Real Life Kick-off meeting introduces our volunteers to the refugee community

Real Life in Salt Lake City (RLSLC) had its kick off orientation meeting this past Friday to get everyone excited and ready for the new year to begin on December 5th.  There were over 40 volunteers in attendance!! 

The meeting began with introductions from the group. It was great to see so many volunteers from all of the different Youthlinc teams and the community.  Youthlinc volunteers are the reason we are able to run the program but community volunteers incorporate the program into everyday Utah life.  We love having such a variety of volunteers! 

 

Raunde Everett, the director of the Hser Ner Moo Community Welcome Center, kicked off the business part of the orientation with an introduction to the goals of the Hser Ner Moo Center.  Some reminders and requests from her for the volunteers were:

                        - Park on 500 E instead of in the South Parc parking lot

                        - Make sure to clean-up the Columbus Center after every RLSLC session

                        - Be good examples to the kids. (ie. Have fun, but also don’t make Julia and I be

   the disciplinarians all of the time.)

- Any inappropriate behavior should be reported to Julia, Lisa or Raunde immediately.

Following Raunde we listened to a very interesting and informative presentation by South Salt Lake representative, Keri Cutler, on the demographics of South Salt Lake and why RLSLC is both a unique and important program. (And we could not do it without our volunteers, so thank you!)  Kari lead the group through a Bingo Game that explained the different risk factors that refugee teens are up against. The game gave an amazing visual to understanding background behind refugee hardships and successes in the community.  The Salt Lake Tribune had a great story that illustrates a lot about what Kari talked about.  (Fitting in and catching up: Life as a refugee teen in Utah)

We wrapped-up the meeting by with a quick run through of what Monday, December 5th will entail for the Kickoff party with the teens. We will be having a pizza party and A LOT of get-to-know-you games so everyone can start learning every one's names and becoming comfortable in their new surroundings. 

We ran out of time to plan January so we will have our January Planning Meeting on: Monday, December 19^th at 4:00pm at the Youthlinc Offices.  Please be thinking about and emailing Lisa ideas of activities or field trips that you would like to do with the teens!

Hope to see everyone at the kickoff party Monday December 5th from 4-6pm at the Columbus Center on 2530 South 500 East! (Meet at Hser Ner Moo Center on 479 East 2250 South to walk the teens down to the Columbus Center)

  

Check out our Facebook group Real Life in Salt Lake City