On January 16, Martin Luther King's Day, CTI YouthBuild Lowell students partnered with the Community Team Work Incorporated, Senior Corp volunteer program for a day of service. These young students made the dream come true to Milly's Place, CTI's family shelter based in Lowell. They gave the family shelter an extreme makeover. One could say, generations came together as YouthBuilders, Senior volunteers, and even shelter residents.

This mission included an array of tasks from the installation of shelves to curtain hanging, door installation, and the repair of windows. Our young people put their talent to work by designing and implementing a wall mural for the children's play room as well as general organization of the room. By the end of the day all volunteers were treated to pizza and were provided with Martin Luther King Day  t-shirts to commemorate the day and to signify the importance of giving back to those in need.

"I always thought of community service as something you were forced to do, that's not the case, when you really get into it, it actually means so much more. Its about helping those who need a hand and doing something for our neighborhood and community that has a lasting impact and makes a difference. I hope the community see's what YouthBuild students and want to get involved and pay it forward too. We really can start a movement." Legmy R. YouthBuild Lowell student 
Add Comment
 
 
MLK day,  "A  Day On Not a Day Off" turned out to be a complete success for YouthBuild Boston.  YouthBuild Boston partnered with parents teachers, and students from Parkside Christian Academy in Jamaica Plain. This nondenominational private school serves students Kindergarden-10th grade. On this service day three hallways and four bathrooms were painted. There was a total of sixty-five volunteers and 384 hours of service. This is the third Martin Luther King day of service for YB Boston after previous years of donating time to Children Services of Roxbury in 2011 and Roxbury Community College in 2010.  We are so proud of  YB Boston and there efforts to be a positive role model and continue to carry out Dr. Kings legacy. See the wonderful photo album below in courtesy of YB Boston.

*Photos in courtesy of YouthBuild Boston*

Add Comment
 
 
In April 2011 YouthBuild Just-A-Start committed to a day of service with long time partner, The Cambridge Housing Authority. YouthBuild's main assignment was to dismantle a Gazebo from Cambridgeport to North Cambridge. YB students and supervisors accomplished the octagonal structure and wheelchair ramp. YB students learned new carpentry techniques and skills. The coalition applauds all students, staff and partner Cambridge Housing Authority for their efforts to improve our communities. Attached below is a photo album of the Gazebo event.
Add Comment
 
 
On Wednesday November 9, 2011 YB Boston had their annual Housewarming event. YouthBuild Staff and students as well as other partners collaborated together to improve the conditions of two non-profit organizations. The project sites were located at the Freedom house in Dorchester and the Hildebrand Family Self- Help Center in Cambridge. YouthBuild Students, staff, and volunteers assisted with weather-stripping, caulking, foaming and door/window repairs. This community event had a wonderful turn out and helped our neighbors be better prepared for this winter season. Lead sponsor Bank of America also dedicated their time and efforts to serve the community. Enclosed below is some on-the-scene footage of the Housewarming event.


Roxbury Community College- Media Arts Center

The Freedom House

The Hildebrand Family-Self-Help Center Inc.

Add Comment
 
 
Members of the Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition were present at the annual "Real Estate Event " held at Goulston and Storrs. Students from programs such as YouthBuild Boston, Just-A-Start, and Fall River attended. YouthBuild Students had the opportunity to share their experiences of how YouthBuild programs has played an influential role in their life to the Real Estate community. The students did a great job and we are all very proud. Below are some photos of the event. Enjoy!


Add Comment
 
 
Hello my name is Sarah Habtemariam. I am the new  AmeriCorps Vista working the coalition this year. My title is called the Program and Resource Developer. I am in charge of maintaining this website. I hope you enjoy the changes and updates. Just to give you a brief background  of myself, I would like to say that I am originally from Wichita Kansas. My ethnic background is from Eritrea, located on the Horn of Africa and bordering the Red Sea. It is also near other neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, and  Somalia.  I came to the east cost in 2006 for college. I lived in Putney Vermont for two and a half years and then moved to Cambridge Massachusetts were I finished my major requirements at Lesley University. I graduated in May 2011 with my Bachelors in Global Studies. I completed two internships, one with a non-profit based in Central Square called Cultural Survival. This organization primarily focuses on defending the rights, land, languages and cultures of indigenous peoples. Secondly, I interned with Catholic Charities. I worked in their Refugee and Immigration Resettlement department assisting with the resettlement process for refugees and immigrants to the United States. Throughout my college years I studied abroad in three countries, Costa Rica, Greece and Ireland in which I studied history, anthropology, and participated in service learning. I look forward to helping YouthBuild programs stay alive and continually supporting our community and society. It is wonderful to be here and I hope to have a great year. So stay tuned and I will provide you with the latest details.


One of the first things I would like to address is YouthBuild's on-going relationship with the Red Sox foundation. Recently, on September 17, 20011 coalition members such as YB Boston, Providence, NewBedford, Fall River, and Brockton assisted with the renovation of two city parks in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Other organization such as Covidien, Children's Friend, and Night Vision also contributes to this day of service. Our main accomplishments was the building and distribution of picnic tables, playground materials, plants and trees. We all came together to make a difference in the town of Central Falls. The results unbelievable and the town was left with a new found hope to keep going and keep living during rough times. See below some of the photos that were taken.


 

Central Falls, Rhode Island

Our second service project was completed in Springfield Massachusetts. The primary beneficiary was a Private non-profit organization called "Square 1", which is an Early Childhood Education Center. This organization assist with supporting working families in Western Massachusetts . They provide an array of affordable services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in an excellent environment. Square 1 operates four children centers within Springfield and one in Holyoke  Massachusetts. Some of the tasks that were completed were the construction of a pergola, picnic tables and landscaping. Other primary participants were organizations such as the Red Sox Foundation, Covidien, and YouthBuild. Everyone was very impressed with the results and proud to help support the comminity. See photos of the day of service below.  

Springfield, Massachusetts

Add Comment
 
 
To wrap our "Serving Across the State" AmeriCorps Week project, the MYBC again traveled westward, this time to the Springfield YWCA. For the first time since Monday's event in Boston, the nice weather found us. Under a sunny sky, YouthBuild volunteers were organized into teams by YWCA staff and set to work on a wide variety of projects to get their organization's community garden project up and running for the growing season. Tasks included prepping garden beds, building raised beds, installing fencing to keep out pesky deer, mixing potting soil, potting transplants, painting signage, and building a tool shed. In short, we had our hands full.

The garden space at the YWCA will be tended by residents of the emergency shelter on site, and what they grow will be theirs to keep. The volunteers from ten Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition programs were grateful to play a role in getting such a community and need-based model off the ground. It was clear there will be a day two, three, and many more spent on this project, and YouthBuild students will surely be around to help in that process.

I learned early in the day that this particular garden project had been planned by a VISTA in the Springfield area, who just so happened to be graduating from UMass later in the afternoon. And while YWCA staff kept informing him of his 11:30am departure deadline (his mother would be made if he missed his own graduation), Peter stuck with us well beyond that to see that everything was going as planned. VISTA and AmeriCorps service is all consuming at times. It pushes those who choose it to put their community first in everything they do. Peter's help made me feel nostalgic about my own VISTA service. After all, it was about this time last year that I broke ground, with the help of many YouthBuild volunteers, on a community garden project in my home town. I spent the better part of my summer out there, taking care of our vegetables and selling them (proceeds went right back into the program) at the farmer's market every Friday. One garden was enough to keep our hands full, but Peter informed me that the YWCA is but one of fifteen similar sites he is getting off the ground in the area. That is answering the VISTA call to be sure.

Our programs did something special this week under the banners of the MYBC, Massachusetts Service Alliance, and AmeriCorps Week. We traveled over 5,000 miles to make it happen. We rose early each morning and worked late into most evenings. We landscaped the Massachusetts State House, built handicap accessible picnic tables in Lawrence, showed after-school program youth a great time in Worcester, cleared brush and invasive species in partnership with the Trustees of Reservations on the South Coast, and helped launch a garden that will be growing and giving volunteers a place to work for years to come in Springfield. We truly served across the state, and did so because we thought it was our responsibility as YouthBuild and AmeriCorps programs.

From the MYBC staff, and from one very grateful VISTA, we thank everyone who made this week happen and helped it run smoothly. Time to start planning for AmeriCorps Week 2012.

Until then,
-Paul, your VISTA blogger

Service Counter
Day Five, Springfield: 50 volunteers (42 AmeriCorps Members, 1 Alum) served 225 hours

Week Totals: 180 volunteers, 741 hours
1 Comment
 
 
I would be lying if I said this week hasn't been totally exhausting. I'm sure some of the MYBC students and staff that I've been blessed to serve with this week feel the same way. We knew it wouldn't be easy to coordinate ten programs, hundreds of students, and five projects across the state. And though the week doesn't officially close until tomorrow's project wraps in Springfield, I already find myself thinking about how massive-and impressive-an undertaking this has been for the Coalition, and being thankful for our amazing group handling every detail, all the way down to the paper towels, bug spray, and sun block. Fill up that coffee mug one more time Friday morning, and make it a strong one, because we still have one more project and community left to serve.

Today's event with the Trustees of Reservations, a long time friend and partner with our South Coast programs, proved that sometimes it is nice to get back to basics. Away from the urban hustle and bustle that surrounds most of our programs, we convened at the Trustees Westport Town Farm site. The first thing I noticed was the quiet of the place, set alongside the Westport River. Volunteers worked in the garden space pulling weeds, trimming grass, and watering the vegetables that were already coming in (radishes, onions, peas, and some great looking lettuce). Others performed maintenance on the tool shed, transported loam to needed locations, and worked the compost pile. Not to let a good opportunity go to waste, Steve of the Trustees and our activities coordinator for the day, took our students for some much needed R&R by giving the group a walking tour of the entire property. Not only were the vistas picturesque, they served as a reminder that serving your community can put you in some truly amazing places. Through it all, the farm dog was our constant companion and kept an eye out for trouble. Rumor had it there were some coyotes about, though the worms making a home in the compost pile probably gave our students the biggest scare of the day.

Besides our group at the Town Farm, two other teams headed off to other nearby Trustees properties. While we practiced organic garden maintenance techniques, volunteers from Fall River, Lawrence and Worcester broke out the heavy equipment to clear brush at the Trustees' Copicut Woods site. According to Nicole, my VISTA colleague from YB Fall River, the wood chipper only malfunctioned once (not bad) and they were able to get a lot of work in on the day. Volunteers from YB New Bedford and YB Brockton did the important work of clearing invasive plant species at Cornell Farm. 

Through it all, it was clear why The Trustees and Massachusetts YouthBuild programs have been close partners for many years. Their staff was passionate about what the work they do and the land they are lucky to keep in its beautiful, natural state. We take that same passion and direct it toward the youth we serve in our programs. We thank the Trustees for allowing us to serve this week and hope to continue this great relationship.

Photos below, care of Jamilyn Gordon, YB New Bedford.

Tomorrow, we're wrapping it all up with YB Springfield as our host site and a community garden kickoff event on the docket.

Service Counter
Day Four, South Coast: 32 Volunteers (27 AmeriCorps Members, 1 VISTA) served 128 hours

Week Totals: 130 volunteers, 516.5 hours

Tomorrow's Weather.com forecast: Mostly cloudy skies. High 72F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

Until then.
-Paul, your VISTA blogger

Add Comment
 
 
First, a little background. In August of 2010, the MYBC kicked off its first ever mentoring initiative. Students from Coalition programs were matched with mentors (usually directors or program staff). Mentors and mentees meet frequently and also take part in a mentoring activity at each monthly Coalition director's meeting. This group was tasked with organizing a service project as a capstone to their year and have been planning ever since. They decided this event would focus on after-school youth in a program community and elected to hold a carnival. To fit into our "Serving Across the State" model, YB Worcester offered to host.

A carnival is nothing without fun activities for kids. Good thing we have ten programs with students and staff who hone their construction skills over the YouthBuild year. YB Lowell kicked in a "human whack-a-mole" stand. YB Fall River built a ladybug bean bag toss. Just-A-Start YouthBuild had kids fishing for candy. Throw in face-painting station, temporary tattoos, bubbles, jewelry boxes, a clown, a whole lot of prizes and the kids in the Guild of St. Agnes after-school program didn't know where to begin. It was great to see the enthusiasm YouthBuild students brought to giving back to youth in Worcester. By the time the carnival wrapped and the prizes were running low, the 50 or so youth in attendance had all our volunteers gasping for air, but that is the sign of a great day.

This event goes to show that serving your community more often than not begins with its youth, and it can mean nothing more than brightening their afternoon. I think we all walked away from this event with a smile on our faces, and MYBC programs were happy to donate all of the carnival games and snacks. We hope to be back to the Guild of St. Agnes soon.

Special thanks to Maren Reisch, MYBC Mentoring Coordinator for organizing this event, and to all of the mentees who planned it every step of the way. The Guild of St. Anges provided a great space and were accommodating to all our needs.

Tomorrow, we're serving at the Trustees of Reservation Westport Town Farm site.

Photos below, care of Jamilyn Gordon of YB New Bedford.

Service Counter
Day Three, Worcester: 35 Volunteers (30 AmeriCorps Members) served 105 hours total

Week Totals: 98 volunteers, 388.5 hours

Tomorrow's Weather.com forecast: Mostly cloudy skies. High 58F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph.

Until then.
-Paul, your VISTA blogger

Add Comment
 
 
My first two observations after arriving at the 15th annual Carpentry Challenge...1) It is ALOT colder than yesterday; and 2) There is ALOT going on here.

The level of planning needed to put on this event became apparent early on, as construction pits were marked off with caution tape, the DJ tent was set up, what seemed like miles of extension chords were plugged into generators and stretched out across the Home Depot of Methuen parking lot, and programs began arriving not only in the usual vans, but also with U-Haul trucks filled to the brim with construction equipment. The fact that 12 programs from across Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island were participated is a testament to the hours and hours of planning done by April Lyskowsky, the staff of YouthBuild Lawrence, and Jennifer Kelliher of the MYBC.

The Carpentry Challenge is a Coalition institution, and Home Depot has been our host site each of the past fifteen years. I could tell the students were excited to put the carpentry skills they learn building affordable housing in their communities up against those of the other programs. By about 10am, when the power tools were fired up and crews of YouthBuilders went about building three walls to be judged for speed, accuracy, and safety practices at the work site, I had dubbed the Challenge "The Super Bowl of the MYBC calendar". For someone like me who lacks a construction background, it was hard to imagine the excitement surrounding building three walls in a Home Depot parking lot. That is, until I saw teams building three walls in a Home Depot parking lot. Trust me. One moment, crews were working on the ground, nailing boards together. The next, there were standing structures in most of the pits. The precision and intensity they worked with was incredible to say the least.

In the end, YouthBuild Brockton took third place, host site Lawrence grabbed second place, and, for the third time in four years, YouthBuild Fall River took top honors at the Carpentry Challenge. Congratulations.

As I said above, there was ALOT going on at the Carpentry Challenge today. For the first time, a service project accompanied the traditional Challenge element. Beginning around 10a, students got to work building handicap accessible picnic tables to be donated to VA organizations in Massachusetts. While students from most programs in attendance took part in this project, I have to give a few shout-outs. Greg Earls of YouthBuild Lowell was on hand to oversee a team of students in the service project, and I  personally saw him work through lunch, cleanup, and most of the awards presentations to ensure that every table his team of volunteers started was finished by days end. The same can be said for the students of YouthBuild New Bedford, who were unable to participate in the Challenge but went all out on the service project. And as the day was wrapping up and most other teams were busy tearing down their walls and cleaning up their work areas, Peter Hinrichs and a handful of volunteers from YB Boston and YB Springfield built a table from start to finish.

That is the thing about volunteerism: individuals aren't doing it to be noticed, but as these few names and faces I listed above illustrate, someone always notices. Nice work and a big thank you to all those who participated in the service projects. Veterans groups were on hand to receive the tables, and here's to hoping for many warm, sunny days this summer so they can be enjoyed.

A few more thank yous before I grab some much needed rest:

Kristen Nelson, our grant officer from the Mass Service Alliance was on hand for a site visit. For all the reasons listed above, I hope the day was as memorable for you as it was for me. Without MSA funding, we wouldn't be able to conduct these projects throughout the week to the same scale and effect.

The staff and students of YouthBuild Lawerence and Lowell, who coordinated the Challenge and service elements and had a long, long day setting up and tearing down long after the other programs were on the road home. Hope you all were able sit back for a moment and enjoy the fruits of your labor today.

Finally, to everyone who participated. We'll see many of you tomorrow at the Worcester Carnival event tomorrow, organized by students in the MYBC mentoring initiative. We expect at least 50 youth from after-school programs to attend, and I'm sure they are looking forward to some of the games and activities you have planned.

Photos below, care of our AmeriCorps Week photographer, Jamilyn Gordon of YB New Bedford.

Service Counter
Day Two, Lawrence: 26 Volunteers (18 Full Time members, 3 Alums) served 117 hours total

Week Totals: 63 Volunteers, 283.5 hours

Tomorrow's Weather.com Forecast: Cloudy skies. High 61F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Until then.
-Paul, your VISTA blogger
Add Comment