Friday, March 11, 2011
Last Day In New York
Today was our last day in the Big Apple. We work up and had a slow start but it got better as the day went on. The first big thing that happened was that Danielle got her phone back which was left at the Staten Island Ferry after Stomp. After much rejoycing from Danielle's part we headed into the city. The 9 students and Paul were dropped off by Dr. Beisaw at the Ferry so she could spend the day with her family. At the subway the students and Paul went their seperate ways. Paul to go hang out with some friends and the students to shop. The first of many stops was Chinatown where we shopped for a good hour or so. There were so many shops and a lot of things to buy. Belts, watches, scarves, shirts, sweatshirts, key chains, hair accessories, food and so much more was bought. After that Soho was the spot to shop. More clothes were bought along with shoes and so much more. At this time James headed out to visit with a friend of his. The girls were left to shop till they dropped. A subway to Rockafeller was next. We took pictures of the NBC network, the ice skating rink and some monuments/statues. We got excited to see the lego store. There were some incredible artworks made out of legos, it was a sight to see. We headed to more places to shop and met up with James where we went into Toys"R"Us. We got to ride a Ferris Wheel in the 3 story high building! At this time Molly and Krya decided to go check out some sports stores. After wandering around for a bit we decided it was time to eat seeing how it was 7 o'clock. Planet Hollywood was close so we decided to eat. After what seemed like forever we got our food only to realize we weren't as hunry as we thought. From there we met up with Paul and then headed for the Hershey store. So much chocolate!! From there we went to the M&M store and we had a blast with all of that chocolate. From there it was walking around a bit until it was time to head back to the Ferry Terminal. We got a slow start and made it to the Staten Island Ferry a few minutes after 11:30 so we had to take the next one. The ferry ride was a long one seeing how we were all tired from all of the shopping and walking. As we docked all you saw was bags of stuff as we made our way to the van. We were all excited to go to bed, until we realized we still needed to clean. It's safe to say that the cleaning is mostly done and we hope to be on the road by 8am. After a great week in New York working with some great people and a great cause, we will begin our journey back to Ohio for the second week of our spring break. New York will be missed but the memories will last a lifetime. Good night, sweet dreams and a safe trip home :)
Albanian Islamic Cultural Center
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Albanian Islamic Center
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Albanian Islamic Center
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Albanian Islamic Center
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
Stomping the yard all day.
Once again another days starts with paul's alarm going off and him having to walk all the way across the room to turn it off.I wake up to see rachel hitting amanda to go get breakfast started and i hear snores. to my surpise breakfast was served. donuts awesome. we head out late as usual to meet jack for a meeting at the albanian islamic center. it one heck of place where people get to take their shoes off. The students were as happy as could be because we blessed with a marvelous spread of food. we really didnt know what was going on but paul made us look good with a nice after meeting prayer.
After that we ventured our way back to soup kitchen where myself, kyra, molly and rachel got ready with dr. beisaw to go pick up furniture. this was thought to be not too bad. but we got there and these desks were in the basement and were heavier than all the marbles. it took 5 of us to get it up the stairs. while we did this the rest of the gang amanda, caitlyn and chelsea got to serve a nice lunch. paul and jess went into the city to beg for some broadway tickets. after the moving and serving. james got to spend some quality time with rev jack ryan and got to go out to eat and talk to one of the most interesting people hes ever known.
after this the group got together and went to the city to meet paul and jess. there they met at St. Pauls chapel by ground zero. it was one of most memorable things i'll take away from the trip. seeing how the church was up and lended its cover to over 14,000 workers during the time is just incredible. we then ventured over to the memorial spot and saw the future plans and grabbed some memorable gifts. we than went along to eat at a nice mexican restraunt where it seemed to bring the rain. it rained and rained like it was never going to stop. as we finished we realized that our 4 minute walk was actually going to take 17 minutes. in the rain let me remind you. so the group went venturing off into the rain.
Paul and jess couldnt of picked a better play. well paul tried jess was the successfull one. we saw the show stomp. it was one the funniest and best shows i have ever seen. we were laughing from beginning to end. at the end we were all very much impressed. amanda and jess and danielle ran into a nice little girl who had a problem but they brightened her day with a smile. we than saw a chance for a great picture with the cast of the show. during this jess got an unsuspected bite from the cast member that she will never forget. we all laughed and ran back thourhg the rain. the day ended with rachel and james singing songs and dancing in ferry. thanks to project hospitatlity for everything. we will miss them all. now tomrrow is our day.
After that we ventured our way back to soup kitchen where myself, kyra, molly and rachel got ready with dr. beisaw to go pick up furniture. this was thought to be not too bad. but we got there and these desks were in the basement and were heavier than all the marbles. it took 5 of us to get it up the stairs. while we did this the rest of the gang amanda, caitlyn and chelsea got to serve a nice lunch. paul and jess went into the city to beg for some broadway tickets. after the moving and serving. james got to spend some quality time with rev jack ryan and got to go out to eat and talk to one of the most interesting people hes ever known.
after this the group got together and went to the city to meet paul and jess. there they met at St. Pauls chapel by ground zero. it was one of most memorable things i'll take away from the trip. seeing how the church was up and lended its cover to over 14,000 workers during the time is just incredible. we then ventured over to the memorial spot and saw the future plans and grabbed some memorable gifts. we than went along to eat at a nice mexican restraunt where it seemed to bring the rain. it rained and rained like it was never going to stop. as we finished we realized that our 4 minute walk was actually going to take 17 minutes. in the rain let me remind you. so the group went venturing off into the rain.
Paul and jess couldnt of picked a better play. well paul tried jess was the successfull one. we saw the show stomp. it was one the funniest and best shows i have ever seen. we were laughing from beginning to end. at the end we were all very much impressed. amanda and jess and danielle ran into a nice little girl who had a problem but they brightened her day with a smile. we than saw a chance for a great picture with the cast of the show. during this jess got an unsuspected bite from the cast member that she will never forget. we all laughed and ran back thourhg the rain. the day ended with rachel and james singing songs and dancing in ferry. thanks to project hospitatlity for everything. we will miss them all. now tomrrow is our day.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Emergency Food Bags
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Hanging Eggs on High
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Decorate the Hall
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Decorate the Hall
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Just Another Wednesday in the Soup Kitchen!
This morning we woke up to a fantabulousbreakfast cooked by Caitlyn and Chelsea. The eggs were cooked to perfection and placed on a toasted bun with fried ham. Oh yeah, it was delectable. Anyway, we left late as usual but we got to work right on time around 8:30am. The beginning of our day consisted of decorating the dining hall for Easter. We felt like skipping St. Patrick's day, it just wasn't as important! Everyone put in some work to hang up at least 164 eggs on the ceiling. James did a tremendous job at picking up the ones that fell since we were too lazy to get off the ladder. Thanks, James! You did good!
Halfway through hanging the eggs, half the group went up to the food pantry to help the clients shop. Wednesdays are specifically devoted to HIV/AIDS client. They shop more often than just normal clients, and know they're way around the pantry. We made good conversations with these folks. They had good stories to tell.
Some clients from the pantry took their time to give us a seminar about HIV/AIDS awareness. We heard stories from three people, with help from Ms China who works with Project Hospitality. These people's stories were absolutely enlightening and inspirational.
Finally, we served the HIV/AIDS clients a scrumptious dinner of beans and hot dogs over a game of spades.
Now shower time :)
Halfway through hanging the eggs, half the group went up to the food pantry to help the clients shop. Wednesdays are specifically devoted to HIV/AIDS client. They shop more often than just normal clients, and know they're way around the pantry. We made good conversations with these folks. They had good stories to tell.
Some clients from the pantry took their time to give us a seminar about HIV/AIDS awareness. We heard stories from three people, with help from Ms China who works with Project Hospitality. These people's stories were absolutely enlightening and inspirational.
Finally, we served the HIV/AIDS clients a scrumptious dinner of beans and hot dogs over a game of spades.
Now shower time :)
Nap Time
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Food Pantry Project Hospitality
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Food Pantry Project Hospitality
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Soup Kitchen Project Hospitality
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Food Pantry Project Hospitality
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Food Pantry Project Hospitality
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Soup Kitchen Project Hospitality
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Day 3
Today started out bright and early for a few of us walking to the shower at six. We came back to great breakfast prepared by Paul and James, then headed to the soup kitchen. Once there Amanda and Rachel were put to work in the kitchen while the rest of us helped the clients get the food for their family from the pantry. We were able to walk with each client and help them pick out everything from their meat to the vegetables and desserts. It gave each of us a chance to ask each person how they were doing today and give them a welcoming smile to make them feel that even in their situation they are not treated any less than anyone else. We wanted to make them feel comfortable and show that in their time of need there are people who are willing to help. Dr. Beisaw was very enthusiastic and seemed to have a lot of fun pushing the children's books and pudding. The clients loved it!
After the first session of pantry distribution was complete, it was time to serve a warm meal. Seeing how many people came into the center and were grateful for the warm plate of food it really helped us realize why we are here. After cleanup and another round of pantry shopping we listened to volunteers tell us their stories of how they lived in the shelter system and how much Project Hospitality has changed their lives for the better.
Next we ate dinner at Denino's Pizzeria and enjoyed four different types of pizza including buffalo chicken, pepperoni, white pizza and garbage (which was all meat) pizza and of course we couldn't go without dessert. Next stop: Bruno's Bakery. Thank you to a volunteer that we met at the soup kitchen named Tom (a college student on the island) for showing us the way to the amazing bakery!!
We had an enjoyable ride home joking around and reflecting on the days events.
After the first session of pantry distribution was complete, it was time to serve a warm meal. Seeing how many people came into the center and were grateful for the warm plate of food it really helped us realize why we are here. After cleanup and another round of pantry shopping we listened to volunteers tell us their stories of how they lived in the shelter system and how much Project Hospitality has changed their lives for the better.
Next we ate dinner at Denino's Pizzeria and enjoyed four different types of pizza including buffalo chicken, pepperoni, white pizza and garbage (which was all meat) pizza and of course we couldn't go without dessert. Next stop: Bruno's Bakery. Thank you to a volunteer that we met at the soup kitchen named Tom (a college student on the island) for showing us the way to the amazing bakery!!
We had an enjoyable ride home joking around and reflecting on the days events.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Project Hospitality, Inc.
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Day 2: Orientation
Orientation was a go with the flow day. We started of as a group but got split up to do some tasks after learning some interesting facts about Staten Island and Project Hospitality, Inc.
James, Jess, Danielle, and Dr. Beisaw started off going to the Warehouse to short clothes that were donated. That group got split even farther. Father Jack surprised Dr. Beisaw by dropping her off to visit family members. She had a wonderful time! James, Jess, and Danielle were taken to see the Atlantic Ocean and tour the island a bit. After a small tour, Jess and Danielle helped Shea in the Warehouse to short the clothes. James and Father Jack helped an older lady out.
Paul, Caitlyn, and Chelsea helped Demmis pass out fliers to inform the community of an important meeting/dinner on budget cuts that will effect the community. Chelsea and Caitlyn were on one side of the street, while Paul and Demmis were on the other side. It was a great time and many laughs and learning experiences.
Molly, Rachel, Amanda, and Kyra went to the soup kitchen to help out however was needed. Rachel and Amanda quickly made friends with James (a worker there) to prepare for tomorrow's meal. Molly and Kyra helped paint a room up stairs. They got to talk to several different people.
Lunch was prepared by James (the worker) at the soup kitchen, and it was delicious! We hung out for a bit and then got to pick out the food we were going to make for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. What an interesting experience.
With all our tasks completed for the day, we all piled in the van. We went to the beach to play in the sand and have some fun. It was a wonderful time, the sun was out today!
We had a group meeting and then we all pitched in to cook dinner or set up for dinner. The rest of the night was a choice of relaxing (Paul, Caitlyn, and Chelsea), or hanging out in the city (Amanda, Kyra, Dr. Beisaw, James, Rachel, Molly, Danielle, and Jess). What a wonderful day full of learning and fun!
James, Jess, Danielle, and Dr. Beisaw started off going to the Warehouse to short clothes that were donated. That group got split even farther. Father Jack surprised Dr. Beisaw by dropping her off to visit family members. She had a wonderful time! James, Jess, and Danielle were taken to see the Atlantic Ocean and tour the island a bit. After a small tour, Jess and Danielle helped Shea in the Warehouse to short the clothes. James and Father Jack helped an older lady out.
Paul, Caitlyn, and Chelsea helped Demmis pass out fliers to inform the community of an important meeting/dinner on budget cuts that will effect the community. Chelsea and Caitlyn were on one side of the street, while Paul and Demmis were on the other side. It was a great time and many laughs and learning experiences.
Molly, Rachel, Amanda, and Kyra went to the soup kitchen to help out however was needed. Rachel and Amanda quickly made friends with James (a worker there) to prepare for tomorrow's meal. Molly and Kyra helped paint a room up stairs. They got to talk to several different people.
Lunch was prepared by James (the worker) at the soup kitchen, and it was delicious! We hung out for a bit and then got to pick out the food we were going to make for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. What an interesting experience.
With all our tasks completed for the day, we all piled in the van. We went to the beach to play in the sand and have some fun. It was a wonderful time, the sun was out today!
We had a group meeting and then we all pitched in to cook dinner or set up for dinner. The rest of the night was a choice of relaxing (Paul, Caitlyn, and Chelsea), or hanging out in the city (Amanda, Kyra, Dr. Beisaw, James, Rachel, Molly, Danielle, and Jess). What a wonderful day full of learning and fun!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day 1
Hey everyone!
We started out our day running late, not becuase of the 9 girls but believe it or not Paul made us 45 minutes late leaving Scranton, PA because he needed to watch the ending of a movie, important we know. Anywho, we arrived safely in Staten Island and made our way to the ferry.
We quickly discovered that the rain and flooding we left in Tiffin had followed us all the way to New York City. Right off the boat we headed to our first Subway adventure which lead us to Times Square where we enjoyed lunch (well four of us did) at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Timing our exit from the Hard Rock we made our way back to the Subway to reach our next destination which was the American Museum of Natural History. This place was unbelievable to say the least. Giant trees, dinosaurs, turtles, humans, moons, and much, much more. We got a glimpse of Central Park but the down pour rain took us back to the dry Subway, which lead us to Chinatown.
We thought we got off at the right street, but a 10 minute walk in the down pour and the help of Dr. Beisaws phone (and the smell of Chinese food) we made it to the restaurant where we enjoyed family style dinner that included, chicken, rice and stingray!
Next stop: Little Italy where we enjoyed some delicious dessert/taste testing of different cannolis. However, the taste test was held off because of needing to be back at the Staten Island Ferry before 8. We quickly found the right Subway and made it off in time for the biggest wind storm I think any of us had ever "walked" through. We did arrive to the ferry docking at 7:35 and began the taste testing.
We did come to a verdict after testing the cannolis! And we quickly realized the ferry didn't leave at 8 as we thought it instead left at 8:30, so we all enjoyed people watching and relaxing in our nice damp clothing. We now are safely at the church and have planned our day for tomorrow. We all look forward to orientation in the morning to see exactly what we are doing here at Staten Island.
We started out our day running late, not becuase of the 9 girls but believe it or not Paul made us 45 minutes late leaving Scranton, PA because he needed to watch the ending of a movie, important we know. Anywho, we arrived safely in Staten Island and made our way to the ferry.
We quickly discovered that the rain and flooding we left in Tiffin had followed us all the way to New York City. Right off the boat we headed to our first Subway adventure which lead us to Times Square where we enjoyed lunch (well four of us did) at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Timing our exit from the Hard Rock we made our way back to the Subway to reach our next destination which was the American Museum of Natural History. This place was unbelievable to say the least. Giant trees, dinosaurs, turtles, humans, moons, and much, much more. We got a glimpse of Central Park but the down pour rain took us back to the dry Subway, which lead us to Chinatown.
We thought we got off at the right street, but a 10 minute walk in the down pour and the help of Dr. Beisaws phone (and the smell of Chinese food) we made it to the restaurant where we enjoyed family style dinner that included, chicken, rice and stingray!
Next stop: Little Italy where we enjoyed some delicious dessert/taste testing of different cannolis. However, the taste test was held off because of needing to be back at the Staten Island Ferry before 8. We quickly found the right Subway and made it off in time for the biggest wind storm I think any of us had ever "walked" through. We did arrive to the ferry docking at 7:35 and began the taste testing.
We did come to a verdict after testing the cannolis! And we quickly realized the ferry didn't leave at 8 as we thought it instead left at 8:30, so we all enjoyed people watching and relaxing in our nice damp clothing. We now are safely at the church and have planned our day for tomorrow. We all look forward to orientation in the morning to see exactly what we are doing here at Staten Island.
Sunday Supper
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The Museum of Natural History
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The Ferry going by the Statue of Liberty
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Going to the city on the Staten Island Ferry
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Nuy Ag Park
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Nuy Ag Park
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The falls at Nuy Ag Park in Scanton, PA
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Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Van Ride to Scranton, Pennsylvania
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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Scranton is the destination on day #1.
Forget NYC, we're headed to Scranton, PA for our first stop. We should arrive around 5 pm on Saturday, March 5. Then, Sunday morning it's New York City.
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Two Days from Leaving for New York City
Nine Heidelberg students along with Dr. April Beisaw and Rev. Paul Stark are leaving on Saturday, March 5 at 7:00 am for Staten Island, NY and Project Hospitality to work in a soup kitchen and food pantry for the week.
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