The organization has a huge effect on the community. Since the program has started, C.J. said, that all of their grades have improved. This program also keeps children from being at home alone when who knows what could happen. Finally this program helps the children build social skills. If they are at home alone they wouldn’t be interacting with adults or peers but being at Teen Reach they are learning critical social skills. I loved this assignment because I got to work with the children of Teen Reach. I have worked there before, not as much as I would like, and every time I have a blast. The children of Teen Reach really look up to the students of EIU that go there to help and if I can be a role model for one of them then I will be happy. This time it was hard to work with the children because we were at the pool and they didn’t know me. If I could do it over I would ask to be introduced to the children at the center instead of them just staying in the van while I loaded snacks and met them there. After a while at the pool they started to hang out with me but they really wanted to hang out with their friends. I would still do it over everyday to be at the pool with the children to watch them and make sure they have appropriate role models in their lives.

--Mary Lane

Today Monday June, 4^th 2012, I volunteered at HOPE with a couple other people from our class. We got there at noon and stayed until 2pm. We met with Angie, she deals with phone calls and women and children, counseling them. She was a very sweet lady. We couldn’t meet with anyone of the people because of confidentially, which is totally understandable. So what Angie had us do was put boxes and bags of clothes and other things for children into the van so we could bring them to the storage place. While the van was being used Angie had us clean shelves and make more room so they could organize better. We put books in boxes that they were giving away; she said we could take any of them if we were interested. Which they had a lot of books about violence, and some of them seemed really interesting. Then she had us clean where the kids play if the parents have no caretaker to watch them during counseling, so we made sure that everything was clean and vacuumed and cleaned other areas of the place.
                I really enjoyed the opportunity to go to HOPE and kind of see what it was about, even though I didn’t get to work with any of the people staying there. Angie gave some information about how many people stay there usually it is up to 20 people but right now they only have 3 which she said is odd for June. We have learned so much in FCS classes about helping people out and this is one way that people help people out. They come and know they will feel safe. It just made me realize that a lot of people are worse off than I am and that I have a pretty good life. It can really make you think.












Brittany Poders

Project Link-HOPE

I volunteered at HOPE in Charleston, Illinois. While there I learned a lot about what they do. They provide housing, counseling, and a hotline to call. They work with women who are in domestic violent relationships, abuse and things of that nature. We were not able to work with clients since we are not trained, however, we helped organize and move things to storage that has been donated to them. They also have summer activities for children. Today, the children were making stepping stones to put in the walk way to the playground. HOPE is an awesome place to volunteer and they are a big help to this community. They help families and women and children. I really enjoyed this experience and it opened my eyes to something new. They also have internships available, which is a great opportunity and something I will keep in mind.
Mandie Ellis

HOPE

For Project LINK, I volunteered at HOPE. Hope if a non-profit organization, that includes many different programs and services for those experiencing domestic violence. The service activity was helping out those who work with and help women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence. It reflected upon our FCS course because these women are associated with disadvantage due to what is/has happened in their lives.  Volunteering helped recognized the topics and concepts that have been discussed throughout class. While volunteering at HOPE, I worked with one of the head advocates and she shared a lot of insight about what they do at HOPE, as well as internship opportunities. She shared a lot of information about all the programming they have and insight on what goes on in their day-to-day lives working at HOPE. I got to meet a few other employees there, including the child advocate before she began working with her group of children for their summer program.

            Through helping out in the office, I helped with cleaning, organizing and helping to reduce a lot of clutter to make room in the office for a safer environment. These definitely impacted the advocates because it allowed for them to be able to focus on the important things of their job instead of having to clean and organize. It helps the community due to the head advocate being able to focus at her tasks at help and be able to help those that are in need. I really enjoyed my experience volunteering at HOPE, it was eye opening about everything that is offered and the wonderful things these women do! I give a lot of praise to them for the passion and love they have for their job.

Kaite Quilico

Project Link-HOPE

            I decided to volunteer at HOPE. HOPE is a center for domestic violence. They offer many different services. Some of their services include legal and medical advocacy, an emergency shelter, counseling, and education. Volunteering helped me to better understand certain concepts I learned in class. I wasn’t aware of how many children and women were actually abused. As I helped HOPE to organize and clean their place, I noticed that HOPE had many things that would help a victim of domestic violence and make them feel comforted. Making sure a victim of domestic violence is well-adjusted to a new environment is crucial. I also realized that most of the people that come into HOPE live in poverty or have a low SES, which is what I learned in class. I got to work with one of the head advocates for the full two hours. 

             Together, we organized and she shared some information with us about the organization. She introduced me to one of the children’s advocates, which was great! I gained a different perspective of  those living with abuse while working with the head advocate. By cleaning and organizing, I helped to save the advocates trouble and give them more room in their office. With everything being more organized and clean, both the advocates and the victims can have a safer and easier time getting around. Overall, I am very happy I volunteered my time at HOPE. Before volunteering, I didn’t realize how many services HOPE offers. The time went by incredibly quickly! They do so much for women and children, and I deeply respect them for their work! 

A Chance to Volunteer...

      On Tuesday, May 29th, 2012, I volunteered at the Mattoon Area Public Action to Deliver (PADS).  I volunteered with another classmate in the FCS 4840 class.  We arrived at 1pm and got right to work.  Glenn, the Mattoon Area PADS director was the only one at the facility.  He was very friendly and told us what he wanted us to do.  Unfortunately, we got there as soon as lunch was over so we didn't get to see any of the people that the shelter helps.  I cleaned the counters, wiped down stoves and other surfaces, while my classmate washed dishes and straightened up the kitchen area.  Next, Glenn had us get started on  dinner for the next group of people that were coming.  I was a little shocked when he told us to cook because most places that I hear people talk about will assign them other duties such as secretarial work and working with the people at the shelter. It put me at ease because, as we  cooked macaroni salad and boiled chicken for chicken sandwiches, we got a little more acquainted with Glenn and what PADS was all about. Mattoon Area PADS is a non profit facility. They provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner three times a day except on Fridays. They also provide shelter for families everyday of the week.  We all laughed and got to know a little about each other.  He also wanted us to go grocery shopping with him. When we got back, we continued to talk more about PADS and the type of work that he does for the homeless and those in need of assistance.
      This volunteering opportunity made me  think  and relate back to many classes that  I have taken as an FCS major.  In most of my classes we learn about providing resources for those living in poverty and for those who are less fortunate.  This shelter is a prime example of what we need in more communities across the country especially, in my neighborhood.  There are many people who don't have the opportunity of eating three meals a day and having a place to lay their head at night.  Glenn sees familiar faces all of the time and says he just opens up to them so that they can feel as if they are at home.  PADS is a wonderful program that a lot of communities can gain from. They are reliable, comforting, and provide services that can change one's life. I would come back and volunteer again because I want to get a chance to help Glenn and to also see the different people that come in and out of the shelter.  I learned to appreciate every opportunity and blessing that comes my way.  There are people worse off than I am and to know that I was able to help someone eat a meal later on that night made my day complete.  I will always remember this experience.  



Jorjoh K Joof

FCS Summer4840- Volunteering at SACIS!

For the Project Link assignment, I volunteered at SACIS. SACIS or Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Services is an agency on Eastern’s campus to help all victims of sexual assault, harassment and abuse whether they were affected directly or indirectly. For my 2 hours of service they instructed me to help organize their storage closet of brochures and information.  The activity reinforced the concepts I learned in this course because subjects like child disabilities and sexual abuse, how to help after sexual abuse, and the numerous brochures of statistics, just to name a couple, were all infront of me. Being in class and learning about these subjects has more of an impact when you see the same subjects in another environment.  There was not much networking to be done here since I worked in a storage closet on the second floor away from the higher ranked employees.  I was working alongside Jenna, a former volunteer turned employee for the past year.  We discussed our educational and career paths and discovered that we were both Psychology majors in undergraduate but that field was not as hands on with the public as we would have liked to be.  Working directly with her I did not network or try and see where her connections lied, but met a familiar face and maybe someone I can get advice from later in life.  Being a volunteer just working for 2 hours restricted the areas I was able to get involved in and actually be hands on with what they do on a regular basis.  For those who are more long term, they offer  a 40 hour training and from there you can become involved with the inner workings of the agency. This has a great effect on the EIU and Charleston-Mattoon community, because they are spreading knowledge, empowering individuals and helping those affected by sexual abuse.  This being a rural area, there may not be many agencies for this area and to have it located on a college campus brings comfort and accessibility to college students who may have been violated.  Overall, it was good to get more of a visual to what agencies offer and it is reassuring to know that there is information out there that is useful. What could be changed is utilizing this information. They had so much information in that closet where I felt it should be in someone’s hands.  My ultimate goal is to own my own counseling center and I will make sure that stating information and statistics will be first before I hand out brochures. Handing them out does not guarantee that they will read them, but make that a second option for information.

Ebony Frazier