Getting Huge and BBQ's

Ben Gur

Riekes Center

Gary Riekes

650-364-2509

Before I got to the Riekes Center, I thought that it would be a small, shanty gym with a few old, out dated exercise machines and athletic equipment. Any facility claiming to provide professional, specialized training for all art and athletic interests for a more than affordable price couldn't be that impressive.

But I was so super wrong.

The facility is more than impressive, with an indoor track, full powerlifting platforms, an outfitted strength training room, next door archery range, kitchen, rap, art and photography studios, performance stage, batting cage, and backyard brick pizza oven. On top of that, there were strength trainers, nutritionists, sport coaches, art teachers, and a number of other utilizable professionals.

It was eye opening, that so much could be offered to this local community, one with so many people unable to build on their goals because of how unaffordable the tools of reaching them are, through a non-profit gym half-staffed by high schoolers.

During the three weeks I worker at the center I oversaw the veterans' archery class, coached young athletes in strength training, ran general maintenance of the facility as a whole, and took a "break" during lunch to fire up the grill and be the master chef for the daily open summertime bbq's the center hosted.

I didn't learn much from the cooking and the mopping, menial labor was nothing new. But I did learn a lot about being a coach, how to keep your athlete safe while maximizing progress, and what it means to be a professional teacher.

Overall it was such a gnarly time being at the Riekes Center, and I really appreciate how real they had managed to create a working, sustainable model of what seemed like a wishful idea to me before.

Pact visit #2

I volunteered at St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room for the third time on Tuesday, September 19th. This time, I helped serve the food to the incoming clients. What really struck me this time was my interactions with the clients, who were all so kind and appreciative to the volunteers while making their way through the line. I was inspired by the clients' uplifting attitudes and how they would make jokes to the volunteers despite their personal struggles. Vida and I helped replace the trays with the food and then spent from 11-1 pm serving the customers. The smiles on the client's faces as we served them truly reminded me that food is not a given for everyone in our society. This experience made me so much more appreciative for my mom who cooks for my family every day.

Serving at the kitchen, I was also amazed by the dedication of the other volunteers, who, though not financially compensated, sacrificed their Saturdays to serve the homeless. Despite having only gone 6 times, these visits motivated me to make time for volunteer work outside of PACT.

6th Visit to There With Care

Grace Young

There With Care

Dates: 8/27/17,  9/8/17, 9/20/17

Working with There With Care has continued to be an extremely rewarding experience. On my fourth visit, we went shopping for toys and games for the sibling program. Having a sibling that is critically ill can be a traumatizing experience. There With Care looks to alleviate stress for these siblings (especially those that are very young) by providing toys, arts and crafts, books, and other gifts which can be used while waiting in the hospital. On my fifth visit, we delivered diapers and wipes to a family in the Ronald McDonald House. I enjoyed the delivery because I knew that I was directly helping a family in need, so on my final visit, I wanted to do another delivery. We organized toiletry supplies and delivered them to another family. The toiletry kit included multiple kinds of soap, shampoo, deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, and toothbrushes for each member of the family. If a family must unexpectedly stay in a hospital for a long period of time, they might not have brought necessary supplies that we ordinarily take for granted. This visit was also especially meaningful because I got to see some of the children firsthand, who were playing with sheep and a pony in a petting zoo outside. Normally, the organization does not allow volunteers to meet with families unless it is to provide a professional service, such as counselling. However, on the day of our final delivery, I was able to see some of the families, I was extremely surprised by my emotional reaction when this occurred. It was heartbreaking to see kids in such terrible situations still be running around with the animals. I hope to volunteer with There With Care again so that I may continue to help these families, and because I have gained so much from working with this organization.

PACT visit #1

I volunteered at St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room for the third time for PACT on Saturday, September 2nd. After having been to St. Anthony's once in English class sophomore, I was excited to go back and help in a familiar environment. St. Anthony's serves high quality meals free of charge to all those hungry who come to the dining room. Me and Vida initially began by doing some back-end work recycling boxes and storing equipment in the garages. We then helped the cooks in the kitchen do prep work before the dining room opened its doors to the public. I was amazed by the care each volunteer put in preparing the meals and the quality of work and hygiene in the kitchen. I watched as we peeled potatoes, cooked them, and put them in a frittata to be directly served to the hungry.

After having volunteered at St. Anthony's, I don't think I will ever waste food again. Watching so much care be put into preparation of meals for dozens of men, women, or just families who rely on the kitchen for daily sustenance has taught me that I have no right to take any food for granted. I really enjoyed preparing meals and helping the other volunteers create a welcoming and hospitable environment.

Julia's 6th Visit to BGCP

After my sixth visit, I can definitely say that I’m attached to the kids in my dance class at the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. The kids I teach at the East Palo Alto location were not super receptive to learning about dance at first. But, as my visits went on, I noticed that they became much more open. They grew a lot more comfortable with me (I am now greeted with big hugs and smiles when I walk onto the patio) and I definitely grew super attached to them. As the kids became more comfortable with me, they also became more open to learning the simple dance moves that I taught them. It’s really cool to see how open and excited the kids are to dance. Even the kids who weren’t necessarily the most excited initially, are now genuinely much more excited when I teach a new dance or when I let them choreograph their own little dance. They get super excited when I let them pick the songs we dance to which is really fun to see. A lot of these kids are actually very naturally talented dancers -- more talented than me when I first started. It just makes me realize how fortunate I was to have a parents that were able to support my endeavors in dance because not everyone is lucky enough to be able to pursue an interest in the arts. I’m grateful for the connections that I have made with the kids, and I’m really excited to continue working with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club beyond my PACT project.

Julia's 3rd Visit to BGCP

By my third visit to the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, I had already gotten a sense of how the program worked and what I needed to do to help out. I’ve been assisting or teaching dance classes at my dance studio since I was about 10, so I thought that this would be an easy endeavor. However, teaching dance classes at the Boys and Girls Club has proven to not be the same as my previous experiences. When I’m teaching dance at my studio, the kids all want to be in class and are ready to listen to me; they’ve already learned the basics of dance from teachers before me. At the Boys and Girls Club, the kids haven’t ever had the opportunity to gain the same foundation, so for the first couple of visits, I didn’t really know what to do. I had to shift my expectations and shift the way I taught. I didn’t realize that simple details (like what music I played) made a difference in how receptive the kids were to learn. A lot of the kids in my dance class don’t necessarily want to be there; they have to take an elective and dance seemed like the least of all evils (I teach class on the concrete outdoors...). So, finding ways to make sure they don’t resent dance, but still making sure that they participate is pretty difficult. But, I’m enjoying the learning experience (and being able to stretch my creative educational thinking skills!) and am excited to build more connections with the kids!

6 Visit Entry

Jason Li
August 3rd 9am-12pm, 17th 1pm-4pm; September 16th 9am-12pm
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
3rd- Jose, 17th- Tanya and Nick, 16th- Mike and Alex
3rd- don't have, 17th- don't have, 16th- don't have

For my last three visits with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, I participated some maintenance work around the Presidio, some gardening in the trails near the Golden Gate Bridge, and habitat restoration on Baker's Bluff. For the maintenance work, we were out on Ocean Beach digging out and repainting irrigation boxes. Although there wasn't much of an ecology aspect to that visit, I still enjoyed myself being outdoors on the beach front, and learned a bit about the area from talking with the people who worked there. As for my fifth visit, we were planting Seaside Daisies and California Aster on the trails around the Golden Gate Bridge. During the work, I learned a lot about the plants we were planting, and the effect they were going to have on the area. It also happened to be a presentation day for some of the interns there, so along with learning about the plants, I also got to learn a lot about the history of the area we were in, and the Presidio in general. Finally, for my last visit, I was picking cape ivy from the Willows around Baker's Bluff. This experience was especially rewarding because since we were working right at one of the entrances to the beach, lots of people walking by saw our work, and kept thanking us and applauding us for doing a good job. Going into the visit, I just saw the experience as one where I can help the earth and ecosystem, but for the people who live nearby, we were cleaning up a part of their neighborhood and they really showed their appreciation for that.

First 3 Visit Entry

Jason Li
June 17th 10am-12pm, 27th 10am-2:30pm, 29th 9am-12pm
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
17th- no supervisor, 27th- Sydney and Rachel, 29th- Jason
17th- N/A, 27th- don't have, 29th- jlisenby@presidiotrust.gov

For my first three visits with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, I participated in a beach clean-up at Ocean Beach, habitat restoration at Tennessee Beach in the Marin Headlands, and a maintenance project in the Presidio. Before working with this conservancy, I already had a pretty good idea of the types of conservation activities I would be doing since they are very common. Going into this PACT project, I understood that it was important to keep our environment/ecosystems clean, but didn’t fully understand how my actions were directly helping the cause. After these three visits, I feel that I have a much better understanding about why we do the beach clean-ups and habitat restorations, and the larger goal that all these small actions are leading towards.

Through the few visits so far, I think that my interest and passion in helping make the world a cleaner place has been furthered, and become more real for me. Taking the maintenance project in the Presidio for example, our job was to help remove all the weeds and invasive plants from an area. The entire process was very rewarding because along with knowing that we are making a change in the world, there was also the immediate satisfaction of seeing the huge difference there was before and after we finished working. Although these three visits aren’t my first conservation activities, I felt that I cared a lot more because I chose and wanted to do this, and got a better understanding of the gravity of those events.

3rd Visit to There With Care

Grace Young
There With Care
Dates: 7/17/17, 8/14/17, 8/16/17

During my first three visits to There With Care, I learned a lot about how having a sick child can affect a family. I decided to work with this organization because last year, my brother became very ill and almost died. He was misdiagnosed several times, and it was incredibly stressful for our entire family not knowing what was wrong with him. I believe that sickness is the ultimate injustice because it attacks people at random. Fortunately my brother has mostly recovered and is back to attending school and playing sports. While my family was greatly affected by my brother’s sickness, we were fortunate enough to be able to access multiple doctors, hospitals, and opinions. I can’t imagine what it would be like for a family who does not have the resources to do the same. There With Care addresses this injustice by helping to alleviate some of the stresses of everyday life, so that parents can focus on their sick child. After attending the training day, I had gained an entirely new perspective on what this can mean for a family. To mention a few, some of the challenges that these families face include access to fresh food, care and attention for siblings, and lack of reliable transportation. On my first visit after training, we helped organize “baby essentials kits,” intended for parents who have given birth to babies with critical illness. This situation is particularly traumatizing and parents certainly do not have time to purchase items they may need while waiting in the NICU.  A baby essential kit includes diapers, books, strollers, cribs, and clothing, and other items which parents can utilize. On my next visit, I went shopping for school supplies for a boy recovering from cancer. He was incredibly excited to return to school and to go back to a normal life, and it was inspiring to watch what a positive attitude he had after going through such a horrible experience. Our health is often something that we take for granted, but after working with There With Care I have become so much more grateful for each normal day.

Connor Kennedy: Acterra Reflection 2

Connor Kennedy

Organization: Acterra

Dates: 6/11/16, 6/24/17, 6/25/17

For my second set of visits I visited Arastradero Preserve again for the first two dates and then a much different location at Foothills park for my final visit. For the first visit, we pulled centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle), another rapidly dispersing invasive specie. We also went back to look at the willow branches we had planted a while ago. It was clear that some had taken root by their green leaves but others just looked still like dead sticks. For our second visit we were on watering duty. At some point that summer other volunteers had taken the time to plant many native grasses across a hillside and we were watering them to help them through their first summer. After that their roots would be deep enough that they could survive on their own. For our final visit we once again pulled yellow starthistle but this time at Foothills Park. It was once again getting ready to drop its seeds and we wanted to pull it before that happened. We cleared out an entire hillside of the stuff and threw it to die under shady trees where the seeds couldn’t sprout. After all six visits I felt much more connected to the environment around me and was glad I was able to help in such a tangible way.

Connor Kennedy: Acterra Reflection 1

Connor Kennedy

Organization: Acterra

Dates: 11/14/15, 1/17/2016, 1/30/2016

During my first three visits to Acterra preservation sites, I engaged in many different activities that helped restore the environment around me. During our first visit, where we went to Arastradero Preserve, we planted willow sticks in the riverbed and we created piles of trimmed brush. The willow sticks would eventually grow into willow trees, trapping sediment and slowing down the stream. This would keep more of the water upstream (instead of flowing into the ocean) and help out the local plants. The use of the piles of brush was that once the piles dried out it would become a home for all types of little critters, helping to restore the balance of the ecosystem. For our second visit, we went to Foothills Park. Here we pulled an invasive species known as french bloom in order to allow room for native plants to grow. The seeds for french bloom can hibernate for up to 60 years so every year they must go back to the site and pull more. For our third visit we went to Barkley Field in order to plant some native plants and pull some weeds. We worked up and down a hill in order to create the best environment possible for our native plants. I found the work very meditative and it was great knowing that I was helping to restore our natural ecosystem, creating a healthier earth for both ourselves and the plants and animals living there.

3rd Visit Kids With Dreams

Thomas Brown
Date: February 18, 2017
Organization: Kids With Dreams
Supervisor: Will Bannick

My visits to Kids With Dreams thus far have been impactful as I've seen how the program helps these kids with special needs develop their social skills by interacting with one another. I've found that the goal of Kids with Dreams is not to actually teach the kids basketball, but to put them in a social situation where they are forced to wait their turn to shoot the ball, to pass the ball to other people as well as step out of their comfort zone and take a shot themselves. Through the times I've been there, I've seen many kids become much more agreeable when it comes to things like standing in line, waiting their turn and following instructions, most likely as they have begun to trust us (the coaches) more. I've known one of the participants, Aidan, for pretty much all my life as he used to go to church with me and I can see how he has grown through his experience at Kids With Dreams. Initially he was always standing to the side and would only participate when directly told to by a coach, but now he seems to be much more comfortable interacting with the other kids and even runs up and down the court when we scrimmage. Knowing Aidan prior to working with Kids With Dreams helped provide me with some perspective going in, and I knew that I would not actually be "coaching" the kids, rather acting as more of a role model and helping them have an enjoyable time.

6th Visit Kids With Dreams

Thomas Brown
Date: April 30, 2017
Organization: Kids With Dreams
Supervisor: Will Bannick

In my recent visits coaching at Kids With Dreams I've definitely found that I've gotten closer with a lot of the kids. I've had some fun conversations with a few of the older participants (who are more coherent) regarding school, the NBA season and their other activities aside from Kids With Dreams. The participants also seem much more comfortable with each other as everyone now knows each others names and abilities and are willing to work towards everyone having a good experience. There have been a few instances of disagreements between the younger kids, and during these times the other coaches and I have to balance our attention between the large group while also settling arguments. I've come to learn that the kids really thrive when they receive positive reinforcement and attention, so rather than putting someone in a timeout it is important to make sure both kids seem like they have their side heard and to get them back focused on the basketball practicing. Through working with Kids With Dreams I've learned the importance of introducing these kids with special needs to social situations so that they can mature and be able to do things more independently. I've also noticed that I've become more confident working with the kids because I feel they do look up to the coaches and respect what we say. All in all my experience at Kids With Dreams has helped me work on my leadership and ability to resolve conflicts and has helped me realize that for all of these kids, basketball is not the most important thing at Kids With Dreams, rather the friendships and social skills they gain are more important.

Advocacy Day

The main purpose of this internship is to use the information we learned in class to be applied to how we interact with people outside. On the third day of the YWCA internship, I went around hospitals in Oakland and multiple BART stations in Alameda County on behalf of the District Attorney's office to put up posters having to do with human trafficking. We had to use an app named Map 1193, which has a list of different places that need to have a poster up because it is required by law. It was an interesting experience because some places were a hundred percent willing, while other places said no because the topic was too heavy or because they need to get permission from a whole bunch of different people before they can say yes.

The rest of my internship with the YWCA will mainly consist of working on my advocacy project, which is to keep walking around and raising awareness, but also somehow making people at school more aware about the issue as well.

Day 2 at the YWCA

This was the second meeting at the  YWCA was extremely different than the first meeting. We started off by discussing the movie night that will be taking place on July 11th, but then we shifted gears and began talking to a man named Russell who went to Berkley, and works for companies related to human trafficking. We learned a lot about how detailed and complex the web is, and we discussed why there is such a high demand for human trafficking.

As the discussions with Russell got deeper, we learned that he was trafficked when he was younger. He told us his story how it broke his spirit because he believed that he deserved that, and that there was a point in time where he thought he was the man in control when he was being trafficked because it helped him get through. I learned that he was first trafficked by his mom at the age of seven because she needed to pay rent, then it was his foster brother when he was placed in foster care, and then he did it to himself when he was on the street because he needed a way to survive. This taught me that there is more to a person's story than that meets the eye. Everyone in the internship appreciated him telling his story because it is something that is extremely hard to do, and I know that I will appreciate the life I have because I could never imagine being placed in the same situation as he was placed in.

Fist Day at the YWCA

My first meeting for the Anti-Human Trafficking Internship through the YWCA took place on June 26th in Downtown Berkley. In this meeting, we discussed the details behind the facts of human trafficking in the Bay Area, worked on a case study, worked on a small project, came up with times for a movie night that we planned, and discussed each person's plans for their advocacy project.

In the first meeting, I learned that California, primarily the Bay Area, is the hub for human trafficking, and has been named one of the top four states leading in the amount of people who get trafficked each year. We also worked on a case study, and realized how complex the human trafficking ring usually is, and people get stuck as slaves because they have no way of escaping the "debt" that they have created, or because they think that that is the life that they deserve. The small project we worked on in the first meeting had to do with "push and pull factors." Push factors are components in a person's life that would push them towards being more prone to being trafficked, and pull factors are components in a person's life that protects them from being trafficked. Another part of this meeting was to discuss a movie screening, and we will be screening Very Young Girls by Rachel Lloyd next week. Finally, we discussed our personal advocacy projects. My project includes talking about this issue at school, and also finding an organization that can help me fundraise for this issue.

The next meeting will continue this process, and soon we will also be walking around Downtown Berkley to raise awareness, and fine places that are not falling the law, which states that places such as bars and liquor stores are required to have posters up concerning human trafficking, with the help of the District Attorney's office in Berkley.