Job Seeker: Piano Lessons

From a young adult and community member:

"I have a Bachelors degree in Music from Truman State University and offer piano lessons to students of all ages either from my home or in yours."

If you have a job connection for this community member, please contact Jamey at stegmaier@washucsc.org and he'll put you two in touch!

Joplin Service Trip Reflection by Mark Levand

A Reflection from CSC Intern-in-Service Mark Levand following the Joplin service trip

We just went to Joplin, MO and saw some pretty intense broken houses. A lot of the debris was cleaned up, but there was still much chaos present. Broken houses, crap all over, chairs in yards, bikes in bushes, trees with no leaves...or branches - that was all pretty face-value. Broken was broken; that's it - it gets fixed or it doesn't. But one of the most interesting things I found was the way impact of this devastation on people's relationships.

There was an old couple who were married for some 35 odd years who had all of their possessions blown away and had minimal insurance. We talked for a bit and they seemed pretty high-spirited. That was cool. The more we talked the more I put my self in that position; I am with my wife, living my life normally and suddenly everything is gone. Ok, that's fine, all our possessions - furniture, pictures, family heirlooms, appliances, bed sheets, my collection of bottle caps, notes from my wife from 40 years ago, my favorite T-shirt, my assortment of medications, that one thing we brought home from our honeymoon that we had that inside joke about that would always make us laugh in the midst of our stressed, child-rearing lives - all gone. Ok, that's big, but they're still just things - it would be tough, but still it would be "just things." I still have my wife, whom I love more than anything that the tornado splintered and threw all over town. and we have nothing but each other.

At this moment, I thought of Kenny Chesney's song "Honey, would you stand by me?" in which his partner was asked if they would stand by him if "your coat was thin and your shoes were old" and if "you didn't have nothin' but boots and jeans, honey, would you stand by me?" I thought of how much more sense this song made when we are faced with this reality in our lives. There certainly are marriages that crumble because one or both parties cannot deal with the situation at hand. There are also couples that get to experience love in a different way. A love that was there all along but now making them feel safe and blessed in a way that has never before been realized. A love that can allow them to say "yeah, we have nothing, but we have each other." A saying that is often heard and used. Perhaps to the point of the listeners missing the gravity of the concept. The feeling of losing possessions is nothing compared to the feeling of losing that love and support which has allowed us to grow safely and securely. Conversely, the absence of the material things that we have accrued over our years together, makes the presence of all of the intangible realities that we have accrued over these many years all the more real - all the more indestructible - and all the more life-giving.

So my experience of the "devastation" throughout Joplin has been more joyous than anything else. Much has been lost - clothes, shelter, cars, canned goods, that drawer of ugly sweaters that we are obligated to have that we only open by accident only to realize that we never use them and wonder why we even have them in the drawer in the first place - many gathered objects through our lives. But much more has been revealed. The dedication, fidelity, and support of people. The love between many of the couples I had met was practically tangible. Their love was inexplicably evident.

I suppose this meant a lot to me because I will never be rich. I will likely be in a position of minimal necessities several times in my life. And the concept of having someone stand by me in those times is wonderful. I cannot wait for my wife and I to encounter life at its best and worst with the love we have for each other. I cannot wait for the times when we 'aint got nothin' but boots and jeans' but still love and support one another. I cannot wait for the opportunity to have a love that is not only comforting but also empowering; enabling us to be the best people we can be, together.

Environmental Pledge Ideas

--I will walk, ride a bike, carpool, “WeCar” or ride the Metrolink to work/school at least once a week (Reduce your carbon footprint by 1 pound for every mile you do not drive).

--I will decrease my shower time by five minutes.

--I will join an environmental organization.

--I will use my tax refund to buy trees (Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per tree per year).

--I will only buy 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

--I will replace all of my incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star bulbs (Reduce your carbon

footprint by 450 pounds/year).

--I will only run my dishwasher, washing machine and/or dryer when it is full (Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40/year).

-- I will move my heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer (Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98/year).

--I will turn my thermostat back 10-15 degrees when I am away during the day (Save 10% on heating and cooling bills).

--I will use a designated reusable bag for shopping to cut down on plastic and paper bag usage.

--I won't leave the tap running while I brush my teeth (Save 25 gallons of water/month or 14,600 liters of water/year).

--If I have to print, I will print 2 pages to a sheet or print double sided (Save over half a tree being destroyed/year).

--I will turn the lights out when I leave the room (Save 68kg of CO2/year).

--I will reuse or refuse a plastic bag at least 3 times a week (Save 156 bags going to landfill/year).

--I will use a push mower to mow the lawn (Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide/year).

--I will air-dry my clothes when the weather permits (Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75/year).

--I will change my car’s air filter monthly (Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130/year).

--I will write a letter to my Congressman and/or Senator asking him or her to support legislation to stop global warming (Visit www.nrdc.org/policy or www.nrdc.org/legislation for more information).

--I will use plastic/reusable plates rather than paper ones.

--I will not burn my leaves, which leads to air pollution, health problems and fire hazards. I will start a compost pile at home instead (Visit http://www.compostguide.com/ for more information).

--I will switch off my power strips and unplug device chargers when they are not in use.

--I will set my computer and monitor to sleep when not in use, and turn off my monitor, PC, copier and printer at the end of the day (Can cut your computer’s electricity use roughly in half).

--I will take the stairs rather than the elevator at least twice a week.

--If I work in a research lab, I will close the sash on my fume hood while not in use (Can reduce total energy consumption in buildings by 17%).

--I will begin a composting program in my home/apartment or at work.

--I will reduce my meat consumption by choosing a vegetarian entree at least once a week.

--I will use a reusable water bottle rather than bottled water.

--I will use a reusable lunch box rather than paper or plastic bags.

--I will take notes on my computer at least twice a week rather than using paper.

--I will create an environmental awareness signature for my e-mail accounts (for example: “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail”).

Want to do even more? Contact Theresa Schmidt at schmidt@washucsc.org for more information on or suggestions for the CSC's environmental efforts.

Job Seeker

A young adult in the CSC community is offering the following to any parents in the area:

"Babysitting on Tuesdays & Thursdays & Fridays. I canusually be anywhere by 3:45/4 pm for pick

up. I can also cook any meals and do any cleaning / ironing /etc. I can do some weekends."

If you'd like to get in touch with this person, please first contact Jamey at stegmaier@washucsc.org. If you're looking for a job or have a job opportunity, you can contact him with that info as well.