Jumbled

Ew. After two days off to rest up from retreat, I'm now sick and scheduled to work in 40 minutes. Hopefully the Emergen-C/herbal tea I took this morning kicks in soon.

Kate & I carved a Wisconsin pride pumpkin!

Last night my roommates and I carved pumpkins for Community Night. We also did our weekly check-ins, where we tell everyone how we are feeling, if we are struggling with anything, etc. My check-in is usually positive, whether it be that I'm finally understanding my job or that I had a good week exploring Chicago. This week, though, I felt more confused about my feelings.

It started with all the crazy dreams I'd had over retreat and since returning. Stressful, almost hallucinatory dreams involving snakes, broken roller coasters, and people not listening to me. Then I tried rearranging my room, thinking that might help me feel more refreshed, and I ended up boxing my bed in with my dressers and desk. I trapped myself in to a cubicle-thing.

I haven't been to work since last Tuesday and I've been rushing around getting retreat stuff ready, then coming back and unpacking and sorting out things for this week (getting dentist appointments in order, preparing for Ringside this weekend), so it made sense that I'm a little jumbled inside and out.

With some help from my roommates, I moved some of my furniture out into the hallway to clear my room out. I did wake to find it blocking my door (thanks to Britney & Diego), but I also had an epiphany about how to arrange the furniture. Now that area of my life is straightened out and I just have to work on those dreams. I have a feeling getting back to work and into my usual routine will help that.

A little Wisconsin did me good.

My roommates and I made it back to Chicago just in time for a cyclone! For all the hype (it's being called the most powerful storm in 70 years), it's fairly calm today. As in, it's not even raining anymore and the skies are blue.

I'm happy to be back, sleeping in my own bed and only sharing my bathroom with 11 other women instead of all 13 roommates plus our 2 directors, as was the situation on retreat. We were at Camp Dewan, near Burlington, but the day before seven of us were able to leave early to go to Kate's house in Brodhead. There we got to play with her barn kittens (we named them Captain, Crybaby, & Rafie...short for Rafters, which is where we found her), jump on her trampoline, help combine, and go to her brother's high school football game. I loved being in Wisconsin and staying at an actual house.

Retreat was a great way to reconnect with my roommates, because even though I live and work with them, it's hard to have quality time everyday. Camp Dewan is basically a renovated barn with an indoor basketball court/lounge area and loft for sleeping plus a lodge with more sleeping areas. Between sessions we canoed in the pond, played basketball, took nature walks, and had quiet time (aka, napped).

Our sessions focused on building community: trust, working through conflict, getting to know each other, setting ground rules for how our community should operate, etc. Some of the topics we briefly explored during our Orientation retreat, but it was much easier to talk concretely about community after living with each other for two months.

We also had guest speakers (the director of the boys' campus, the vice president of residential programs...some pretty important people), who are all awesome and so open to our questions and suggestions. That's probably one of my favorite things about Mercy Home/the MercyWorks program--people want to hear our suggestions and we know that office doors are always open, whether it's for advice or just to chat. I've been blessed with approachable supervisors in most of my previous jobs as well, and it's really one of the make or break aspects of a job, I think.

Today and tomorrow are my weekend for this week (retreat counts as work), then it's back to homework and chores in Daley Home...I feel like I've been gone from program forever and I'm starting to miss the guys and their antics!

Sex Trafficking in Chicago

I'm heading up to Wisconsin this weekend! Our fall retreat for MercyWorks is in Burlington. I think what I might be most excited about is watching the Packer-Viking game on Sunday.

Last Wednesday we all went to a lecture on sex trafficking and prostitution in Chicago. It was led in part by an ex-prostitute and the discussion focused on pimps/madams. Lots of people assume pimps aren't as common as they used to be, but they are still prevalent. The leaders of the lecture did a study on 25 ex-pimps to learn about their backgrounds, motives, etc, and their results were pretty enlightening. Every person they talked to had a history of domestic violence in their homes and most experienced physical or sexual abuse as a child.

There was a lot of information to take in, but what got me most was the fact that what my coworkers and I do at Mercy linked directly to the talk. Many of our youth come from abusive backgrounds, backgrounds that would put them at greater risk for getting into the business, as it were. Which just added one more thing for me to think about at work.

10.10.10

I planned on waking up early this morning--at least by nine--but I didn't factor in the noise of the Chicago Marathon, which woke me up a tad earlier. I guess 45,000 people are a little noisy.

marathoners on Adams

Mercy Home sits smack dab in between miles 15 and 17, so our apartment was literally surrounded by runners for the better part of the morning. Along with the runners come all of the spectators, squad cars, and for Mercy Home, a drumline. That's right, to cheer on the marathoners we had food, balloons, drums, and lots of people.



marathon supporters outside of Mercy Home

There were so many people to watch and to cheer on (lots of people have their names written on their shirts/arms so anyone can cheer for them), and I loved seeing the crazy costumes some runners wore (a banana suit and giant Eiffel Tower being the goofiest). The weather was perfect for spectating, though I'm sure the marathoners wished it was a little cooler. Unfortunately we had our Sunday house meeting at 11, so I didn't get to see the end of the marathon, but having banana pancakes, eggs, bacon, and crazy bread after the meeting in celebration of Jillian's birthday made it all okay.

Here's a clip of some of the runners...including the Eiffel Tower man:

City Year Recruitment

I never thought I'd feel like an expert on MercyWorks, but recruiting at a post-service fair proved me wrong. After discussing the particulars of my year of service to more than several of the 150 City Year members at Malcolm X College yesterday, I feel like a MercyWorks spokesperson.

City Year is a year of service much like MercyWorks, except there are tons of volunteers all over the country and they find their own housing in the cities they are serving. They usually end up being placed in schools as mentors and tutors and after their year they might either want to pursue another volunteer year, attend grad school, or go into full time employment. Hence the post-service fair.

Since all of the City Year members know what a year of service is, I didn't have to do a lot of explaining. I mostly got to talk about what makes MercyWorks different from other volunteer programs--namely, that all 14 MercyWorkers work for the same agency for the year and they have the option of signing on for full-time employment once their year is complete. Many volunteer programs place you in outside agencies (schools, hospitals, shelters, nonprofits) and function only as the home base for volunteers.

The City Year members also had a lot of questions about what we actually do. After describing Mercy Home to them (or to anyone), it can still be confusing as to what our job descriptions actually are. My answer to the "So what do you do?" question is usually "I'm still figuring that out." All job titles within Mercy Home tend to be flexible and inclusive, so "Youth Care Worker" encompasses a multitude of responsibilities. I summed it up by saying I provide basic structure (dinner, homework, chores, gym) for the youth as well as act as an advocate for their personal, educational, and social needs (along with giving some concrete examples).

The funny part was, when they asked how long I'd been at Mercy Home and I said two months, they seemed surprised. I was surprised too, at all the random information I knew about Mercy Home and how normal it felt to talk about it.

Regaining Confidence & Energy

I can't believe it's October--not only because I can't believe I've been here almost two months, but also because it's been so warm these past few days! Luckily I've been able to take advantage of the sun with long walks and outdoor activities.

On Monday we had Oklahoma Training (named so because it was developed at the University of Oklahoma), which basically amounted to a discussion of leadership styles, how to alleviate stress, and other practical things about working in a residential facility. It's a very useful training, and once I've completed all the sessions I will be a licensed youth care professional, so it's also resume-building.

I spent my day off on Wednesday boosting my confidence by making a dentist appointment, figuring out public transportation to get myself to the Museum of Science and Industry (two transfers for a total of three different L lines), and popping in to program to find out that the morning checklist I made for my advocatee the night before did indeed help get him out the door on time. Okay, so none of these things were really that challenging, but I'd been feeling a little incompetent at work so these little things helped.

There were tons of school groups at the Museum since it was a free day, and they reminded me just how different my childhood/education is from the youth I work with. I've been to the Museum before, on a family vacation when I was in third grade, but Chicago schoolkids go there for field trips (depending on what schools they attend). Sometimes at work I marvel at the opportunities the guys have--even just the opportunity to attend good schools.

I know I probably didn't appreciate my education while I was in school, but after learning about the education system in general in my different classes, I feel like a part of my job is pointing out the blessing of a basic education to the guys. In so many ways they tend to think day-to-day--homework, reading, assignments--instead of seeing the bigger picture--high school diploma, college, living independently. I know they have a lot on their plates besides school (past traumas, behavioral issues, family stressors), but because of where they are now, the hope is that they have the support and resources to better handle these things. At least that's how I understand it.

Processing all this stuff is overwhelming sometimes. That's why they preach self-care at all the trainings...it's hard to help someone else if you aren't taking care of yourself. That being said, I will feel no shame for watching Tremors and taking a nap on the couch today.

Chicago Volunteers in the News

MercyWorkers got a shout out from Claire Noonan, director of the St. Catherine of Siena Center at DominicanUniversity! Check her article out here:

http://www.chicagocatholicnews.com/2010/09/x-files-welcome-to-this-city-of-beauty.html

Community Bowls Me Over

There's nothing better than a day off right after a day off. Thursdays are to me what Sundays are to people who work regular hours and I take full advantage of mine. I've got a date planned with one of my roommates, I'll probably nap at some point, and I'm even doing a load of laundry.

Yesterday, my Saturday, I woke up early to do yoga at the dance studio across the street. Their fall session is "Pay What You Can," which is a pretty good deal. When I came back, Diego, Britney, and I made an egg scramble for breakfast before heading to the beach. The weather was perfect, and because it was a Wednesday afternoon in September, we had the beach pretty much to ourselves.

When we got back it was about time to start Community Night. First, Kevin and Megan fed us one of the best meals I've had since I got here. Our activity for the night was bowling (the Wisconsinites rocked this activity), but first we had a discussion about any concerns or props we had about community. The usual things--chores not being done, things being messy--were hashed again, but it was also good to hear that some people have been feeling left out or have been having troubles getting into community. We can guess these things, but no one really knows until it's actually talked about. Everyone in the community also gave props to each other for being honest, respecting each other, and being way fun.

Finally, we got our new simple living challenge. First we had to write down one thing we do to prepare ourselves for the day or destress after a long day, then we each got someone else's de-stresser. Diego got mine, which is to booty dance to loud music, and I got Megan's, which is to listen to this song everyday (generally before work). I'll leave you with my favorite version so far:

It ain't easy being cheesy.

It's going to be a tough day at work today, considering all my smack talk last night. I really thought the Packers would win. Who knew we'd run out of time just as the Bears took the lead. We started watching the game at the end of the second quarter, when the guys finally finished their chores for the night. (If I had a dollar for every time the guys give me an excuse for why they can't or won't do their chores, it'd be like I actually had a paying job.)  My shift was over before the game was, so I let them know as I left that I'd see them the next day, with my team as the winners.

On the plus side, I can use this as a teaching moment to show them what a gracious loser looks like.

Lights & Shoes & Concept

With Wednesday came the return of our electricity in the apartment. How crazy to be able to see while showering at night! We used the extra money from not grocery shopping the previous week to buy fixings for a bunch of sandwiches, which we handed out in the Loop to the hungry/homeless gathered near train stations and in other high traffic areas.

Our new simple living challenge? Pick one pair of shoes. Wear only those for the week. We're lucky to even have a choice here, since for many people around the world their only option is to go shoeless or fashion shoes out of whatever can be found. My choice is my Toms, short for Tomorrows. When you buy a pair of shoes from this company, they send another pair to a child in a developing nation. They're super comfy and look super classy, so those are other pluses.

Yesterday and today we had Conceptual Framework training, which basically means sitting in a board room for 7 hours each day learning a lot of theory as far as therapy in residential goes. Besides sitting for so long, I really enjoyed it. I'm a theory person for sure, so concepts are pretty awesome to me. I won't discuss them all here, because I know not many people go for that stuff...besides, dinner is ready since we are celebrating Megan's birthday!!!

Bumming at 'Bucks.

Friends!

A lot has happened since last Friday. On the work front, I've definitely gotten more confident working with the guys. Developing relationships with them is my number one priority at this point, and this takes time since most of them are not trusting of people in authority/new people/white girls from rural neighborhoods. They're getting used to having me around, though, and now when I see them in the cafeteria on my days off (I can eat in my apartment or go downstairs to the caf that all the boys/staff eat in) they are like "Hi Rach! When do you work next?" Most of them know I just live upstairs, which is okay with me. Some of the guys here don't know where us vols live, but my guys are mature enough about having us so close.

I haven't had the same days off each week, but it looks like my "weekend" will be Wednesday/Thursday. It's fun because a lot of my roommates have these days off, but it kind of stinks since we have to be here Wednesday nights for Community Night, meaning I can't really take off for a weekend. (For those of you in the 9-5 M-F workforce, this is like always having to be home Saturday night.)

I made the most of this awkward weekend this week, taking in free hot yoga yesterday and Wednesday (yoga in a 97 degree with humidity room = awesome and super cleansing) and a free day at the Field Museum on Wednesday.

This week for Community Night we joined with all three houses of Amate House for dinner & training. We also heard our new Simple Living Challenge for the week. These can range from no texting to writing thank you notes and are meant to make us think about simpler things in all areas of our lives. The focus this weekis on homelessness, so first we turned the electricity off in our apartment (except fridge/freezer, stove [it's gas], and one light for fire safety reasons). Those who are homeless have to work with the natural rising and setting of the sun and most of the time can only find shelter from dusk to dawn, if at all. We now have to burn candles at night and find ourselves hanging out with each other more rather than retreating to our rooms or to a TV or computer at night. I had to do laundry in our shower yesterday and even though we have a skylight in our bathroom, it was a little cloudy so the lighting wasn't the greatest. Cell phone use has to be kept to a minimum since we can't charge them at home, and listening to the radio is out. Right now I'm at the local Starbucks to charge my phone, check my email and post on here (I also got to Skype Bailey & Quinn!).

The second part of the challege is even though we have a budget of $250 each week for apartment food, we are not going grocery shopping until next Wednesday. This wouldn't be bad, except we already hadn't gone grocery shopping for a while and we are down to the bare minimums (aka, rice and beans). Like I said before, we can eat three meals a day in the cafeteria M-F, so that helps, but it also means getting up super early to make breakfast and being around for the rest of the meals. We had to rearrange our schedules to make it back for lunch and dinner serving. Since I chose to come to Starbucks, I missed the lunch serving and will have to eat the food in the apartment or wait until dinner. We're trying not to eat up all the food in our apartment, though, since the caf isn't open on the weekends and we'll need the food then. It's really making us think about what a large part of the population deals with on a daily basis and it's interesting how much of our day now revolves around planning out meals, more specifically, where we will find our next one. Some people have complained, but the thing is, after this week we get our electricity and food back...so many people in Chicago and around the world don't have that luxury.

Today I only work 5-10 since I work an 11 hour shift on Tuesdays and Fridays are pretty chill in program--most of my guys will go home on pass so we do an activity (movies, mall, park) with the ones who stay. Tomorrow I work during the day, which leaves my evening open for more hot yoga and seeing my roommates. We may live together, but with all of our varied schedules I have to intentionally find time to actually see some of them!

It's Official: I'm a Sox Fan.

Yesterday, Jillian, Kate and I had had enough. We pulled everything off the shelves in our pantry, cleaned, resorted everything, and put things back in their proper places. We didn't stop with the pantry, though. Both freezers and fridges got a deep clean too. Things in mysterious packaging got thrown out to make room for the large donation of food the kitchen sent to us--turns out they over-ordered for programs. One call from reception and ta-da! our apartment is bequeathed with excess bread, bakery items, and cereal.

Another call from reception made Kate and I the lucky owners of tickets for the Sox game last night. She literally called us twenty minutes before the game started, so Kate and I quickly got ready and hopped on the L. Eight stops later, we joined the crowds of people still entering U.S. Cellular Field as fireworks exploded overhead (we got there late, just as Morel hit his homerun in the third inning).

Now that I've been to both a Cubs and a Sox game, I think it's okay for me to officially be a Sox fan. The Sox game was far more interesting and the fans actually cheered for their team, who in turn actually won.

When Kate and I got back from the game, organizational inspirations struck again and I (with the help of Britney, Diego, and Kevin) rearranged our computer room. Now I am enjoying the positive feng shui in here and debating over whether I should take a walk outside in the rainy grayness or stay in to finish the awesome book I'm reading (The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson...it's about Chicago).

Good Eats.

If I have learned anything from traveling, it's to never underestimate the differences and power of food in cultures. During the weekends at Mercy, the youth eat in program instead of the cafeteria. Most of my guys cook for themselves (or at least make PB & Js), but since they were all coming back from pass for the holiday my coworker and I decided to cook. This meant an assortment of deep fried foods, oven baked turkey tetrazzini, and tomato soup. Then on Tuesday, there was an event in the kitchen so pizza was delivered to each program, where the guys plus a few staff polished off four giant pizzas from Marcello's. (Remember, these guys are in high school...they'll eat a lot of pretty much anything.)

Cooking in our apartment amounts to similar feasts of random food items--bowls of cereal followed by leftover turkey burgers and washed down with cheese or a clementine or a handful of almonds--except on Community Night. Each Wednesday, we can expect a full-fledged meal cooked by two of our roommates and featuring their favorite recipes and family classics. A week ago Amanda and Britney made chicken and rice with beans and corn on tortillas, and last night Kate and Becca treated us to marinaded drumsticks, asparagus, and scalloped corn (similar to cornbread).

My turn to cook isn't until October, but I'm already paging through my recipes in search of something awesome. Ideas?

Taking Care of Business

I'm in the office at work right now, and the view out my window is absolutely gorgeous. I'm facing east, and all I can see is the reflection of the sun setting on the Chicago skyline. The Willis/Sears Tower stands tallest, flanked by the AT&T Corporate Center and the 311 S. Wacker Building (yep, it's really named that). The rest of the skyline extends to the north in a row of mirrored windows and heaven-reaching spires.

Program is pretty quiet tonight, with all but one of our guys home on pass. A usual Saturday afternoon/evening might include an activity (park, movies, beach), but the only youth here is in bed, not feeling well. Instead he sleeps while I read, continue to familiarize myself with policies, and make rounds every so often. The rest of my roommates either have the day off or are already done with work for the day, but I'm here until ten. Then I can join them for Becca's (one of my roommates) birthday bash (one day late, since she worked all day yesterday).

I spent my weekend (Thursday & Friday) exploring the Loop (Chicago's downtown) and catching some free jazz for Jazz Fest in Milennium Park. It's safe to say walking around Chicago is tons easier that finding my way around Rome was. For starters, the majority of streets run straight and they are all clearly labeled with street signs. I've heard that "the grid" is super important when figuring out where things are, but I'm still learning how that works. All I know is Madison and State are the origin points (0 NS/ & 0 W/E) and from there you work your way out, counting blocks up and down (ie, Jackson is at 300 S, meaning 3 blocks south of Madison, and runs from 88 E to 6000 W).

Time for another walk around program...ciao!

The only things worth paying for are free.

The life of a volunteer youth care worker is a little hectic, turns out. Also, when I told them in my interview that I am an easygoing/flexible person, I never realized how much that would come into play. What I mean is, I've been here two going on three weeks and my schedule has already changed several times.

For example, tonight I was supposed to leave at 8, but a program manager from another home came in at about 6 and asked if anyone wanted extra Cubs tickets. For tonight's game. There were four youth care workers on and we now have six youth (one move in today!), but one guy is on grounds restriction, one had lots of homework, and two really wanted gym time tonight, so only two wanted to go and another youth care worker and I got to take them.

Yep, I went to work thinking I'd be enforcing chores and watching the kids shoot hoops until bedtime and instead I ended up watching the Cubs lose horribly. It was still fun and I'm not going to complaing about free tickets or getting to finally see Wrigley!

Speaking of free things, I also found a coffee shop with free coffee on Mondays and today was Free Gyros Day, so I have the half I didn't eat for lunch waiting for me in the fridge. A MercyWorker from last year got new sunglasses and donated her old ones to me, which was fortunate because I just lost mine at the park this weekend. There's also a few free concerts in the park this weekend for Jazz Fest that I totally plan on soaking in. Such is the life of a volunteer.

What's College?

Today marks the first day of college classes for most students, but I feel so far removed from the college world that it's hard to think that my friends are actually walking around campus, having classes in Boyle and wandering around the Mulva. My route to the post office does take me through the UIC campus, though, so that was my taste of college for today. Happy first day of school my friends!
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In other news, here is the community covenant we wrote and signed into effect last Wednesday:

Through the graces of God from our heart of hearts, we, the MercyWorks Community of 2010-2011, strive to wholly embrace the five program values of community, social justice, professional development, spirituality, and simple living.
We wish to intentionally bring our full presence to the spaces we enter and encourage each other to open doors and see things from a variety of perspectives, while respecting and supporting one another through the challenges ahead.
We promise to recognize the potential each person has to change the world, empower them to do so, and take responsibility for our part in that change.

(We also wrote a condensed version, which is more of an inside joke on the AmeriCorps pledge. It consists of five words: "Get things done for Amurrrica.")

overwhelmed & completely appreciated

If it feels like I've been throwing a lot of random information at you these past few weeks, know that I feel the same way--orientation, training, and starting work has been a whirlwind of information overload. I have a feeling it will stay like this for most of the year, but hopefully my brain will figure out how to process it all and I won't feel so overwhelmed all the time.

It makes me wonder how the kids who move here handle all the transitions and new information, and that leads me to the conclusion that all of our programs here are not so different from MercyWorks. This isn't a new theory, as Katie told us at Wednesday Community Night that plenty of people have called MercyWorks the highest functioning home at Mercy (sometimes, though, we act like the lowest functioning).

Wednesday Community Nights are our weekly time to reconnect, have dinner together and reflect on one of the program values or on a relevant topic. This past Wednesday we got pizza and ice cream as a reward from our Orientation Retreat, when we won the gold at "Orientation Olympics" to build community. Our reflection was the reading and signing of the community covenant that we wrote during orientation followed by an affirmation circle. An affirmation circle is simply everyone taping a piece of paper to their backs so that everyone can write an affirmation on it without anyone knowing who wrote what. I loved reading what people wrote on mine afterwards, knowing what they enjoy about me.

Today, Sunday, means another house meeting (less fun than Community Night, and more on the business side of things). Because I went to the Daley Home staff retreat on Friday, I have today off and don't work until 2 on Monday. :)

Swagger Wagon

You know those commercials for the new Toyota Sienna? The ones that brag how super cool they are and how they are not mom vans, but "Swagger Wagons"? That's totally the vehicle we use at Mercy Home. MercyWorks has one, along with a few cars, and each of the programs (from now on Daley Home = my program) has its own Sienna as well.

These past few days I have spent a considerable amount of time in the Swagger Wagon. Yesterday I went with another youth care worker (YCW) to pick up groceries for Daley's community night. They have one every Wednesday, much like MercyWorks, which means I'll never be there for it, but I did get to pick out some of the food they ate! (I checked today and my shopping was a success--they finished off all the nachos they made.) 

Today, since I worked during the day with my Supervisor and the Day Coordinator, I got to ride in the Swagger Wagon during supply trips to Staples and Target and later I went with our DC to pick up two youth from school. The guys live in different programs, but since they aren't in high school yet, they get dropped off and picked up from school and with so many of them it takes lots of staff to get everyone.  When we pulled up, they were super excited to see the Swagger Wagon...until they realized I was sitting up front. These guys love riding shotgun.

Tonight I have a one-on-one "date" with one of my 13 roommates (the plan is Italian ice in Little Italy) and tomorrow I have a staff retreat for my program.....but the weekend is almost here!

Preventing Crises & Meeting Vols

You should all be pleased to know that after eight hours of lecture/practice, I am currently (mostly) CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) trained. What does that mean? If any of the guys or girls (in any program) grabs me, bites me, or pulls my hair, I can successfully maneuver my way out of that situation. Furthermore, if any of the youth are bringing damage to themselves or another person, I know how to safely and nonviolently restrain them until they calm down.

The thought of actually restraining on of the Daley guys is a little scary, but luckily restraints rarely if ever happen in my program--it's just better for everyone to know what to do in any situation.

Tomorrow we will finish our training and get fingerprinted and the remainder of my day I'll continue to be in program, getting to know the guys.

Tonight we are having volunteers from the Amate House over for some dinner and to compare volunteer years so far. Having other volunteers in the city is nice, since we can share useful hints about where to find bargains and how to cope with stipend-living!

Intro to Daley Home

After one day on the job, I'm not about to make any grand conclusions concerning how I feel about working in Daley Home. I will say, though, that if the rest of this year looks anything like today, I will definitely survive and most likely thrive.

What I'm saying is, I had a good first day of work.

A big component of today was Wingspan training. Wingspan is the computer program we use to log the goals and transition plans for each of the youths. Some parts are updated and filled in quarterly while other parts need to be filled in on a daily or weekly basis, so it's important for us to know our way around the database.

The rest of my day was spent in program, where I did actually get to meet the guys briefly. There are five guys in Daley Home right now, but most likely a few more will move in as the school year starts (we have five open beds). They range in age from 14-16 now, but technically Daley Home is open to 11-18 year olds. If you are wondering, yes, Daley Home IS named after former Chicago mayor Richard Daley (and his wife, Eleanor "Sis" Daley), though it is a little strange since their son is the current Chicago mayor.

Today was the first day of school for several of them, one starts school tomorrow, and another doesn't begin until after Labor Day since he attends public school, so right now their daily schedule is flexible. When I got there, the two not in school were playing basketball in the gym. Then we all went to lunch together, where I got to see some of my roommates with their Homes. In the afternoon the other guys got home from school; one of them left to go to work (Daley youth 16 and over are required to have jobs) and the others scrounged around the kitchen for food even though it would be supper time soon. (Don't worry, they were all hungry again, like typical high school boys.) After supper came homework/study/reading time and when I left at seven they were finishing so they could start evening chores. Each night is a little different, but they usually have some combination of chores/homework time/gym time/free time/community meeting before bedtime and lights out between 10 & 11.

I'm excited to get to know the guys, since from what I can already see they are a fun group. I know it will take some time for them to open up to me and not treat me like a newbie, but I'm sure I will win them over eventually. :)