On the contrary, the last day was filled with laughter, confident teenagers (with places to go), and me holding on to the keys until further notice.  The young people of the B-SAFE program confided that the program is a summer safe haven for them; a place that they can return to year after year.

I thought of all of the support we received for the five weeks, particularly the support received from a certain group of individuals who have long-existing relationships with the B-SAFE program:  Our teenage CITs who were once B-SAFE campers themselves!

As we entered the building, and the students were exchanging  “See you laters”  (as opposed to “Goodbyes”),  I saw the individual impact the program has on these youth.  Week Five was not the last week of the program. Instead, Week Five was yet another safe week at a very familiar place that feels big, safe, and connected.  There will be many more such weeks.

Posted by Marilyn Jean Nazaire, Site Director for St. Stephen’s LEARN

Our fifth and final week of the B-SAFE program at Church of the Holy Spirit church came and went all too quickly for most of our liking.  It was a jam-packed week for staff members and kids alike with the usual field trips but also the added fun and pressure of the final ceremony, talent show, massive clean-up,
and general anxieties about the end of the program.  However, the ever-resilient team at B-SAFE @ Holy Spirit tackled all challenges head on. This included having our very own lead counselor Diandra Jones provide a tasty lunch for all of our B-SAFE family on a day when no partner church was available.

 Indeed, “Family” was a personal theme for our site during our last week as we all pulled together to support our kids and teens in the talent show. There was an overwhelming amount of love and support from every direction, and it was great to see how happy the parents were to see their kids get to shine. Our last day of the program was a bittersweet trip to Nantasket Beach where we all got to splash and enjoy each others company as we realized how much we were actually going to miss each other.

Posted by Vicky Ajene, Site Assistant at B-SAFE @ Holy Spirit

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  The Bible, Matthew 18:4

We often believe as adults that there is very little that we can learn from children.  We believe that the natural order is that children learn from adults.  As a parent, I can attest to this common misconception. I had an experience this summer with a seven year old girl from B-SAFE @ St. Luke’s/San Lucas in Chelsea that reminded me why children are so precious, why this work is so important, and how much we can learn from one small child.

On our first full day field trip of summer 2011, B-SAFE @ St. Luke’s/San Lucas went to Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, Massachusetts.  The youth participated in various activities and learned about this national historic landmark and life on a farm through hands-on activities.  The morning was dedicated to feeding animals, learning about pumping water from a well, and a guided tour of the grounds and historic home.  In the afternoon they played games, went on hay rides, and did arts and crafts. It was the latter part of the day when I experienced a selfless act of a young child.

I sat with a small group of youth making bracelets with beads.  When the beads were presented most began making bracelets for themselves with their names spelled out (myself included).  One little girl by the name of Grace showed to be diligently searching for various letters in a large pile of beads from which many youth where searching.  Other children would come, sit, make their bracelet, and be on their way to do other activities. But Grace patiently and persistently kept working, searching for letters for her bracelet.  When
other young people came to our area, she would step back, allow them in, patiently wait, and then continue on with her pursuit.

I looked at my watch; it was almost time to go.  Many had come and gone, but Grace continued working and searching.  I grew concerned that she would miss out on the other fun activities.  The staff from Spencer-Pierce-Little farm announced the last hayride of the afternoon.  I knew Grace had not gone.  I asked her if she wanted to go, and she replied no.  It was time to go, and at that point I realized that Grace was not working on a bracelet for herself, but for her two older siblings.

I asked Grace if she made one for herself and she replied “No, but what’s important is that I was able to make them for my brothers.”  I was present when she gave one of her brothers the bracelet she had worked so tirelessly on. When she presented that bracelet to him, I realized that they joy she felt from giving him that bracelet was much greater than the joy that she would have felt from a hay ride or having her own bracelet.

This was a reminder to me, and I hope to those reading this, as to why the workof B-SAFE is so important. We must continue to nurture these young spirits knowing that our own spirits are being nurtured as well; just like mine was on that Friday afternoon.

Posted by Mauryn Perkins,  B-SAFE @ St. Luke’s/San Lucas (Chelsea)

What I have also witnessed this summer is the connection that many volunteers feel for the young people they serve.

A volunteer leader from Newton recalls an Epiphany field trip from five years ago: the current assistant site director, then a teen CIT, taking quickly to paddling a canoe for the first time and loving the new experience.  He is amazed and pleased that she remembers him.  Both are clearly touched.

As we wait for the children to file in for lunch, Alice points to a corner in the St. Luke’s/San Lucas parish hall.  “That’s where I read with the 1^st graders last year.  One was SO proud to read to me.  I have carried that image in my heart all year long!”

Another volunteer leader writes enthusiastically about “the strength of the program that comes from kids who were pee wees six or so years ago who are now taking responsibility for the next wave is just remarkable”.

And I especially appreciated the comment from another hot but happy volunteer that she STILL had last year’s B-SAFE postcard on her refrigerator door (“I love it!”) and she’s looking forward to receiving this year’s.

Our partner churches and volunteers are vital to the success of B-SAFE.  How rewarding it is to hear from them how much participating in the program means to them.

Posted by Jane Tierney, Partner Church Coordinator

During B-SAFE, our CITs have had additional opportunities to improve upon leadership and problem solving skills, develop positive relationships, and learn valuable information to help them build bright futures.  Last week, for example, all of our teens went to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston for a program focusing on “Money Matters for Young Adults.”  The game show presentation addressed budgeting, banking, credit establishment/history, and college financial planning. CITs across sites came together to participate, some taking notes, and others leaving determined to open a savings account at a local bank (if they did not already have one, which is the case for a number of our teens.) We are excited to have been able to connect with the experts at the Federal Reserve and offer their knowledge to our CITs as a foundation for financial stability!

Posted by Daisy Chiu, Teen Staff Coordinator for B-SAFE @ St. Stephen’s

Posted by Julian Gomez, Teen Staff Coordinator for B-SAFE @ Epiphany (Dorchester) and B-SAFE at Holy Spirit (Mattapan)

This summer, as the Partner Church Volunteer Assistant, I am lucky to have the job of supporting hundreds of volunteers from various churches around the Boston area who come in to serve lunch and read to our young people.  I have never met more gracious, generous, and selfless people in my life.  I am continuously impressed with how much time and energy our volunteers give to B-SAFE.

Every morning I have kids run up to me asking.  “What’s for lunch because yesterday was SO good!”  I have yet to determine which expression I love more, the face of the kids who are served a great meal, or the satisfaction on the volunteers’ faces while they watch our kids enjoy a healthy and delicious lunch.  One of the best parts of my job is watching a child after lunch go up to a volunteer to ask if they would like to read with them.

B-SAFE is a wonderful program to be a part of, and I’m so grateful that I get to share mutual feelings with those volunteers who help make the program such a success.  Our volunteers for B-SAFE are the most amazing people, and I get so much joy from working with them!

Posted by Claire Griffin, Partner Church Volunteer Assistant and Jesuit Volunteer Corps member

The week’s theme was Respect, so what better way to repect our neighbors than by learning more about them? The elective was divided into three parts: a Spelling Bee, a Geography Bee, following up with Geography Jeopardy! We chose two teams, and started with “Level 1 Words”: Amazon, Bolivia, and progressed to more challenging words, such as: Venezuela, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires. Learning as we spelled, we moved on to the Geography Bee: What is the capital of Argentina? Buenos Aires! What is the largest river in the world? The Amazon River! Finally, Geography Jeopardy was a huge sucess. Teams were debating whether to take ‘Countries and Capitals’ for 300 points or ‘Animals and Culture’ for 400 points.

As a native New Yorker, my knowledge of world geography is limited at times, so I took this opportunity to learn what I was attempting to teach. I loved planning this elective, and especially teaching it. The kids were at first hesistant to “buzz” an answer, but by the end of the rounds, they were running to the map to find Suriname (Dutch is the official language!). Geography, a subject often left behind during the school year, was revived! I’m looking forward to exploring more of the world with the kids in the months to come!

Posted by Emily Tabor, Development Coordinator

 Michael Lavelle, a “Mad Scientist” on the B-SAFE team shared wild stories about natural disasters.  Kids were amazed by videos of meteors, and screamed with delight as their own “vinegar and baking soda volcanoes” erupted with lava! 

Out in front of the church, we had a special visit from the Boston Truck Farm.

  The Truck Farm is a national organization that fills the beds of old trucks with soil in order to plant a traveling farm.  Charlie and his pick-up truck, filled with dozens of vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro, brought an exciting new experience to all of our kids.  Many of them had never seen “plants in action” before.  The possibilities for adventures with plants will continue thanks to the bags of seeds Charlie generously left for our campers.

 After a scorching hour outside, we trekked down to the basement to watch Planet Earth.  A favorite activity from Green Day in years past, it was a great break from the sun and a calm moment amidst the activities.  The groups were split watching two of the best episodes, “Jungles” and “Ice Worlds.”  Despite the usual technological issues, the movies worked, and everyone was able to watch some of the best animal footage around!

 To finish things off, Kathleen Banfield and her crew of interns from the Food Project brought food and knowledge from their nearby greenhouse.  The kids sampled fresh salsa and strawberry milkshakes between lessons about local foods.  They also role-played as (non-organic) tomatoes, being sprayed by pesticides and traveling around the country in a gas-guzzling truck.

 It was a great day and great way to learn about the exciting things on our planet, both nearby on farms, and far off in Antarctica.  Many thanks to our wonderful partners who made Green Day at St. Mary’s a huge success!

Posted by Caroline Stone, Academic Coordinator, Princeton University Community Service Fund