It’s a busy time at Concordia Place! The 3rd Annual Golf Outing is under a month away, and I’ve enjoyed creating content all about it. The Annual Golf Outing happens each summer and is a fantastic fundraising event for Concordia Place. 

Participants can decide if they’d like to play as an individual or foursome, and their registration fees become funds for the organization. 

My latest project has consisted of making a series of raffle prize reveal posts. There are all sorts of exciting experiences, items and excursions raffle participants have the potential to win. My latest reveal post was for two Xtreme Xperience Full Throttle Passes. Xtreme Xperience is a company that offers all sorts of race track experiences and thrills. This Full Throttle package consists of unlimited in-car videos, digital photos, spectator pit passes and a t-shirt. 

To post the graphics I create, I use a website called Constant Contact. It makes my life a bit easier because rather than having to post on each social media platform (we use LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), I can post them all at once from the site. If there need to be differences in the captions, I have the option to separate them and tweak each individual platform’s post. This comes in handy when I want to add hashtags to the posts but need to remove them for Twitter so I don’t go over the character/word count. 

I have also been working on creating the trifold pamphlet that will be used at the golf outing. The trifold design can easily be slipped into the golfers’ caddies. It has information about Concordia Place, the schedule for the event, who the committee members are, photos, and logos of the sponsors. Shutterfly has been really useful for me because it gives me access to Concordia Place photos I can incorporate into materials and posts. As a remote intern, getting to look at the pictures has been helpful for me to gain a better grasp of what life at Concordia Place looks like since I haven’t been able to visit the site in-person. 

Other websites that I’m acclimating to are Grant Station and Every Action. Grant Station is a site that helps nonprofits look for grant opportunities and applications. Currently I’m taking a stab at building some grant writing skills. I’ve learned a lot about how each company/corporation has a different format and different requests about what to include in the letter you send them. Every Action is a site that is used to store information about donorship and has the ability to send and sort emails. This helps make sure that messages go to the right people and keeps track of information that better helps Concordia Place reach potential donors. 

In addition to creating posts and graphics, I’ve gotten the opportunity to sit in on meetings discussing DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). I’ve really appreciated getting to see the process of developing DEI plans and what it looks like to see them in action within an organization. I look forward t o continuing to be part of the advancement team and seeing what we will accomplish in July!

– Maiah Deogracias, Concordia Place

This experience for me has truly been life-changing. I have met many wonderful people and have crafted memories that will last a lifetime. So far in this internship, I have received invaluable information and wisdom that I will carry into my future career in healthcare administration. On June 7th, I was able to participate in an engagement event in the Altgeld community in Chicago.  I was able to share information with children and parents about By the Hand Club for Kids and provide them with fruits and organic popsicles that were both delicious and nutritious. The children loved them! BTH is highly geared towards providing kids with nutritious food options and I am very blessed that I was able to be a part of serving them.

Another project I am working on is making sure that every child visits the dentist and eye doctor at least once a year. At BTH we must do our best to ensure that the students have a chance to become the healthiest and best versions of themselves. I have been tasked to call eye doctors and dentist offices to see if we, as in the after-school program can transport the students to get their annual checkups. I am happy that I can be placed in this position as I hope to be in the healthcare administrative role in my future career. 

My time at By the Hand has also consisted of aiding the team leaders in the after-school program. I have had the pleasure of being placed with 1st graders and I have enjoyed every second of it. All of the students are such a joy to be around and truly hold God close to their hearts and the program is faith-based and focused on the mind, body, and soul. It is fulfilling being able to be a helping hand to the team leaders and help lead games that the students have a blast playing. 

In addition to the internship, my supervisor thought that it would be a great idea to take all of the interns around Chicago to different historical sites to truly understand the environment that surrounds us. The first site that I visited was the Pullman National Historical Park. The park was named one of the first planned industrial communities in the United States and is significant for its influence on urban planning and design. It was fascinating to see all of the historic buildings and I had no clue that this existed. I am grateful to go on these educational field trips to learn more about history. We also were able to walk around the neighborhood and speak to different people that lived in the community. They are very knowledgeable about the community that they live in and you could tell that they love Pullman. 

Reflecting on my first month in the internship, I can gladly say that I have made the right decision in choosing BTH. I have been welcomed with open arms by the entire staff and genuinely treated like family. Everyone does strive to take each child by the hand every step of the way to help mold, shape and equip each with the tools they need to excel in life because the children are our future.

– Camille Jefferson, By the Hand Club for Kids

On my first day about a month ago, I was welcomed to HealthLinc by people with open arms and smiling faces who all had at least one thing in common: a passion for service. HealthLinc is a non-profit community health center with several clinic locations across northwest Indiana. HealthLinc provides quality, affordable healthcare through a variety of health services. While their services are for everyone, they mainly cater to underserved populations. They do this by identifying barriers between patients and their health such as finances or transportation and work to break down those barriers. Serving nearly 30,000 patients, HealthLinc’s impact is undeniable.

Although direct treatment of patients is helpful, disease prevention is more effective for population health, but is often overlooked. One of the ways HealthLinc is able to augment disease prevention is through grant-based programs. A couple of these projects that I am currently working with are Food as Medicine (FAM) and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Both programs aim to help patients who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. Some of the root causes of these diseases include malnutrition and a poor diet. The Food as Medicine program identifies patients who have a chronic illness as a result of food insecurity.

We provide these patients a monthly food box, nutrition education, and any appliances they need to cook the food. The RPM program works hand-in-hand with Food as Medicine. Through this program, patients receive a monitoring device such as a blood pressure cuff for people with hypertension, or a glucometer for those with diabetes. This allows patients to track their levels daily, and also allows healthcare providers to see where the patients’ levels are.

Both of these programs have only been in progress for about a year, so new challenges are frequently arising. As the newest member of the FAM/RPM team, I am helping these programs adapt and overcome these challenges. One of the most pressing challenges is that we currently have one nurse to care for the 530 (and climbing) patients enrolled in the RPM program. I help our nurse monitor these patients by looking for out of range readings that might indicate risk of heart attack, stroke, or any other emergency. I also ensure patients are educated on how to use their device properly. With the Food as Medicine program, I have worked to locate food pantries near our different clinic locations that are capable of providing emergency meals to our patients who are waiting on their food box. I also assist with taking inventory of the appliances we are sending out to patients.

Being a part of this team at HealthLinc has been nothing short of a blessing. My co-workers inspire me with their dedication to service and their display of humble leadership.

They create a selfless and encouraging environment that creates the best ideas for the good of our patients. I am learning more each day about the best ways to improve community health and promote preventative medicine, but more importantly, I am seeing the impact it has on people in our own backyard. When people are given the resources to boost their physiological health, they are empowered to do what they have been called to do.

– Tytus Ragle, HealthLinc

Going to Girl Scout camp was always a special experience. In elementary school, we would pack up our cars after school let out and drive to one of the nearby Girl Scout-owned camps. We usually ended up in a creaky old cabin that we would try to convince one another was haunted, but I’m sure I was the only one who was ever actually scared by the ghost stories. Nevertheless, I have fond memories of hiking, doing crafts, and getting to spend time with my friends.

I hadn’t thought about Girl Scout camp in a long time, until I heard about Shirley Heinze Land Trust. When I found out that their headquarters are at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve in Valpo, I instantly had flashbacks to camping trips there with my troop. We stayed in various cabins on the property and loved hiking on the trails there. I was beyond excited to return to a place full of memories when I was matched with Shirley Heinze through the CAPS Fellowship!

As a policy engagement fellow for the land trust, I’ve been doing a lot of research on environmental policy. Admittedly, I’ve mainly focused on social welfare and education policies in my previous political science coursework, but I was excited to branch out and see what I could learn about the topic! Legislative decisions at all levels of government impact the environment, as we’ve seen with the Supreme Court’s recent Sackett v. EPA ruling. The decision reduces protections for wetlands under the Clean Water Act, so environmental groups across the country now must fight harder to conserve and restore these precious ecosystems. Ever-evolving policies make the work of land trusts and other non-governmental organizations across the nation incredibly important. 

So far, I’ve mainly been preparing internal briefs to keep the staff informed and updated on policies that may impact Shirley Heinze. We hope to eventually start working on a series of external briefs to educate the public on various topics such as land preservation, renewable energy and food access/production.

I’ve also had the opportunity to visit Twin Oaks Park for the River Forest School Food Program’s Summer Free-for-All Lunch & Learn. Shirley Hinze and other groups bring the “learn” part of the program by hosting an educational activity after the kids eat their lunches. I recently helped out for a “Watershed Day” in which the kids did fun activities that modeled how watersheds and erosion work. As aforementioned, I don’t know much about science, so it was as much a learning experience for me as it was for them!

Additionally, I’ve taken advantage of working on a nature preserve by going on hikes and eating lunch outside with some of my fellow interns. We all enjoy learning about the native plants and insects and truly appreciate getting to work on a nature preserve everyday. 

I’m looking forward to continuing my fellowship at Shirley Heinze and contributing to such an amazing organization. And now when someone asks me what I do here, I can just tell them to read this blog post.

– Grace Aurand, Shirley Heinze Land Trust

I’ve officially been working for Concordia Place for a couple weeks, and am already so grateful for this experience! One thing that I’ve really enjoyed so far has been seeing how all of my different past work experiences have transferred to this role. This position has truly involved applying a culmination of many of the skills I’ve gained within my work as a Communications Intern for Valpo’s Office of Admissions, Student Engagement Ambassador for Student Life, and Photographer for Integrated Marketing and Communications. 

Not only this, but as Director of Catering for Valpo Dance Marathon, much of my time was spent reaching out to restaurants and companies for potential donation requests. Now, within my work as an Advancement Intern for Concordia Place, I am reaching out to a variety of businesses to see if they may be interested in donating items for Concordia Place’s 3rd Annual Golf Outing which will take place this upcoming July. Not only will participants have a day full of fun, food and golf, but the donated merchandise and gift certificates from various sponsors will be part of the outing’s raffle. This helps a lot with day of fundraising! 

One thing in particular I have had a pleasure doing is providing input for Concordia Place’s social media. Just last week, I presented a short slideshow to my CAPS advisor about ideas of how to best utilize platforms such as Tik Tok, Youtube and Instagram. I also explained how Capcut, a video editing app, can be used to create quick and relatively easy videos, especially when it comes to keeping up with the latest Tik Tok trends. I am excited to see their online accounts grow and engagement increase! 

I’ve been so inspired the more I learn about Concordia Place’s missions and vision, and the impact that it has had on the Chicago community. I’ve gotten to know more about different programs that are offered, including the Teen Leadership program. This program offers teens a handful of different ways to develop their skills during their high school summer break. They can learn about anything from entrepreneurship to culinary activities and even sales and marketing practices by running their own skincare business. One of my favorite initiatives my advisor told me about was the home delivery program they started just a couple years ago, which involves dropping off necessary supplies for new parents right in their homes. This helps provide them with important things to take care of their babies like diapers. 

One thing unique about my CAPS experience is that it is completely remote. While I am sad that I miss some of the in-person events and more face-to-face interactions with my coworkers, something I have enjoyed recently has been working outside in the summer sun. I roll my yoga mat out on my patio, fill up my Starbucks tumbler with some lemon water and get to work! I cannot wait to continue my CAPS Fellowship and am so excited about my placement at Concordia Place! This is a professional experience, but I know I am developing so much holistically as an individual as well.

– Maiah Deogracias, Concordia Place

Going into the CAPS Fellowship, I was looking forward to something that would challenge me. There were lots of great options, however, after interviewing with Shannon from Heartland Alliance Health’s Care Coordination program and hearing about their mission and work, I knew that this experience would push my learning in a necessary direction. The field of social work is designed to uplift those most vulnerable in our society to achieve a sense of wellbeing, and I realized that I had never traveled much outside of my “bubble” of studying social work in Northwest Indiana to devoting care and time towards the needs of refugees and immigrants. As someone who aims to amplify diversity, equity, and inclusion, I felt that I still have a lot to learn about cross-cultural experiences. 

I was also hoping for more first-hand experience with social services, and with work designed to support others in navigating systems in the U.S. that were never really designed to accommodate everyone. I need to be an active ally, and a team that focuses on case management work for refugees and immigrants with a focus on mental health is a space for me to practice doing so- especially through a learners perspective, trauma informed lens, and strengths based model, which are emphasized on this team. 

I already have learned so much from this experience and from the team I have been working with. For one, the case workers at my site exemplify what it means to foster a positive team environment. Each of them come from different cultural backgrounds, most of them immigrants themselves, and each of the four of them speak more languages combined than I can count on two hands. They use these differences to work collaboratively as a team, and to support one another and a wide range of participants from all around the world. The people they serve are referred to as “participants,” as everyone involved in the program acts as a collaborator towards common goals, rather than contributing to a hierarchy of power. You get the feel through the everyday interactions of this team that their work is really a work of heart: they put in the effort because they know that it provides neighbors in their communities with tools and support through their challenges.

I will also mention that I somehow hadn’t given much consideration to the following prior to this experience: case managers work with participants so that they have what they need to maintain a good quality of life on their own. However, mental illness is often chronic and an ongoing part of a person’s whole life. Further, if you were born in the U.S. and native English-speaking, consider how confusing the programs that you or someone you know relies on are, such as the medical system, legal system, and public aid-and now imagine the layers of difficulty that would be added if you are new to the U.S. and English is not your first language. Especially given the trauma refugees and immigrants face, discrimination, and overall difficulty of navigating the U.S., the reality is that it is hard for participants in this program to reach the point of comfortably and confidently ending their services with the Care Coordination Team. Cases are typically longer here than is typical for social work, and this creates an added stressor for the program, as financial supporters for the nonprofit only will fund a case for a certain amount of time. 

I’m so lucky to be collaborating with such an incredible team this summer, and am feeling inspired and challenged by the team I have become a part of for the next few weeks. I can say that I am actively learning, both professionally and personally from my experiences. I am participating in activities such as shadowing professionals, hearing the stories of participants and their unfathomable resilience and challenge, performing administrative tasks, coordinating appointments and special events, accompanying participants, and staying curious as to how I can play a role in uplifting others.

– Cylia Srmek, Heartland Alliance Health

This summer I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve at the Grünewald Guild in Leavenworth, Washington. 

What initially drew me to the Guild was their emphasis on community. The Guild has been a central hub focused on community and fellowship even before it was founded by Richard and Liz Caemmerer. The Guild was built out of an old Grange Hall that was used as a place to host community events such as markets, dances, town hall meetings, and anything that had to do with the community as a whole. The Caemmerers bought the Grange Hall after it had been left abandoned and created a non-profit that focuses on the facilitation of community through art and faith practices. The Guild hosts various programs throughout the summer that align with this focus. Through my conversations with those who regularly visit the Guild, I come to realize how many lives the Guild, as well as the Caemmerer family, have touched and changed for the better. 

While I have been busy with various tasks that range from sorting yarn to scanning historical documents, I have had plenty of time to explore the nature that surrounds the Guild campus. A mile down from campus, right across the walking bridge, the small town of Plain resides. There are three main shops; a grocery store, a cafe, and a hardware store that is more reminiscent of a curiosity shop than a Lowes (they sell the best espresso that I have ever had, genuinely life-changing). I’ve visited Leavenworth which is a Bolivian-themed town that has wonderful “made in the cascade” ice cream. I have even been able to hang out at a campground by Lake Wenatchee that was infested with the most persistent mosquitoes I have ever encountered. 

One aspect of the Guild that I have found inspiring is the director’s portrayal of leadership. There are two co-directors that run the Guild, Julia Hubbard and Chance Voigt. They have their hands in everything from administrative duties to serving on dish team to gardening. Their leadership style is truly centered around service. They have a team mentality and consistently make sure that everyone feels supported and heard through weekly team check-ins. Their weekly check-ins with staff and volunteers allow for phenomenal communication. They aim to use everyone’s strengths while also pushing them to grow by giving them the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, continuously offering support as they go. I have the privilege of living at the Guild this summer which means I have had the opportunity to spend time with them both in professional as well as more leisurely settings. Having been around them in both settings, I have realized that there is an authenticity that comes with their leadership. They don’t change who they are depending on who they are interacting with, they stay consistently themselves. That is a trait I admire and hope to reflect in whatever professional environment I end up in the future. 

While my time at the Grünewald Guild has been short, I have already experienced an immense amount. I anticipate that once summer programming starts, I will begin to encounter firsthand the magic of the Guild.

– Erin Murphy, Grünewald Guild

The experience has already turned out to be one that I will never forget! Working with the American Red Cross has been nothing short of amazing and a lot of new knowledge! Did you know that the American Red Cross has five lines of service? They are Disaster Relief, or helping out after a home fire, tornado, or even hurricanes. Blood Services, which are blood drives and assisting hospitals with clean blood for transfusions. Service to the Armed Forces, or helping soldiers and their families. Training and Certification, or teaching classes like Hands-only CPR. And finally, International Services, or helping other countries with their Red Crosses, or going to countries that don’t have an established branch set up yet.

I have had the honor of being part of the Disaster Action Team, or DAT for short. This team is responsible for helping out with local disasters; mainly being home fires and tornados for Indiana. I had gone out and helped someone whose house had burned down early in the morning. The fact that a majority, if not all of their stuff had burned up and that their life was now in a whirlwind made me so surprised at how kind and straightforward this person was with us three responders. The idea of compassion and caring that the other two senior responders showed was amazing to see, and I hope that I can be even a fifth of their compassionate selves they were when they were helping this client.

This past weekend, I also got to work with another branch of the American Red Cross, Service to the Armed Forces. Four of us woke up early Sunday morning to help assist with canteening and being a community partner with Leon’s Triathlon. Leon’s Triathlon is dedicated to allowing veterans with disabilities to compete in a triathlon. This experience was extremely humbling, as someone who has all parts of their body working, it was amazing watching people push themselves so hard to compete in this race with an arm or leg missing. It helped me put my problems and complaints into perspective. Whatever I am going through, it is nothing nearly as bad as losing an arm or leg and forcing yourself to live with a limb missing.

In the coming weeks, I also have the opportunity to help with teaching fire preparedness with two programs: the Prepare with Pedro hazard program, and the Pillowcase Project. Both of these help is K-2 and 3-5 respectively, about bringing information back home to family about how to be safe in case a fire starts in the home.

Every day at the office always has me excited to see what the plans are going to be, and to see who might need some extra help. Thanks again to both CAPS and the American Red Cross for allowing me to work in so many different aspects! I’m so excited to see what the rest of the summer holds!

– Adam Monnette, American Red Cross

I started my internship the week of May 22^nd and was instantly greeted with enthusiasm by all the people working at LSA (Lutheran Services in America). The first week I was doing everything remotely since I did not have keys or card access to the building yet, so I was doing most of my introductions and beginning work over zoom. Susan set me up with introductory meetings with every member of LSA and then encouraged me to get involved with projects based on my own personal interests. Instantly, I was given a ton of opportunities to engage with the various kinds of work LSA does.

The first thing I got to do was sit in on an interview between LSA and one of its members focused on providing a home care facility with a series of amenities on the ground floor and living units on the floors above it. LSA has over 200 members, mostly Lutheran, non-profit organizations across the states, and is currently interviewing those who are a part of the Health and Housing network to see what kind of projects are in the pipeline. Moreover, they want to hear about what issues and struggles members are facing to see if they can provide more support. LSA gauges what kind of resources and webinars it provides based on the needs of its members. I took notes on the meeting with the non-profit, and as we meet with more in the following weeks, I am compiling key themes and struggles across these organizations and developing a PowerPoint presentation summarizing them. I am also recreating the RAAN (Rural Aging Action Network) Newsletter and helping get that out to the members to keep them informed.

Another project I just completed was helping Susan with a Vaccine Initiative PowerPoint presentation she was giving to the CEO and VP. The purpose was to update them on the status of how LSA has assisted their members in getting the vaccine to communities who face a lot of barriers, whether they be financial, sociological, logistical., in getting to vaccine clinics. I worked with Chris, the head of Communications and developed a 6-month plan of how to get other members to apply for grants as well as keeping them connected to resources and toolkits LSA provides regarding vaccines. Throughout the following months, LSA will provide member profiles on their website and newsletters detailing the success of members who have received grants, hopefully encouraging other members to apply.

LSA assists in connecting their members to the resources, education, or grants they may need to get a project off the floor. When I went into the office last Thursday, I had another introduction to someone on the team who works on keeping members updated on what is going on in terms of public policy. One important thing when trying to provide resources and assist members is knowing what barriers they are facing, which involves knowing the policies in place, as well as tracking the status of legislation. Most of the policies they focus on involve the limitations of Medicare/Medicaid since that one is particularly relevant to their health and housing network, disability network, and CYF (Children, Youth, and Families).

One of the coolest and most unique parts of this internship has been getting to work on capitol hill, as well as utilizing public transportation to get into the office. Not only is it a more economically and environmentally friendly way to travel, but you get to see and interact with people who do this every day. Getting off at union station was a surreal experience, especially feeling like I am not exactly supposed to be there with the other businessmen and women who work at the Senators office or Capitol Building, but it’s an extremely cool experience.

– Kylie Bowlds, Lutheran Services in America

Over the summer, I’ve attended various online meetings with Community Renewal Society (CRS) staff as well as staff and volunteers from other organizations with a social justice focus. Although each of these meetings was important, there is one meeting in particular that stands out to me. This was a meeting that was hosted by CRS staff in light of recent acts of gun violence in Chicago. During this meeting, a coworker shared with all the meeting participants his gratitude for his breath and ability to be present at the meeting and in a space that welcomes conversation and change. I find that from this meeting and my internship overall, I also have a newly developed gratitude, not only for the blessing of breath but also for the opportunities CRS has provided me. I’ve recognized that while advocacy may be demanding at times, it is a privilege to be able to help others because not everyone who wishes to can. 

When thinking about the growth I’ve made since starting my internship, I believe that I am more confident in my thoughts and actions. From brainstorming sessions with my site supervisor and coworkers to writing posts and newsletter content to be published, I am starting to learn the value of my own voice. Yet, given the encouraging environment at CRS, I know that I can be firmer in my beliefs and values and how I uphold them. CRS challenges people to be better listeners, speakers, advocates, and activists, including myself. This being said, I know I have a lot more growth to do. CRS has taught me to fight for what is just and that even in times of despair, I can turn to others around me and my faith to find peace and hope; to heal, gather myself, and continue pushing for a better world. On this note, my fellowship has also posed the question to me “What does a better world look like?” For now, all I can say is that I am still searching for this answer! 

I cannot believe that my internship has come to a close and that my CAPS fellowship will additionally be completed by the end of this month. Time flew by! I can sincerely say that even though my official internship is over at CRS, this experience will stay with me forever. The people I have met, the skills I have gained, and the knowledge and lessons I have learned have impacted how I see myself, communities, and the world. I have been offered a position to remain on CRS’ Development and Communications Team this school year, which I have accepted, and I am excited about what I will further learn and the new possibilities for growth I will encounter. Too, I am eager to work on some tasks and projects that I started this summer but was not able to fully finish. I am starting again at CRS in the first week of the 2022 fall semester. Community Renewal Society, here I come (again)!

– Tyla Gross, Community Renewal Society

This has certainly been an amazing experience! I knew that the CAPS program was special, but I could never have foreseen just how much of an impact my time at The Bridge Teen Center would have on me. Now that I’m just one short week away from the end of my internship, I feel that this is an excellent time to reflect on what I’ve learned about myself as a person during the past three months.

Before I joined the CAPS program, I had never taken much time to think about what the words “calling” and “purpose” mean as they apply to my life and career. Having reflected on the work I’ve done at The Bridge, I have come to define “calling” as the external force that draws you toward a particular line of work and “purpose” as your internal driving force, i.e., the reason why you are drawn to a particular calling. I enjoy telling stories through my photographs and my writing, which led me to conclude that I might be called to be a storyteller in some capacity. However, I only had half of the full picture – I still didn’t know what my purpose, my “why,” might be. It was at our final group Reflect-In last week that I realized my purpose is rooted in a desire to help people understand the perspectives of others. I hope to use my storytelling to bring people into spheres outside of their own and, in doing so, help make them more understanding of those who are different from them. Looking back, I can see how my calling and purpose have been present in the work I do at The Bridge as a media intern. Having been a teenager myself, I know for a fact that communication between teens and their parents can have more than a few gaps. It is my hope that the photos I helped post on social media demonstrate to the parents just how much their kids’ creativity, education, and social lives benefit from the programs and activities at The Bridge. One of The Bridge’s strongest assets is its community and I believe it is of the utmost importance that the community – which includes donors along with parents  – sees that they are supporting an organization that is effecting significant change in the lives of these teens. I count it an honor and a privilege to have helped tell the story of such an amazing place as The Bridge

I have enjoyed my time in the CAPS Fellowship program very much. Not only has it afforded me the opportunity to meet some amazing people, but it has also given me new insights into myself as an individual. I am not sure how my sense of calling and purpose will change as I continue to learn and grow: it might undergo slight alterations, or it might turn into something completely different. I am not at all certain of what the future holds, but, thanks to my time as a CAPS fellow, I can now move into the unknown armed with confidence, hope, and a better sense of self.

– Philip Bolton, The Bridge Teen Center

Like many other students during the 2022 spring semester, I began wondering what my summer would look like. I started applying for internships and jobs, and I was offered a job I was more than content with. I was then advised by someone I value very much that I wasn’t living up to my full potential. Honestly, I was not happy about that; I had my summer planned and I was now being told that I needed a whole new plan. Nevertheless, after a lot of reflection both internally and externally I decided to put myself in an uncomfortable situation. I turned down the position and started applying for new opportunities. When I began my search I honestly had no idea which ones I would be accepted for or if I would receive any of them, but that’s not the confession… Truthfully I had not given much hope to the possibility of receiving something else and I was fine with that. Then in late February, I was offered two different opportunities in the span of a week. While I was thrilled I was also very confused. I knew these were two great opportunities that I would learn a lot from, but I had no idea how to choose the one that was right for me.

The two offers were very different roles and they provided me with different skills and experiences. I spent weeks meeting with different people I both trust and respect looking for advice. I spoke with friends, family, and both past and present professors/mentors, some of these individuals I have known for little under a year while others have known me my entire life. After talking to any and everyone that I could think of I was left probably more confused than when I started. Before I knew it April was ending and I had less than a month to make my final decision. I called my dad one last time and finally, I had my answer. I was not the most confident in my choice, but I knew that if I was going to accomplish anything I had to be confident in myself.

Now it is August and my CAPS Fellowship is coming to an end. However, my confession… CAPS is not the only thing that I am ending. As of August 12, not only will I have ended my CAPS Fellowship working for the Kheprw Institute in the democratizing data department, but I will also have ended my Robert F. Smith Internship working for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Pittsburgh Heinz History Center in the digitization department.

I will be the first to say this summer has not been easy, but it has been tremendously impactful. I have been able to work on countless different skills, learn from a wide range of respected leaders, engage in different projects that would benefit my career, and I did a little extra travel. As a black woman striving to start her own nonprofit to promote the development of minority youth, I feel there is great importance in knowing my history and understanding my culture. My experience working as a Robert F. Smith Intern has also allowed me to connect with so many different people of color from all over the world that also believes in our history and the possibilities that arise from knowing and understanding it. While the nonprofit is the ultimate career goal I am also striving to receive my degree in computer science with a concentration in business. Working at the Kheprw Institute has shown me a whole different connection between all of my passions ( entrepreneurship, youth, and computer science) and both of my career goals ( owning a nonprofit and being a computer scientist). This summer has been the first step to a brand new level and I can not wait to see where it takes me.

– Essence Roberson, Kheprw

As the summer comes to a close, it is now time to wrap up projects that I have been working on as an intern in the advancement department at Concordia Place. Since my last blog post, I have done a lot of short term projects and a couple of long term projects. One of the highlights from a short term project that I worked on was creating flyers for a gala that Concordia Place is having in November. While I was creating the flyers, I surprised myself because I didn’t think that making flyers would be something that I would enjoy. I actually put flyer making as the last thing for me to do on my to-do list, ironically. I had no idea that I would like it so much! I loved being creative and being able to create different looks to advertise the gala. 

Additionally, in relation to the gala, another task that I was assigned was to research different jazz groups and auctioneers in Chicago to perform at the gala. I also found this to be a fun task because I was able to look at a bunch of different bands and read reviews to see if they would be a good fit for the gala. 

As far as the long term projects, which I am still working on wrapping up, they have been very time consuming. As with any nonprofit organization, funding for programs and projects is a must. There are a lot of different foundations that offer grants and in-kind donations to nonprofits, and there are some foundations more suited to nonprofit organizations than others. One of my long term projects was to do an evaluation on all of the foundations and organizations that Concordia Place is requesting funding from. To do this, I researched all of the foundations and filled out prospect worksheets for each. In the prospect worksheets, there was information such as the foundation’s mission statement, who they give to, how much they give, their priority areas (such as education, human services, arts and culture, etc.), and how to apply for the grant.

As a part of the evaluation process, my job was to produce a list of foundations, based off of my research and the prospect worksheets, that I believed Concordia Place should continue applying to for grants, stop applying to, and foundations that the team should discuss whether or not to continue or discontinue applying for grants. With this long term project, I received the chance to head up a meeting about my findings and that was a great experience for me. 

Coordinating with the foundations evaluation project, I was able to create a grants status calendar for the 2023 fiscal year in Excel. That was a fun experience because I was able to use the excel skills that I learned from a class that I took this past semester in school and apply them to a real life situation. 

I have done a lot of short term projects in my internship throughout the summer and I appreciate the chance because what I was able to learn and experience was more than just fundraising for a nonprofit. I also appreciate the couple of long term projects that I have worked on because they taught me patience and consistency. A lot of times in life, I want things to be done quickly so that I can just get it over with and move on to the next thing. With the long term projects, I wasn’t able to do that because that wasn’t what they were designed for. I had to work to accomplish the task and not throw something feasible together just to say that it’s done. Patience and consistency; that is what I will take away from my time as an intern with Concordia Place.

– Justine Dorsey, Concordia Place

Being on such a student-driven team at The Bridge has encouraged me to be more intentional about my connections with students and take every opportunity to make a program more excellent and learn about the purpose of specific programs. Recently, I was able to volunteer to help with our Welding program where the students made steel farm animals while practicing their welding skills. As I was talking to the professional welders who came to volunteer for this program, we conversed about how important student exposure to skilled trades was and how teenage students do not get many opportunities to learn more about trades like welding, let alone get hands-on experience with it. This informed my connection with students during that program because I knew to encourage them that it was not about making the finished product perfect but that mistakes are needed to get better and that they can sign up for more programs like this in the future. Some students were hesitant to try a new thing like welding but as they listened to the volunteers’ instructions and creative analogies, they put their helmets on and got to feel what it was like to be a welder.

Recently, I assisted in a program where the students were making Bug Bite Balm. The lead volunteer incorporated a camping aspect into the themed program by asking questions about who went camping and where as well as sharing her recent experiences camping at various national parks. As the program continued, we realized that we were going to have a lot more time than expected left after the balm was made. I quickly recalled my own camp experience working at a summer camp last summer as well as my ministry experience in InterVarsity and started to teach the students at my table a hand coordination camp game that drew everyone’s attention. At first, they were hesitant and confused about learning this new game, but it quickly drew everyone’s attention and sparked a lot of laughter in the room. Soon enough, the lead volunteer asked me if I could teach the game to everyone and I joyfully drew everyone into a circle and caught their attention with this engaging game and a couple others for the rest of the time we had left. Afterwards, I was speaking with the lead volunteer and she was thankful for my help and ingenuity. I was able to tell her about how my camp experience, ministry experience, and teaching experience had trained me to be prepared for something like this. I was elated to be able to share a different side of myself with the students and volunteers while incorporating a camp theme into this program. After this, I essentially got recruited by the Bridge staff to be the “camp games intern” for the rest of the summer to fill in any gaps of time during programs.

In addition to this, there is a student at The Bridge who struggles with behavior and I made it a point to connect with him well. I wanted to make an impact, which started with simply playing a game of Uno with him and some of his friends during a more relaxed program intended for students to hang out and make social connections. I was able to get to know the students at the table more as the hangout program continued and I asked them all what their favorite part about The Bridge is. Hearing about their perspective and experience helped me see how much this facility and organization means to the students. They use The Bridge for a creative outlet, a place to learn new things, and a place to belong. Towards the end of the program, the student I had made a point to connect with asked me if I was coming to the Friday night program and was so excited to hear that I would be there. That made a difference because just by being open minded to who this student was and what they had to offer, I was able to truly connect with them and add one person to their list of positive influences.

Along with this, another highlight of my time at The Bridge includes my interaction with students at a Friday night program. During our Socks and Sandals themed Friday night, I was asked to help lead outside in The Patio area and teach students how to play a rubber duck game that led to some interactive student connection. Since the game was fairly simple, I made up some challenges for the students, kept a high score, and had students go against each other. During this time, I was able to keep an avid conversation with the students and I met a new student in particular who was at The Bridge for the first time. He was so excited to be at The Bridge, and I asked him if he was doing karaoke that night as one of the activities we had. He seemed hesitant and told me that he was considering it. I asked him what he would sing if he did try it and he was not quite sure but was thinking about it. I noticed he had a Star Wars shirt on and just by asking, came to know that he was a dedicated Star Wars researcher in his own time and got on his own well-deserved platform about it while playing this simple rubber duck game. I found out later during our debrief staff meeting that he not only signed up for karaoke but always came around to see when it was his turn to make sure he did not miss it and finished out the night with the last song, his version of “I’m Still Standing.” The Bridge staff that night was able to experience the joy of making a difference in students and how they perceive themselves and their own abilities and I was able to be a joint part of it that only works if everyone is dedicated to the students. Thankfully, this is the climate at The Bridge every day and everyone who works and volunteers models a heart of service and care for each and every student that walks through the doors.

– Isabelle Kalil, The Bridge Teen Center

Since my last blog post, my time here at the Bridge has remained busy, and it is hard to believe that I only have two more weeks of work left. In the past weeks, I have been able to start planning the fall volunteer appreciation event, attend a behind-the-scenes field trip to a local church, and assist in training volunteers. I have also continued to help with volunteer events and student programs, and I even had the chance to lead a few of my own, something that previously would have scared me.

While most volunteer groups will only come for two or three hours, there was a group a few weeks ago that dedicated six hours of their day for three days in a row to serving at the Bridge. This was a group of fifteen hardworking high school students and five dedicated chaperones. On one of the days, we took a half hour out of the day to do a worship session outside. During this time, we talked about why we are here and what work we are called to do. The founder of the Bridge mentioned a bible verse that became our motto for the week: “and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb. 12:1). Throughout the rest of the week, we talked about how not all of us are necessarily called to ministry or non-profit work, but we still all have races to run that are still important, and that we can run our races as we are; we do not need to change who we are or wait for a specific time in our lives. That week, their race was to sort clothes to serve the community, and by the end of it, the group had sorted over 700 bags of donations, which is enough to fund programs for thirty-nine students for a year. This made me think about what my race is. Some people know exactly what they are called to do and what their purpose is, but I have always been someone interested in so many things I could never choose what exactly I want to do with my future. Recently, however, I have begun to accept that this is okay, and that for now, my race is to continue to learn about myself as I finish my internship a nd my final year of school. And while running through life blind can be scary, I have learned that eventually I will reach the finish line.

While I do not know where exactly life will be taking me, I still have some important takeaways from my time at the Bridge. I have determined that one of the most rewarding aspects of my internship has been able to connect people with the opportunity to serve their community. Service has always been an important aspect of my life, so it has been very impactful to help people make it a part of theirs. Additionally, my time here has made me think about the role of service in my future. Many of the volunteers I have interacted with take time out of their busy lives every week to serve at the Bridge, and it has made me realize that helping your community does not need to be a full-time job or a week-long event; it is something almost everyone can do. So despite still not knowing what exactly my calling and purpose in society is, I still plan to keep on running my race and see where life takes me.

– Sophia Panfil, The Bridge Teen Center

I find it difficult to believe that my time here at the Grünewald Guild is coming to a close. Over the past two months I have met such incredible people! There is a magic to this sacred ground. The people, hands-down, have been the greatest part of my summer. The staff and rotating volunteers are such a joy to work with. We approach our weekly duties with humanistic focus. The directors do not micromanage or nitpick, rather everything is a conversation, a dialogue, and we are truly a team. In one of our last weeks a participant noted that the tone of the community was set by the way the staff interacts with one another. This brings up another facet of my Guild experience that is so rewarding. I get to take part in and see the way the community dynamic emerges each week. I’ve gotten to meet people from all over the country, to form a community that is intergenerational, vulnerable, and expressive. Most of all, it has been exciting to meet the masters of their various crafts and see how they go about teaching veterans to the Guild as well as first time participants like myself.

Arguably, the most important, and obvious, lesson I have learned from this summer is that ALL work has dignity. While I have always been an advocate for this sentiment, it was not until I found myself feeling as though I was not doing enough nor doing anything of substance that I was shaken in my understanding of work/labor. My major duties here at the Guild include hospitality and facility upkeep. I prepare lodgings for participants, tend to bathrooms, take shifts on the dish team, and do yardwork around the grounds to ensure that all who visit are able to feel secure and experience the magic that I have found in the Guild. Thanks to the trio of directors, I began to take pride in the work I was doing. I was helping to build security in both shelter and food so that people felt comfortable and secure enough to enter into a creative process. I seemed to stumble through the summer feeling that I wasn’t doing enough or that I should be doing more, but was always met by innumerable praises from the staff and participants.

The more Guild–centric lesson that I have learned is the value of the neutral zone. In our lives, both as individuals and organizations, we are traveling in an endless cycle of beginnings and endings. Here, that change is understood by a new hierarchical era. The Guild is slowly exiting the recovery stages of losing both their founders and experiencing a global pandemic. The three directors are brand new, and are working with those who have been around for decades to try and understand the next beginning, the next phase of life here at the Grünewald Guild. All summer we have been observing and encouraging rest in this neutral zone, the time between an ending and a beginning. It took me nearly my entire time here to realize that I, myself, am floating in a neutral zone. And truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with that. It is necessary to mourn the loss of an ending, and open your arms to the opportunity of a beginning. That is the ultimate lesson I am bringing away from my summer experience here. While my calling and purpose are still fuzzy, I can at least acknowledge where I am in the cycle.

I am beyond grateful for the experience I have had over these two months. I want to thank everyone for the contributions they’ve made to my summer. The most powerful goodbye was when my final week of participants, programming week five, held a moment of prayer and blessing over Natalie and I as we begin our journeys back to the Midwest and into our senior year. It was so moving and that is a feeling, a memory, that I will carry with me for a lifetime.

– Katie Endres, Grünewald Guild

Since the last time we spoke, a lot has happened. Another first Friday has come and gone. This time, the interns decided to establish a dress code: fancy. This might have been one of my best-dressed nights of the whole summer. Sporting a striped brown tie, my evening pearls, a black mini dress, and the most important item, sunglasses. Fancy indeed! For this first Friday, I was a map hander outer, the first face that people see for the night. I also was a gallery attendant for the underground and hank and dollys. 

This internship is bringing out skills that I didn’t know I had. One example is that I was tasked with sewing tote bags. Why would possibly be asked to do that you may be thinking? The answer is that we have tons of extra vinyl from the billboard that hangs proudly on 16th street and that Joana Taft asked for it to be done. Simple as that. There are lots of difficulties that come with using vinyl as fabric, and not knowing how to sew anything more advanced than a pillowcase. This was a skill that I had always desired to expand upon but didn’t think I would be doing so this summer. I put my problem-solving skills to the test with this project. Every time I would get my tote-making supplies out, there would be some sort of snag Pins would break because of the thickness of the vinyl, an ever-changing pattern, and a bobbin that just wouldn’t stay bobbed. Every time I had one of these problems I felt like screaming but instead had to sit and logically work through things. Eventually, I got the hang of things and was slowly but surely becoming a one-woman factory. The Pecks, some dear friends, and contributors of the Harrison Center came to visit for one of our intern lunches. Their son is the namesake of one of our galleries, Speck Gallery. Anyways, I was able to gift these two some totes and it was a really special moment for me. 

I’ve started to get sad about the end of the summer. There are lots of things that I have yet to do and goodbyes I don’t particularly want to say. Still, there is more to look forward to in these last weeks. One of my favorite musicians, Clairo, is coming to Indianapolis on the 31st. I managed to snag tickets with one of my favorite friends and some of my fellow wonderful interns. Even though this will be my second time this year seeing her live, I may be even more excited than last time. Two days later, I’m seeing Charli XCX on her birthday. I think being in the city has soothed my musical soul. Back at Valpo, there aren’t many close opportunities to see live music. You either drive to Indianapolis or Chicago, which sometimes isn’t reasonable for a college student. Here, I’ve been able to skate downtown in 15 minutes and go to a little jazz club. I have also been able to work on some music and perform of my own here. Being able to sit down and work on a song and present it to my peers has been a treat. Mg, our extremely talented music intern and I get to do some performances next week. We have been working on harmonies for the show. 

My goal for the end of the summer is to wrap up all the things that I have been working on cleanly. To do research is nothing if it can’t be accessible to others to learn from. It will be really special to see what all the other interns are finishing up as well, although bittersweet I’m sure.

Just as quickly as the first day of Lutheran Summer Music arrived, so did the last day. The morning started off exceptionally rainy, initially making it a gloomy move-out day for LSM students and their families. I spent most of the morning preparing for medication check-out and packing up some of my own belongings as well. Knowing that this would be the last day of LSM, I felt a multitude of emotions: excitement to go home and spend time with my family, fatigue, and general worry about how the day would go. I thought that saying goodbye to students and their families would be a quick process, but I was happily mistaken.

As I met with each student and their families, some of them expressed appreciation that I had not anticipated. One parent expressed gratitude for the time that I spent caring for their student. Another parent wrote me a letter thanking me for my care. Along with the smiles and the many thank-yous that I received from parents, I also received kind feedback from the students that I assisted throughout the past month at LSM. On the way out of the conference room that medication check-out was stationed in, a student paused and said that they looked forward to seeing me next year. Another student asked me if I would be the Health Counselor again next year and said that I was very kind. All of these statements resonated with me.

Although I entered this position with the intent of providing the highest level of care that I could for these students, I did not expect recognition for this. I intended for the month that I spent with LSM to be dedicated to the support of student health and well-being. It is in the job description, yes – but beyond that, it was my way of displaying what I think healthcare is: compassion, care, and taking the time to ask if someone is okay, or, my favorite question, “is there anything that I can do to help you right now?” Despite this, I felt disconnected from the result of my efforts until I received feedback confirming that I helped to provide a healthy, safe environment for the LSM community. I realized that I was doing the work that I had wanted to do, but had been too busy worrying endlessly that I did not have the capability to do it.

Throughout the duration of my internship with CAPS, I also worried about finding my calling. In fact, I recall feeling behind because I could not identify what my calling was. I even felt that it was possible I couldn’t find it. However, I eventually understood that I would not be able to understand my calling and purpose if I was worrying so much about what it should be. In all honesty, I still cannot explain what my calling or purpose is, but I can confidently tell you that it involves the profession of Nursing, or the caring profession. My calling involves assisting others so that they can feel like their best selves, even if they are experiencing a difficult or shocking health situation. Although I was lost and unsure at most times, my calling placed me exactly where I needed to be.

If it is possible for you today, I want to encourage you to allow yourself the time to reflect on the hard work that you are doing – and allow yourself to celebrate it. And if you are feeling lost or disconnected from your calling, I will also include a verse that continues to help me through my own uncertainty: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

– Isabella Dietrich, Lutheran Summer Music

Since my last blog post the workload at Kheprw for me has increased. Since we last talked I’ve been assigned to a couple of projects, one of those tasks is reaching out to partnered organizations to assist with business and guest speaking for the Alkemy space, which is an entrepreneur incubator space that builds community wealth in under-resourced communities of color by supporting entrepreneurs. One of the many reasons for this space to exist is, because of the racial wealth gap that exists between people of color and caucasians, for example in 2015 in Indianapolis: 10% of white people lived in poverty, compared to 26.3% of people of color; Unemployment was 5.3% for white people and 10% for people of color; the median hourly wage for white people was $22/hour and $16/hour for people of color. A way in which Alkhemy is planning to address this is by investing in under-resourced entrepreneurs. They are raising $1 million to launch the entrepreneurship hub at 38th and Illinois which will support 40 entrepreneurs over two years, providing 12 months of training, mentorship, technical assistance and financial resources. Through opening this space and existing, it’s going to allow individuals to stop working for those larger conglomerate companies and afford them the opportunity to accumulate wealth both fiscally and through community. 

Another task they have tasked me with is coming up with a plan to reach out to cooperative communities which is “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise”. Cooperatives are democratically owned by their members, with each member having one vote in electing the board of directors. I’m tasked with reaching out across the greater Indianapolis area and as well as across the country, and having them teach us how there’s specifically works and coming up with a blueprint along with other members of Kheprw to see how we could possibly develop our own.     

To say that my workload has increased I feel would be the understatement of the century, but I’m enjoying being able to put on a new hat every day,  as someone who aspires to one day own his own business and open a school to address the pressing concerns plaguing the educational system it’s a great learning experience to have all these different task, because I’m not thinking the same in each different role and they’re challenging me to think critically as well as creatively with each different project assignment.

As my experience with Kheprw is winding down and coming to a close I‘ve been able to do a lot of reflecting. In particular how coming down to the porch has had such a positive effect on me. This setting or “coming on down to the porch ” as we like to call it in our communication cohort as I mentioned in my last blog post is my favorite part of my internship, because you learn so many new things about people everyday. You also learn how individuals think as well, for instance the other day we were talking about Fear of Black Consciousness which is a book we’ve recently been reading and in the book we talked about chapter 11 titled the Blues and one of my colleagues said the chapter made him think less about how black music is consumed and more about how it’s produced. How do we perceive the world in relation to ourselves? They went on to say that “The consumption has twisted how the art is produced. People consume it for the aesthetic and not the meaning.” I just found that interesting to see how the chapter made him think and also really reevaluate how we as balck people perceive ourselves.

– Isaiah Roach, Kheprw

Lately, I’ve been thinking about an article I read by Steve de Gruchy, an author specializing in theology, ethics, and philosophy. The title is “Dealing with Our Own Sewage: Spirituality and Ethics in the Sustainability Agenda.” The primary purpose of the article is to emphasize the severity of the freshwater crisis, and how everyone must do their part to live more sustainably. One phrase from de Gruchy’s article keeps echoing in my mind: We all live downstream. So, how does this relate to my CAPS fellowship?

When recognizing that we all live downstream, one will realize that our decisions have resounding effects everywhere. Our choices do not affect just us– there are people “downstream” who will experience the ramifications of our actions. In his article, de Gruchy specifically uses this metaphor to describe water pollution. Earthly resources are finite; if we pollute the water here, it will eventually make its way to someone else, who now does not have clean water. The reality is that the ones most affected by water pollution are the disenfranchised and marginalized. It is easy to turn a blind eye when you, yourself, do not experience the consequences. Currently, in my life, I am seeing this metaphor everywhere I look.

The state of our planet, both environmentally and socially, has been stirring a rather hopeless feeling in me. Being a white woman in a developed country, I am relatively “upstream.” Not every day do I have to face all of the crises in the world– and there are many. So that we are on the same page, here are a few: the mass shooting epidemic, the climate crisis, animal genocide in agriculture, world hunger, war, the freshwater shortage, inflation, infectious disease, and the refugee crisis. That is a lot for a 21-year-old girl to face; however, that is the problem– most of us do not face it. We turn a blind eye, brush it off, and move on. We post a “I stand with Ukraine” tweet and then go take a nap.

Now, what I am not saying is that we all need to rise up and fix these issues all at once. That is impossible. What I am saying is that we cannot succumb to cognitive dissonance anymore. We all live downstream– so all of these issues? They’ll make their way to us. David Korten, an author and former Harvard professor, puts it like this: “we live on a spaceship, not an ocean liner. A spaceship has no lifeboat. Its occupants either prosper or perish together.” These statements may induce panic, but de Gruchy’s article does not end with a doomsday perspective. He doesn’t turn a brush off the issues either, though (that would be very ironic). He says this: “ [we have] the responsibility to tend one’s garden, respect both the neighbor and the stranger, and deal with one’s own sh*t.”

Again– what does this have to do with my CAPS fellowship? The American Red Cross is known for their humanitarian efforts. It is easy to feel like you’re not doing enough when you’re watching the work of such a large organization. What I learned from the de Gruchy article is this: it takes the efforts of many, not just one. The American Red Cross does amazing things, and I am just one piece of the puzzle. Even still, I am an important piece. To be complete, a puzzle needs all of the pieces. This is true in my fellowship, but also of the world. It is easy for me to beat myself up that I’m not doing enough. One person can’t do everything though– as de Gruchy said, we just need to deal with our own sh*t.

I’m having a great time with my internship, by the way.

– Victoria Cammarano, American Red Cross