WOW!! The things a VISTA gets to do!!

I've been so busy getting things done that the time has just flown by!!!  I've also been putting in some really long hours, but for a good reason!  Last Thursday was Salvation Army's Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, so I helped to set-up and clean-up afterward, but it was an amazing dinner!  I got to help pass out awards, sit by the Mayor of Sedalia, and have a great meal among other volunteers.

Friday I had EDS Trainging all day at the Salvation Army.  This means that if there is ever a disaster, I have a chance to be deployed to that area to provide food and comfort to the victims. 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all I did was research!!!  The community outreach VISTA wants to have a big multicultural festival, to celebrate all cultures.  I love this idea, but times are tough and finding funding for something like that, well it's challenging!!  I'm still working on it, my supervisor warned me I needed to be able to take a lot of "no(s)" for an answer!!  We started by listing  a lot of possiblities for funders, and now it's short!!

Today I made my first budget!  I used Excel, which that was an experience since I haven't used Excel much.  This YouTube video help so much!!  If you need help learning how to make a basic budget, I HIGHLY recomend this video!!!  We had a meeting with a UCM Professor so he could show us few basic things about the Pachoro.  We have looked high and low around Sedalia to find someone that knows how to play the Pachoro, but we have not had any luck, so I e-mailed the UCM Music Department.  UCM doesn't know anyone either, but they do have a stringed insturment department and they helped us get started and found a fingering chart for us!!  One of the music students came with us and on the way home he sat in the back seat and had figured out how to play "Go Tell it on the Mountain" before we got back to Sedalia.  The student was so excited about the Pachoro!!  I also observed the ESL class tonight!!  WOW!!!  The things there get done in that class!!  The teacher is amazing!!  Even though these are adults, she still gives them play money so they can practice buy items from other students in the class.