All Good in the Garden!

Team BMCD/Spaces is off to a great start for April. Despite the late March/early April snow (and walking uphill both ways) the team managed to get together to build 14 - 4'x12' raised beds that will go into the garden we're helping build at the Community of the Good Shepherd. We can't wait to get them in there and get to planting! Hard to imagine things growing when it's still snowing this late. But alas, the sun will come out tomorrow. Anticipation is building for an epic workday that will hopefull place these beds and get an anti-deer fence erected to guard the oh so delicious vegetables that we hope to see growing soon.

March - Feel A Need for TLC

The Burns McDonnell and Spaces, Inc. team are working with TLC Therapeutic Learning Center to help them fill a need for March. TLC is asking for our community service project help in refurbishing their “Bus Waiting Room”. This is a room where parents and teachers meet to drop off and pick up their children. It is a lounge as well as a play room and storage area for car seats. We are turning this room into a ZOO theme with lots of fun and interesting characters to look at and study on the walls. We plan to turn this room into warm, inviting and interesting setting so people will enjoy sitting in this lounge for parents and play room for the children. We will make this the most comfortable and inviting room in the school.

We also plan to continue the ZOO theme throughout the hallway outside the classroom doors. We are planning on making each classroom a special themed ZOO animal room. We plan to paint a different ZOO animal mural over and around each doorway for the students to identify each room as the "Zebra Room", "Penguin Room", "Monkey Room", "Turtle Room", or "Lion Cub Room". This is a need that TLC is asking us to fulfill, so the kids will have more fun and welcoming for all.

We also discovered a need as we were in discussions with TLC and developing our fill a need theme. TLC is in need of purchasing therapeutic exercise equipment for their kids. There is need to raise money so that they can purchase this equipment so we are organizing and implementing a fundraiser.

The fundraiser will be a Family Poker Tournament on March 3rd from 5:00PM to 9:00PM. It will be held at Johnny’s Tavern (1310 Grand Blvd. KCMO) in the Power and Light. We welcome everyone to register and pay $40.00 dollars for the entry fee to see if you can take up the cash prize for first, second or third place. We are also selling raffle tickets for this event, $5.00 for one ticket or $20.00 for 5 tickets. We will have some very high quality products, services and gifts that we will raffle off all evening. We encourage everyone to please purchase the raffle tickets and sign up for the Poker tournament.

For registration for this event please contact Stephanie Volk at TLC, svolk@childrenstlc.org. Or phone Stephanie at 816-756-0780 ext. 2138.
We will raffle off a Toshiba 32” flat screen TV value of $520.00, Falcon Ridge Golf Outing value of $316.00, JCCC Performing Arts Series for the Joffrey Ballet Performance value of $130.00, also we have a Spa Package, Restaurant Gift Certificates, Sporting Event Tickets, and much more!
Please sign up today to help us raise the necessary funds to help TLC purchase this equipment and help us fill this need for TLC!

Carnival Games for Down Syndrome Guild of KC

The Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City (DSG) holds several annual events in which family, friends, and volunteers of the organization come together for an afternoon of fun and games. For each event, DSG rents several carnival games from a local supplier. Each game costs about one hundred dollars to rent each time. Over a couple years, it adds up! We found to be the perfect opportunity for Burns & Mac and Spaces to apply our skills to help DSG in a creative way. DSG already had the resources put aside for this project so our team did not have to spend a dime. Additionally, we knew that February's theme of "Change Without $Change$” was not so much about things as much as people. We decided to work with the DSG STARS (Special Teens Achieving Real Success) in deciding what games to build, and how to build them. Hanging out with the DSG STARS, getting paint everywhere, and dancing to some Jonas Brothers, was truly a treat (and entertaining) for all involved.

Over January and February, we met with STARS three times. Our first meeting was an ice breaker in which we went through introductions (you work at McDonald’s??!!) and held a friendly competition of building the tallest possible tower out of toothpicks and marshmallows. DSG is always looking for ways to expose STARS teens to different careers and so this small contest was a great way to show them some things that engineers do. We then brainstormed as a group to decide which of their favorite carnival games we were to build. We decided on Bucket Toss, Washers, Prize Wheel, and Sucker Tree. At our second meeting, we utilized donated painting to let the teens apply some artistic flair to each masterpiece. We also had time to play board games when the work was complete. During our third and final event, we tested out the games by playing them and giving out prizes. Everyone was a winner! Perhaps the most memorable part of the meeting was dancing the night away with STARS to the Hannah Montana soundtrack.

Working with STARS and DSG was fun, educational, and inspirational for us as volunteers. Prior to these events, few of us understood what Down syndrome really was, and how it affects people’s behavior. After spending some quality time with STARS, it is easy to see that each individual with Down syndrome has his or her own strong personality, and will say the darnedest things as any teenager will. A DSG volunteer coordinator pointed out that she had never seen some of the STARS teens as animated as when they were interacting with us. It’s great to know that we made a last impression on some of the teens we worked with. And although we left DSG with some (hopefully) long lasting carnival games, we took away experiences that are even more valuable. DSG has already expressed interest in working with our group in the future. We hope to find some volunteers on the BMcD/Spaces team that would like to continue with future volunteer activities with DSG.

ReStart Group Project

Project Change teams got an early chance to help out and get involved in the community this past Saturday at ReStart in downtown KC. Spaces/Burns & Mac provided almost a dozen volunteers to help put together backpacks full of items for teens and baskets for families for those in need around KC. These teens don't have a lot to call their own but this backpack will be all theirs! The baskets were also filled with necessities for the families that we tend to take for granted. Additionally, notes of encouragement, toiletries and other goodies were included. We also had the opportunity to serve a holiday meal to the families and help clean up at ReStart. There were so many volunteeers there that all of the tasks were done so fast they had to find more things for us to do!

Partner Organizations Chosen for Challenges!

Things are getting exciting! Woo-woooot! We're laying all the groundwork right now so we can start rolling on these projects.

Challenge 1:
Create Change without $change$ - February
A wise man once said, mo' money mo' problems. Well we have no money, and no problems! For February's challenge we are teaming up with the Down Syndrome Guild of KC. One thing we're looking into is helping with some programming to entertain and hang out with these wonderful kids. A meeting with DSG tomorrow should help give us some more ideas of ways we can help.

Challenge 2:
See-A-Need -> Fill-A-Need - March
Ever heard of Children's TLC? Shazam! Now you have! Spaces Inc. is spearheading this effort to help make this awesome place even awesomer (yep I just made up a word), and hopefully a bit more warm and inviting for the kids, parents and families. We're also looking into a specialized bike for kids with disabilities. Everyone at TLC is so passionate, and it's contagious! But in a good way, not like the chicken pox.

Challenge 3:
Grow Change -> Create Hope – April
For Challenge 3 we have decided to work with Community of the Good Shepherd and help them with a large community garden among other things. Hopefully this will give the adult residents a place to get their hands dirty while also complementing their diet with some fresh vegetables. Who doesn't like fresh vegetables?? Small children for one, but they'll grow to love them someday!

Bonus Challenge - A Door too Far - May-???
Operation Breakthrough
Project Change Bonus Edition!!! We just can't get enough of Operation Breakthrough; what a great organization. We're excited to continue our work and maintenance on the outdoor classroom at Operation Breakthrough. This summer may also serve as a great opportunity to have all the kids and their families gather in the classroom for a little summer bbq and party! I call not being the grillmaster!

Challenge Projects Almost Chosen!

The Spaces/Burns & Mac team met after the PC Kickoff Meeting and decided on the 3 (err...4) groups we wanted to work with, and projects we have in mind. There were too many great groups to chose from for the given challenges, so in addition to doing our 3 Team projects, we also decided to do a 4th to continue our work with Operation Breakthrough! Project leaders for the other 3 challenges have been assigned and are now working with the beneficiary groups to see what we can do to help them. The project scopes will be narrowed at the next meeting, and more information will be available for the Lunch and Learn (informational) meeting at Burns & Mac Monday December 6th. The wheels of Change are turning!