Lauren Maack's Main Service Site

I'm doing my local service at salt lake regional medical center. I am in the labor and delivery department where I take calls, help the nurses with anything they need, and talk to the patients along with getting them anything that they need.

Stephan Buma's Main Service Site

I volunteer at the Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, running the main lobby information desk. My jobs range from looking up patient rooms to flower delivery, to anything else visitors ask of me. I love volunteering there. The other volunteers I work with are incredible and I've made some great friends. Also, seeing how grateful most visitors and patients are for the volunteers is a great feeling. It's really cool volunteering there because you have to be able to think on your feet. Not all visitors know exactly what they're looking for and can have some pretty interesting requests that don't have any easy solutions. Sometimes it's a little difficult because some visitors aren't the most friendly and don't communicate what they want effectively. Besides those few unfriendly visitors I have loved volunteering at the Intermountain Medical Center and I am very grateful that I am able to fulfill my service obligations there.

Taylor Porges:

"I have been volunteering at the Park City Christian Center for my main site. There I work either in the food pantry (organizing meals for those who have membership), in the boutique (helping organize whatever merchandise is being sold at the time), or outside (helping manage incoming donations and deciding where we could use them most. So far my experience there has been wonderful and I have been able to become friends with many of the other workers."

My experience at Real Life.

     Way back in December of 2012, I went to my first activity with the teens at Real Life--the Christmas party. I was overwhelmed with the number of people who showed up, both volunteers and teens. I was very hesitant to pick Real Life as my main service site. I didn't know what to expect, if I'd get along with the teens and the other volunteers, or if I'd even enjoy volunteering there. Luckily though, a few of my friends convinced me to regularly attend Real Life. . so I did, and I honestly cannot express how grateful I am that I did.
Some of the highlights from my experience at Real Life include:
--ice skating at the Gallivan Center
--learning about finances, and career choices
--doing team builders
--playing minute-to-win-it
--making visual journals
and so many more. Going to Real Life every week, and hanging out with all the new people I've grown to love, and created such great friendships with was definitely the highlight of my week, every week. I've become so close to each of the teens who regularly attended, and I've come to appreciate the friendships I've developed with them. I never really realized how strong the friendships we've made were, until it occurred to me that this was the last week. I've come to know more about each teen. Examples include that Peter runs track-he's a sprinter, and he's pretty dang good. Estefanus plays varsity soccer for Cottonwood. I remember when our soccer team (Hillcrest) played Cottonwood, at Hillcrest. I went to that game, and it was so awesome to be able to watch him play! Also, Paw wants to be a professional dancer when she grows up. These are just some of the countless things I've learned about these wonderful teens.
     Real Life has taught me more than I could ever write in this blog entry. Not only have I learned the importance of education, and to embrace the opportunities I have to learn, it's taught me about the value of friendships, consistency, and patience. Sometimes it got to be really loud, and frustrating at Real Life, especially when we were trying to explain a concept, or a game, and everyone was talking. However, I know that even in the most stressful, difficult times, I was taught something. I've also learned to be grateful for everything I have. This service opportunity also taught me the valuable concept of having fun! Sometimes we get so caught up in the things we have to do, that we totally overlook the little things that can provide fun and entertainment in our life. I know there were times when I needed to finish a huge project for school, or seemed to have an endless amount of homework~so I didn't want to attend Real Life that day. I can honestly say that I never regretted going to Real Life, once I went. It provided a wonderful outlet for me, to just relax, and forget all the stress of school, to just enjoy life, and have fun with some of the best friends I've made. Real Life is textbook definition of service, in that I gained way more out of this experience than the teens did. I can say that with a surety. I have grown so much for the better. Real Life has become such a huge part of my life, that it kills me inside to think that it's over.
     I am going to miss Real Life so much. Words can't adequately explain how much fun I've had, how much I've learned, and how much these teens have made me a better person. I will be infinitely grateful to everyone from Real Life for the rest of my life. I know that sounds cheesy, and a little cliche. But it's one of the most sincere statements I've made. Thank you, a million times over.

❤Lisa Schneider

REAL LIFE!

First of all......Here is the winner of our Real Life T-shirt contest!  This is the T-shirt that got the most likes on our Real Life Facebook Page!

On Monday we played Minute-to-Win it games!  With this game we were put into teams and each team had to spin a roll of toilet paper around another team mate and the first team who ran our of toilet paper won!  

In this game one person from each team had to stack 4 cups and 5 plates while balancing it on their hand.  The team the stacked the fastest without any dropping one won and their team got a point!

With this game one person from each team had to keep three balloons in the air at the same time.  If one balloon touched the ground then they were out!  The person who kept all three balloons in the air won the challenge and their team got a point!

On friday we played a real life game of Life!  The kids got to pick if they were going to college, where they were going to live, what kind of clothes they were going to buy, what their career would be, and so on.  Then we added up all the cost to their budget for one year and who ever had the most left in their savings won!

Walk MS Volunteering!

The Guatemala had some teammates represent at Walk MS. We had a ton of fun and attempted some new cheerleading skills! Doing service together was a great warm up for our trip coming up! Big thanks to Madeline for telling us about this great service opportunity. Thanks to Addie, Maicy, Erika, Claire, and Julie for your service!

Recently at Real Life!

Recently at Real Life!

Recently at Real Life we have had the opportunity  do some very fun activities!  One week we covered a table with paper and finger painted, the kids loved it!  They drew pictures of their name, their country, we even did handprints.

        

 

 The next week some of the kids taught us how to play a game from their county that's kind of like jump rope.  It took us a while to get it down but we finally got it!  Two people hold the jump rope above the ground.  The others run up to it and try to get both of their feet over to the other side without touching the rope with their hands.

 We also had a wonderful lesson by one of our Real Life volunteers on basic health and CPR!  The kids learned CPR and then practiced on a dummy.  We later got into groups and had to act out a scenario where someone got hurt and we had to figure out the best way to help them!  Whether is was to splint there arm/leg or give them CPR.

                      

 We also played a fun game of tag outside that the kids really loved!  One person started in the middle, and the rest had to run to the other side.  If you were tagged, you had to stay where you were and try to tag those where still trying to get to the other side. The last person standing was the winner!

  Later, we got to go rock climbing again, the kids had a blast!

                                            

Real Life is a great after school program for refugees in the area.  Volunteering there had been such a great experience that I have asked one of the  Real Life volunteers one of her most memorable moments!

"One of the most memorable moments I have had is when we interviewed the teens.  I loved learning about where they came from and how they came to be at Real Life.  It was cool because one of the kids was from kenya, which is where I'm going this summer.  So I got to ask him a few questions about it.  Also it was great because it helped me understand so much more about the teens and I love hearing their stories!"  -Lauren Holmstrom

 

Does Youthlinc practice what it preaches?

Youthlinc loves local service.  We ask our participants to engage with their community through service, we partner with Rotary Clubs who are known for their community service and we celebrate the Utah Young Humanitarian each year with a $5,000 college scholarship.  We know that it is important to serve others which is why Youthlinc's flagship local service project Real Life Salt Lake City began four years ago.  

Real Life Salt Lake is a teen refugee mentoring program that pairs Salt Lake students with refugee students at the Hser Ner Moo Center in South Salt Lake.  The program is mutually beneficial for those involved.  Youthlinc students learn valuable leadership skills and how to interact with those who may be different from themselves while the refugee teens are able to enjoy the friendship of local teens while practicing for "real life" through a variety of activities, lessons and field trips.  

Real Life Salt Lake is run by Julia Rametta, Youthlinc's Local Service Director and Megan Dolle, Real Life's intern for 2013.  Real Life could not run without the dedication of Youthlinc volunteers however and these 4 Youthlinc students are an example of some of the amazing students participating with the Real Life Salt Lake Program for the 2013 Youthlinc Service Year.  They are all making a huge difference in the lives of the teens they have befriended and they are having a great time while doing it.     

Dylan Dresher 

"The majority of my local service this year has been dedicated to Real Life Salt Lake City. Real life is an awesome program in which refugee students get together after school and learn valuable life skills through fun, interactive activities and games. As a volunteer at Real Life, I help facilitate activities and help the teens. I have developed close connections with many of the Real Life kids. They are incredible individuals who always manage to brighten your day. I am very happy to be involved in such an amazing program, and at the same time, making a positive impact in my community.

Some of the activities that we have done so far are include making volcanoes, Holiday parties, playing basketball and soccer, making shirts, a valentines treat cook off, game days, manners day with ice cream, movie and popcorn day, origami, Jeopardy, dance parties, and many rounds of partner tag. With most of the days we try to incorporate a lesson that they can learn from the activities. All of the teens are so friendly and willing to participate. I have already made several special bonds with each of the kids and can’t wait to get to know them even better. This opportunity has made me want to serve for the rest of my life and I’ve realized that you don’t have to go across the world to serve, you can have an unforgettable experience right here in your own community."

Matt Lehr

"I volunteer at Real Life Salt Lake City, and it is awesome. Real Life is a high energy, high fun environment with a hidden aspect of learning. At Real Life I act as a mentor for the teens that come after school. I help them with activities and we also just hang out. My most memorable moment is when we went rock climbing. When climbing we were all assigned a partner, mine was Sawbay and a girl who I didn't know well yet. The girl was so frightened to climb the wall, to the point of tears. When everyone could finally encourage her to go on the wall, she loved it! She then wanted to try all the walls! It was so great to see her overcome her fear and try something new. Something I find really cool about the program is the hidden way it teaches the teens. Most of the time the teens don’t even know that they are learning something and then you will ask them a question and they will give you the answer. It’s really cool to see that the program has more than just a fun value to it."

Brynn Peterson

"For the past few months I have been lucky enough to volunteer at Real Life Salt Lake City. It has been such a good experience getting away from my everyday life to help these refugee kids. I have learned so much from the short amount of time I've been there. It is so much fun learning about where the kids come from and the reason they are living in Utah. It is extremely eye opening working with the kids and teaching them things that they aren't taught at home. I really don't feel like I am volunteering; I feel like I am going to hang out with my new friends that I have met. I am looking forward to the many experiences we will have.  I have already learned so much about what it means to truly serve in my community and can't wait to learn more."

Emily Mecham

"For my main local service site I have been able to have the most amazing opportunity serving the refugees in Salt Lake through the Real Life Salt Lake program. The program creates a fun welcoming environment.  All of the refugees are from countries all around the world and can speak multiple languages. All of them can also speak very good English although we are always practicing it with them! Each day is different and exciting." 

Party Time!

This last friday, at Real Life (March 22nd), we had a party! There were so many people involved, and lots of the teens came as well. The Hser Ner Moo center was packed. There were so many people, that both the upstairs, and downstairs floors were involved, and pretty squished as well! 

The first activity was a cake walk. Numbered sticky notes were placed on the floor in a circle, and when the music started to play, everyone would walk around the circle until it stopped. Then, a number was called out and whoever was on that number won a prize! 

The next activity is the one I think the teens had the most fun with--Limbo! Everyone was so flexible, the string was so low to the ground it was crazy! Everyone loved it so much, that we did several rounds, and the teens kept begging us to lower the string! Much to our amazement, they could limbo underneath the string with no problem!

 All the while, there was a guessing-activity--how many candies were in the Easter container? Everyone wrote their guess on the whiteboard, and the closest one won the candy! Sar Ban guessed it exactly! 450 candies. :) 

The last component to the party was a classic--a dance party. Everyone likes a good dance party! With rocking tunes, and over 30 people, you can't go wrong.

This last Friday at Real Life was an absolute blast. I'd say that that was the fullest i've ever seen the place, and although this activity was specifically labeled a 'party', everyday at Real Life is a party. :)

How do you say 'service' in Vietnamese?

để phục vụ những người khác - that's how! 

These students on the Vietnam team will soon be experiencing service across the world but right now they are learning the meaning of service in their own backyards.  However you spell it - service - is changing lives!

Sydney Stanger

My main service site is The Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center.  It is a place where refugee kids can come to get help with their homework and it is located right in their apartment complex.  I go every Thursday for a couple of hours and it is so cute to see the kids excited to see us when they walk in.  They don't have much but are still so happy and want to do their best to succeed in school.  It has been great to get to know them and make an impact in their life!










Sydney Robertson
I have been volunteering at Friday Kids Respite. The group meets in the Kids on the Move building every Friday night.  This organization is for parents with disabled children. They can bring their disabled children here and we play with them. This helps the parents get a small break from the constant intensive care they are required to give their children. As a volunteer we basically get to be kids again and spend an evening helping the special needs kids have some fun while their parents take a break. Volunteering here has helped to realize how carefree my life is.  One memorable moment was when I was paired up with a child with Down syndrome. It was hard to interact with him at first so I just started making weird noises and acting kind of crazy. Within minutes he was laughing hysterically. I realized that I could connect though the universal language of laughter.


 Olivia Randall

I volunteer at Real Life in Salt Lake City and I work with refugees. As a volunteer I work with the teens helping with activities and playing games with them. It has been a really neat experience getting to know all of the teens and more about them. They always come with so much energy and are ready to do whatever the activity might be. An experience I had was on one of the first days when we had to interview one of the teens. Most of the questions were about education, how school is now, and their plans for college. The girl I interviewed loved school. She couldn't tell me one thing she wished were different about school. She had such a positive attitude about it. When I asked if she was going to college she said, "Of course!" She loved learning and seemed to really understand the difference a higher education will make on your life. I have loved volunteering and just playing around with the teens. It has been a wonderful experience.




Joanna Remund

I volunteer at the Midway Elementary in Midway, Utah.  I go every Wednesday and Friday from 9-11 as much as I can.  I help the kids that struggle in reading and writing.  It is really cool to see the changes that have occurred since the beginning. Reading is becoming a lot easier for the kids I help and I can tell that they enjoy knowing how to do the things that other kids can do.  I have learned that it just takes time, patience and encouragement to help the kids, and that building relationships with these kids is very important.







tốt công việc! (Good work!)

Recently at Real Life!

This past week at Real Life we went to Hollywood Connections and had a a great time paying games, laser tag, and roller skating!

This was us skating!(or trying to)

This was when we played mini golf!

We have recently started this new program with SpyHop where they bring in six iPads and teach the kids how to use garage band, make movies, and take cool pictures and add graphics to them.  We will be doing this for the next six weeks every monday!

Here are some pictures of our progress!

This is some of the girls making a cool video!  They take a ton of different pictures, press play, and it becomes a moving picture.

More pictures to fun and pictures to come!

The Secret Benefit of Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service released a study that shows service can benefit your health!  The research has established a strong relationship between volunteering, health and social benefits.  Those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.  You can check out the entire report here.

Youthlinc is proud to support service and your health! 

These young women are serving their community, improving their health and working towards the health of others!  Check out their service stories in health care! 

Kelsey Koford 
"I volunteer at Good Shepard Home Care and Hospice Center. I am very excited for the opportunity to volunteer at this site. I have just recently finished the orientation process and will have the opportunity to visit patients in the upcoming weeks.  I have learned a lot about home care and hospice services and what a wonderful service it provides. I am very fortunate to get to volunteer at this site and look forward to the upcoming weeks where I will get to work hands on with patients!

Madison Adams

"I volunteer at Parkway Health Center in Payson, Utah. Whenever I go, I play games with some of the residents there.  My most memorable moment was when I taught a resident there how to play Yahtzee when she had never played before. She ended up beating everyone the next round. I have learned many things from volunteering at this nursing home. One, older people are tricky and will make you believe anything they tell you. And two, you have to enjoy life.  A man there gave me some advice saying that if I don't do anything fun while i am young, I will not know how to have fun when I am older. That gave me a lot to think about." 

Tessie Pham

"I volunteer at the George E. Wahlen Department of Medical Affairs Main Hospital. I volunteer in patient transport twice a week for two hours at a time. My job is to take patients where they need to go and to transport lab specimens from each clinic to the laboratory. Whether the patient is on a wheelchair, is bedridden, or just plain lost,  I get them to their destination in a timely and friendly manner. Although the job description sounds simple, the hospital is huge! I'm constantly running up and down five floors moving people and delivering labs. I was already literally sweating my first day there. However, I love the time I spend with the veterans and they have some of the greatest stories to share. 



Claire Cullinane

"Volunteering with Red Cross I am able to learn more about the world today.  I can see how much it has changed and how I can always find a way to help. We do many learning exercises as well as helping at the homeless shelter. This month I will be raising money for Measles vaccinations for many different third world country. The best thing is that I can share my new knowledge with so many people around me."