BBYO Summer Blog
A Poem
Posted on 06/28/2011 @ 01:16 PM
Impact: Boston
Day 1 at Impact
The following acrostic poem was submitted by the participants of the WCI site.
In came the teens from all over the country
Mitzvot is their mission
Passionate participants ready to serve the community
Already acclimated to Brandeis life
Clearly ready to change lives
Today, tomorrow, and next week
Bringing joy and hope to those in need
On the path to creating great relationships
So much to experience in so little time
Taking Boston’s community into their hearts
Opportunities for everyone to make an IMPACT
Now and for the rest of their lives
Spotlight On...
Posted on 06/28/2011 @ 01:16 PM
Impact: Boston
Eliot Human Services
Elmbrook Place and The Renaissance Club are two of the Eliot Human Services (EHS)’s clubhouses. Clubhouses are an international movement to empower people with mental illness to build their own community.
Our IMPACT:Boston group is learning about the obstacles that go along with living with mental illness and what services are available for this population. During our time at the clubhouses, each of us took turns performing different tasks alongside members. These tasks included cooking, working the snack bar, teaching computer skills, making birthday cards, and making sales calls. We had ample time to spend talking to the members and hearing their stories. The members were welcoming and grateful for our volunteering. It was hard to leave at the end of the day. In two short days we have all fallen in love with this organization. The best part was simply spending time with these incredible individuals and listening to their stories. We were all really inspired.
- Rebecca Fuhrman, IMPACT Site Educator, Eliot Human Services
Impact Boston Welcome
Posted on 06/28/2011 @ 01:16 PM
Impact: Boston
Impact Boston - Welcome from the Director
As the third summer of Impact Boston begins, I am struck by thoughts of fun. We bring dozens of teenagers together from across the country, and challenge them to confront society’s great challenges, to look deeply and honestly within themselves, to question some of their most fundamental assumptions, and to bear witness to heartrending stories of struggle and loss.
Yet somehow, in the midst of what is perhaps the most challenging experience they’ve had in their lives, our teens manage to have fun, experience joy, and make wonderful new friendships that last through the years ahead.
I think it’s a testimony to the human spirit, and in particular the spirit of Impact Boston teens. They come here and open themselves to new experience, they give their hearts and their energy to people they’ve just met, and in that process, they find happiness and a sense of purpose.
Every year I am blown away by the maturity and passion of Impact Boston teens. This year, those inspiring teens are your children.
It is an honor to work with them, and I am excited to see them in action over the next two weeks. Please join us here on this blog to watch the magic unfold. Please also check out pictures at: http://bbyo.smugmug.com/2011/IMPACT-Boston-2011/
Shimshon Siegel
Director of Impact Boston
Day 1 at Impact
Posted on 06/28/2011 @ 01:16 PM
Impact: Boston
Day 1 at Impact
The IMPACT: Boston participants have been on the Brandeis campus for a little more than 48 hours. They’ve been busy meeting each other, learning their site assignments, reflecting and becoming immersed in the experience. Check out what they were up to on day one in this video
Spotlight On...
Posted on 06/28/2011 @ 01:16 PM
Impact: Boston
Day 1 at Impact
I’ve never worked with people with developmental disabilities, so I had no idea what to expect for our first day on site. I figured we would hear about the program, meet some of the individuals at the site and maybe even work with them a bit. We did all of that, and we learned a great deal watching the creative ways employees at the site were engaging with the individuals based on their specific needs. But I was surprised at how much the experience affected my perspective and the outlook of the participants. I left the site today feeling more patient and accepting of everyone around me, and I found myself more appreciative of my abilities and resources. During a processing session afterwards, participants expressed frustration at society for not doing more to integrate these individuals and provide for their needs.
We are all still struggling with the big questions. Who are we responsible for? Is it our family, people we know, or anyone in society that is in need? Are we obligated to help others, or is it just something we should want to do? How do you feel compassion and responsibility for someone you don’t know? What is Judaism’s vision of an ideal society?
I will leave you with a few quotes that I overheard from participants today. They contain contradicting ideas, and I feel a lot of those same tensions inside me as I prepare for another day of growth and learning.
“It takes a special person to work with this population all day every day.”
“How can you work with these people every day and not be inspired?”
“I feel like interacting with them was easier than interacting with people at school.”
“I was sad to see people who were both blind and deaf, because their most basic methods for communication are gone.”
“We are not responsible for other people but what we do to other people.”
“Judaism demands that we help anyone who needs help.”
-Aaron Potek, IMPACT Site Educator, WCI Site
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