United Way Intern and Fellow Stonehill Students Spend Spring Break with Project Homecoming in New Orleans

Our United Way Marketing Intern, Jess Zaniewski (fourth from right) with fellow Stonehill College students and Project Homecoming staff in front of Ms. May's house

          Every year since hurricane Katrina hit, InterVarsity Christian fellowship has been sending college students to New Orleans, Louisiana to help rebuild homes. The InterVarsity chapter at Stonehill College, otherwise known as The Good News Club, sent 29 students to New Orleans last week to work with Project Homecoming. Project Homecoming is a community development organization that helps build homes for families in New Orleans who are low-income, uninsured, underinsured, disabled and elderly. Since 2007, Project homecoming has helped to rebuild over 200 homes. They are also proudly partnered with The United Way of Southeast Louisiana.  

Jess working on Ms. Mary's house

            Among the 29 Stonehill students that worked with Project Homecoming was our own United Way Marketing Intern, Jess Zaniewski. Stonehill students were split into five groups and sent to different work sites. Jess spent the week working with Project Homecoming staff and five other Stonehill students on a house that needed a lot of finishing touches. It was a beautiful, green home, owned by a woman named Ms. Mary. Ms. Mary’s house had suffered a lot of damage from wind and termites, leaving large parts of the walls, ceiling and floors missing. The house has been under construction for almost a year now and it is beginning to near completion. “I was a little surprised at first” says Jess “I was expecting to work on a house that was in the beginning stages of construction but, in the end I was happy. Ms. Mary was a victim of contractor fraud and she has also been waiting over 7 years to move back into her home. For that reason, I am so happy that I could play a role in bringing her house back to life.”  Jess spent the week painting walls, cleaning windows, cleaning out closets, and hanging new shelves.

            While in New Orleans, Stonehill students were given a tour of the Upper and Lower 9^th ward. They were able to see the areas that were heavily damaged by the storm, as well as the levees where the flooding occurred. Students were also given time to visit the French Quarter, shop and dine in local restaurants. In the evening, students listened to speakers and engaged in faith based discussions and Bible studies. The combination of these activities in addition to service work allowed students to fully experience the culture of New Orleans and learn about how Katrina affected people’s lives. It also helped them to grow in their faith and form long lasting relationships with one another.

Jess and fellow Stonehilll students at the French Quarter

            Jess had a great time while working in New Orleans. Her favorite part of the trip was working on Ms. Mary’s house and trying new food. Jess says “It was an incredibly eye opening experience that changed my life. Working with project homecoming was so rewarding but, I am also thankful for the free time that allowed me to talk to NOLA locals, experience the culture and enjoy some good southern meals.” Jess left New Orleans with a new outlook on the world and a burning desire to continue serving those in need. “I know my life will never be the same. New Orleans will always have a special place in my heart.” Jess hopes to return to New Orleans one day and she is currently thinking about pursuing a year of service work after graduation.

To learn more about project homecoming, visit their website: http://projecthomecoming.net

Success Story: Nick from Boys and Girls Club Brockton Youth Program

United Way of Greater Plymouth County is always excited to hear success stories from our partner organizations. The following is Nick’s story. With the help of The Boys & Girls Club Brockton Youth Program, Nick was able to overcome many obstacles that stood in his way.

“Nick is a 16 year old from Brockton ‘Kid Club’.  Like many of our teens, he faced a troubled home life. He watched as his father went through the prison system and waited for trial.  While he faced the uncertainty of losing his father, he also gained the responsibility of taking care of his mother and his siblings.  Many days, Nick would come to the club in tears, unsure of how to handle the situations he faced while also trying to make his own way as a young teen.

In the midst of these circumstances, Nick was recruited into the Youth Jobs Program, and was placed with Marquis in Coaching For Change for his summer job placement. In this role, he was able to have fun and acquire new leadership skills. He was also able to use the stipend to support his family. To Nick, the work became more than just a job placement. It served as an escape and an outlet, where Nick could immerse himself in friendship with other young teens while also learning about responsibility, job skills and entrepreneurship. Further, Nick sparked a growing relationship with Marquis, who essentially became his mentor. He helped Nick navigate the trials and tribulations of his home life, and talked to him about how he could handle the pressures from this mother, father and sisters. Marquis and other dedicated staff helped Nick when he had troubles at school and was dismissed from Brockton High. We never stopped believing in him and because of this, we helped him transfer to Taunton High and continued to support him.                                                                                                

Throughout his trials, Nick always looked forward to his time at the Boys & Girls Club with Coaching For Change. He not only retained his summer employment, but continued it throughout the entire year.

Nick graduated from high school and was granted a full scholarship to any state school.  We cannot say that Nick's success is a direct result of our program, but we can be certain it had a large impact. Because of our program, Nick was introduced to an environment that he felt like he could be a part of and he truly became a member of the community. 

Nick faced a problem very typical for many of our teens called generational cycles; cycles of poverty, cycles of family in and out of jail. With the assistance of the Boys & Girls Club Youth Jobs Program, Nick broke the cycle.”

Bridging Opportunities

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Sabrina Manno, Executive Director of The Bridge Center in Bridgewater, MA. Sabrina gave us a tour of the facility and provided us with a wealth of information about the programs that are offered at The Bridge Center.

The Bridge Center was originally founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, providing recreational programs for children with disabilities. Currently, The Bridge Center serves over 1,000 children, teens and adults with various special needs. Many programs are available, including summer camps, camps during school vacations, year-round skill based programs and equine assisted programs.

Currently, funding from our United Way is being used for The Bridge Center's transition program. This program serves higher functioning teenagers, ages 14 to 22 that are transitioning from high school to college, career, and/or independent adult living. Through this program, teenagers learn independent living skills, community based skills, and social skills, and then consider career and college options for the future. The ultimate goal is to teach them how to live as independently as possible and have a full and meaningful life within their community.

The Bridge Center also offers a number of equine assisted programs. These programs include therapeutic horseback riding, hippotherapy and horse camps. The therapeutic riding program involves movements and activities on horseback for individuals who might have limited range of motion. It allows them to interact and connect with the horse on a level that they may not be able to achieve with their peers, adult aids or family caregivers. 

In order to ensure the safety of their riders, Sabrina says that their horses are carefully selected based on their soundness, their patience, their health, and their ability to be around children in varying situations. They also go through a training program to help desensitize them to things like quick movement and loud sounds. 

 These programs are just a few of the many ways that The Bridge Center continues to help individuals with special needs. When I asked Sabrina about the most rewarding part of her job, she told me that she loves seeing the kids respond positively when they accomplish something that they've never been able to do before. 

Sabrina feels she speaks for all of the staff at The Bridge Center when she expresses her feelings of happiness for the individuals who participate in the many programs that are available. "It makes everyone here feel like what they are doing is so worthwhile." The staff at The Bridge Center is fully dedicated to "bridging" opportunities for individuals with special needs and the look of achievement in the eyes of the individuals that they help is all the motivation they need.

- Jess Zaniewski, Marketing Intern

To learn more about The Bridge Center, visit their website: www.TheBridgeCtr.org 

Pressing Community Needs: We Want Your Feedback!

United Way of Greater Plymouth County would like to hear your thoughts in response to  the following question:

What do you think are the most pressing needs in our community?

Please post your comments below.