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.