Volunteering

A photo I took of myself.

 For the past four months I have been writing articles about non-profit organizations in Southern Arizona and nationally, for my journalism class. 

Unfortunately this is my last blog about non-profit organizations but I have chosen not to feature another charity. Instead I have created a small resource page about how to find volunteer opportunities in Tucson.   

According to Volunteering in America, Tucson ranks 31st in people volunteering. This website gathers data on volunteer statistics for every state. Tucson had an average volunteer rate of 31.2% and 40.7 service hours annually per resident and there is over 150 different non-profits working in Southern Arizona.  

There are numerous places you can go to volunteer. If you are having trouble finding a place in Southern Arizona a good place to go is Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, a non-profit dedicated to providing organizations with volunteers. They support hundreds of other nonprofit organizations that use volunteers by helping them develop their volunteer programs, and by training, referring, and honoring volunteers.  

Their website allows people to hunt down non-profits who need the help immediately. They have listings like a classified page.  This website is a great tool for people looking to volunteer in southern Arizona. 

The website for Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona.

 Not living in Arizona? No problem,  there is a national website that allows people to find non-profits based on city, distance, non-profits, volunteering, job opportunities and interests. Volunteer Match is a website that allows a variety of online services to support civic engagement. Their service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 71,000 nonprofit organizations.  

The website is easy to use because you just have to type in a zip code and a keyword.  This keyword could be anything that express an area of interest to you and where you like to volunteer.  

The website of Volunteer Match. com.

 While writing my blogs I have learned that the only way these non-profits have been able to work is their beliefs. They believe that what they are doing is making life better for someone. Whether it is a doctor giving away free medical care or a woman who changed her entire life in order to help foster kids, they all do it to help. This belief has to be able to transfer towards the volunteers.   If you want to become a volunteer then you should do it towards something you have passion for and believe that passion can be transferred to the people you are helping. If you do something you love then people can’t help but learn from you.     

Photo of my blog entitled People Helping People.

I think through writing this blog the best thing I was told can from a doctor at the St. Andrews’s Children’s Clinic. “The best thing you can do is give away your knowledge to other people.”      I believe that if people gave away the knowledge they have learn to the less fortunate the world may be a little better.    

Day Of Silence

Day of Silent posters explaing stats about LGBTQ issues. Photo by Allana Erickson

Many people get involved with the community in different ways. Some donate money to local charities; others volunteer their time helping children and walk for the cure.  But others go silent.

On Friday, April 16 numerous student, activist and community leaders participated in the Day of Silent event to take on issue of gay rights in a national generate LGBT movement.  The day brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. At the University of Arizona members of LGBTQ and Wingspan (a non-profit organization that serves Tucson’s homosexual community) had a silent protest out on the UA mall.

They had posters explain the definition words like queer, gay, and homosexual . In addition, they had posters explain the statistics about suicide rates in the gay community and safety those LGBT students feel at school.

Sign with the definition of Queer. Photo by Allana Erickson

Student gave out card to people about why they were remaining silent. The card reads:

“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step towards building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.”

The Day of Silence is sponsored by GLSEN as a grassroots campaign and asks participants to be silent for an entire day.  Almost 100 different colleges participate in the event.

Silent voices board at the Day of Silence event. Photo by Allana Erickson

At 5pm that Friday, students broke their silence by screaming at the mall and making as much noise as they could at UA Mall.

St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic

St Andrew's Children's Clinic lobby. Phot by Allana Erickson

Frankly there are times when I look at a non-profit group and wonder if they are even helping people or just claiming it, like the Genocide Awareness Project.

However, I do not question this with the St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic in Nogales Arizona. St. Andrew’s Children Clinic is a free children’s clinic providing quality medical care to impoverish Mexican children.

On the first Thursday of every month children, doctors, volunteers and families travel to the clinic needing help or wanting to help.  The children and their families all come from Sonora, Mexico and travel for a day or even two to get to the clinic.

Volunteers setting up an outside store. Photo by Allana Erickson

The clinic gives day Visas for the families traveling across the border to receive medical care. The clinic has many different doctors ranging in audiologist, speech therapy specialist, orthopedic doctors, physical therapist, vision specialist, cleft palates surgeons and many more.  They have been doing this for the last 35 years.

On April 1st, I traveled down to St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic on assignment for class. The entire clinic takes place in a small church a few miles outside the Nogales. The church is small but uses ever single space they have for this event.

The audiologist testing Tony for hearing. Phot by Allana Erickson

I spent my day was spent watching passionate audiologist, Ted Glattke, diagnose children who had hearing problems. The retired doctor was very gentle when he spoke to his patience, I particular two-year-old name Tony. Tony’s grandmother suspected her grandson to be deaf and wanted to be sure.

After 15 minutes of testing, I was instructed to stand in front of Tony and wave a stuffed snowman in front of him. The goal was to distract Tony from the toy using speakers. If Tony looked toward the speakers it would mean he wasn’t deaf. I didn’t know this was the procedure at the time but figured it out when the audiologist jumped out of his seat, and punch the air screaming “He’s no deaf,” when Tony looked at the speaker. I couldn’t help but smile at the news.

Tony looking towards the speaker. Photo by Allana Erickson.

In addition, I watched as Ted and an ear-nose-and-throat doctor discuss how to bring a child to Tucson to have surgery on here ears. They spent a lot of time, and made numerous phone calls to make sure a surgeon saw this girl.

This is just one example of the thousands of people who have experienced the compassion of the doctors or the kindness of the volunteers. This non-profit is amazing because they allow people who would normally not have a way to see a doctor or get medical help.

Doctors discussing surgery options for a patient. Phpt by Allana Erickson

If it wasn’t for dedicated volunteers and donations the clinic would not be able to function. If you would like to volunteer your first Thursday of the month or donate money please call (520) 648-3242 or email office@standrewsclinic.org.

Ben’s Bells

The entrance into Ben's Bell in Tucson Arizona

Even though I have written blogs about different non-profit organization in Tucson and Casa Grande, I have not given my time to help any of them. I have listen to their stories, used their services, but I haven’t given my time.

I decided to change that by donating my time to Ben Bell’s in Tucson. Ben’s Bells is a non-profit community art project focusing on the creation of “Ben’s Bells”. These bells are beautifully hand made and act as hanging works of art.

Ben’s Bell was created in memory of Jeannette and Dean Packard’s son, Ben. At the age of three his air way closed and he became unconscious and never woke back up. They created this organization as a way to spread kindness through Tucson and help people dealing with grief.

Ben’s Bell studio is in a small store covered in vibrant and happy colors. Most of the people there are volunteers who help by painting the ceramics, cutting out clay or stringing the colorful plaster figurines together.

White flower after i painted three coats of blue onto it. Photo by Allana Erickson

Plain be kind flower needed to be painted. Photo by Allana Erickson

I spent an hour sitting in a corner of a room painting flowered shaped plaster different shades of blue and green. I was in charge of painting the Belle, a bell that is presented to an individual who has shown kindness throughout the community. I felt accomplished that I had created my 8 flowers even though I have no artistic ability.

My painted flowers after an hour. Photo by Allana Erickson

Once these Ben’s Bells are created they are hung-up randomly through Tucson in September and Late March, to commemorate Ben’s death. They are not for sell at all. They are met to be a random act of kindness.

They receive money from donation from local stores, business and volunteer donations. These also get a small amount of money through a to-go box program that allows people to check out a box of bells in order to decorate them outside the studio.

If you would like to donate your time by painting, sculpting or stringing, then please call 520-628-2829 or visit Ben’s Bell studio at 816 E. University Blvd.. They are opened Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm or on Friday at 10am-7pm.

Genocide Awareness Project



Students looking at the Genocide Awarness Project. Photo by Allana Erickson

On March 22, 2010, The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) graced students at the University of Arizona with their ideas on abortion, genocide and President Obama.

The CBR is a non-profit, pro-life organization based out of California. According to their website, their mission is to establish “prenatal justice and the right to life for the unborn.”

The organization spends considerable time and money on a project known as the Genocide Awareness Project and No Abortion.org. These projects bring literature and pictures on why pro-life is the only correct choice.

Now this might seems like a complete fine organization that is trying to bring awareness and a dialogue to people about the continuing discussion of pro-life vs. pro-choice. This isn’t that kind of goal.

The Genocide Awareness Project is a traveling photo mural exhibit. The pictures are a storey high and about as long as a semi truck. On both sides are gruesome pictures of the genocide in Rwanda, the holocaust and mutilated children.  Then theses pictures of genocide are then compare to grotesque picture of unborn fetuses. The pictures show skeletons of fetuses next to dimes and on stainless steel plates.

What makes this project to be utterly insulting is the comparison they make between abortions and genocide, as if they are one in the same.

“We want to make women realize that they are killing humans,” said Warren, a volunteer for CBR. “42 million babies are killed worldwide making this genocide. Because they [fetuses] have DNA, these abortions are killing humans.”

Pictures of President Obama next to gruesome pictures. Photo by Allana Erickson

CBR also took giant pictures of President Obama, words from his speeches and placed them next to these fetus pictures. They seem to make this random connection that the President is responsible for abortions, which makes no real sense.

“Obama has done nothing to stop this from happening,” said Warren. “He is the president and yet he decided to ignore this issue.”

What real pissed me off about the entire display is they never really showed or told what other options were available for women facing this decision. There was no literature available resource for pregnancy help or adoption. CBR pretty much handed out a brochure on why we can link genocide, slavery and abortion together.

They also requested that people visit abortionno.org, a visually disturbing look at pictures of genocide and unborn fetuses.

Look I have nothing wrong if there is a non profit organization dedicated to pro-life. What I have a problem with is fear mongering, drastic comparison and lack of needed information.

If looking at a huge awful mural is enough to change anyone’s mind about the issue, then that person didn’t have an opinion to begin with.

Same Day STD Testing

As I have grown up I have had to start taking an interest in my own health. What use to be as simple as telling my mom “I don’t feel good” has now morphed into me getting my own insurance, having to hunt down a decent doctor and call different places to get referrals to women’s health clinics. What may be the worst thing about taking charge of my own health is making, sometimes awkward, appointment to get checked for STD’s.

Same Day STD Testing is a nonprofit organization that tries to relieve the awkwardness of being screened. Same Day offers a cheap and fast ways to get tested for HIV, herpes, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis. Their goal is to make sure that affordable testing is offered around the country and done quickly if a person believes they have an STD and needs treatment.

Friday, March 12, I decided to get screened at the Same Day STD Testing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona in front of Casa Grande Regional Medical Hospital. I set-up the appointment over the phone and was given a 4pm appointment time.

I think what difficult about walking into this facility is the perception that you are somehow dirty because you want to be screened. No matter what when you walk in, the nurse and doctors all know you have had sex and while for some, it’s just a fact of life, for others it’s a bit shameful.

I walked into the little office and filled out the normal paperwork. After that I was escorted right away by a nurse who took my vitals and counseled me on my personal risk factors for contracting an STD. Because I am a woman, under the age of 25 and a long term-monogamous relationship, I have a high risk of contracting Chlamydia, HPV and hepatitis. If I didn’t use condoms I would be at a high risk for all sexually transmitted dieses and HIV.

After the counseling session it took 20 minutes for them to collect a mouth swab and take a blood sample. Even though I am not a high risk for all the STD’s I decided to get tested for everything because it had been two years since my first screening.  Within the hour I had results of my STD testing and in one-week I will have the results of my HIV test.

The interesting thing about Same Day is that even though I waited in the office to get my lab done, I am able to call their hotline and get my results over the phone. This is different than most places that will only mail test or require another visit.

Same Day does take some insurance plans to cover the cost; they also offer a sliding scale so you can pay based on income. It is very important that we all at one point in time get tested because we risking spreading a disease that we may be unaware we posse. If you would like to find a Same Day STD Testing center near you then call 1-800-805-7837.

Giving Blood

A photo I took of myself.

I have been afraid of needles since I was five and a nurse tried and failed seven times to draw my blood and when I was 14, I received three failed spinal taps to help my meningitis. I have also spent three years avoiding the star tattoo to commemorate my grandfather.

Now to the point of this tangent is that though I fear needles I decided to give blood to the American Red Cross.  

The American Red Cross is a worldwide humanitarian organization that has been around for nearly 30 years. There main focus has been to help communities who have been affected by natural disasters such as the earthquakes, hurricanes and tornados.  

In addition, Red Cross participates in helping military families, creating health programs, international relief programs and distribution and collecting of blood and blood products.

Blood donation notice. Photo by Allana Erickson

On March 2, I decided to donate blood with my boyfriend and was given a list of instructions to follow before I could give blood.

1.) Eat a complete meal within four hours of my prior appointment

2.) Double on fluids like milk, juice and water.

I didn’t do either of these recommended things and by the time of my appointment I had to down a Gogurt and 20 ounces of Dasani. When 3p.m. came around I walked into the South Ballroom of the UA’s Student Union very slowly. I was greeted by a volunteer who asked me to wear a sticker, hold onto a yellow folder and read a binder filled restrictions on who can give blood.

I then waited in a line before I was escorted to a small make-shift room. My information was collected, my blood checked for iron and my blood pressure recorded. The nurse then left me to fill out a questionnaire asking if I had a tattoo, if am a male who has had intercourse with another male and a variety of 23 other questions that can determine the validity of the blood. Once I was done I waited….

…and waited…

…and waited. The problem with waiting is that it intensified my fear to a point where I was in tears when the nurse came back.  She escorted me to a chair where I laid back, had my arm scrubbed and had a needle slowly inserted a needle into my “juicy” vain.

Once the machine started pumping I could feel my arm become cold and the needle pinch my skin, but that was it. It took ten minutes to file up a quart size bag of blood, which can be used to help three people in need.  The process took me an hour-and-a-half and I received cookies for my pain.

I was than instructed to double my fluid intake and meat a hardy dinner. I didn’t do either of these because when I got home I passed out from lack of fluid and food intake before I even had blood drawn.

If you would like to donate blood or volunteer in the Tucson area go to the Red Cross of Southern Arizona Chapter and please follow the rules about blood donation.

Luz Social Service Inc.

Luz Social Services, Inc. located at 2797 N. Introspect Dr. Tucson Arizona. Photo by Allana Erickson

Luz Social Service Inc. is a non-profit  agency that deals with numerous types of service programs to help the Hispanic, as well as the non-Hispanic, population in Tucson.

 

“Luz Social Service helps with adult education, drug use prevention, nutrition, parenthood and school programs,” said Ralph Chavez, principle of the Luz Academy in Tucson, Arizona. 

Luz started in 1971 and was the brain child of Dr. Pepe Barron, a Mexican American who was looking to better the Hispanic people of Tucson, 

“Dr. Barron is a great man,” said Chavez. “Luz means light in Spanish. He created this agency to bring the light to people.” 

Originally, Luz was created to help fight of drug abuse problems in Tucson. The idea of the organization was that if they could curb substance abuse then they could help stop juvenile crime, school dropouts, violence, drug possessions, arrests, teen pregnancy, and liquor violations. 

Luz has been awarded more than five different types of grants and or their work in preventing drug use with at risk children in low income neighborhoods. Luz has partnered with many agencies across Southern Arizona and 17 different towns in creating and implementing drug prevention measures. 

“Dr. Barron was very concerned that kids don’t turn to drugs or violence that he even decided to create a school to give children alternative means,” said Chavez. “Dr. Barron loves kids.” 

Ten years ago Luz Social Service created the Luz-Guerrero Early College High School. The charter school is broken into a middle 

The sign for Luz Academy located on the property. Photo by Allana Erickson

school and a high school that is located right next to Luz Social Services administrative building. The school receives aid from NCLR AmeriCorps who help train and gives volunteers to the school. 

“The school offers a wide range of activities in cultural awareness and prevention programs,” said Chavez. “The school also buses students in south side [of Tucson] and reservation so they may have a chance at our school and receive college credit.” 

Luz Social Service has also created the program, Center for Cultural Competence, a centralized program that collects relevant data, theories and statistics dealing with charters schools that have a large Hispanic population. 

Luz Social Service has also helped create the Hispanic Sports and Academic Enrichment Program (HSAEP). HSAEP is a program to help enrich student’s lives through the sports and academic involvement. The program was created to honor students who had a good academic record, attendance record and who showed sportsmen like conduct. 

Though Luz Social Services does receive grants for some of their programs, they do still ask for donations and volunteers. 

“We do lack funding,” said Chavez. “We have enough money to run the school but it would be nice to have funding for more technologies and maybe other art programs.” 

If you would like to learn more about Luz Social Services or like to donate then please call(520) 882-6216 or fax (520) 623-929.

Kids, Animals, Life and Dreams

 Inspired by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a local Tucson woman quit work, sold her house and created her own non-profit organization.

Kids, Animals, Life and Dreams (K.A.L.D.) is the dream of founder, Mona Hand. K.A.L.D. is an organization that provides recreational animal therapy to seriously ill children and foster children. Hand sold her original home and bought one that could house horses, mini donkeys and goats for her program.

Horse used to in EAL. Photo by Frank Hand

“I have been involved with many different organizations,” said Mona Hand, founder of K.A.L.D. “I realize that there was a need for terminally ill children to be able to come outside and see the healing power of our animals.”

In 2002, K.A.L.D. offered this service only to seriously ill children but the program received a small amount of visitors because of the difficulties to bring kids out to the animals.

“We had to evolve,” said Hand. “Sometimes circumstances have to be tweeked so I found another set of people who could benefit from our program.”

Hand started working with Devereux Arizona, a non-profit agency that provides foster homes throughout the United States. Hand volunteered her time with an all girls group home and received her respite certification.

“Once I went into the home I realized that these weren’t your typical kids,” said Hand. “They didn’t have any afternoon activities or a way to express their interest.”

It was here that K.A.L.D. expanded. Various volunteers have taught the kids to scuba dive, sew and ballroom dance. The organization has facilitated internships and volunteer opportunities with Greyhound rescues and the United Way, so the girls will have philanthropic experience to include on their résumés.

“I try to facilitate the interest of these girls,” said Hand. “I also want to make sure these girls have an interest in themselves and better themselves.”             

Hands main goal is still to utilize animal therapy to develop life skills, and to teach self-sufficiency. K.A.L.D. uses Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), which combines the use of horses and certain activities to build confidence.

Halter placed on a horse backwards. Photo by Mona Hand

“Some kids in foster care aren’t able to trust people because it’s never long term. But an animal, they can trust and love,” said Hand. “When girls first come here some of them have never seen a farm animal. EAL puts the girls in a situation to interact with these animals and each other.”

One of the activities the girls perform is to put a halter on a horse. The goal of the exercise is for the girls to do something they have never done before, without being told if they put the halter on the right or wrong way.

 K.A.L.D. collaborates with many different organizations throughout Tucson to facilitate workshops for the kids. Currently they have three volunteers but are looking for more.

“We love to have volunteers with something to teach these girls,” said Hand. “They have to be willing to commit their time for the girls but they also need to bring something to the table.”

Through these collaborations and volunteers, K.A.L.D.’s goal is to turn these girls into role models and mentors for other children.   If you would like to donate time or money please email Mona at kaldoftucson@yahoo.com.

 More on E.A.L

Literacy Volunteers of Tucson

If you are able to read this blog, analyze it and compare it to other material then you possess a skill that 43 percent of the nations’ population that do not have, the ability to read.  

“A lot of adults in Tucson, of different cultures, do not know how to read or write English,” said Melisa DeNinno, Communications and Volunteer Coordinator for the Literacy Volunteers of Tucson (LVT).”

LTV is a non-profit agency that is dedicated to teaching adults to read and write English through two kinds of semester long classes.  The classes are free, are specialized for adults who read at or below a sixth-grade level, and are held in groups at LTV 23 different centers, four days a week. 

The sign Literacy Volunteers of Tucson outside their office at 2850 E Speedway.

The first class is a Basic  Literacy program for English speakers who need to improve their reading and writings skills. This section of classes is taught one-on-one a few times a week. The second class is called English Language Acquisition for Adults. The class is designed for adults whose first language is not English.

““Tucson has a huge refugee population who are not native English speakers,” said DeNinno. “We work with the very basic of students. Many of our classes fill up quickly.”

In the last three years LTV has seen its student triple in size to over 1,700 but the growth has made LTV reach its capacity. LTV has over 400 volunteers but only 8 full time members due of the lack of funding.

 LTV is not a State funded program which makes it so that they have to raise their own funding through fundraising and donators

.

“Currently we have around 900 donors,” said DeNinno. “The building we are in now was actually donated so we could run our operation for the next three years.”

If LTV were able to raise more funding then they could create more centers, hire more staff and get a permitted space.  In addition, LTV would be able to train more volunteers.

“We need committed volunteers,” said DeNinno. “It costs us around 350 dollars to train our volunteers. We are searching for volunteers who are on board with are vision and can commit a year to this experience and are committed to making a change.”

If you would like to learn more information or volunteer then please attend LTV’s open house on Friday, February 5 from 3-6pm at 2850 E Speedway. You can also make donations at http://www.lovetoread.org/index.html.