For those of you who aren’t familiar, the wonderful state of Indiana is celebrating its bicentennial this year. Or, as we like to say at the United Way office, Indiana is celebrating its “Bison-tennial.” To raise awareness for both the state and the United Way, Charlie and I have been hauling a baby bison around the city, visiting various funded partners and popular spots in Michigan City. There are two things about this project that I’d like to point out. First, and most important, is that I get to go to the beach a lot.

There’s nothing like leaving the office for an hour or two so you can take pictures with a bison at the pier. Being located 3 blocks from Lake Michigan has its benefits! Spending time at the beach and near the water is fun, but in reality the most exciting part of the bison project is interacting with the people of Michigan City and LaPorte County. People tend to give you funny looks and ask a lot of questions when you’re carrying a bison around town. The bison has sparked conversation with people that we would never have the chance to talk to otherwise and we’ve spread some great information about the United Way. In addition to random people on the street, we’ve also brought the bison to local agencies that the United Way partners with. The Boys and Girls Club of Michigan City hosts camps for kids during the summer. We had the opportunity to bring the bison to meet the kids, tour the facility, and meet with the executive director to talk about problems involving children in the city. The bison has traveled to United Way sponsored Kindergarten Countdown Camps at a local elementary school. These camps prepare children for kindergarten by giving them a taste of what going to school is like. The kids got to meet the bison, which for them was a real treat, and Charlie and I again had the chance to participate first hand in developing the community. We’ve been able to use the bison as an excuse to move around the county and see everything there is to see and participate in everything that the United Way has its hand in in the county.

At this point I’ll be working for about three more weeks and it’s sad to see the summer slowly drawing to a close. When I go to meetings or events in the community, I actually know people and have a good understanding of the not-for-profit arena in the city. Just as I’m becoming comfortable and everything seems normal, the summer starts to end, and that’s disappointing. Through this internship I’ve come face to face with the people and struggles of LaPorte County and it’s tough to think about leaving when there’s still so much work to do. I’ve really grown attached to this county and the people and businesses here (take that Porter County) and it will be tough to leave. But I also know that I’ve learned very tangible skills and acquired a fair amount of knowledge and connections that will travel with me wherever I go. My social media skills, as far as a professional account are concerned, have increased immensely. I’ve stared in, produced, and written a rap and video. (I’ll attach that at the end in case you want to see it again). I’ve introduced myself at least a thousand times this summer, sometimes to individuals, sometimes to groups of a hundred people. I’ve networked with people from every type of business. I’m taking a lot with me when I leave in a couple short weeks, but I’ll still be sad to go.

As promised, here’s Charlie and I singing and dancing our summer away: