Tuesdays Together Resident Leadership team in Action

Listening to the immigration experience of the Segovia family revealed afresh the pain around immigration that exists in the community.  It was amazing to see how many people who come to our weekly Tuesdays Together gatherings have a family member or friend who are experiencing deportation or have complications with their immigration process.  What is clear about these individual experiences is that in each case, residents are challenged to find good support and legal advice that they can trust and afford.  Consequently, the leadership team at Tuesdays Together decided to organize a mutual support session specifically focused on creating an awareness and surface resources on Immigration.

On June 14^th, the leadership team hosted an immigration mutual support event at our weekly Tuesdays Together gathering.  The team invited Michelle Mendez and Loide Jorge, immigration Attornys, who joined us at Tuesdays Together to respond to residents’ questions and concerns about immigration.  The dialogue was attended by over 45 residents who were able to ask questions and find out more about how they can use a list of resources recommended by Michelle and Loide at the event.

Workforce Circle visits Washington Adventist Hospital!

Last Thursday, 17 members of the Wheaton workforce circle and wider network gathered at Washington Adventist Hospital to learn more about careers at Adventist Healthcare. Lindsey, Cinnamon, Brent, and Lorena served as our tour guides and shared insights into their lives and careers.

• Barbara: [The visit] was “so hospitable, pleasant, impressive. I learned a lot, everything for a ‘perfect’ visit.”
• Lyn: “I’m pleased that the Adventist team found time out of their busy schedule, shows their commitment. They’re very open.”

From the cafeteria to the radiology floor, the network members experienced the inside workings of the hospital. Through conversations with our “tour guides,” and with other members at Washington Adventist Hospital, we learned about different pathways available for work in healthcare. So far, Anthony and Vincent have already taken their TB test, and getting ready to volunteer at the hospital with Cinnamon’s team. There’s already a new friendship blossoming between the two; both met each other for the first time during the field trip to Washington Adventist Hospital.

How do we continue to support each other? How do we create environments for new opportunities?

Learn more every Tuesday at Tuesdays Together at Catholic Charities.

 

 

Collective Ownership at Tuesdays Together

Over the past several months, IMPACT has experienced a period of transition, both in terms of staffing as well as office space. In these moments, it is easy to lose sight of opportunities created as a result of the pain caused by change.  For the Wheaton Opportunity Network, the challenge created by reduced staff capacity resulted in an opportunity for us to invite network members to take ownership of the community space created by Tuesdays Together. For me, this was a really humbling and yet empowering experience.  Often times, we focus on the burdens of making requests for help and pay little attention to the affirmation of value it creates for those who we make these requests of.  The result was a weekly Tuesdays Together gathering that is run by network members.

In response to our call to action, Rosa Sanchez, Debra Wylie, Rosa Hernandez, Maria Chevez and Nathena Brisco stepped up to host the weekly Tuesdays Together and pilot a leadership team structure for three months.  Marcia Mindel took leadership of the English learning circle with the support volunteer support from middle school and high school students, Ana Jorge musters up the collaborative energy to set up and put back our community space at the Catholic Charities, Ana Giron continues to cook with love for our community each Tuesday and Roxanna Ortiz keeps the kids engaged, excited and absolutely cheerful.

Each Tuesday, I walk in to Catholic Charities to the buzz of energy as residents and network members set up our common community space.  Each gathering is facilitated by the five women leaders who rotate in pairs to hold the mutual support space. At the end of the evening, everyone who participates in our weekly gathering helps puts the room back in order. For me this is the true essence of collective ownership.

Our call to action to you

Be part of our community and the Tuesdays Together resident leadership team by supporting our mutual support circles, English learning circles and other new projects in the network.

Every Tuesday, 6-8pm
Neighborhood Service Center at Catholic Charities
12247 Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20902

Tuesdays Together participants at the Taste of Wheaton

How do we take care of each other?

Before our scheduled session on Tuesday, Vincent had called to let everyone know about his absence. He was in the emergency room at Holy Cross hospital. In the spirit of mutual support and accountability, Vincent called to share his story with the group.

Instead of the scheduled mutual support session, our check-ins became a time to build relationships, sharing our most vulnerable stories, and struggles. Through these stories, we discovered the shared struggles among over diverse cohort.

Given the challenges, we recognized the amazing support system in the circle. Keysha, eight-months pregnant, shared her energy and enthusiasm around a new job training program in healthcare.

Most importantly, we recognized how to give and receive help from each other, tapping into our network in Wheaton. By the end of the evening, we recognized that the values and habits of  a successful  worker are similar to those of a successful person: someone who is not afraid to ask for help, someone who stays positive, someone who follows through with commitments.

Next week, we’re excited to reconvene with the larger Wheaton network at Tuesdays Together. Vincent vowed to show up next week (given good health). By the time I talked to him, he was in good spirits, having had conversations with Barbara and Lyn in the last 24 hours, two other network members in the circle.

 

 

How do you create networking conversations?

At Tuesdays Together this week, the workforce circle talked about situations, people, and places that present opportunities for networking.

Barbara mentions how she volunteered at an event, and 30 minutes later, created a new relationship with an elderly woman. Now, she is driving around town taking care of the senior and her daughter and son-in-law.  Jacinto shares the story about how he met Maria Chevez, our Wheaton community connector, on the sidewalk, and she connected him to the circle. For the new members on Tuesday, most of the people heard about the workforce circle from an existing member.

We concluded that networking conversation can happen anywhere, anytime, and at any place. Join us next Tuesday as the Wheaton network gathers for our holiday potluck party!

Come celebrate with us in Wheaton!

The mutual support group last week

As we wrap up 2010, the network in Wheaton has decided to celebrate! Next Tuesday, December 14th we will be having a community potluck meal and celebration at our final Tuesdays Together of the year (yes, you heard that right — we are taking two weeks off and will be back in 2011!).

We will be celebrating the end of 2010 and our new relationships and connections in Wheaton. Here are a few examples of the cool connections we have been making over the last few weeks –

Kevin with Flora, Olivia and Sandra

–Kevin, a high school volunteer, has partnered with his neighbor Alpha to help with the ESOL class — including teaching his mother Amelia

–Emily heard Tim Warner preach at her church about the Opportunity Network and joined  us at Tuesdays Together. She has jumped right in and helped the group by translating and offered to accompany Olga to her doctor’s appointment last week. Ana Giron is hoping she will have some time left over to help with the new ESOL circle starting in her apartment complex, The Fields!

Lupita, Olga, Wendy and Deborah talking after mutual support

–And speaking of Olga…last week she revealed she had a tumor in her breast removed two years ago, but had not received any follow up care! Thankfully, our friends Deborah and Wendy from Holy Cross Hospital were there and connected with her to make sure she gets the care she needs.

–Nhora from Catholic Charities made appointments to meet with community members for one-one-one job search support.

Hector -- making sure all network members sign in

–On his day off, Hector has been supporting us with our data gathering! Most importantly, making sure that we have everyone’s full contact information and then getting that information into our database. Priceless!

–Our college friends Gavin, Paige and Samantha joined us during the week of Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to having them back for a few weeks over winter break.

Please join us for a night of community, connections and food, food, food on the 14th at 6pm at Catholic Charities!

**thanks to my Mom for taking these great pictures last week!**

And the winner is…

…POLLO RICO!

In our informal poll of residents’ favorite restaurants in Wheaton, the winner was clear — Pollo Rico got the most votes from neighbors at the Flea Market this weekend.

Carlos, Alpha, Santiago, Megan, Maria, Ana and Flora -- brrr, it was cold!!

We spent Saturday morning at the weekly flea market talking to residents about Tuesdays Together and asking them about their favorite places to eat. Our new friend Midou highly recommended the African Grille — Alpha and I resolved to try it out this week. There was also a lot of conversation about the best Chinese restaurant in Wheaton.

If you’ve never been to the flea market, you should check it out! You can get anything from winter hats to dog food bowls to stereo systems. It’s right in the old Safeway parking lot at Reedie Dr. and Georgia Ave. every Saturday and Sunday from 9am – 3pm.

What can you offer?

our mutual support group this week

This week at Tuesdays Together, we had a great mix of old and new friends. After the usual dinner, welcome and introductions, we split up into three groups: the workforce circle; the ESOL class; and the mutual support circle.

For the first time in a few weeks, I stayed in the mutual support circle and I was reminded how this simple tool can allow a diverse group of neighbors (some of whom are attending for the first time) to share personal challenges and gifts.

For example, Hector hasn’t been able to join us for many weeks — his work schedule simply didn’t allow it. But, he was back this week glad to see his friends and looking for work. Instead of relying solely on ads on Craigslist like he used to, he came back to Tuesdays Together to find out what jobs his neighbors knew about (or as we network builders like to say “activate his networks”). In response to his request about jobs, Carlos A., Jose, Ana, Rosa and Guadalupe all offered specific information on openings that might work for him.

In my opinion, Hector is the perfect example of mutual support — last night he received the group’s support and he offered what he could. As Carlos A. shared the a very difficult story about scraping together the money for his young daughter’s medical needs in El Salvador, Hector chimed in: “Carlos, I can’t give you money, but I can help you get around. I have a car and since I’m not working, you just call me when you need a ride and I’ll pick you up. That way you can save time by not having to take the bus.”

Luckily, there are many neighbors like Hectors in Wheaton and when our friend Carlos A. shared about his daughter’s medical situation they all jumped in to offer support — Juan, who stopped by Catholic Charities by chance this week, offered to fix our cars (he’s a mechanic in Silver Spring) and then donate the money to Carlos for his daughter. Rosa offered to organize a fundraiser with the group and Ana agreed to help out by cooking.  Ira and I are going to buy candy to sell and donate the money to Carlos.

Join us next week at Tuesdays Together and contribute to our evolving story of neighbors supporting each other.

Is the workforce circle working in Wheaton?

Last week, we reflected on the last 6 sessions at Tuesdays Together.

Nikki mentioned that she was “getting better expressing myself.”

Lyn mentioned “I look forward to Tuesday. “

Over the last 6 weeks, we learned communication skills, creating personal commercials to connect to others.  More importantly, “we learned how information can be passed on so easily in the network to help others and yourself.”

Join us over the next few weeks as we develop our communication skills and continue building the workforce circle in the Wheaton network.

How did you get here?

Last Tuesday, I asked some participants how they ended up at Tuesdays Together what they like to do there.  Only problem–no one wanted to stop talking about how great Tuesdays Together is once they’d started! Here are some of the responses I got:

Roxana: I came to Catholic Charities to find information about a job and I met Megan, and she asked if I wanted to work with IMPACT Silver Spring–not for daycare but for “nightcare.”  I met new people every Tuesday. I met lots of people who are gone now, like Bob and Samantha, and I hope they come back!  Each week with the kids we’ll watch a movie or go to the playground or play games.

Manuel: I knew about Tuesdays Together because of Megan. When I started working for Community First, part of LEDC, I was invited to work at a food collection day. Megan was the first person I met, and she invited me to Tuesdays Together.  I’ve gotten quite a few clients from people I’ve met; I have some people who can give them the basics of financial education, basic things like importance of having an account, importance of having insurance, importance of having savings… We also have a program where we help people start their credit.  Actually, three or four people from here have been able to get a loan from LEDC.  There have been a few occasions when people from here have dreamed to have a small business, so I transferred them over to LEDC which actually teaches a class and explain to them what is the best way to begin their business.  We have people who want to send money back to their loved ones in other countries and they do that through our organization!  Through Megan, we learned more about our organizations, so when I have clients that might want to be involved with IMPACT, I send them to Tuesdays Together or to Megan, and she sends clients to me.  It’s like a big family of favors.  People who have come to Tuesdays Together and keep coming to me, they feel comfortable to come over to me when they need a job, when their family needs help.  I like it because it’s not just about bringing business to my organization, but helping people.

Cordelia: They put one of those door-hangers on my door that said “Sorry that we missed you,” and I said, “Hmmm,” and gave it a try.  That was back in May.  I liked it, so I kept coming back.  We go around the circle and say your name, where you’re from, and one good thing that happened to you that week.  Then we break out into our circles.  I’m with Anh in the workforce group.  One week she did a nice thing on a long piece of paper about culture, your family,  your neighborhood and what you can do to better your impact.  Unfortunately today’s going to be our last day.  Some people are going to go to part of a Wheaton Workforce program for health care, and some people are going to go to a Tech circle.  We don’t stay in here always, sometimes we go on picnics, take the kids to the playground, go to IMPACT in Silver Spring.  I’m growing with this organization, learning, learning, learning.

Elvia: I found out from a friend that mentioned that IMPACT was here and meets on Tuesdays, but I didn’t have the time.   Then one Tuesday, I had a friend who’d hurt his hand I and brought him to Catholic Charities, and then I saw a bunch of people on this side of the building from  Tuesdays Together.  They invited my friend and me to come.  It’s been about a month and a half since I came that first day.  When I came then, I told everyone in the mutual support circle my situation, that I was looking for a job, and I got my first customer already, cleaning houses. I always go to mutual support.  I like it, but I’m looking forward to moving to another group to meet more people.  For the time being I’m going to stay in mutual support, but in the future I’ll go to the English class.  My favorite thing about coming here is that I can get away from the things I do on a daily basis, not only to meet people, but to be able to share my story with a group that understands and listens.

How did you learn about the Neighborhood Opportunity Network?  Share your story with us, too!