1/16/2011
MLK Day by Hannah S.
The Satell event that we just had was a great time! It was nice to see all the fellows again, because it has been so long since the retreat! We started off our time together by listening to Regina Black Lennox, Director of Philanthropy & Corporate Citizenship for Mr. Ed Satell. She was able to tell us all things Mr. Satell donates
his time to and his philosophy about philanthropy. It was very inspiring, and I was particularly interested in hearing how Mr. Satell and his team balances all his different projects. After this, we began a service project for Aid for Friends, which is a charity that donates food to the home-bound. We all had brought in different breakfast foods, and we split up strategically to try to pack over 100 different breakfast bags. I helped write out the menus; we had to write each individual food item in every bag and if it contained nuts. After writing all the menus, we tallied up the number of finished breakfast bags until we were able to hit 101 bags, each packed with a personal uplifting note from one of our fellows! We struggled at first with rationing out all the bags, but once we set our minds to it we were able to hit our goal, and it was a fun process! After packing the bags, out last activity was going over our developing commitment projects. We got peer leaders and our projects are starting off strong!
12/5/2010
Opening Event & Inaugural Reception
by Tyler
"Poverty is like a chair, the chair will only stay up if it has all four of its legs. The same can be said about poverty, without addressing education, hunger, housing, healthcare, and all of the related issues, you will not ever be able to eradicate poverty." -paraphrased quote from Steveanna Wynn, Director of SHARE food program
Today we worked at the SHARE warehouse in Philadelphia for a few hours in the afternoon. During lunch, we had the opportunity to meet with the director of the SHARE food program, Steveanna Wynn. Steveanna told us about the creation of the program and how it has grown over the years into a very incredible project. She explained that the need for food in Philadelphia has increased due to an increase in unemployment nationally. We also discussed the many factors that could lead a family to become food insecure. Many
families who receive food from food pantries never would have thought they would require this help. Due to a chain of bad luck, a family can quickly become food insecure. Steveanna also explained to us that it is very difficult to purchase nutritious food, especially fruits and vegetables, in many areas of Philadelphia.
Steveanna introduced us to a list of interconnected problems that lead to impoverished people. She explained the ineffectiveness at government throwing money at only one of the problems, while refusing to address others. For example, if a person is food insecure, it will be much more difficult for them to find a job, making it more difficult for them to pay rent. This endless cycle continues for so many people, making poverty much more difficult to eradicate.
After the fascinating session with Steveanna Wynn, we were given the opportunity to make a difference and volunteer with SHARE. We spent our time packing boxes of food that would be provided to Philadelphia residents in the coming weeks. Packing food is very impersonal service but very meaningful. It can be hard to comprehend that each box packed, means that a family will have enough food during a certain week. As I watched the packed boxes pile up, it was clear that we were making a tangible difference. I started to think. Maybe this week of food security for a single parent will give her time to go on a job interview. It became obvious that giving someone a can of corn is much more valuable than the vitamins and minerals contained. Helping someone become food secure, even if only for a short period of time, gives them peace of mind a vacation from stress, maybe even a week of true happiness. It is hard to work slow at the SHARE warehouse when you start to think about the i! mplications of each box
I hope to continue working at SHARE and other food pantries, during this year and in the years to come. I know that on SATELL I will not find the answer to eradicate poverty, but if each person in the world worked to address one of the key issues, there is no doubt in my mind that we would get pretty close.
For more information about the SHARE Food Program, feel free to visit: www.sharefoodprogram.org
Lo Alecha Hamlacha Ligmor, V'lo Atah Ben Chorin L'hibateil Mimeina.
It is Not Your Duty to Complete the Work, Neither are you free to Desist From It
This evening I was so lucky to be apart of the Satell Teen Fellowship Inaugural Reception. At this very special dinner the fellows, parents, community leaders, and guests were addressed by the partners of the program, Ross and Annie, and alumni of the program. They all shared a great deal about how important and exciting the experiences we would have as part of the fellowship would be.I am proud to be part of such a unique program and am excited to continue to take advantage of it as much as possible.
After the reception, we had the opportunity to meet with Ed Satell, the sponsor and founder of the fellowship. Mr. Satell is an amazing philanthropist and humanitarian who has won much accolade for his many projects. Mr. Satell came from humble beginnings, but through hard work he became the owner of a very successful business. Mr Satell funds projects for a wide variety of organizations that are doing incredible work in the Philadelphia area, in Israel, and all over the world. Mr. Satell was very warm and told us that he simply likes to help people, and create projects or programs to solve practical problems. He said he donates money to organizations that are important to his life, or that have the potential to help others.
I was amazed by Mr. Satell's attitude and drive to continue giving. I like that he does not simply donate money, but tries to create projects that will solve real world problems. He inspires me to always be looking for ways to make the world a better place, no matter what my financial means. It appears that Mr. Satell sees social action as a responsibility instead of simply a nice thing to do. I think this fits very closely with our tradition, which commands us to help others and to give Tzedakah. Mr. Satell gives Tzedakah not only to may causes, but in a very honorable way. I look forward to learning more from Mr. Satell. The entire reception helped me get focused on the year ahead and very excited to make a difference.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead
12/10-12/10
Leadership Retreat Recap
by Samantha
Last weekend was our Satell leadership retreat. Not only did I learn a lot about leadership and what kind of leader I am, but I made new friends and really got to know the other Fellows. The weekend started out on Friday afternoon where we worked together to plan out services for the evening. This process was very interesting because people consisted of all different observances. I am Reform and accustomed to the Reform services that I have been attending all my life. It was a great experience to see what others are used to! Later that night was the survival leadership workshop. We received a prompt that we had just been in a plane crash in Northern Canada. As a group we had to decide whether to stay at the wreckage or to leave and which items
salvaged from the crash were most important to us. Everyone had different opinions on what we should do. At first I was very confused because I don’t know much about survival. After listening to other people’s opinions I got a better idea of where I stood and was then able to form, and voice my own plans of what we should do. After the workshop, we had ice cream with every topping imaginable, which was the best! The next day we went on a tour of the Elkins Estate which is beautiful and surrounded by a lot of history. At night, Havdalah services were one of the best parts of the weekend. We all stood in a circle and sang the prayers together. This really made me feel closer with everyone because at the end we all hugged and said “Shavua Tov!.” Next we worked together to make lasagna which was a lot of fun! And it tasted good too. Later that night we went on a surprise ice skating trip. I was scared at first but it was a lot of fun. There I was also able to bond with everyone especially because they stayed with me the whole time even though I was kind of slow! When we got back to the estate we watched a movie but I fell asleep during the beginning of it after such a fun and exciting day. Sunday was the leadership compass workshop. From this, I discovered that I am a “West” leader on the compass. This means that I am organized, analytical and dependable in my leadership. After the workshop it was time to pack up and go which was sad. Overall the weekend was fantastic and I enjoyed everything, especially being able to bond with the Fellows. Now I need to start working on my commitment project (which we also learned about this weekend), I have a few ideas but am still undecided. Well, I cannot wait for the next event!
