Week 15: Reflection

Future for Kids has taught me so much, not only about non-profits, but also about working with others. I have learned how non-profits get funding, such as where they start, where they look, who they ask and how they ask for money. Ffk showed me what grant writing is about and the process. There is a very professional side that has to be illustrated but also a very emotional side. I learned how to write appropriate thank-yous, how to organize board meetings, and many other jobs around the office. Some of the most important things I learned came from interacting with others. I learned how important it is to communicate with co-workers and how important a monthly or even a weekly meeting can be. Being around the kids was by far the greatest reward for me. It was great to be able to teach them things they may not hear about or learn about in a regular classroom setting and to let them know how important things like respect, friendship, compassion and community service are. It was also quite interesting to be in the background and see how they communicate with their peers and siblings. Seeing this makes it easier on how to effectively communicate with them on their level. Working for a non-profit can be so humbling. It makes you realize that helping your community is so important and it makes you grateful for the life you have. The experience was so positive for me that I want to continue working with FfK as a volunteer. The kids made me a huge card on my last day and it was heart-stopping for me. I realized that kids are always paying attention to us whether we realize it or not and it is so important to be a positive influence for them because we follow what we know. I wouldn't change a thing about my experience, good and bad it has been truly rewarding and I look forward to doing similar work in the future.

Week 13

This week was rather difficult for me because it is honestly hard to critique an organization that has nothing but selfless intentions. When it comes down to it there are just a few things that I would ideally like to change but most of them are things that are reliant on money which so many non-profits themselves would change but unfortunately it all comes down to funding. One thing that I have experienced personal difficulty with is the out-dated technology that Ffk has. The computers are old and so are the programs. It's very hard to get work done at a fast pace because the system is very slow. We as a ever-changing technological community know how important it is to upgrade and keep up with the new systems and programs. So obviously this is something that needs to be changed in the organization and the staff there knows that as well it's just all about getting the funding to do so. Another thing that I have witnessed is on the mentorship side of the organization. The children we deal with are at-risk youth so the kids have a lot of struggles that we don't get to see. That being said, in the classes we teach a lot of the times the kids can be overly rambunctious and not want to pay attention. It seems as though the things we try to convey to them are of no value to them because a lot of times they are things they have never witnessed. I think the mentorship program might be able to improve by bringing on more staff. I think if there was maybe a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio with the mentors and the kids we could be able to relate to them more and really converse with them to see what's on their minds. it is obvious that what these kids reallt need is guidance, positive role models, and most of all attention. If they know that there is someone out there that has struggled like them and succeeded they may have the drive. And if there is someone pushing them and believing in them it can make a world of difference. So I think being able to have closer interactions with the kids would help change that. Other than that I think FfK has great goals, great fundraising abilities and great objectives.

Week: 12 Interview

My interview with my mentor Rachel went very well. I could tell her enthusiasm and passion for her job from asking her the sample questions given to us this week. When I asked Rachel what her challenges were she replied that her main challenge is prioritizing what has to be done. Future for Kids (FfK)has such a small staff that each person has to be working on multiple projects and tasks. She also told me that it can be difficult working with so many different personalities. You have to learn how everyone works and how to deal with people differently. Rachel also told me that she deals with stresses in the workplace by planning ahead. If you learn to stay prepared and appropriately delegate responsibilities you have less to worry about.
Rachel most enjoys the fact that her position benefits such a great cause. It is exciting for her to find good volunteers and interns that are willing to help out of the goodness of their hearts. She likes the fact that FfK benefits the needy and the services are free. She also appreciates that FfK is a small organization so there is freedom to be creative. One thing that Rachel dislikes about working for a non-profit is that you are always strapped for money. You always have to try to constantly get funding for things which can be difficult at times.
When I questioned Rachel about how she separates the personal from the professional and she had an interesting response. She said that in her case working at such a small, intimate, organization that it is beneficial to develop personal relationships with the clientele and staff. It brings them closer, makes it easier to work together and helps things run smoother. Rachel's past experience in event planning has helped her to deal with different personalities and become flexible to the different needs of those she works with. Her ideal work environment is one which is relaxed, positive and inspiring. Ultimately a place that doesn't feel like work because you truly enjoy being there and doing what you do.
In closing I asked Rachel, personally, what is her biggest reward from working for a non-profit. She said she gets great enjoyment out of networking and meeting great people. She especially enjoys meeting volunteers because they are so eager to help the lives of others. She truly values the relationships and friendships that she has the opportunity to make. Rachel said that she knew she wanted to work in a non-profit since college and she looks forward to possibly helping out other charities as well in the future.

Week: 11

For this week's assignment I chose to follow my mentor Rachel. Rachel is the event planner at Future for Kids (FfK) amongst many other contributions she makes. The events at FfK vary monthly depending on the time of year and the type of fundraiser that is being put into place. Right now Rachel is focusing most all of her time on the Summer sports camp. Part of this event is a one-day camp held at the beginning of summer where hundreds of kids can participate in multiple sporting events and training stations with the accompaniment of free amenities and free food. The other part if the program is a six-week class that will be held twice a week for about an hour teaching the kids about fitness and healthy eating. Here are some of the things that Rachel has to contrive:
*creating flyers and announcements to spread the word about the camp
*creating flyers and announcments to help recruit volunteers
*Contacting new and old volunteers to create a staff for the events
*creating a sign-up sheet for the kids that will attend, including logisitcs such as dates, times, parental permission etc.
* Finding groups to partner with to help raise funds for the camp
*Creating an activity book for the 6-week program that the children will follow to monitor their eating happens and amount of exercise they do weekly
* Developing a cirriculm in which the weekly classes will follow
* Organizing where volunteers will fit best and what their duties will be
* Finding a sponsor to donate food for the one-day sports camp
* partnering with other non-profits ti recruit kids for the camp
* finding a location to have the camp

These are just some of Rachel's duties for the summer sports camp event. As you can see she has a lot to do before the camp begins on June 6th. Along with organizing this event some of Rachel's other duties throughout the year include constantly recruitung new volunteers and keeping past volunteers involved. She is frequently updating the ad that FfK has on the "volunteer match" website. If anyone calls or emails interested in volunteering Rachel gets back to them as immediately as possible. It is important to do this because people often get busty with other things and may lose their urge to volunteer. Once she has a prospect she organizes them into a spreadsheet cataloging all their information and volunteer interests. When Rachel meets with a volunteer she interviews them, finds their interests, does background checks, checks references, and places them. Once they are ready to help she put them through an orientation and introduces them to exactly what they'll be doing. Rachel also does a very similar process with all the interns that join FfK.
So, as you can see this is a very busy time of year for Rachel. Her responsibilites include a long list of things and priorities that have a considerable amount of detail. Shadowing her has taught me alot about non-profit and how there are so many details that you might regularly over-look but can be extremely important for non-profit organizations. This was a very enjoyable experience for me and I have even more respect for the industry than I did before.

Week: 9

I'm terrible with computers so I don't know how to create a link to my resume so I just posted it here. Any comments and suggestions are welcome. I hope to enhance this throughout the rest of the semsester.



GINA GARCIA
3600 N. Hayden Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (602) 405-8584
Email: gina.garcia@asu.edu


PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE

To educate, enhance and sculpt the minds of young children
through basic teachings such as mathematics, English, grammar,
science and other related fields.


SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Wonderful with children. Extremely people-oriented. Worked as a restaurant server for over five years dealing with customer issues and ensuring guest satisfaction. Have a very fun agreeable personality and a strong passion for helping others, especially children. Can speak fairly fluent Spanish.

WORK EXPERIENCE

2001- 2002 Tucson, Arizona
PBX Operator and Building and Safety Dispatcher at
La Paloma Resort and Spa. Duties included answering and directing all incoming phone calls and answering guest inquiries. Dispatching included notifying all management and security of any on-site emergencies.

2002- 2005 Phoenix, Arizona
Cocktail Waitress at Cork N Cleaver Restaurant
Established a very large clientele. Specialized in guest satisfaction and contentment. Excelled in making upset guests pleased and willing to return.

2005- Present Scottsdale, Arizona
Fine dining server at Mastro’s City Hall Steakhouse
Excelled at using POS systems. Acquired a wide knowledge of speaking to large groups/ banquets.



10+ years- Present
Babysitting children from ages two weeks- ten years of
Age. Included doing numerous toddler activities such as teaching to walk, read, write and speak.


EDUCATION

Diploma from Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson, Az.
Arizona State University 2004- Present
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies

SPECIAL INTERSETS

Volunteering anytime an opportunity presents itself
Working with children in language and speech
Bettering the lives of others

References Available Upon Request

February 22, 2009

As I mentioned before my disciplines are religion and sociology. I have learned some very important concepts and theories that I am already experiencing and using through my internship at Future For Kids (FFK). One that immediately comes to mind is "self-fulfilling prophecy". This is the theory that an individuals behavior is influenced by what others expect of them. Since I mentor at risk children at future for kids I see a lot of negative attitudes the children have about themselves and their future because of the negative influences that their parents, teachers or society bestow on them. They are sometimes expected to fail so they do. That's what we're trying to change!

Hirshi's Social control Theory- this theory states that delinquency can be caused by the lack of social bonds one has. If one has strong family attachments and commitment to positive activities then they are less likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. I see this quite often at FFK as well. A lot of the children rarely see their parents because they both have to work to support the family. They also have few options when it comes to being involved in activities because it's a money issue. An eleven year old boy told me he has already been asked to join a gang. I feel sad and scared for him because it may seem inticing to him because it will give him a sense of belonging.

Attachment Theory- This is the theory that analyzes the history of a child and their primary caregiver. This relationship will determine the kind of adult relationships the child has. This is a very important topic to explore at FFk because helping change the weak bonds that these children have in their home life can potentially change their future. The mentorship program is focused on being a positive figure in these kid's lives and helping them to remember they can achieve greatness if they put their minds to it.

Norms- norms a rule or standard by which something is judged and on that basis approved or disapproved. Norms are obviously apparent in every facet if life but it is interesting to see the differences in children who are in the same age group but grow up differently in different neighborhoods. For many children between age 8 and 12 the routine is pretty standard. After school probably a snack, then homework or sports. For some of the children I'm in contact with they don't have parental guidance after school so their norms are somewhat different. They see older kids or siblings that give them the idea that homework is "nerdy" so they develop the idea that it's negative to be involved in school, unfortunately. Please let me know if you have any comments on what I have said or if you have any suggestions on how to help change and better the future for these kids.

Gina's Blog

Hi- My name is Gina Garcia and I'm currently a senior at ASU.

My areas of concentration are sociology and religion. Many people

who know me are surprised when I tell them that because I've always

wanted to be a teacher. After a few years of switching majors all across

the board I seemed to be the most interested and motivated by these two

concentrations. I plan on going on to teach third grade in the future but

would like to explore some other options for awhile first!

My internship is at a place called Future for Kids which is a non-profit organization

developed to help raise fundraising and create mentorships for at-risk youth here

in the valley. I will be helping develop different fundraising programs as well as be

working with kids face-to-face and teaching a class for them once a week. I look forward

to hearing about everyone's experiences