Engaged Life

Sometimes it’s hard to stop and think how what we do or what we’re studying can change the world for the better. One Arizona State alum is taking his architecture education and putting it to good use serving refugees.

Arizona State University alum Kobina Banning always wanted to be an architect. During his time at ASU, he learned to apply that dream in a way that would improve the lives of others. Now he applies his work as an architect to improving the lives of immigrants.

Where in your community is change happening for the better?

Let us know! Shoot an email to kristina[at]engagedlife.org to have your community’s story featured on Engaged Life!

By Casey Fuerst

Casey Fuerst, at right with a camera, talks to campers at Christo Roi de Corail, outside of Leogone, Haiti.(photo credit: Allison Shelley for Lutheran World Relief)

[Casey Fuerst is currently serving as the Director/Marketing & Communications for Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries. Casey, and her husband Dave, have two children and recently moved to Savage, MN. She continues her employment from her home office.]

I have always felt on the fringes of the people who really make a difference. You know the type – the ones who work directly with kids, go on mission trips, build houses for Habitat for Humanity and on and on. Those are the people who have real impact, right? I’m just a communicator. The one who employs words and images to get people involved in these efforts and share their stories.

Well, this past month, I saw and embraced my communications role in a new way. The organization I work for, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, is wrapping up a big project with Lutheran World Relief.  The campers at our summer programs put together 32,000 health kits for the people of Haiti. This project was a response to the January 12, 2010 earthquake, but was completed on the heals of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Since the beginning of the project, a trip was planned to document the delivery of the health kits and see the project to its completion. I wasn’t the first choice to go, as there were others who had a much more hands-on role that needed to be involved. However, because of some changes in staffing, I landed a secretly hoped for spot on this trip. I can’t tell you what a blessing that gift has been.

From the day I was assigned to go on this trip, I was anxious. The fact that I wasn’t a first choice for the trip, plus the fiscal value of such an experience weighed heavily on me, and I wanted to make sure that I provided value for the organizations I was representing.  In the end, I feel great about the work I did. We’ve garnered media attention, capitalized on social media opportunities and engaged many of the campers, parents, donors and congregations that were involved in this project.

The lessons I’ve learned are too numerous to write about here. But, there is one lesson that I seem to need regular reminders of. It’s true of most of us, I think. We downplay the impact that we can have because our role isn’t the one we see as instrumental in the success of whatever our project is.

1 Corinthians 12 has always been one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Go read it, so I don’t have to type it all out! The point of it is that we all have a role in the kingdom of God. And, each of us is uniquely qualified to do our part. No part is more important than another.  Further, by coveting the roles of others, we decrease our own ability to have impact.

I am not JUST a communicator. I am the link between the story and the people who need to hear it. That is how I make a difference.

Playing a native game that helps you learn to jump

[This post is from the Engaged Life community manager Kristina Smith's blog from her time as a volutneer. Kristina spent a year in Nome, Alaska where she was a volunteer at KNOM. This entry was from her time in Buckland, Alaska.]

Flying on a Black hawk helicopter.

If anyone ever gets the opportunity, DO NOT turn it down.

I reported to the National Guard Hanger around 9:30 a.m. and was told to grab some ear plugs and head downstairs to be briefed. There were five civilians and three National Guardsmen. We took off in the Western Alaska darkness around 10:15 am. I sat in a seat facing backwards, alone. My entire body regretting that choice until we made it to Buckland, Alaska.

We flew north east to the village of Buckland, where the temperature was predicted to be at least -25 F, not including any sort of wind chill.

We watched the sun rise over the snow covered tundra and on into the mountains. Coming close to peaks and summits, gazing at the blowing snow swirling on the ground below.

As we grew closer to our destination, I actually saw some trees. Simple pleasures, especially when you do not see any for months at a time.

On Frozen Bering Sea

We landed just after the sun had come up- approximately around 12:30pm. We were greeted by villagers on snowmachines, 4-wheelers, and a truck looking to give us a lift to the elementary/middle/high school. Getting my backpack on and securing my gloves a National Guardsmen opens the door and screams ‘Its 45 below be ready.’ It seemed that everyone went into preparation mode for the arctic temperatures. I zipped up my jacket, secured my scarf and hoped that my clothes would suffice.

I stepped off the helicopter, took a breath and my glasses fogged up, and in turn, froze. So, I am standing there, blind and wandering into a bed of a truck that I hope is headed to the elementary school, but I saw the red of Santa’s pant leg piling on… so I felt secure.

We drove through a row of houses and approached a beautiful school that I learned was just built seven years earlier.

We unloaded the truck and headed inside. Looking around I see kids, teachers, and administrators barking orders and kids obeying everything coming out of the adults mouths. I was impressed, they seemed to be running a tight ship and I did not want to step out of line.

We were set up in the library, the elves went to work and Santa got ready. I had my KNOM duties to do so I got the Marantz recorder ready and acquainted myself with my surroundings and  defrost my glasses.

The students filed in one class at a time by grade. We learned that an elder had passed away and the funeral was during the scheduled time- so we had an hour to see between 150 and 175 students, take a picture with the Jolly Old Man and hand them their gift. Glorious.

They brought students in one class at a time and the children stood tolerantly for their turn, I have never seen kids so well behaved.

One student was making sarcastic comments and passing out jokes. I was behind him and he turns around and said ‘What is this? A recorder?’ I told him it was and he faced me and said- ‘Wait, I don’t know you.’ I told him what I was doing and he felt the recorder and commented on how big it was and questioned my attendance. His name was Jeremiah. A boy behind him poked him and froze and, without missing a beat, Jeremiah said the boys name and said to stop, he knows that poke.

Jeremiah is blind, and told me that he may not see the computer screen but he can be brutal with computers- I believe him.

The students as well behaved as they were, did show excitement when they received their gift, no one, not even a baby cried when they sat on Santa’s lap. Amazing.

We got through everyone.

The National Guard entourage gathered everything up in the library and tried to figure out how er would get back to the chopper. In 45 below, walking did not sound too pleasant. A teenager walked in and her mother, the principal, asked ‘Did you try to start the truck this morning?’ and she simply stated that it would not even turn over. That is what happens in 45 below, if something was not already on, it is too late.

A man was walking through and said his truck was on and he could drop us off. Walking outside I tried not to repeat my previous mistake, and made an air hole through my knotted scarf, it worked… for a minute.

We landed in Buckland around 12:40 and suddenly at 1:40 pm we are headed back to the Back hawk. Talk about a quick trip!

We loaded up and this time- I faced forward.

The trip back was exciting. It was like we were on a roller coaster or in a movie because the pilots decided to have a little fun. We would circle and sometimes maneuver to see caribou herds or a frozen creek bed.

We dove to the ground, spin around and flew over some amazing Alaskan wilderness.

I made it home safely, and exhausted. A trip needed, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Social movements are informal groups of people and/or organizations that are focused on specific political or social issues.

What makes people and organizations stand up for issues and problems they’re facing in their communities? What makes them say ‘enough is enough’ and take a stand for what they think is right?

Currently, there are social movements happening around the world from Egypt to Wisconsin and from Africa to North Korea.

Social movements are started on the ground, from one person refusing to move on a bus, to groups of people standing up for poor working conditions, and countries fighting for democracy. Movements get people engaged in their community, health, social justice, government, and much, much more.

How can social movements afford to organize, make fliers, and have phone-a-thons? Luckily, there are organizations that support people working for change.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice is a non-profit organization that supports grassroots efforts. Headwaters engages and partners with a committed community of donors and allies who work for justice by providing grants to support the people and groups making a difference right on the ground.

Social movements come from people and groups that are sharing their contagious passion for change and a better world.

What movements do you support?

Service learning and community service are sometimes thought to be interchangeable.

They both serve the community, put people in a place to serve others, and give communities a boost with engagement. However, service learning gives educational systems and communities the opportunity to learn from one another. A time to share, grow, and serve one another.

For college professors, high school teachers, and secondary classrooms, having a service learning opportunity allows students to get outside of the classroom, teach other students, and put the theories they’ve learned into practice.

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

By teaching others, the students are becoming better students, teachers, stewards, and community members.

Service learning can be done in a variety of ways. From supporting an anti-bullying campaign, to promoting literacy, environmental initiatives, and many, many more regardless of your community role, demographic, or setting.

Learn more about how schools are using service learning by taking a peek at Sage Hills School:

For more information and resources, check out the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse for tips, toolkits, project ideas, support and more.

How are you enriching learning experiences in your community?

Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College is one of 12 in the nation. Here, students take excess food from Augsburg Dining Services and create meals to send to local community agencies in the Cedar-Riverside and Phillips neighborhoods of Minneapolis, MN.

The students not only create, package and deliver the meals, they also spend time off campus getting to know the community around them.

Campus Kitchen is also planning on creating a community garden on campus where they’ll have access to fresh vegetables for the meals and offer classes.

How are you becoming engaged in your community?