UNV 1010 Class Experience

My class experience in UNV 1010 was excellent. I really enjoyed the service work and the blog exercises. My favorite thing had to be the Discovery thing because it showed me a lot and helped me a lot.

Service Reflection

After spending the last two weeks collecting things to donate, I have learned how much joy can come from giving. For example, I told my dad about it and he got so jazzed up about finding clothes to donate. He cleaned out his closets and went through old stuff and could not WAIT for me to take it in! It was such a wonderful bonding experience for us. That is only example of how wonderful giving can be. I think many times the giver receives as much, or more, than the receiver.

Hunger And Homelessness Reserach Experience

It was really interesting for me to research "hunger and homelessness". The way I did my research was to look for articles concerning this topic and the information I found was astonishing. I enjoyed researching this topic because it was very eye opening.

Hunger And Homelessness Research Outline

HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS

I. Introduction - Topic Sentence: Although America is considered a "wealthy country", it has more hunger and homelessness than it's citizens would guess.

II. Statistics

1. >49 million Americans, 1 in 7, short on food. (Abbott, par. 1).
2. Highest total of hungry in 14 years. (Abbott, par. 1).
3. 14.6% households had difficulty getting food. (Abbott, par. 4.).
4. 26% jump in demand for hunger assistance, largest increase since 1991. (Pierog, par. 1).
5. 3/4 of the 27 cities polled reported increase of homeless. (Pierog, par. 5).
6. 18% increase from 07-08 demand for food assistance (Cawthorne, par. 2).
7. increase of number of working parents getting stamps for the first time, including 2 parent families. (Cawthorne, par. 2).
8. Cities are having decrease in supplies at food pantries and emergency kitchens, may cause scale back of assistance to people. (Cawthorne, par. 2).
9. 1 in 4 children on food stamps, 1 in 8 Americans. (Bloch, 1).
10. 36 million Americans on food stamps. (Bloch, 1).
11. 20,000 people/day on food stamps. (Bloch, 1).
12. 239 Counties in US, at least 1/4 of population on food stamps. (Bloch, 1).
13. 12% Americans receive aid: 28% black, 15% Latinos, 8%white. (Bloch, 2).
14. Average of $130/month/ person on assistance. (Bloch, 2).
15. 1/2 of Americans receive food stamps by the time they are 20. (Bloch, 3).

III. Government Aid

1. Funding to help combat hunger & homelessness from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Pierog, par. 8).
2. Center for American Progress proposes a temporary increase in food stamps. (Cawthorne, par. 5).
3. Mr.Rector of the Heritage Foundation says, "The food stamp program is a fossil that repeats all errors of war on poverty." (Bloch, 2).

IV. Student Aid

1. National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
2. Educate public and future decision makers. ("National", par. 1).
3. Dismantle stereotypes and misinformation. ("National", par. 2).
4. Volunteer and donation. ("National", par. 2).
5. More than 500 campuses participate. ("National", par. 3).

V. Conclusion: "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me." Matthew 26:11

WORKS CITED:

Abbott, Charles and Christopher Doering. "One in Seven Americans Short of Food." TPM. 16 Nov 2009. 01 Dec 2009. < http://www.talkingpostsmemo.com/news/2009/11/one_in_seven_americans_short_of_food.php?ref=fpa >.

Bloch, Matthew, Jason DeParle, Matthew Ericson, and Robert Gebeloff. "Food Stamp Use Soars, and Stigma Fades." The New York Times. 13 Dec 2009. 28 Nov 2009. < http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html >.

Cawthorne, Alexandra. "Homelessness And Hunger On the Rise." Center for American Progress. 13 Dec 2009. 16 Dec 2008. < http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/12/mayors_report.html >.

"National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week." National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. 30 Nov 2009. < http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/awareness-week >.

Pierog, Karen. "Hunger, Family Homelessness on Rise in US Cities." REUTERS. 08 Dec 2009. 10 Dec 2009. <>.

Ulifeline & Alcohol Screening

The websites, http://ulifeline.org/ & http://alcoholscreening.org/ are websites that were presented to us in class tonight. Although I think these sites present facts that are informational I think the sites will only help a select few. The people who really need to take an alcohol screening or to get help with things like cutting or suicide are probably not going to turn to people for help. And the people who advise their friends to get help may not be considered friends for long. It is still good to have resources like this but sadly we need to find a better way to truly help the large majority of individuals suffering from these problems.

Pre-Flection - Food & clothing collection

For the rest of my service hours, I am going to collect food & clothing to donate to Canticle Cafe. Going there for the first half of my service hours inspired me to do as much as I can to help the cause. Every donation will effect someones life in an immense way. I do not have the supplies or money to donate a lot personally but I have decided to reach out to my neighbors and family to take whatever they have to give as well. I have learned through this semester that with service work, although one person CAN make a difference, is best done through community. A lot of my neighbors and family are in the same boat as me and cannot donate a lot; however, together our donations will make a huge difference.

Reflection Blog - CAnticle Cafe

On Thursday October 22, 2009 I went to Canticle Cafe. This week all that they needed was our donation so we simply dropped coffee and warm clothes off to them. While we were there we got a tour and saw the facility as well as meeting the people who make it happen. Yes it did fulfill my expectations. Yes to see how much is needed and how little is available I realized how big of a problem hunger and homelessness is even in Michigan. Not really. I walked away from the experience learning that the service work doesn't actually leave until 9, unlike as I thought it left at 830 so I was there at 8. I was also awakened to the need that is out there in our community.

Pre-Flection - First canticle Cafe Visit

due to lack of computer resource my pre-flection was hand written and I am now copying it to the blog.

October 22, 2009, Thursday I am planning on volunteering at Canticle Cafe in Detroit. All I know about the service is that Canticle Cafe provides help to the hungry and homeless in Detroit. I am particularly excited to learn exactly how they do it and to meet the people who keep it running day to day. Every bit of help to an organization like this helps the community. It is my hope that being a part of a project like this will give me humility and encourage me to volunteer more.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The period of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs it very interesting to me.

I thought it was interesting that the "Belongingness & Love Needs" are in the middle of the pyramid. I think Maslow hit it right on the nose when he put these needs there because our family, affection, relationships, and work life really do seem to be at the center of our lives. In addition, I think if that area of our lives are fulfilled then the rest of the needs above are met such as esteem needs and self actualization. In addition the needs below this are sometimes met because of our relationships - our family may provide us with security and protection and basic needs. To take a look at our lives in the terms of these different categories can be a great way to gage if we are living the lives we want to be living.

It is also interesting to consider how we as individuals affect our neighbors needs and when we can fill needs of others. For example, providing basic needs to even those homeless people that we don't even know can be a great way to reach our own self-actualization. In addition think of the people in your lives whom you can touch and improve their feelings of belongingness by simply shooting them a text or writing on their facebooks or whatever to say hello. With all the technology these days and all the opportunities many of us have and take for granted there is no reason why we cant help others achieve their best lives.

LifeLine

I am 19 years old and I am an only child. I grew up in Brighton, Mi with my parents, my dogs, my cat, and, briefly, my cousin. I went to public school for Kindergarten and first grade but then went to 2nd and 3rd grade at a private school in Northville, William Allen Academy. In 4th grade I entered St. Patricks Catholic School in Brighton and went there until high school. In 5th grade I started riding horses at Sterling Training Center, a training barn that had Morgan horses. My cousin, Caleb, came to live with us in 6th grade. He lived with us for a year but he has always been like a brother figure. Having him at home was such a blast. My parents bought me my first horse, 'Ace', when I was 11. My first season showing Ace (2003), we won the 13 & under Hunter Pleasure National Championships, and then the World Championship. The following year I started riding another seat, Saddle Seat, as well as continuing to show Ace in hunt seat. I also started high school at Father Gabriel Richard High. I had a good group of friends at Richard but my main focus was the horses. In 2005, Ace & I won the national and worlds for hunter pleasure and also the national for hunt seat equitation. Equitation is the sport of riding where the rider's position and horsemanship are judged. I fell in love with the sport. In the beginning of 2006 my parents bought me my second horse, "Sophie", a 5 year old mare who I was going to ride Saddle Seat. I showed her a few times that season and had success. The following year (junior year of hs) we moved my horses from Howell, Michigan (30 minutes from my house) to Marshall, Michigan (an hour and a half way) to work with Mary Carlton of Crystal Farms...the best equitation trainer in the country. Riders 'age out' of equitation when they turn 18 so when I went to Mary's I had 2 seasons left. My life long goal was to win equitation worlds with Ace and I wanted to pursue saddle seat equitation on Sophie. In April Sophie died unexpectedly...that was really hard. It was definitely a point in my life that I wont ever forget. Thankfully I had a great support system that helped me through it and many generous horse owners who loaned me their horses while I looked for a new partner. Right before Nationals we found my current saddle seat horse, Lovey, and she was perfect. I went to Worlds and won the national saddle seat equitation championship on Lovey and I reached my dream on Ace and won the Hunt Seat Equitation World Championship. To this day that was the best day of my life. Nothing will ever top that for me.
That was in the beginning of senior year. Senior year rocked. I had a blast with my friends and I spent nearly all my free time training for equitation with a personal trainer and just having a blast. Then I broke my arm like a week before Christmas. Which oddly enough freed me up to hang out with my friends more and it didn't put me behind too much with my training...I rebounded really quickly.






The summer after Senior year was the best summer of my life - easily. I basically lived in Marshall with one of my riding friends, Chelsea. She is my best friend and we had a blast. College was an ongoing challenge for me - I was registered to go to school in Missouri for the horses at William Woods University but I pulled out at the last minute because I couldn't find a barn for my horses down there that I liked and I decided to go to Western Michigan University. At the last minute I pulled out of there as well because my family's financial situation changed and I had a choice between going there with student loans or keeping my horses and going to Washtenaw Community College for a year without student loans...So I chose Washtenaw. I went there the last two semesters and tried to figure out what I wanted to major in. I have always been interested in law...and I am very passionate about politics...I was exciting about getting to vote last year for like a week! So I looked into going to MSU for prelaw but then I found the Paralegal Studies program here and it seemed like a good option. So here I am! I spent my last winter and this summer working at Crystal Farms, riding as much as possible. Although I am going to school to become a paralegal and possibly go to Law School, my dream is to become a Morgan Horse Trainer and Equitation Instructor so I am trying to continue my education in that while going to school. My parents needed a money break this show season so they couldn't pay for me to show but I ended up being asked to show a Crystal Farms Client's horse, Nemo, and I am preparing to take him to Oklahoma City in October for the National and World Championships.

Other than horses, I would say my hobbies include reading, hanging out with my friends - I throw some fun bonfires in the summer, movies, and goofing off and laughing. This past summer I also worked for the Morgan Connection...a national horse magazine. I went to Michigan Horse Shows and wrote write ups about them. It was such a blast and it led me to consider a minor in journalism. My family, my faith, and my friendships are very important to me. Oh I love country music...and pretty much any other genre that have lyrics that I like. Oh and I love sunsets or sunrises...mostly sunsets since I hate waking up early but I think they are so beautiful...really the sky in general amazes me.