Hunger Banquet and Citizenship Day

One of the things that I love most about Chicago is that I have the opportunity to see many different cultures and ethnicities all in one place. Just walking down the street, I see many people that I never would have seen if I had stayed back home this semester. I get to hear different languages being spoken on the El and as I walk down the streets. Learning about diversity has always been very interesting for me, so it is something that I am definitely enjoying!

Chicago Semester recently had a Hunger Banquet. It was the first one they have done. I went, and am glad that I did! Everyone was divided up into different classes. Some were upper class, and because of that, they were given more food than others. I was in the lowest class. I was homeless.

There were 4 of us total. Everyone else was served their food, but for us to get our food, we had to walk down the hall to one of the classrooms. It was to signify the distances that many homeless people must go for food. When we got there, we were only given a small serving of white rice. The one perk for us – we were allowed to beg the higher classes for food. That night for dinner, I had a small serving of white rice, one chicken nugget from McDonald’s, and part of a bread stick. This was a great experience, and it shed a little light on what many people in Chicago (and around the world) go through on a daily basis. It definitely gets you thinking.

Something else that I have participated in was Citizenship Day. Everyone in Chicago Semester went to a different place to volunteer at for a few hours. We went to Fourth Presbyterian Chicago Lights. These are just a few of the services that they offer: a weekly community meal that usually serves 125 persons, bag lunches distributed three days a week, a food pantry, distribution of clothing, housing information and assistance, computer classes, community voice mail, local transportation assistance, job readiness training, advocacy, health screenings, support groups, and (limited) case management.

We went mainly to help out with the food pantry, but also helped with many other aspects of the program. The food pantry is set up like a mini grocery store. Guests can walk through with a grocery cart, and pick out whatever it is that they need. I loved that it is set up that way! I think it’s really important to show that people have some dignity and worth, no matter how much they do or don’t have. How a food pantry is set up will set the tone of the environment and the people that come in for help. If you just hand them a bag of food, it isn’t as empowering as allowing the guests to come in and pick and choose what they want to take home with them (just like when they go grocery shopping).

The Tears Foundation, Sarah Tow

Ohhh, it’s been a while! I was not born to be a blogger, haha! Chicago has been busy, and so have I. I’ve been spending a lot of time at my internship and getting to know the city more and more. I’ve been thinking about my next blog for weeks now, but I’m finally writing it.

A few weeks ago my supervisor was told about a new organization (or at least new to IL). It’s called The Tears Foundation. It’s actually pretty interesting. The Tears Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to help parents with the financial expenses that they face when making arrangements for their baby that has died. They also provide bereavement support for the parents.

This organization was started in 2002, by Sarah Slack. She and her husband had experienced a stillbirth with their son, and she took her tragedy and turned it into something good. The Tears Foundation has received two awards: Award for Innovation in Service (Non-Profit Excellence Awards), and the Pay It Forward Award (Principal Global Financial). It seems like a great up-and-coming organization.

My internship has been great! I love everything about it, and I can definitely see myself continuing this in the future. I think my favorite part is spending time with the patients. I’ve noticed that they all have different support systems. Some have parents with them all of the time. Others have someone with them in either the mornings or evenings. And then there are some that are alone the whole time. I’ve also noticed that if a child is in foster care, they don’t usually have anyone come visit them. I like to target these kids and spend a little extra time with them.

We’ve had a few field trips this semester. Our Metro II class went to the Jane Addams Hull House Museum one afternoon. It was very interesting learning about the work that Jane and her colleagues were a part of, and the difference they made.

I also went to see the movie, The Interrupters. I really enjoyed it. It’s a movie about Violence Interrupters of Chicago that try to keep the communities safe from violence. Each of the three Violence Interrupters that they follow used to be involved in the violence that they are now trying to end. It was a very interesting movie, and I would definitely recommend seeing it.

Well, that’s it for now! Until the next post!

Start of fall 2011 semester

My name is Sarah and I am a social work student from Cornerstone University. This semester, I am doing my internship at Loyola University Medical Center in the Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital. I am working with the Child Life Specialist.

I’ve been in Chicago for a few weeks now, and I am loving it! The first week was orientation. We lived downtown in Hotel Allegro. Our days were filled with meetings and excursions into the city. It was a busy week, and there were a lot of new faces and information being thrown our way. We went out to eat at a few restaurants that week. My groups went to Flat Top Grill and Café Iberico. Both places were very good!

I also started my internship that week. It’s still only the beginning, so I’m still doing a lot of following. I check on kids and see if they need anything brought to their rooms. I also play with kids when they come down to the playroom. We have art, pet, and music therapy for them throughout the week. I have also had the chance to attend a few conferences with my supervisor. I’m really excited for my internship and I know it will be a great semester!

I have a commute of one hour and fifteen minutes, so my days are pretty long. I have a few hours in the evenings and my weekends free to relax or go out and enjoy the city. So far I’ve gone on tours (both boat and bike), eaten pizza, enjoyed the Chicago Jazz Festival, gone to a Cubs game, spent some time at the zoo, and many other things! Life is exciting here!