On October 2nd, 2010, 140 corps members and over 150 volunteers including friends, family, alumni and champions took part in an amazing and transformational day of service at the Agassiz Elementary School in Jamaica Plain. The day started off with our own Matt Parks, corporate relations manager, leading us through the idea that “It Takes a Village” to create positive change. Corps members Kristen, Antonio, Paul, and Monica shared a little bit about their service so far and why those chose to come to City Year, and Kevin got the crowd pumped up for the entrance of our two fantastic MCs, Jeff and Faith.
Speaker highlights included Mike Roberge from MFS Investment Management, Steve Hackley from Comcast, and keynote speaker Reverend Dr. Ray A. Hammond, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and chair of the Boston Opportunity Agenda. Mayor Thomas M. Menino led the corps through their pledge of service.
What followed was an incredible day of service, where the Agassiz School was our canvas to create a positive learning environment with bright, inspirational murals, landscaping around the field and a few layers of fresh paint where it was needed. We also created care packages for students at the Agassiz so that they each got a little piece of City Year to take home with them.
all photos © Elliot Haney | 2010
Elliot, these pictures are awesome! My favorite picture is definitely the one of the corps members taking the pledge. It should be on the next collateral!
But we can’t do collateral unless there is Nikki White somewhere on it! I need to get a pledge shot of you…
Hi Elliot (or whoever monitors this!),
This is Chris Helms, editor of a new news and community site for JP. I saw the murals the other day. Awesome job.
Would you or anyone else at CityYear be interested in doing a write-up of the event on our site?
Chris
Hey Chris!
I am the moderator of the blog, and I would be more than happy to work something out with the patch, I think it’s going to be really cool once it gets up and running. What kind of article were you looking for exactly, obviously something different than what is already written? I am excited to work with you on this.
Elliot
Hi Elliot. It wouldn’t need to be too different. Could you e-mail me at chrish@patch.com and we could talk about it there?
I LOVE SERVICCEEEEEEEEE
Of course Elliot’s pictures a re gorgeous as always! He somehow makes me good even when I look angry! This service was was beyond awesome and I can’t wait to come to other service days throughtout the year!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. You did great work on that wall!
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Amazing day, amazing photos, amazing Opening Day Ceremony, amazing service, amazing guest speakers and amazing intro (minus the wind)! I don’t think Chris Plummer and his ability to control the weather couldn’t ask for a better day than we had (especially since the days leading up to were all rain).
I did my best Kevin!
Great pictures Elliot. It was a fantastic Opening Day!
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Ok, so I dont normally post on blogs…i think that this is my first one actually, but I have been thinking about City Year a lot lately. I was part of the 1992-93 City Year Boston Corp and I continue to feel a connection to the work that all the young people are doing to better the communities that you work in. While I am sure there is a lot of discussion about the changes you all make in the community, but I wonder if there is a lot of conversation within the small circles and larger community of CY about the changes it makes in YOU. This, I find, is what was most profound for myself. For some people (including myself) I knew that I wanted to feel like I was making a difference, but I had no idea how I was going to pull that off. The need to feel a sense of involvement, a sense of belonging, is a basic human need, and I dont think I felt that until I came to City Year. It really is the take-away message that I got from City Year. I hope that you all know what amazing work you are all doing, both in the community, but most of all, within yourself. You will find, as you go off into the world, that City Year will change your view. You will be wearing a new pair of glasses, and you will find that mediocrity will be unacceptable, wherever the current takes you after City Year. I dont know if anyone ever reads these (which is probably why I dont ever write on these things!!), but I hope that this year changes everything!!! Good luck and make sure that you fall in love with the people in your team. There is something about those men and women that hopefully will be special and life changing. Don’t miss it…
Thanks,
Liz Athens
City Year Boston 1992-3
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