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Barbara Scoville, LCSW

~ Pioneers of Peace™

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Category Archives: homeless youth

Synergy and Resilience

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in homeless youth, Homelessness, Pioneers of Peace, VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

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altruism, Charitable Giving, Charity, Compassion, Energy

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Hello Friends,

If you haven’t checked out the humanitarian arm of Barbara Scoville LCSW, take a  peek at the website www. pioneersofpeace.org. This site, created by myself is designed to cultivate compassion and provide opportunities to give back to your community and the world. There is a wonderful synergy that takes place in the space between giver and receiver. I hope you are making room for it in your life because it is the energy that gives rise to resilience and wisdom.

Currently we are hosting a project called “Operation Love Bundles.” If you have been following this blog, you may recall we did the same thing last February for Valentine’s Day. lovebundlesOct

Essentially we are collecting needed items for our homeless youth to brave the impending cold weather. In Salt Lake City alone, there are over 500 homeless youth, many who are sleeping on the streets and in the canyons.

Our goal is to assemble 200 “Love Bundles” and donate them to VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center by Oct 22.

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Each bundle consists of

  • fleece scarf (Check out the scarf making tutorial at www.pioneersofpeace.org)
  • protein bar
  • pair of new socks
  • handwarmers
  • lip balm
  • paper crane with a inspirational quote written on it

We are asking for donations of hand warmers, new socks, protein bars and handmade fleece scarfs.

While you are out shopping this weekend please remember our homeless youth and throw a package of one of these items in your cart.

Contact me at barbarascoville@pioneersofpeace. org for drop off locations.

Hugs,

Barbara

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Valentine’s Day and VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

14 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Altruism, homeless, homeless youth, humanitarian service, making a difference, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience

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Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center, Charity, Compassion, Happiness, Homeless Youth Resource Center, Humanitarian Programs, Kindness, Maya Angelou, POP Operation Love Bundles, Quality of life, Target, Volunteers of America

POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator  VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center

IMG_2843I sat down at my desk, opened my computer, and while I was waiting for WordPress to load, I lifted my eyes from the screen to look out the window. The wind chimes hanging by my back door were singing, as were the birds, and I beheld the beautiful sunrise pictured above. A perfect Valentine’s Day morning.

Aside from the picturesque sky, I can attest to “There is beauty all around.” That phrase is from a popular hymn that continues with… “when there’s love at home.” 

Maya Angelou said ” I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself”

Yesterday finally arrived. We loaded up seven over-sized Target bags holding two hundred “POP Love Bundles,” and delivered them to Volunteers of America (VOA) Homeless Youth Resource Center.

We were welcomed by a lovely young man who offered to help us carry the heavy bags inside. Once inside, we saw food for the taking lining the shelves. We met Anna Stapley the program coordinator and she took us on a tour of this amazing facility.

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When they say “Homeless Youth Resource Center,” they aren’t kidding! From the outside, the building looks quite small. When you walk in, the space feels cramped…but just you wait; as we began touring we felt like one of the below:

  1. We had actually walked into Dr. Who’s Tardis
  2. Hermione Granger dipped her hand into her magical purse
  3. IKEA had swooped in making the best possible use of this very small space

There were shelves holding large bins of hygiene supplies, baby supplies, food, clothing, shoes, backpacks, blankets, dress clothes for job interviews, sleeping bags and much more.

There were two computers, seven showers, a large open area that I think doubled for serving meals and holding groups.

The center is open:

Mon – Fri  9:15 am- 1 pm (drop in-center)

Mon – Fri  9 am – 5 pm (appointment only or drop donations)

Breakfast served: Mon-Fri 9:15 am – 9:45 am

Lunch served: Mon-Fri  1- 1:30 pm

Dinner served: Friday only 4-4:30 pm

Different groups offered include: Art group, Get an I.D., Horizonte Group (GED and education), Yoga Group, Music Group, Haircut and a Movie Group, Homeless Court (for kids with legal problems), Zine Group (run by the Community Writing Center) and two other groups for talking about what’s on your mind and learning new skills.

…and the services continue…case managers helping youth get connected to community resources, job interviewing skills, assistance for obtaining new social security cards (remember, you can’t get a job without a social security card,) and so much more that I can’t even begin to do it justice. I can’t remember the exact ratio of full time employees to volunteers but I do know there are 20 who give their time freely to help vulnerable youth get stabilized.

Volunteers of America’s mission statement is:

Volunteers of America, Utah is a ministry of service organized to reach and uplift those in greatest need and to provide opportunities to experience the joy of serving others.                

We at Pioneers of Peace resonate with that sentiment wholeheartedly.

Right now I wish you could feel what is inside my heart. Take a moment and try to imagine the feeling of seeing so much good being done for so many vulnerable people and then on top of that, add all of the effort on everyone’s part to make POP Operation Love Bundles possible.

We would like to thank each one of you who contributed to the success of this project. From cheering us on, to sending positive energy and prayers and sharing our goals, to financial support, making scarves, buying fabric, socks, protein bars and lip balm. Thank you for writing quotes on paper cranes and then lovingly folding them, and also the actual assembling of the love bundles; We say…THANK YOU! WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT. We have all walked, not just talked.

Our rough calculations show that together we spent $1,030.00 and served 100+ hours for POP Operation Love Bundles. Well done everyone!

Our goal was to let our homeless youth know they are not forgotten. We hope in some small way we fulfilled Maya Angelou’s beautiful quote.

” I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself”

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone XOXO

~Barbara

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American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!
American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!
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POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
POP Operation Love Bundles Drop Off Day -Annie Peterson from Target standing next To Anna Stapley, Center Coordinator VOA Homeless Youth Resource Center
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P.S. FYI, VOA HYRC can always use donations. For more info visit www.voaut.org

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To the Young Man Sitting Outside the Door

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Altruism, homeless, homeless youth, humanitarian service, making a difference, Pioneers of Peace

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Tags

American Fork, Charity, Compassion, empathy, friends, Giada De Laurentiis, Gratitude, Happiness, Kindness, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, Target

American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!

American Fork, Utah Target Employees are ROCK STARS!!!

I was running late already, but when I turned left instead of right my fate was sealed. As I approached the library in a harried state, I saw a young man hanging out close to where I was going to park my car. Is this safe, I questioned.

No time to worry now; just park the car and get everything inside. Everyone will be arriving soon; we have booked the library for two hours. Will everybody show up? … and the big question, will we be able to assemble 200 love bundles in that amount of time?

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Everyone did show up. We folded the scarves in half length wise and laid them out across the conference table. It was kind of like making Giada De Laurentiis’s lasagna roll ups. First the scarf, then a layer of socks, next a layer of hand warmers, and on top of that a protein bar. Alongside the protein bar, lip balm, and then the piece de resistance, a paper crane containing the most important spice; an inspirational quote. Roll that all up nice and neat and tie it with a piece of raffia. Viola a “Love Bundle.”

Someone was singing “Rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin, rollin”, there were other songs from the Lion King, and comments like, “I am rocking these love bundles,” and “Make sure you blow a kiss into each one of these babies.” We talked about the TV show Blacklist, catching fireflies when we were kids and Moulin Rouge. Each team member disclosed their signature strengths and opportunities and at one point, someone said, “I feel really close to you guys right now.” It was hard to tell if the comment was playful or dare I say sarcastic, but personally… I felt like I had 6 new best friends.

Because of all the frivolity I don’t recall when I first noticed, but I saw that the boy who was standing by my parking place had moved inside. He was sitting on a chair that made it possible for him to see everything we were doing. Throughout the two and a half hours we were there, my eye would catch him, and I was reminded he was there.

What’s he doing? Something is not right. At times I couldn’t tell if he was sleeping or just slumped over playing on his phone. Is he homeless? Is he waiting for someone? Does he just like hanging out at the library?

And then I would be carried away in the friendly atmosphere of new found friends who on their own time, chose to come together to make a difference in the lives of homeless adolescents.

Someone once posed a question similar to this, “If a star appeared in the sky that held some great significance: would you see it?” I’ve thought a lot about that question over the past month and have wondered if I would.

About an hour and a half into assembling “Operation Love Bundles,” I walked out into the hall and approached the young man. I said, “Just hanging out at the library today?” He didn’t look up at me, but said in a flat voice, “Yeah.” I said, “You’ve been sitting here a long time.” Again, without looking up, he said “Yeah.”

I walked back into the assembly room wondering if I should do anything more.

To make a long story short, I didn’t. We finished the project and ended with so much oxytocin floating through the room, it was intoxicating. Thank you’s and promises of working together again on a charitable cause carried us out to our cars.

Out to our cars… As we were loading up 7 oversized Target bags containing 200 love bundles, I noticed the boy standing in the same place he was standing when I drove up. What is he doing I asked myself again. Should I do something? Should I give him a love bundle? Should I ask him if he is okay?

I drove away.

Today is February 9. We are dropping the bundles off at HYRC on the 13th. We are experiencing a record breaking heat wave in Salt Lake City. Our love bundles were created to let homeless youth know they are not forgotten and to keep them warm on cold nights. Participation on this project has been overwhelming. Many have walked, not just talked and for that, we at Pioneers of Peace are so grateful. We know there is a magical synergy that takes place between the giver and the receiver, and all are measurably edified…and that’s what Pioneers of Peace is all about.

But as I reflect back on “Assembly Day,” I can’t help but think I missed the star. If I could have a do-over, at the very least, I would call up my courage and try harder to engage the young man. Perhaps I would’ve asked him to help us. What is the irony in putting together 200 love bundles in the middle of a heat wave when there might have been 1 with us from start to finish, and we did nothing.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” `Maya Angelou

To that young man, I say, “I am so sorry. I will do better next time.”

 

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P.S. HYRC If You Helped My Son I Am Forever Grateful

26 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in charitable sewing, homeless youth, humanitarian service, making a difference, Pioneers of Peace, Resilience, The Power to Do, Valentine's Day

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We are in the thick of making POP Project Love Bundles a reality and I have been moved to share some thoughts and impressions with you.

In case you weren’t aware, homeless youth in Salt Lake City do not have a shelter to stay in at night. Up until recently it was illegal to house adolescents. Fortunately that law has changed and a shelter is being built, but it will not be open until next year.

Volunteers of America has a Homeless Youth Resource Center, where kids can stay during the day and receive meals. Many of the youth are camping throughout the city and the foothills, so HYRC has a mobile unit (a van) in which they deliver much needed resources to the youth as well as connect them to multiple resources.

Last year, HYRC served 647 youth, having a total of 23,768 contacts, They dispersed 102,422 basic need items, made 3,766 referrals and provided 789 care coördination hours meaning they sat down one on one to discuss treatment services etc.

Pioneers of Peace, along with Target and other community angels are teaming up to make a difference in these adolescents lives this Valentine’s Day. We have initiated what we fondly refer to as “POP Project Love Bundles” in which we are providing: a handmade fleece scarf, a set of hand warmers, a new pair of socks, lip balm, a protein or granola bar, and a paper crane complete with a handwritten quote. These items are all rolled up and then tied with raffia; hence a “love bundle.” Our goal this year is to give 200 bundles.

The response has been wonderful! We have enough scarfs, hand warmers, granola and protein bars, but we are still in need of socks.

Pioneers of Peace, has created our own brand of lip balm that we will be selling using the Tom’s Shoes business model, One for One. In other words when you buy a tube of lip balm for yourself, you will be providing a tube for a homeless youth. We hope you will support our cause by stocking up on our fantastic, hip, SPF-15 lip balm that will soon be available.

Now for some thoughts…

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One of my earliest memories is that of my dad sitting me down around Valentine’s Day to tell me I mustn’t neglect to give everyone in my class a Valentine.  As I was decorating my shoe box/Valentine’s Mailbox, he told me the story of an awkward little girl in his elementary school that didn’t receive any Valentine’s from her classmates. He vividly remembered the pain and tears on her face and every year forward he made sure to give her a Valentine.  My dad taught me to not forget the forgotten.

An observation…

Working with Anger Like a Horse Whisperer

Last week I was at Costco where I overheard a common, but unpleasant exchange between a mother and a 10ish year old boy. The mother was obviously at her wits end and her son had done something that she apparently had told him to stop. It was at that point that I entered the scene and heard these screaming words leave her lips…

“Stop it!!! I’ve told you and told you to stop it! What’s the matter with you? Are you stupid?!!!

My heart broke as I heard those words and especially when I looked at the boys face.

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A conversation with my son…

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Last week I was on the phone talking to my son who lives in Korea. Somewhere in our conversation I told him about “Project Love Bundles.” His response was very positive and supportive. He said, maybe next year you can do it in November because it gets really cold outside. That way they could use the scarves longer. He then went on to tell me about VOA’s HYRC, and said I should call the local public radio stations to get the word out. I reminded him that HYRC  is the agency we are working with and then the conversation turned to another topic.

That particular son left home at 18 under not so favorable circumstances. That was 18 years ago and he is now a certified teacher and Dean of Student Affairs at an international school in Korea. After hanging up the phone, I wondered how he knew so much about the Homeless Youth Resource Center and how cold it gets at night when you’re homeless.

How do these thoughts come together? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know this.

I want the homeless youth of Salt Lake City to know they are not forgotten this Valentine’s Day.

P.S. HYRC, if you helped my son at the most difficult time of his life I am forever grateful to you.

 

 

 

 

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