March 8, 2009
Today we left the hostel at 8:00 AM bound for the bus to ROCK orientation. We arrived and met Teadora, our volunteer coordinator. We participated in an opening activity where we wrote opinions to guiding at risk youth. The activity allowed us to express our personal thoughts on leadership and nonprofit organizations. After the conclusion of the activity, Tea presented a short documentary emphasising the importance of the program. The video allowed me to understand the meaning behind ROCK. ROCK- real options for city kids, reaches out to at risk youth and hands them opportunities which wouldn't typically be offered through the home. The children participate in adventurous activities such as karate, rafting, horse back riding, etc. The program was founded on the sport of soccer and expanded after much interest was shown toward the program. Today the program offers not only physical activities but academic ones as well. ROCK has impacted the lives of both children and parents. Parents know their children are safe and avoiding dangerous activities leading to addictions. In the documentary a mother expressed her emotions for ROCK, emotions so strong they brought her to tears. I look forward to working further with the organization.
After ROCK we took the bus to the tenderloin- a 60 square block area heavily concentrated with homeless men and women. While waiting for our orientation to begin we sat outside. Roger investigated the alley next to the building we were in front of and discovered interesting elements. A needle dump box was attached to the wall directly around the corner. If we looked inside we could see used needles. The alley smelled of urine and feces. The ugly reality of homlessness was evident. While working with tenderloin we will focus on understanding their risk reduction method. The method promotes self motivation for sobriety and abstinence. We will struggle to understand the positive results of this method because our stay is so short, and we are from areas that have strong beliefs in instant recovery.
- Dominique
About Me
- AWOL - San Francisco
- Vermillion, South Dakota, United States
- Alternative Week of Off-campus Learning (AWOL). What is an alternative break? It is an opportunity for university students to engage in community service projects and academic service-learning during an academic break instead of going on vacation or staying at home. The AWOL Program includes 6 weeks of training about trip issues prior to departure, education and reflection sessions while on site and post-break education and service projects. Participants on this trip will be working with urban issues in the San Francisco Bay Area. They will learn about the conditions of urban poverty and the connections between poverty, youth development, and HIV/AIDS.
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