Lydia Likes It

The volunteering life {all English is virtual}

Before the pandemic, my volunteering life had settled into a comfortable mix of involvements that included being a teachers' aide for in-person English for Speakers of Other Languages classes -- ESOL, which used to be called ESL -- at two different agencies within walking distance of my apartment. At the International Institute of New England (IINE), I worked in a Level 3 class for immigrants. The students had enough English to crack jokes and tell stories, and I loved working with them and with Clyde, a true Renaissance man who taught English as a second job after a 9-5 day working in tech. The other class, Level 1 at Jewish Vocational Services, taught recent refugees and immigrants the basics of English, from the names for food items to how to tell time, how to make phone calls, and conversation they would need at work or at school or at a doctor's office. Jessica, a creative and compassionate instructor, taught me everything I needed to know to be useful, as I'd never been in a beginner class before. The hard work put in by these students, whose lives were often complicated in ways most of us cannot imagine, left me awestruck.

Now I am virtual. So, too, are the teachers and students. I'm no longer at IINE, but currently working in two JVS classes on Zoom. The Level 2 class focuses on job readiness. A recent influx of refugees from Afghanistan joined men and women from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Somalia, South Sudan and Haiti; we expect to welcome some Ukrainian refugees soon. The other class, at the complete opposite end of the English learning spectrum, helps international research fellows at Massachusetts General Hospital with pronunciation skills that will enable them to make presentations and be understood more easily by patients and colleagues. In the MGH class, students (many of whom are MDs and PhDs, with a good command of English) come from Iran, Turkey, China, France, Japan, Italy, Syria and Thailand. Sarah, the teacher, manages to make a difficult subject fun for the students, and I learn something new about my native language in every class.

Zoom can be both a mystery and a blessing. Some features work more intuitively than others, and because my Mac is an outlier in a classroom full of PCs, I spend a lot of energy finding workarounds. However, the convenience -- for the teachers and students, as well as for me -- of learning from home more than makes up for the challenges. 

Working with ESOL students has become an important part of my volunteering life, but it's not the only part. More about that next time.

(Stock photo, not at JVS.)

Reasons to be Cheerful

If, like me, you're a bit down in the dumps about the state of our world these days, here's an antidote to despair. Pay a visit to Reasons to be Cheerful, a site founded by Scottish-Canadian artist and musician David Byrne, lead singer of the band Talking Heads. Under the banner of Byrne’s non-profit organization, Arbutus, Reasons to be Cheerful aims to inspire us all to be curious about how the world can be better, and to ask ourselves how we can be part of that change. By lifting up small stories of hope rooted in evidence -- Did you know the Austrian government subsidizes small businesses to repair broken stuff like electronics, bicycles, furniture and clothes? How environmentally cool is that? -- Reasons to be Cheerful addresses the big topics (civic engagement, climate, economy, education, health, justice, science) by focusing on the small actions that are making a difference at home and around the world. Every post makes me think. Every post makes me smile.

Teen Vogue

Today's most insightful and aggressive political reporting isn't the exclusive domain of The New York Times, or The Washington Post, or NPR or MSNBC. You'll find topnotch political coverage in Teen Vogue, a magazine that feeds a girls-under-21 demographic with a steady diet of fashion, beauty and entertainment content, but that also takes on huge issues like feminism, immigration, racism, and activism. Subscriptions are just $5 for one year ($10 for two years), and if there's no one in your life who would enjoy Teen Vogue, why not ask your local public library, shelter, or afterschool program if they would like a subscription as a gift? You can follow Teen Vogue on Twitter, too. Honest, courageous journalism should be rewarded. 

National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Washington DC

On a recent visit to Washington DC, everyone told me it would be impossible to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest gem in the Smithsonian Museum's crown, without having procured passes months earlier. Admission is free (as are all of the Smithsonian museums -- the biggest bargain anywhere), but timed passes are required, and are booked months in advance. However, being an early riser pays off, as the museum issues a limited number of same-day passes online, beginning at 6:30 in the morning, and I was able to snag them on my first try. When you go, allow a full day to explore the museum. Begin at the bottom, with three floors of gut-wrenching history from pre-slavery to the civil rights movement and beyond. Work your way to the top floor, which focuses on culture (food, music, art and craft), and ends your visit on a joyous note. This museum is worth a special trip to Washington DC, even if you're not going there for a march, and if you can get there during Black History Month, there are many special events.

The volunteering life {how I got started}

If you're a member of a faith group, a school or corporate program, volunteer opportunities often come to you. When you're putting together a volunteering life on your own, it can be more difficult to find your way, so you'll need to approach your search in the same way you might look for a job. First, make a list. 

When you're looking for a volunteer opportunity, consider what's most important to you. For me, two factors top the list: geography, and issues. I live in an urban neighborhood within walking distance of both the business district and residential enclaves, and I want to be able to walk to my volunteer gigs as much as possible, to build in some exercise each day while leaving my car in its parking space. I made a list of the issues on which I want to focus my energy, in the order of urgency: working with immigrants, literacy, and economic empowerment for women. Armed with my list, my priorities (location, available time, programming, skills), and a willingness to consider all possibilities, I networked with friends, and I searched online for organizations that serve immigrants and refugees, within walking distance of my home, that also had literacy programs. Success! I set my sights on the International Institute of New England, where I didn't know a single soul and had no contacts. More about that next time.