Benefit Auction for Kadlec a Success

Since 1980, there has been a thirty-six percent increase in the number of premature babies born, nationwide.[1] Heather Usko’s service learning project addresses this problem, by raising funds to increase access to treatment for “premee” babies and their mothers in the Walla Walla Valley. Saturday night’s benefit dinner and silent auction at the Marcus Whitman Hotel, organized by Usko, was a shining success. Approximately 90 guests attended to bid on over 30 items, including several bottles of wine, fine jewelry, 5 hours of service at Immortal Ink tattoo parlor, as well as a painting and an array of cookies made by Usko herself. Music for the event was provided by Froghollow band and accompanied by enthusiastic dancing.

If this seems like a lot of work to pull off on one’s own, don’t worry; Usko’s family was highly involved in making the event a success. Usko’s mother and cousin helped set up and her boyfriend played in the band. She barely even needed us AmeriCorps volunteers. I don’t know yet how much money was made from the auction, but donations at the entrance to the venue alone totaled about 150 dollars. Add this to profits from the band’s tee-shirt sales and you have quite a successful fundraiser.

Funds will go towards a proposal for expanding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. The proposal hopes to provide for: A 12,000 square foot addition to the NICU, twelve more bassinets (for a total of 27), as well as several private rooms with sofa beds for parents. Costs for the proposal are estimated at 11.4 million. Kadlec is the only Level III NICU in the region, and it has been operating at 83% capacity since 2008, which is well above the state-recommended occupancy guidelines. The center serves over 430 babies a year and employs two full time neonatologists with 40 years of combined experience.

An interesting tidbit of information:

The reasons behind the rise in premature births are not yet fully understood. However, I recently saw a video from the PBS special Unnatural Causes which provides an intriguing and thought-provoking explanation. This seven-part documentary series explores racial and socioeconomic inequalities in health. The second part in the series, entitled, “When the Bough Breaks,” addresses this question: Can racism become embedded in the body to the point at which it affects birth outcomes? The answer, according to the researchers interviewed, is yes. Statistics show that black woman are about 10% more likely than their white counterparts to give birth prematurely, regardless of economic status. The researchers theorized that chronic stress resulting from accumulated racial discrimination throughout one’s life can actually induce early labor. Although more research certainly needs to be done to determine the validity of this claim, it is stunning nonetheless.

For more information on PBS’s Unnatural Causes, go to http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/.

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[1] Kadlec Foundation fact sheet

Member Bio: Sonja Pipek

AN INTERVIEW BY STAFF WRITER JOANNA JUNGERMAN

Site: Commitment to Community

Hometown: Staples, Minnesota

Reasons for joining the team: I wanted to dedicate some time to volunteering, the timing was perfect, and in a state that I love!

What has been the best thing about your experience with AmeriCorps so far?

A family that I met threw my site. With a history (I love to learn about people and their story that has brought them to today.... so you should all share with me over coffee) that would shock anyone. The three children, who are being raised by their grandmother, have taught me more about life then anyone else. Spending time with people who crave to have someone who cares, when all you want in life is to help someone else... that will do it. It has taken me a year and a half, but I can see positive changes in one of the three kids’ lives. I only hope that what I have done and continue to do will be enough to help them succeed in life. So if you are wondering where I am on Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday... I'm reading, helping with homework, baking, or playing outside.... if you ever want to join, you are welcome!

What is a typical day like at your site?

LOL, there is no typical day at C2C, no day is like the day before it. But in a week I do various projects including: running an after school program in an industrial neighborhood out by the penitentiary, answering e-mails, visiting with families in our neighborhoods, helping organize the details of an upcoming event, asking for donations, speaking with new contacts about potential ways for them to become involved, and discussing with our amazing "team" about what is happening; sharing stories and advice.

Any Hobbies/ passions/ goals/ hopes that you would like to tell us about?

Oh that is a big question! I love to do all sorts of things from camping and hiking to reading and knitting... I like to do a little bit of everything.

I like to think that I'm a very passionate person; I really just want to be able to help people. Yes, I have had many challenges in my life, but I consider myself very fortunate for the family, support, health, happiness, etc. that I had as a child. Now, I want to do my part to help give others a little something that they may otherwise miss out on. When a child tells you they don't know how to do a cartwheel because they have had no one to teach them, well you gotta teach them.

My biggest goal in life is to find a way in which I can make a difference.

If you had a time machine and you could go back in time OR into the future, which direction would you choose to go? Why?

If I had a time machine I would go back in time to about 1900. Why? To stop the Monsanto company. From what, you may ask? From the near monopoly that they now have on seeds and the creation of Round-Up. Which has/is/will create problems for future generations and keeps people from being self sufficient in less developed countries. Genetically engineered seeds don't allow for people to plant something and then use the seeds to plant the next year. Round-Up also greatly depletes the nutritional value of soil and produce, weakens crops and causes cancer. That could increase rates of poverty and hunger around the world.

Bowling!

The Social Committee would like to invite the team to Stardust Bowling lanes on Sun Feb 6. for COSMIC bowling from 2-4pm. $10.75 per person. Family and Friends are welcome.

*Stardust Lanes in located on 2nd St. half a block down from Birch St.

Eye candy or Eyesore

By now we have all seen the mural/sign /outrage /painting / advertising /eyesore /trippiest thing inside of Walla Walla (besides the absurdly small downtown hangout/drug store for gangs) that is the giant octopus on the toy store, The Inland Octopus. The goal of The Inland Octopus is to be the greatest toy store in the world. Ask any kid and they'll tell you that they would rather go to a store with an octopus on the outside than one with a drab exterior. But then again, kid favorite, Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, had a relatively plain exterior and was not that the best chocolate factory in the world? This choice of paint can be vital to a small business' survival in these rough economic times and to those who love America, this is a top priority; however, to those who simply love Walla Walla and its quaint "artistic downtown," it is an eyesore and against code.
This battle for a small business' survival then turns into a much larger argument of First Amendment rights and code interpretation. Proper protocol was followed at first and would not have been a problem had no one complained. "I (the owner) showed this picture to a city official who administers the sign code on a daily basis. His assessment was that the verbage at the bottom was a sign and the mural itself was not." Now that there are complaints, the city has redefined its interpretation of "sign" and has stated that the mural is indeed one. A sign is defined in Walla Walla Municipal Code 20.204.04 as

“Sign” means any device, structure, fixture (including the supporting structure) or any other surface that identifies, advertises and/or promotes an activity, product, service, place, business, political or social point of view, or any other thing.

With this definition the city is perfectly in its limits to declare the mural a sign and see to its removal. Opponents of the Inland Octopus may just see his defense of the First Amendment as another attempt of Obama's big government getting in the way of state's rights and to delve even further, in the way of their everyday life. And we can't let government control our lives now can we?

February Events

Feb 1: WWPSD Tutor Training
Feb 1: D's Birthday. Happy Birthday, D!

Feb. 4: Member Site Shadow Day in the morning. Have Fun!

Feb. 6: Bowling! 2-4 at Stardust Lanes, $10.75, all are welcome.

Feb 7-8: Viewing of Blue Gold at the WWCC Water and Environment Center. Mon. and Tue. 11am-11:45am. Don't forget to bring a lunch!

Feb. 10: Stipend!

Feb. 11: Shadow Day Number 2. Share your experiences with the newsletter committee so we can post them on the blog.

Feb. 15: Timesheets Due

Feb 18: Team Day! CE Committee meetings.

Feb. 25: Stipend!

Feb. 28: Timesheets/Volunteers/In-Kind Due. Don't forget that February is a short month, so you'll have to get your time sheet in earlier than usual!