Hey everybody! This actually isn't Michael Nelson, but by his gracious invitation this is guest blogger Juni Kim. I'm sure most of you out there no next to nothing about me, but that's the beauty of writing over the internet. Suffice to say I'm a good friend of Michael's.
A few weeks ago our family home evening activity was a service scavenger hunt. I know that sounds a little confusing. What we did was go around knocking on doors asking if we could do small acts of service that we would tally up for points at the end of the night. Sounds great right? I have to admit going around knocking on doors brought flashes of missionary service back to my mind.
Anyways, I was surprised at the number of people that let us into their houses and clean random bits of their house. Quite incredible really. I mean, it's not exactly proper protocol to let random strangers into your house. But I guess that's the beauty of service; it brings out the best of people. Our little group's eagerness to serve (and earn points towards winning the scavenger hunt) literally opened up doors to us. In my mind, accepting a stranger's willingness to serve is service in itself. Like I said, really remarkable.
There's such an interesting paradox when it comes to service. Whenever we forget ourselves and help out others, we end up gaining benefit from it. Everyone wins in the spirit of service. It just takes that initial action to get out there and help others. Well, it's been great to take part of this blog, hope you took something from it. Remember to always love from the bottom of your heart to the tips of your toes!-Juni Kim
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Locks of Love
As a freshman at BYU, I tried so hard to find a way around the honor code with the length of my hair. I refused to get it cut. I would blow dry my hair up on the side and back and put hair spray on it so that it would not fall down just so that I could avoid cutting my hair. I lasted nearly an entire semester before even the blow drying lost its complete effect and I was forced to cut my hair. Well putting together this service blog I think I found a way around it.
Locks of Love is a service organization that connects financially disadvantaged children with BYU students on a hair level. Students are allowed to donate their hair twice per year to children who suffer from long term medical hair loss. All you do is grow your hair out nice and long, then contact a Locks of Love Program Director to find a place to get it cut. Local hair salons donate their time and services to cut and style the hair of volunteers so that they do not look like prison inmates when they get a haircut. If I understand this right I bet a student could obtain temporary permission to grow their hair and style is conservatively in order to donate.
This organization is for both men and women. Girl-long hair is maybe a bit more useable, but extra long hair is not necessary. Especially now that Christmas Break is approaching, avoid the hair clippers. It is the holiday season for hair too. You can even donate it to a respectable cause upon return to BYU campus.
To participate, first don’t get a haircut. Second, stop by the YServe office in the Wilkinson Center in front of Jamba Juice. There you will receive the contact information to the program directors, or go to the yserve website at centerforservice.byu.edu/content/get-involved and browse for Locks of Love under organizations.
You can put a smile on a child's face!
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center
A little over a week ago, late one Tuesday night, I found myself in the Emergency Room. A game of pick-up basketball got a little aggressive too quickly and a stray elbow found its way to my face, breaking my nose in several spots. A smiling volunteer helped me talk to the right doctor, whom while cracking a few jokes, asked how the injury occurred. He typed the information into the computer and handed me off to another nurse who would take me back to take some x-rays. Grudgingly I followed an overly polite nurse who commented on the amount of injuries they have every night from BYU intramural sports. I could only smile as I saw 3 guys my age being attended to. All had carpooled to play in the same football game but also carpooled together to the hospital to get broken or bruised noses, knees, and fingers examined. Through my hospital visit, each and every one of the volunteers and staff members who assisted me was so friendly. I was the last patient to come in for the night so a few nurses brought me some Oreos and a Sprite. I commented how I felt like I was in a hotel being treated this way. With a smirk on their faces, the nurses searched about the hospital and put together a mini goodie bag filled with a small bottle of shampoo, a toothbrush, toothpaste, body soap, and a small comb. I left the hospital that night with a smile.
So although I did not participate in this service activity, I was on the receiving end of an extra kind act. It brought to mind the good feeling when someone goes out of their way to help me. It’s a nice break. Like when a walking guy’s backpack suddenly opens and all of his papers come flying out. It is a nice relief when a few strangers stop to help in a moment of need. Despite my “bah-humbug” attitude hospital volunteers assisted me and were kind about their service.
Go ahead and volunteer at the local hospital. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. They have a great facility and treat their employers, volunteers, and patients very well. Either go on their website at intermountainhealthcare.org and click the link that says “Giving & Volunteering” or call the hospital at (801) 357-7850.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Healing Power of Horses
Not that I do service for selfish reasons, but some of the opportunities that BYU has to offer sound like so much fun. The most recent that I have looked a bit into is a service group called Horses For Healing. This organization offers horseback therapy to individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities. Now being a volunteer that doesn’t mean you just ride a horse around all day for free. Volunteers help out those with disabilities to receive their “horse therapy”. You know, I am at a bit of a loss how riding a horse can help someone get better from a previous disability. I always figured that riding a horse was pretty bumpy and that if you didn’t have a strong back then you would be pretty sore by the end of the ride. Any ideas on how riding a horse can be considered “therapy”? I don’t have the right answer so this is subject to conversation. Even if your hypothesis is made up and completely fake, it is a possibility.
Hypothesis #1: Maybe this horse therapy is especially for horse lovers. I have an older sister who absolutely loves horses. She would give up anything to just ride one for a couple of hours. This therapy could be completely psychological to help the disabled feel like they can still do something they love. Just an idea.
For the real answers contact the Program Director Cambria Morgan at horsesforhealing@byu.edu
Secret Santa
About 7 years ago my family got in touch with a service organization providing a Christmas to families that did not have enough money to do so. This family lived about 45 minutes away from us but for close to a month prior to Christmas our family started making plans so that on Christmas Eve everything would run smoothly. We put together a basket of food and wrapped perhaps a dozen presents for the single mother and her 4 children. To this day I still remember delivering this “Christmas” to an unknown family. The lady spoke only Spanish so my older sister was our interpreter. I didn’t need to understand each and every word. The tears were enough for me to understand that this mother was grateful for what we were doing.Despite living in Happy Valley, there are some families who will not be able to have a Christmas of their own. The goal of Sub-For-Santa (combined with the United Way) is to help at least a handful of families to have a true merry Christmas. The planning begins now. I don’t mean to depress anyone by talking about Christmas at the beginning of November, but now is the time to start preparing. Volunteers are needed in November and in the beginning of December to help with the application process at workshops. It is a very well organized and uplifting organization that is ready to act. The contact information is below, but give a call or send off an e-mail to see if you can fit a bit of service in your schedule.
Allie Dixon, Program Director, (801) 814-0759
sub4santa@byu.edu
http://www.unitedwayucv.org/volunteer/
Monday, October 25, 2010
Snow Angels
Well. According to weather.com something bad is going to happen tomorrow. White, moist, fluffy balls are supposedly going to fall from the sky. As a born and raised Southern California boy, I don’t see too much of it. It is called snow. Pros of snow: it covers up our lawn that could be receiving better maintenance. Cons: it is cold and makes for a barricade between my front door and the rest of the world. Well for those of you who do enjoy the snow, there happens to be a service group that you can get involved with. They are the Snow Angels.
The Snow Angels are a seasonal service organization that operates every time that there is snowfall. Volunteers shovel snow on driveways and sidewalks for the elderly, physically disabled, or others who can not do it on their own. Students are assigned 1-3 driveways/sidewalks and are responsible for clearing off their assigned areas after each snowfall. Shovels and salt for ice are either provided by the organization itself or the homes of those receiving the service.
Don’t get intimidated by the physical labor. It’s fun. You can be helping others while having a snowball fight with your friends. Now that we are approaching the unavoidable snow season, join the club.
Contact Information:
Nick Vigil or Kailey Johnson
yserve page: https://centerforservice.byu.edu/content/get-involved?frame=organization and search under the organization “Snow Angels”
What's Black and White and Red all Over?
So this past week I had an intramural basketball game. As we were warming up I saw this 6 foot something guy with a green band on his right elbow…playing basketball. Moral of the story…I guess giving blood isn’t as bad as people say.
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| A happy guy donating blood |
What seems like every week in the Wilk Garden area the Red Cross teams up with BYU service organizations to have a blood drive. After filling out a brief questionnaire volunteers can give blood and help out those in need. If you want to give blood, go ahead and be my guest. But to organize a blood drive, you need more than just people giving blood. You need people volunteering in an array of different ways. To volunteer to help with the blood drive, you don’t have to be sticking people with needles. I would probably pass out on the spot. Volunteers are needed to hand out fliers, sit at booths, put up posters, and helping out the blood banks with whatever they need. For more information, send an e-mail to blooddrives@byu.edu and find out how you can help out. There are always blood drives and constantly more volunteers are needed. The next drives are Nov. 15 and Dec. 1 so go ahead and sign up now.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Dear John
Dear John,
You know ever since you went into the MTC I have been missing you greatly. You were such a great friend and I am glad you are serving the Lord. I am so close to you here at BYU but it feels like you are in a completely different world. I wish I could see you one last time before you left to South Africa…
Does anyone have a friend/family member who recently reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo? Well it just works out that it is possible to see them again, but with a price. You need to sign up as a VOLUNTEER!!!
Every week, missionaries have practice teaching sessions where volunteers are given a role to play and the missionaries teach to their needs at a place called the Teaching Resource Center (TRC). As a missionary it is one of the most stressful moments of the week teaching someone who isn’t a fellow missionary. It is a sneak peak of the “real world” for them, but a powerful experience for those who volunteer. Just the ability to be one on one with missionaries teaching about Jesus Christ is something pretty cool. The TRC needs volunteers on a constant basis. Monday-Saturday from 8AM-8:30 PM the TRC is open with missionaries ready to practice their teaching skills. The MTC houses over 2,000 missionaries and not all will be speaking English. Volunteers are needed in over 40 languages.
This past Friday I volunteered in Spanish for 2 hours that I had available in the morning. After about an hour of volunteering I saw a good friend of mine’s little brother who I was able to say hi to and sneak him a Nutty Bar. It was nothing planned, just a random coincidence that I saw this missionary. Please don’t go just to see a special friend. Do it more out of the goodness of your heart solely based on your own schedule. To sign up go to http://www.mtc.byu.edu/ and click on the link that says “Volunteers”. Follow the given steps, submitting the language you would like to speak and the best time for you. It doesn’t need to be for 6 hours at a time, but whatever amount of time that you allot.
Friday, October 1, 2010
man's best friend
“Leah Holley. Room #335. I think this is it,” I said as we approached our destination. My friend and I looked at each other with suspicion as we read the placard next to the door. In the Courtyard at Jamestown, you never know what will happen when you go do random visits. It is an assisted living home in Northern Provo along University Avenue, but there are several types of people there: those who are happy to see you and let you in, others who have difficulty hearing, and those who are grumpy with life. As we signed in at the front desk, there was a list of “Residents to Visit” of those who are new or might be a little lonely and after reading through the list, picked out a few doors to knock and see if we could visit them and make their day brighter. We picked out Leah Holley from the list and knocked, hoping for the best. My friend is a 3-year veteran of making these visits, but this was my first time visiting the Courtyards at Jamestown. Apprehension took over as I heard the door knob churn, then a shorter, white-haired lady open the door and the biggest smile I had seen since making brownies for my roommate crept over her face. I immediately knew that Mrs. Holley and I would become fast friends. This 92 year-old woman lovingly let us in and for over and hour, Leah told us about her life and shared with us some tender feelings about her family and the things she loved.
In total I think I gave up between 1 ½ - 2 hours of my personal time that I could have spent taking a nap, browsing the internet, or any other useless activity. Instead I was able to give something that I do well to my Provo community, helping others to be happy.
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| Leah with her hand-made blankets |
Towards the end of our conversation, Leah pulled out some blankets that she makes and a few pictures and told us a sweet story of how she was able to donate blankets to an African country. The person who brought over the blankets took a few pictures to give back to Leah and she still has them. It was personally touching to see children wrapped in her Care Bears blankets with beaming smiles of love and affection. Leah will never know those children on a personal level, but her love will be imprinted in their hearts forever.
Leah taught me that even at her age, people can still serve and help others less fortunate. That is what community service is all about. Serving in the Courtyard at Jamestown is so simple it is funny. All you do is go, sign in at the front desk, pick up a list of people who might be in need of a visit, and make them happy. For other volunteer opportunities at the center, talk to the front desk and they will gladly help you.I promise you won't regret it!
Courtyard at Jamestown
3352 N. 100 E.
(801) 377-3730
Monday, September 27, 2010
¿Spanish Anyone?
The Spanish Interpreters program is an organized service group that provides interpreting for local schools in the Provo School District. If it be parent meetings, Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences, or an array of other workshops, there is a high need of Spanish speakers help out in the community. I recently volunteered for a parent Literacy Learning Night at Sunset View Elementary School. This event, held in the library, was to help parents learn how to teach their children literacy activities at home. Due to the high Hispanic population, myself and 2 other students helped translate several activities/games that the parents could not understand. We were at Sunset View Elementary for about 1 ½ hours and the school even gave us a cool yellow fly swatter to thank us (the fly swatter is still displayed on our fridge). This program has established a connection with close to a dozen schools and is extremely easy to participate in. First, you need to contact Ryan Martin (spanishinterpreters@byu.edu) and ask for more information. He or another director will call you to see how your Spanish fluency is and then send by e-mail a Google Document of all interpreting opportunities. You simply write your name and phone number under the slots that you can interpret for and show up to the appropriate school.
If someone doesn’t know Spanish, then this might be a difficult service opportunity, but to those who do, take advantage of this opportunity. It is simple and low-stress, plus counts towards highly coveted community service hours!
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