Warren Wilson Students Amazing Volunteer Work!

Warren Wilson students in a freshman International Social work class adpoted the Family Visitation Program as their semester-long project.  Here's what they did:
The bottom line:


13 Warren Wilson freshman students contributed a total of 85 service hours working with the Family Visitation Program between August and November 2009.

The monetary value of this volunteered time is $1,500. ( independentsector.org)  Wow!

10 hours over 3 evenings speaking with families and interacting with FVP children about ideas for their mural. By engaging with our children, you took a seemingly small step that had big results.

15 hours over 3 evenings assisting the Program in conducting a Parent Satisfaction Survey. We experienced a greater than 50% response rate and gleaned some important information which will enable us to adapt to suit the needs of our parents and improve our service delivery so it is even safer and more child-focused.

6 hours spent researching types of craft kits to put together for our parents and children to work on together as well as sketching the mural to be painted.  12 students volunteered a total of 54 hours to paint the mural and assemble the craft kits.

Here's some of what the students said:
We are painting a mural on one of the walls of the waiting room of The Family Visitation Program, based off of ideas we get from clients that utilize this facility. Another role we will be playing is creating craft kits for the children to partake in with their non-custodial parents. I think this will be really beneficial for bonding because it eliminates the reliance on technology and can really bring people together.
--Rachel Friehoff-Lewin
I believe my contributions through painting the mural and conducting the interviews will benefit the center and its program in a small, yet crucial way. I hope the mural I help create will be calming and comforting—or perhaps inspiring—to the children as they first enter the building. Because first impressions are extremely important when trying to convey a safe environment, I hope these children will feel comfortable when they enter the center and witness the mural for the first time. Through my work as an interviewer I hope I will be able to gather critical feedback for the program so they can continue to provide the best service possible.
--Emily Chiara

To be able to work with kids, especially for an organization that cares so deeply for their clients, means a lot to me. I see this project as an opportunity to apply all that I have learned throughout my years of child care as well as what I have learned in the classroom thus far. I’m definitely ready to start working with the children right now!
--Libby Lillberg

Running for Resolution

This past Sunday, more than 20 runners showed up to run for the Buncombe County Gang Violence Prevention project.  There were three and six mile routes, and  a few runners just made their own course.  These community members made donations to support the young people who are working to change the course of their lives through this project. 

The Gang Violence Prevention Project helps young people age 6-24 who are gang involved or at risk for gang involvement. (I know the six year old end sounds improbable - but it does happen - especially when parents are gang members themselves).   They have access to all kinds of program from equine therapy through Horse Sense of the Carolinas, to basketball programming through Upfront Managment Sports. 

As hard as they try to be involved in these amazing programs, some of the barriers that got them into their situation in the first place are still following them - a lack of money to buy a bus pass to get to their programs, no toiletry items to clean up for GED classes or hearings, and an empty closet with no clothes to get them off on the right foot in their new life.

Runners donated more than $150 dollars - or 10 bus passes!  Thank you to all the friends of the Mediation Center who supported this effort - it was exciting to see so many community members - some of whom probably didn't know a lot about gangs - come and give their energy and their money to make it happen. 

If you would like to donate or learn more about gang violence in Asheville and Buncombe County, go to our website at www.mediatebuncombe.org/doante.