Service for H.E.L.P. Project, Part I: 2-12-17

This was a different sort of service day, with girls garbed in everyday clothes and us spending the days in cars and stores. Not your typical Explorers Club service, but certainly in line with our mission to inspire youth to identify community needs and take action!

We gathered in our office with a flurry of activity: inventorying donated items, discuss funding, and to review the purpose of the H.E.L.P. (Help Everyone Live and Prosper) project. How satisfying to see a project suggested by another GEC girl years ago come to fruition again this year! We discussed the cycle of poverty and what it means to have a Safety Net, identified whose "cups" we're filling with this project, and reviewed our motto, "Walk Your Talk." We discussed the grant we were given for this project from the Whatcom Community Foundation, then we made a clear plan for the day, understanding that clarity and organization was key in bringing 14 people shopping!

Before we left, we did an exercise described here about privilege and inequality of opportunity. This led to a powerful discussion about the road blocks to success many people face, and helped us understand our own privilege and the good fortune we experience to have a safety net. We also watched a video about the Empowerment Plan here for an inspiring example of someone seeing a problem and taking action.

At every store we visited (Cash and Carry, Costco, WalMart, Joanne's Fabric), we made challenging decisions collaboratively and took seriously the act of spending donated money. While these discussions took time, they were an essential part of this project: What might a person most appreciate if they were without shelter? Why? And then, further, what type of item? For example, we knew how vital warm socks are, but should we spend less and get more thick cotton socks, or spend more and get less wool blend socks?

With the generous grant received, we bought enough of these "basic needs" items to fill 125 H.E.L.P. bags: granola bars, Vitamin C packets, bandaids, warm gloves, bandannas and socks. All items were previously suggested by Cheri, the Director of Hope House, who let us know what she thought ought to go in the bags.

Speaking of Hope House, at the bottom of this report we've attached some posts from Cheri's blog about the realities of homelessness here in Whatcom County. Some have a Christian bent; but regardless of your beliefs, we hope you'll see the meaning and message for all about the reality for so many. Please share with your daughter if you feel Cheri's experiences would extend her learning in meaningful ways.

What's next? Our work for H.E.L.P. Project Part Two will include a full inventory of donated and purchased items, preparing the handwritten notes for each bag, bag assembly, and delivery to those who would appreciate them.

We ended our day with a gratitude circle and our Words of the Day:
"Helping Everyone Live and Prosper!"

You may see the slideshow from our day here.

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HOPE HOUSE BLOG, FALL 2014

Here is how quickly your world can start to unravel around you:
· You nurse your mother through her final days during the summer.
· Your sister is diagnosed with breast cancer and is scheduled to for a mastectomy in February.
· Your significant other suffers a fatal stroke at home and paramedics are unable to save him. In the process, the front door of your home and the stovetop are damaged.
· Six days later, your sister comes home from the hospital after her mastectomy and suddenly dies.
· By the way, you are also disabled with Multiple Sclerosis, and live in a remote part of Whatcom County. You have now lost a significant part of your financial support as well as all of your emotional support systems.
· You are unable to continue having a phone, due to money issues.
· Your car dies and you purchase another one from an acquaintance. Unfortunately, the tabs are over a year old, and you get stopped by the police and your car is towed. You have no money and no one to call, so you walk a long way home.
· You take what little money you have left to get the title and registration updated for the car, now you have to go to court for the ticket you received.
· In the meantime, you are being charged $45 per day for the impound fees. You have come up with almost half of what you need to get it out, but if you don’t get the rest asap, the fees will become insurmountable.
At this point, the woman sitting in front of me is fighting back tears, because the totality of all the bad things is finally pressing her down. Also at this point, our Assumption Financial Assistance kicked in and paid for the rest of her impound fees so that she could start to breathe again!
What is the point? The point is that we often see ordinary people to whom bad things/luck have happened and their world started falling slowly apart. The little request for diapers may hide the despair of unpaid bills, a missing husband, a lost job, a broken down car….any of the circumstances that send lives spiraling out of control. At Hope House we try very hard to “see” past the simple request and meet the unsaid needs, if only as a sounding board (which is what the woman had asked me to be that day).
I’ve said it before, sometimes the needs are not visible nor physical, but emotional or spiritual.
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We live in a beautiful part of this world, here in Whatcom County. We have mountains to ski and hike on, forests to camp in and water to boat on. We have one university, one community college and one technical college; a minor league baseball team and a symphony; parks and playgrounds, an aquatic center, more golf courses than we should need….the list goes on. The point is that this is a wonderful place to live—if you are a wealthy retiree or have a family history here with family business/land to count on.

For a good many of our neighbors, the good life is out of their reach. Skiing, golf, ball games and swimming fees are way beyond their limited budgets, and while parks and hiking are free, their time isn’t. They spend their days working part time at minimum wage jobs, and then continue their day with standing in line at the food bank, meeting with case managers or coming to Hope House or the Salvation Army hoping to receive hygiene items, clothing, gas vouchers and bus passes. Or they pick up their phones and spend 4 hours trying to get through and get an appointment for energy assistance at the Opportunity Council. In other words, their jobs don’t end when they get off work.

To make it all worse, the cost of living in Whatcom County is 23% higher than the US average. Rents are out of control and food costs rise every day. For those who live on very small budgets, often paying the rent takes everything you make, so the rest of your monthly expenses come from food stamps, TANF and social service agencies. We see families at Hope House every day who are working but simply cannot make it through the month.
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These last few days at Hope House have been all about “reminders” for me. You know, those moments when the situation in front of you “reminds” you of God’s love, grace and mercy? I’ll admit I don’t always pay enough attention, so sometimes; He has to be very clear!

Reminder #1: As Amy Grant sings, “The honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a Hallelujah”. One morning this week, I sat helplessly watching a women silently weep as we did her intake and discerned her needs. As I assured her we are a safe place, and we would love to help, her tears continued to flow. Did she doubt us? No, she was upset at needing help, relieved at getting it, and overwhelmed by the compassion offered. By the time she left, she was smiling through damp eyes, and promising to come back for Christmas assistance. We are God’s hands on earth.

Reminder #2: Like the Little Engine That Could, some never give up. I talked today to a young man who is currently homeless and living in a tent in his mother’s yard—with his 5 year old daughter, who he has full custody of. They have been homeless for about a month, she is in kindergarten and is having fun “camping” with her daddy, and he is trying desperately to find work and shelter for them. Today we were able to help with the paperwork he will need to get housing through the local housing authority. He told me he was a foster child, and would never let his daughter go through that system. He referred to her as his shining star. We are God’s eyes on earth.

Reminder #3: Gloria Gaynor’s song “I will Survive” says all you need to know about Linda. A single mom of three beautiful girls, working in the healthcare industry here, but unable to afford the cost of living, she came to me in early summer with a plan to move her family to Oklahoma to a town with jobs and housing. I encouraged her, set her up with financial aid from several area churches, and cheered when I received this email about her: Linda has a job with good wages and benefits, has a 3 bedroom apartment for $500 per month and is doing very well. She expressed her thanks to all who helped and asked that I be told how well she is doing. We are God’s ears on earth.

We are the human and physical representation of God here on earth, and we all need to reach out with love to each other. Together, we can weep, pick up the pieces, and move forward.

Service With WTA: 12-3-16

The Bald Eagles knocked the socks (or should we say hard-hats?) off of the WTA crew this past Saturday with their hard work, determination, and "tenacity", to use the words of one of our crew leaders on this day. Our day began with a quick check-in from the group in our Opening Circle before joining the good company of our work crew leaders. We couldn't have asked for a more mindful, generous, and enthusiastic group of WTA volunteers to guide us through a day of trail-building on the Fragrance Lake trail. After a crash coarse in tool use and safety, we slapped on our hardhats and set off up the trail to our work site.  

The WTA builds and maintains trails over the entire state of Washington, and their volunteer trail maintenance program is among the largest in the nation. They log more than 105,000 volunteer hours statewide each year, and over 2500 volunteers giving back to the trails they love. Our group hiked in over a mile with tools, hardhats, and full packs to work on a section of the trail that needed rerouting.

Highlights from the day include:

*Connecting with one another and our WTA crew leaders as we hiked our way up the beautiful Fragrance Lake Trail. 

*Using and learning about some "real deal" trail tools including McLeods, Pulaski's, hoes, and hand saws, among other tools. (Ask your daughter about the use of each tool or which was her favorite!)

*Getting down and dirty as we hauled brush, dug up small and large, REALLY, REALLY large rocks with shovels, hoes, and our own strength and willpower!

*Learning new skills such as how to properly haul rocks, techniques for sawing logs, tricks such as the "shovel sled" for moving large objects, and safety checks/tips throughout the day. 

*Enjoying stories and connecting over highlights of the day as we ate lunch together before getting back to work!

*Accomplishing the unthinkable- sawing through a log that was over two feet in width and happened to be in the middle of our new trail!

*Watching the flagged section of forest transform into what will soon be a beautiful switch-backed section of trail for many to enjoy! We felt proud stepping back at the end of the day to look at the incredible amount accomplished through our teamwork, strength, and determination!

*Hiking down with tired arms and legs but full hearts and Overflowing Cups* after a day of giving back to the forest, the community, WTA, and the many hikers who will wander up and down this beautiful trail for years to come. 

*Finally, enjoying hot cider, cookies, and Fig Newtons from Arlen, our very generous and comical crew leader. 

To close our day we shared our practice of Attitude of Gratitude and stood together with our WTA crew as each shared something they were grateful for from the day. We have a motto, Our Cups Overflow**, that describes the feeling of giving back to the plants, animals, friends, family, and many intertwined communities who are impacted by these service days. It felt like our cups had created a river of overflow that day. While basking in this river of gratitude, we each shared our thanks for things like the rain, the company of one another, meaningful work, strength, service, Explorers Club and WTA. 

Our words of the day? Trails, sawing, rocks, hoes!

Enjoy the full album of our day here. 

Wilderness First Aid Skills Day:10-1-16

This Earth Skills Day was jam-packed with useful knowledge that prepares the girls to support others should an emergency arise while they are adventuring in the wilderness or elsewhere. We had so much material to get through that girls were limited to minimal story-telling during opening and closing circle, but that didn’t stop everyone from sharing ample hugs and side conversation throughout the afternoon. We covered so much during the day - below is an abbreviated list of the day’s activities:

First Things First: What is wilderness first aid, and how is getting hurt five miles down a trail different than getting hurt on Holly Street? Remote medicine is defined as an hour or more from definitive care. 

- Something’s gone wrong! What do you do when you approach a scenario in which people appear to be injured? We deepened our understanding of STOP principles by evaluating the possible dangers of rushing into an emergency scene. What was the Mechanism of Injury (MOI)? Are there other victims? Could assisting someone possibly hurt me? A helpful thing we say to remember this is: # 1 - I’m Number One! (no more victims)  /  #2 What Happened to You? (MOI/obtain consent)  /  # 3 Don’t get any on me! (BSI)  / #4 Are there any more?  /  # 5 Dead or Alive?

- ABCDEs: After we assess that the scene is safe for ourselves to enter, we check for a clear Airway. signs of Breathing, Circulation (signs of blood), Disability (how is the individual injured), Environment/Expose (get the injured individual warm/cool and comfortable as possible. Expose the primary injury to assess damage). Ask your girls for elaboration on the ABCDEs!

- We discussed the criteria for a possible Mechanism of Injury (MOI) for spinal injury, for example falling from a height greater than three feet, making impact at a speed faster than running, compression. We also learned that if you’re not sure if someone could have injured his or her spine—stabilize his or her neck until you can be sure they did not incur spinal damage!

- The crossroads: Is this a medical injury (for example altitude sickness, dehydration, ulcers) or a traumatic injury (broken bones, lacerations, etc)?

If it’s a medical injury, we discussed that taking a SAMPLE history, a detailed history of the injured individual, is the best way to get more information about his or her ailment. If it’s a traumatic injury, we learned that conducting a full patient assessment is the next step.

We practiced these skills by creating scenarios in which half the girls were patients and half were in charge of administering first aid. Between some giggling and plenty of requests for extra fake blood, both responders and the injured took their roles very seriously.

We did let the girls know that this foray into wilderness first aid wasn't an official training, and thus, we weren't able to provide training for treatment, but suggested they consider taking a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder course - several GEC teens have taken these, leaving knowledgable and inspired. We'll be reviewing concepts and practicing more on our next outing!

Our Words of the Day? Emergency! You See It, You Own It!

Exploration & Hiking Skills on Heliotrope Ridge: 8-28-16

What a day full of glorious glacier views, challenging hiking terrain, and tricky creek crossing puzzles for the Baldies two weeks ago! Laurel and I are so grateful to have shared in the experience with this great group.

The Coleman Glacier in all its glory!

The connection began immediately - is there such a thing as Fall Fever (like spring fever)? If so, many of these girls had it and words were spilling out like the cascades we passed later along the trail. We bottled that energy into Moose and headed east, checking in with one another about summer and autumn changes.

We discussed the Ten Essentials in some depth, and agreed that yes, they are essential even for a day hike (and talked about why that is).

Ten Essentials

1. Navigation (map and compass)
2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency shelter
11. Communication (emergency communication device)

We also pointed out different life zones that we would pass along the trail (and then really noticed these as we were hiking):

Hemlock, Redcedar, Douglas-Fir Zone Elevation 0-2,000 feet (most of the drive up)

River Valleys: Forest Floors Thrive on Soil 
Most recipes for life in nature's kitchen start on the forest floor with fertile, moist soils, teeming with life. The hemlock, redcedar, Douglas-fir forest contains a great diversity of plants and animals, including more than 3,400 species of "bugs".

Silver Fir Zone 2,000-5,500 feet (on the drive up)

Mountain Forests: Wet and Wooded MansionsIf mountain forest habitat was a many-roomed house, the rivers and streams would be its hallways. Thousands of watery corridors connect the mountain slopes to the sea. These wet and wooded forests of the silver-fir zone provide shelter for many animals, including insects and birds.

Subalpine Zone 4,000-7,000 feet (At the toe of the Coleman Glacier)
Mountain Meadows: Winter Welcome Mats
Subalpine creatures nestle down in a habitat that invites chilly weather and nearly shrugs off summer. Stunted trees cluster on humps amid open meadows and rocky outcrops awaiting snow melt for a brief chance to grow after eight months of cold in the subalpine zone.

Alpine Zone Elevation 7,000+ feet
Rocky Ridges: Life in an Icebox
At high elevations, nature's freezer defrosts drip by drip. Cracking blue clusters of ice bury the tops of treeless rocks. Frigid winds and constant snowfall challenge organisms to adapt. Ice worms and red algae are some of the few life forms nurtured at the summits of the alpine zone.

Brief stop for yoga poses/stretching
before continuing ever upwards!

After a double-check of gear at the trailhead, we headed up to Heliotrope! Laurel was in front with the jackrabbits and her pup, Blizzard,

 who leaped and sprung up the trail, while Lauren moseyed on up the trail with the following group. We checked the map frequently to track our progress, and met a new plant- the Five-Leaved Bramble or Creeping Raspberry!

After a great hike through old hemlock, we emerged into the subalpine zone, navigated multiple perplexing creek crossings, and had our breaths taken away by the site of the massive Coleman glacier. Wow. Impressive is too small a word to describe this mammoth block of wavy ice.

We enjoyed a too-short Peaceful Place by the glacier, and then, far too soon, it was time to descend (though many girls could have happily gone up and up and up).

Blizzard enjoying her own Peaceful Place :)

On the hike down, a cooling and refreshing rain shower kept us motivated to keep moving, and the connections continued with talks of Shakespeare, healthy eating habits, tree pimples, and fall exploration plans.

Mottos especially in use today: The Trail is the Teacher, Stretch Your Edge, Be Prepared, Safety First

Exploration on the Nooksack River: 6-4-16

Joy. Joy and connection. Joy and connection, jumping for joy and island hopping, river splashing and current riding, bushwhacking and sand playing and trail tracking. Joy in sun and water, connection with nature and one another. A perfect Explorers' day.

What more can we say? The Bald Eagles have evolved to represent the best of EC: deep, heartfelt, trusting connection with one another; unrestrained joy in nature; curious and compassionate; stellar stewards; making memories together to last a lifetime.

Saturday was a combination of all of the above, as all embraced the exploring spirit to explore connections to oneself (by digging deep into their personal stories/confusions/joys throughout the day); to one another (by listening so well to one another and giving such supportive feedback and finding joy together in skipping, splashing, jumping, discovering); and to nature (let me count the ways...). 

After a reflective and refreshing Peaceful Place, it was time to head back for our closing circle. We ended our day by reflecting on the season past, brainstorming the multiple aspects of nature that we connected to. Each girl became a part of nature: rocks, spiders, mud, sunshine, sand, the Bald Eagles, etc., all connected to one another in the Web of Life. We discovered that as humans, we are also an important part of this web, and though sometimes we affect the web in a negative way, there are those of us that are there to serve with integrity and pick up the pieces to restore the web back to life. In such a magical place along the Nooksack River, it was easy to see that All Things Are Connected and to focus on the ways in which we strengthen the web.

See the slideshow for the rest of the story!

EC Mottos especially alive today: Be Prepared, Safety First, All Things Are Connected, Dance to the Beat of Your Own Drummer, It's About the Journey, Not the Destination, Leave No Trace, You See It You Own It, Get Dirty!, LIBK, Be Here Now, Expect the Unexpected

Basketry Skills Day & Exploration at Little Squalicum Beach: 5-15-16

What a jam-packed day for the Bald Eagles. As mentors, we come into a day with a plan. Some days, this plan is thinner with room for nature to teach us what she'd like that day, and others, it is FULL of ideas that mentors carefully choose and weave into the day. Sunday was one of the full-plan days... Though we only tackled some of the activities we'd like to do with the girls, we have faith that we'll be able to fit in more team-building, talking time, and skills days in the Bald Eagles' future seasons.

We gathered with a refresher on how to make cordage, an ancient skill in patience. The girls sat and watched others, before describing the process and receiving their own cordage material to work with (raffia today, since our nettles were used by other groups). We twisted and folded in a calm state while remembering this place that we'd been to before: Whuh-I-kwal-luh-whum ("Dog Salmon Place"), the name for Little Squalicum Beach Park back when it was a fishing village site for Coast Salish people. We talked through the fascinating history of this park, from thriving village, to creosote factory, to Superfund site, and ultimately to the restoration-in-process place we know today. We acknowledged those in the community who have Turned Problems into Possibilities by helping to transform the contaminated soil/water, massively overgrown invasives and loss of wildlife into a healthier park for all.  

Listening to instructions for the Toxic River

We set out to explore the park, and immediately saw the big Oeser Corporation smokestack looming above the hill of this lush, green park. We paused here to engage in a great team-building game that works on collaboration and communication: Toxic River! The Bald Eagles worked hard to cross the "toxic river" (a gravel path) without touching the ground. They made it successfully under different constraints, and learned lots about their group's communication during the activity.

Goofy basket girls!

We then headed down under the bridge to the beach, and bundled up in the wind as we took out our baskets and learned from Aimee how to finish them off. For the next hour and 45 minutes, the Bald Eagles were in a state of Flow, focused on working diligently and present-mindedly to create beautifully and carefully woven baskets, all unique. When finished with their basketry, the girls spent some solid time talking about climate change. The Bald Eagles talked about the merit of not shying away from talking about tough stuff, and honoring the scariness and sometimes depressiveness of the world's reality. We came to no real conclusions, other than understanding how deeply rooted we are in these issues, and how this topic is obviously one to return to. 

We finished our time on the beach with an all-too-short Peaceful Place, and then gathered our many belongings and walked back up to the parking lot for a quick Closing Circle.   

Our Words of the Day? "Windy basketry by the beach" 

To see a slideshow of the day, click here! 

Exploration to Governor's Point & Basketry Skills: 4-24-16

Picture this: large sandstone formations, wind dancing on waves, an isolated beach with a vista of tree-clad islands and the sparkling Salish Sea. Sunday was blissful, meaningful, and memorable!

The Bald Eagles arrived and quickly began on tasks with prepping ivy for basket weaving. We began Opening Circle with the history of Governor's Point... It's story started long ago when Governor's Point's only inhabitants were heron, seal, otter, cougar, bear, and myriad other non-human beings; then to the Mamosee people who plied these waters in dugout canoes; to the more modern usage of this land as boys' camp, rock quarry, and site of a prospective development. After this discussion, we set out to find the hidden cove, following a Songlines map. Songlines Maps describe significant landmarks using metaphors and the girls follow the clues to find their way. 

Along the way to the beach, we got to know Indian Celery, an amazing photo-toxic plant, played with cleaver, and thought about the impact of putting houses on this point. Nearing the cove, we left the well trod road and fox-walked to a bluff above, where girls took turns scouting good routes down. Taking care to "Think It Through Before You Do" and S.T.O.P., we clambered down towards a spectacular cove. At this special point we imagined, shared, explored, discussed, played in the water and rocks, and enjoyed a blissful Peaceful Place time. We learned how to start a basket made from ivy. With focus, patience, and persistence, each of the Bald Eagles created the bottom of a small basket. 

Time passed all too quickly, and before long we were hastening back to our ending circle. During closing circle, we put on our acting hats and spoke from the different perspectives of all the shareholders of this place. Some girls spoke as potential house owners, others as the heron and cedar who live on this special place. And in this sharing we continued to discover just how complicated our relationship is with the environment and how important it is to speak for the flora and fauna who can not speak. 

We mentors are so grateful for this group of girls, at once silly and serious, trustworthy and tough, wise and wonderful!

Words of the Day: Weaving the Past at Governor's Point!