A Nod To Our Voilunteers

Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.
--David Thomas

I shared this in 2007, but it's worth sharing again.

Back in the 1980's there was a major story on the cover of The Atlantic about cocaine use in America. According to the article, Americans were snorting, inhaling and poking one hundred billion dollars of cocaine into their bodies a year. Reading this stat incited me to write a letter to the editor about the bigger issue I believed it represented, an epidemic of selfishness. My letter to the editor was going to use the cocaine stat to illustrate how self-centered Americans were.

But the next morning, just before mailing this letter, I heard then-president Ronald Reagan say in a speech that Americans were the most generous people in the world and that Americans performed two hundred billion dollars worth of volunteer acts per year. On hearing this, I tore up my letter and realized it was true. There are two cultures side by side in this country. The one is generous with both their money and time. The article on cocaine shone a spotlight on a portion of the other group. But the volunteers never stopped volunteering, wherever the spotlights went.

* * * *

Volunteers are all around us, continuously making time to do things that help others and out community. Volunteers at the Damiano Center, Gospel Union and Salvation Army in Duluth feed countless people each year, a percentage for whom this is their only meal. Volunteers serve in our hospitals, in our churches and non-profit organizations, in our local arts community.

There are actually all kinds of activities that depend on volunteers. When I was involved in the regional stock car racing scene I was impressed by all the volunteers who made this form of entertainment possible for fans of the sport. I was surprised to learn that the ABC Raceway in Ashland was an all-volunteer staff. This was impressive.

There are groups that keep snowmobile trails safe, volunteers who perform emergency services -- fire, rescue work -- and the countless chaplains, counsellors, mentors, soccer and little league coaches. It is remarkable when you think about all the services provided by these unsung heroes.

Here are some quotes about volunteers that I found at quotegarden.com a few years ago.

Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer. ~Author Unknown

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick

The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers. ~Everett Mámor

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference. ~Tom Brokaw

* * * *

For what it's worth, Duluth Dylan Fest is produced by a team of volunteers, aka the Bob Dylan Way Committee. Here's a big shout out to Don, Zane, Phil, Mike, Brad, Mark, Bill, Kathleen and everyone else who has stepped up and helped make make this week-long event a special occasion for all who come to celebrate Bob's birthday each May. And a special shout out to Miriam, host of Highway 61 Revisited show, from the John Bushey Studio at KUMD. You can find this year's schedule here.

* * * *

Damiano Center's Kids' Kitchen Is More Than a "Safe Place"

Last Saturday I shared Six Things I Didn't Know About Damiano Center, things I have only recently discovered. One of the features of Damiano Center that I wanted to elaborate on and give special recognition to is their Kids' Kitchen, a special area that is more like the set of a television show than a kitchen.

Kids' Kitchen was started because a growing number of children were coming to the Damiano Center unaccompanied by an adult. Damiano Center staff saw this as a major unmet neighborhood need.

My own first exposure to the Kids Kitchen was at a Twin Ports Social Media Breakfast held there a few years ago. Even then, however, I only knew it as a space for kids. Here's some of what I learned more recently.

The space is serves children ages 6 to 18. Most are within walking distance, but that is not a requirement. Any child from anywhere in Duluth is welcome if they have transportation. Even children five and under are welcome if accompanied by an adult. And actually, parents are welcome to help with managing the activities that take place there.

The space is filled with books, games, art projects and other activities for children of all ages.

Though Kids' Kitchen was initially designed to make sure that all children in our neighborhood have access to quality, healthy food, it is much more than that.

A Kids' Kitchen benefit that's not widely known is the employment it provides teens during the summer. These are paid positions, through their Summer Food Corps program, which help teens gain work experience and leadership development that can prepare them for future careers. One of these responsibilities include gardening. The center has a community garden where the youth help maintain and harvest foodstuff. They also get involved with food service, child care and more. (See Ashley for details.)

Volunteers are welcome in all the programs at non-profit Damiano Center. My wife, Susie, who has been a Kids' Kitchen volunteer, says, "It's such a perfect fit for my interests! I have long been a vegetable gardener, interested in healthy food, and an artist who especially enjoys working with kids who have not had so many advantages in their lives."

Kids' Kitchen works to reduce childhood hunger and malnutrition by providing nutritious meals as well as nutrition education. It's a safe place and a fun place for kids after school and during the summer.

Kids' Kitchen hours are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Meals served at 5:00 p.m.

What I like is how many things the children learn just by becoming exposed to them in this space. The following pictures each tell a story.

The book shelf looks as yummy as the food.

Bob & Angel from Zenith City Books donated $1000 of books for the kids.

Games

Creativity

History 

And Values

It's all good!

Six Things I Didn't Know About the Damiano Center in Duluth

I've known for quite some time about the existence of the Damiano Center in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood. I knew they helped feed and provide clothing for the needy. I knew they had a program called Kids Kitchen, even though I didn't know precisely what it did. I knew that what they were doing had value, but had know idea of the breadth of their mission and its achievements.

After visiting this week with Development Director Katherine Mueller and Children's Program Manager Ashley Grimm, I discovered that the services of this non-profit organization were far more extensive than I could have imagined. Damiano Center is a beehive of activity with a whole range of well-conceived programs serving the community in thoughtful, holistic ways. Here are some of the things I learned.

The Center's friendly volunteer servers.

1. 116,778 meals served in the Community Kitchen
For most people, the Community Kitchen is the entry point into a relationship with the Damiano Center and its network of services. I learned this week that the Community Kitchen serves more meals to the needy than any other place in Minnesota North of the Twin Cities. What's great about this is that by coming in for a meal, many down-and-out folks soon discover that the Center provides more than just food to needy families.

2. 225,093 items given away at the Free Store
I'd already known they had clothing items there. If you visit you will see shelves with shoes, rooms with blouses, shirts, and jackets hanging. What did didn't know is that there is a conscious effort made to help job hunting folk find just the right clothes for upcoming job interviews. It's a program called Clothes That Work. As you know, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. Clothes That Work assists the down-and-out to help them get back in the game. No sport coat? No problem.  Suitable clothing is loaned to help people get the job and more clothes are provided to help them keep the job if they are successful. 930 people were helped by this program last year.

3. Taking Care of Hygiene Needs
Many people are in need of basic hygiene items that most of us take for granted. Damiano Center has been helping many people for years with these basic needs.

4. Health Realization Begins with a Change of Mind
Many people in need of Damiano Center services have simply fallen into a temporary rough patch in their lives. The longer one is unemployed or without a place to call home or burdened with a crushing debt load, the more it grinds on one's sense of self-worth. This loss of self-esteem undercuts efforts to successfully do what it takes to get back in the stream of things. For this reason the Damiano Center has a Health Realization program that helps people change the way they think about their problems. 55% of the people who used this program believe it helped them last year.

$1,000 worth of children's books were donated by Zenith Bookstore

5. The Kids Kitchen Does More Than Just Feed Young People
To be honest, it was never clear to me what the Kids Kitchen was all about. I was first made aware of the space at a Twin Ports Social Media Breakfast two or three years ago. I also knew that my wife Susie has been active in the program as a volunteer. (Susie has been making Lego crayons and other cool designs to raise money for the program this past year.) It's a "safe space" for kids after school and serves children of all ages, not just elementary school kids, though children 5 and under need to be accompanied by an adult.

Kids Kitchen is more than food. It's a fun, safe place for all kinds of activities.

The Kids Kitchen program is so rich and multi-faceted I will need to write a separate blog post to properly show its features. One new thing I learned, though, is that it isn't just for kids in the neighborhood within walking distance. Kid's Kitchen is for kids from any part of town who can get a ride here and home again. A full one-third come from further than walking distance, and there are some children here who say that if the Kids Kitchen did not exist, they would go hungry.

6. More Than 900 Guests Helped with Transportation
Damiano Center also has a Community Services program, which assists people with transportation needs.

* * * *
As I stated in the beginning there were a few things I'd already known about the Damiano Center. One of these is the friendliness of the staff and the volunteers. Though the mission of the Center is serious, there seems to be an uplifting spirit in the place that has a balm-like effect on your own spirit.

The volunteers seem amazing, putting in more than 9000 hours of service between the Community Kitchen and the Free Store. Maybe you, too, have been looking for a way to contribute to something important that is helping make a difference. I didn't ask, but suspect that more volunteers are always welcome. And since the entire operation is funded by contributions, you may decide that this is another way you can give back to our community in a meaningful way.

Here's the Damiano Center Website, and a place where you can Donate. And if you're ever hungry and have no place to go... well, the food is not only nutritious, it's tasty. 

Lego® Crayons: The Down Home Creator's Latest Crayon Creations

I don't know if it's the water, but there sure is a lot of creativity around here. Susie is forever coming up with new ideas, in part as an outgrowth of her volunteer work with children since her own creative kids grew up. Her latest idea was to make crayons using molds. Here are a few examples--Legos, puzzle pieces, flowers and critters, or whatever they be. I thought it best to let Susie tell the story here in her own words.

The Story and Symbolism Behind Crayons! 

EN: What is the Damiano Kids Kitchen and how did you get involved?

These are crayons, not Legos.

Susie Newman: Damiano Center began as a soup kitchen in 1982, and has since expanded into various other programs to try to meet the many needs in the community. One of the programs is Kids' Kitchen, a drop in center which emphasizes nutrition education for kids. They have an organic garden there during the summer, and provide other activities such as art.

In July, while in an art sale I met an amazing 83-year-old woman, "Grandma Nancy," who really liked my paper art. She has been a long time volunteer at Kids' Kitchen but was running out of art project ideas. I said I was brimming with ideas but had run out of an audience of kids to do them with since my mentees from Mentor Duluth have grown up. So we struck up a friendship and are now doing art together with kids there. It's such a perfect fit for my interests! I have long been a vegetable gardener, interested in healthy food, and an artist who especially enjoys working with kids who have not had so many advantages in their lives.

EN: What is it that has gotten you so excited about this crayon project?

Susie: Kids' Kitchen had been given a large donation of a huge box of crayons, which were all only red, blue, yellow and green. They were about to get thrown away as they were not being used. I had an idea. I had seen cute silicone molds of various shapes. I also found that with some mixing and melting and using my background knowledge of tints and shades I could come up with a wider variety of colors. To me this all seemed symbolic. Some kids who may not have had many advantages in their lives could be seen by our society as "throw aways" but with some creativity and effort they might become something pretty cool!

EN: Do these Lego crayons work just like real crayons?

Susie: They do! Just the shape is different.

EN: They look like great stocking stuffers. Where can people buy them?

Susie: They were a hot item at a craft/art sale I was recently in. They are a fundraiser for Damiano Kids' Kitchen and all proceeds will go to them.

I will have them at a sale at Peace Church on Dec. 1st, at a holiday sale at Oldenburg House on Dec. 7th, and a Down Home Creators Holiday Sale at our home on Dec. 15th. Or you can contact me directly at downhomecreator AT gmail.com.

EN: Anything else you wish to add?

Susie: A thank you to Grandma Nancy for generously covering the expenses of this project, and to friends who have helped cut paper off crayons.

Learn more about the work of the Damiano Center in Duluth's Central Hillside. Visit https://www.damianocenter.org/programs

Lego® Crayons, by Susie

Puzzle pieces that you can color with as well.

And other designs as well to color your world.

All proceeds from the sale of these crayons 

goes to support Kids’ Kitchen at Damiano Center.

Meantime art goes on all around you. Get into it.