It is two weeks after the sixth term of Momentum had ended, and I just received two more phone calls from participants, that makes 6 phone calls or texts since the graduation.
But before I tell you what they said let’s back up a bit. Read more
I had to lift the hem of my skirt to walk through mounds of wet garbage and junk furniture to get to the back door of 907 Hays Park. All that I could think of was another number…409…gallons and gallons of it to clean this place! Any reasoning that this abandoned house could offer a viable dwelling place any time soon was crushed by the stench of refuse and decay, rotted out flooring, and caving ceiling tiles. As I traversed from one dilapidated room to the next, I questioned, “THIS is a place that will bring hope and stability to someone in need? It will take 907 weeks for that to happen!” Facing a project like 907 alone would certainly give credence to those thoughts of doubt. Then the truth settled in; this house reconstruction is not a journey for one person alone. This house is where community will come together to help transform a neighborhood. Read more
My day begins at 8am as I start by prepping the classroom for today’s Momentum class. It is just one of three, one hour classes that happen everyday as part of the six week job readiness program. This particular class is on Communication and Teamwork.
This is a workshop that I have facilitated dozens of time through several different programs I have been a part of over the years. It is an exercise where individuals are placed into several groups, at tables where they are given a myriad of different materials; large sheets of paper, tape, two liter bottles, cups, paper plates, etc. Then they are given a task: utilizing only the materials given to work together to design and build a free-standing structure that is over 5 feet in height. The trick is you only have 10 minutes to plan and then 10 more minutes to build the structure. Read more