“Kaleidoscope is…happy because there are volunteers here. They read books with me. They are fun.”
Faiza, kindergarten

“Kaleidoscope is…a happy place. When I come here I see happy people. I see Kaleidoscope as a place where people can learn. By that I mean a good learning environment.”
Abdishakur, 8th grade

“Kaleidoscope is…good because we have snacks and sometimes we have parties.”
Muna, kindergarten

“Kaleidoscope is…a place that you learn and where you do your homework. And when you are not done you can take a break then go back to your homework.”
Amina, 3rd grade

“Kaleidoscope is…awesome and fantastic and happy because Matt is our teacher. He is on the job.”
Jonathan, 1st grade

“Kaleidoscope is…a place where you learn. Kaleidoscope is a place where everybody deserves to be. It is a place where you do homework then, once you are done, you have fun. At Kaleidoscope we do something called “The 5 Be’s.” The 5 Be’s are words that mean respect.”
Abdimalik, 5th grade

“Kaleidoscope is…a place where I come and work with volunteers on my homework.”
Alex, 4th grade

“Kaleidoscope is…a rainbow because it’s fun, it’s fresh, we get to play, we get to have Community Club. We get to do America Reads. When we are done with our things we get to play games like Candy Land. We get to play with toys. On Fridays, we get to play in the classroom and we don’t have to do math.”
Mulki, 1st grade

In mid-November, I worked with an extraordinary group of students. I’ve worked with many of these students before, but when they signed up for Community Club, I saw a whole new side of them. As we wrote our Community Club contract on Monday, they were bursting with great ideas on how to give back to Kaleidoscope. They were eager to clean, organize, and even write thank you cards to volunteers.

We all agreed that Monday through Thursday we would work hard to improve Kaleidoscope, and the reward for this would be a Community Club Party on Friday. Each day these enthusiastic students worked hard at every task from sorting through markers and glue sticks and sharpening pencils, to cleaning the rooms around Kaleidoscope. They kept a positive attitude and great work ethic through the week. For a celebration of their hard work, on Friday we baked cookies from scratch. They took turns pouring in each ingredient, mixing them up, and putting the cookies on the pan. Their faces lit up as they got to eat the fresh baked cookies that they each had put something into. You could see how proud they were to have made a difference in their world at Kaleidoscope!

Donation Needs!
Healthy Snacks (for 100 students)
100% Juice or Juice Boxes (for 100 students)
Rags ☻ All Purpose Cleaner (409)
Scotch-Brite Scrub Sponges ☻ Kleenex
Whiteboard Markers ☻ Pencil Sharpeners
Rubber Bands ☻ Pipe Cleaners ☻ Felt
Colored Tissue Paper ☻ Rechargeable Battery Set

“Each time a person stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice…he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope…” Robert Kennedy

Much of what I do for Kaleidoscope is writing grants, grant reports and building relationships with community partners. These are important functions to continue to be an agency that thrives in these difficult times. However, it is actually being at Kaleidoscope during program hours that feeds my soul. The children that we work with are facing many challenges; economic challenges, behavior challenges, family challenges, social challenges, and academic challenges. Yet, despite these challenges, these children come to Kaleidoscope and we watch their lives transform before our very eyes. But, of course, we do not do it alone. In the midst of a bare bones staff that is dealing with so many children with so many different issues…there are the volunteers.

As I walk through Kaleidoscope I can see a college student reading to a child and helping them understand the meaning of words. I see a retired math teacher helping a student and the smile on the face of that child when they understand subtraction for the first time. I watch as volunteers introduce a child to the world of art and help them articulate what they see and capture those images in drawings, paintings, or photography. I watch the children light up as they speak of Tor, who is a performing arts director, and how they played Taiko drums. I watch the students, for whom English is a second language, get the homework help that they need to be successful in school. I watch the retired psychologist work with a child who needs to understand more constructive ways to express their anger.

In an effort to serve our students in the best way possible, Ryan has visited other programs to gain new insight into curriculum, behavior guidelines, and what works best when it comes to after school programming. This cooperation and willingness to speak with Ryan will benefit Kaleidoscope for years to come. This fall we were also fortunate to have a group of volunteers who are experts in the field of education visit our program and share their ideas about ways we can better serve our students. We take these insights and ideas seriously and are excited to implement them so we can have even stronger programming at Kaleidoscope.

The talented and dedicated Kaleidoscope staff would be the first to tell you that our program would not exist without those who volunteer their time for us. From the dedication of our talented board under the leadership of co-chairs, Debbie and John Ondov, to the volunteers who sort supplies and clean our rooms, this Thanksgiving season we reflect on how grateful we are for each of you and for the wave (not ripple!) of hope you bring to the lives of the children we serve.

I hope that this letter finds you all doing well. As 2011 is coming to a close, it is hard to believe that we have almost completed another calendar year at Kaleidoscope. Earlier today I was talking with a volunteer about how much has happened and changed around Kaleidoscope in the past twelve months. It’s particularly difficult for me to believe because I have only been at Kaleidoscope for a little over a year now, but it feels like much longer.

Perhaps the biggest change that we’ve undergone in the past couple of months is the change to our space. For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to visit lately, Kaleidoscope has given up two of its rooms to an incoming day-care, Southside Neighborhood Services. It hasn’t always been an easy transition with moving our office, losing a classroom, and other adjustments, but it has been an incredible experience to meet and work with another excellent agency focused on youth development. With Southside and Kaleidoscope in the same wing of the Center for Changing Lives, students can now receive services from birth through high school.

There is so much going on; it’s hard to sum up in one letter. Over the past year Kaleidoscope has seen many new students, new staff, new board members, and new volunteers. We’ve also brought in new partners to work with, and have become a United Way organization. This year, our After School Kids program is bringing in a host of new opportunities for our students. We have partnered with Free Arts of Minnesota to bring high-quality arts education to our students, and have tied that into many of our themes. We will be working with Hennepin County to educate our students about the importance of recycling and use of natural resources. We have started a mentoring partnership with Augsburg Fairview Academy, a charter high school. Together with Ebenezer and MacPhail we are working on a multi-generational music project. And these are just a couple of the projects that are enhancing our students’ experiences at Kaleidoscope.

Even with all of the changes, though, there are many aspects of Kaleidoscope that remain constant. Students still come first. I am consistently impressed by the great example they are capable of setting for others. And even though the faces may change, the staff at Kaleidoscope will always be around to create a safe and caring environment for our students to grow and thrive in. We still offer excellent academic programming and homework assistance to our students. It’s still our goal to provide every student with the tools they need to be successful in a changing world.

Looking back, it has been a very successful year. Since I came to Kaleidoscope just over a year ago, we have served 212 students, completed yet another successful school year and summer program, and have made a significant difference in the lives of our students and families. Although we are a small organization, we are making a huge impact in south Minneapolis. It’s been one of my greatest pleasures to get to know not just the students, but the families, friends, donors, and volunteers of Kaleidoscope. As always, it is all about the students, and our students here are truly amazing.

Hopefully last month’s introduction to the influence of media article stirred your curiosity. Have you spent some time pondering what you and your children are learning from television?

As I stated before media is a teacher. In this article we are going to dig in and uncover more about how media really teaches us and our children. But before we begin, here are a few statistics you should be aware of:

• Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
• Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500 hours (almost twice the amount of hours they spend in school!)
• Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000 murders
• Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000 violent acts
• A 3 year National Violence Television study found that 61% of programs contain violence.
• Number of 30-second TV commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000 commercials
• Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million commercials

(If you would like to view the full list of statistics you can go to http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html.)

So why do these numbers matter? Let’s dig in!

A long time ago (or maybe not so long ago…) you were born. During this time your brain was in major development mode. You see, your brain is made up of billions of intercommunicating electrical (neural) networks that enable you to do, think, feel, and dream. Although we continue to develop neural networks throughout our lives, the development of these neural networks peak before the age of 7.” (Mediawise: Watch what your kids watch. p.49. National Institute on Media and the Family) Yes, that’s right – age 7.

Child See, Child Do! More than a decade ago scientists discovered that we have something called “mirror cells.” Without even moving a muscle, a child can watch somebody do something and learn exactly how to do it. The mirror cells are “practicing” how to do the action just be watching the action. Then once the cells learn it, the child learns it and they are able to imitate it. And not just that, when the child was simply observing the action, their neurons fired exactly the same as if the child was actually doing the action. Research has shown that these mirror cells are the “foundation for social interaction and moral awareness.” (Mediawise: Watch what your kids watch. p.49. National Institute on Media and the Family) Of course this begs the next question, “Who do you want forming your child’s social interactions and morality?”

Now that you understand mirror cells, we can put this into perspective. If your child is seeing, through watching television, 8,000 murders before the end of elementary school, and 200,000 violent acts by the age of 18, what are they learning to do? And this of course is easily expanded to additional negative things they may be learning about from television: negative self-image, unhealthy social interactions, drugs, alcohol, sex, lying, cheating, unhealthy problem solving, unhealthy conflict resolution, revenge, etc. The list goes on and on.

I know your next comment will be, “What about the positive things on TV?” Of course there are positive elements to some shows. Children may learn about sharing, loving, caring, compassion, taking turns, being nice, being safe, healthy self-image, healthy social interactions, etc. This is good, to a degree. The issue is that they are learning these positive things amidst a myriad of negative things. So, is it worth it? Do we really want to be exposing our child to all of these negative things…that they are learning how to do just by watching them? What is the cost of allowing this to happen? What is the long-term impact on your child and on society? I’m trying hard to not paint such a grim picture, but the effects go much deeper than what is addressed in this article.  It is also important to look at what children are not doing or experiencing because of the massive amounts of time they spend watching television. We will explore this further in the next article.

I’m not saying that you should throw your television away. What I am saying is: 1) be aware of what the shows are teaching you and your child. Watch them with your child and take note of questionable things. And 2) be selective about the shows you allow your child to watch, and 3) limit the amount of time they can watch television. These three simple actions will help you to create a healthy heart for your child, and yourself. Consider other interactive ways that your child can learn positive social interactions and morality without the use of television. The less negatives there are, the more positives there will be.

From the last article, we learned about how our brains process things we see and how those things can directly influence our social interactions and morality. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Monkey See, Monkey Do?” Well, it actually works that way when we are watching television. If we uncover the process in the brain the phrase changes to, “Neuron See, Neuron Do.” When children (or adults) are observing the action, their neurons are firing exactly the same as if they were actually physically doing the action. Now we are going to take a look at some of the practical sides of the influence of television. We are going to revisit and also expand our discussion of its influence in academic, social, emotional, and physical effects. (Note: these effects can be easily applied to spending too much time on the internet, playing video games, and watching movies, so keep an eye on these things as well.)

The word social is defined as “pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations.” The term social skillsmeans “the personal skills needed for successful social communication and interaction” (Dictionary.com). How do children, and anyone else for that matter, develop social skills? The answer: simply by interacting with other people. The word interacting is the key here in relation to the definitions above. When children are watching television, they are not interacting, in the truest sense, with other children and adults. Interaction with other people is the key to developing and sustaining healthy social skills. Do we want to stunt their growth in this area, potentially creating negative and/or anti-social behavior? Remember children are spending twice as much time watching television then they are in school every year.  Limiting their TV time and encouraging healthy interaction with other children and adults will make a significant impact in healthy social skills development.

Health issues are a little easier to realize: inactivity = out-of-shape. You will be surprised by some new revealing statistics (below). Watching TV is an inactive activity, which contributes to health issues associated with being overweight and obese. Television robs children of energy-burning exercise and usually includes high-calorie/high-fat snacking. This is a formula for failure. Exercise is absolutely vital to the health and well-being of anyone. Getting into an exercise (and healthy eating) habit at a young age and keeping it going throughout life helps children maintain healthy hearts, lungs, muscles, minds, immune systems, etc, and will potentially spare them from diseases, illnesses, and disabilities that inactive children may get. That should be enough motivation to help you help your child shut off the tube and do something productive…but, there’s more. Here come the “reality check” statistics from www.whitedot.org from an article, “It’s Official: TV Linked to Attention Deficit”:

• For every hour watched at age one and age three,  children have almost a ten percent higher chance of developing attention problems that could be diagnosed as ADHD by age 7.
• A toddler watching three hours of infant television daily had nearly a 30 percent higher chance of having attention problems in school.
• Children under the age of 2 should not be watching TV.

Research has also shown that too much screen time with children leads to passivity, being easily bored, requiring “bells and whistles” to keep attention/focus, delayed language skills, and more aggressive behavior and attitudes.

Those are some serious statistics that should help you rethink how you approach TV time with your children. If the brain isn’t properly developed due to spending too much time in front of the screen, the impact on our children may be a lifetime of struggle.

A more unknown impact of too much television is on that of vocabulary. Children in poverty watch the most TV. They also enter school with a working vocabulary of 700-800 words, but it should be around 2,100-2,400 words. Words are the building blocks for complex thought. A small vocabulary limits the ability to communicate, solve problems, and formulate complex thoughts.

And finally, children who are watching TV are not reading, drawing, painting, building, creating, constructing, imagining, or inventing anything. These activities develop important motor (physical) and cognitive (mental) skills needed for school and life success. Instead of spending 1500 hours per year watching television, what if your child started painting or dancing or playing guitar or writing a book or skateboarding or reading? I think you will realize this would make a huge impact on your child’s physical and mental skills. You never know what gift or talent you will uncover if you would just help your child turn the television off and turn on their mind and body. And who knows, they may end up changing the world.

Here are some additional resources for you:

www.whitedot.org (article sited above)

www.raisesmartkid.com

www.parentfurther.com

(Note: Next month, the final article in the series will focus on giving you practical tools and ways you can limit the amount of TV watching and encourage other activities.)

This is the fourth and final article on the influence of media. It has been quite a journey delving into the world of media and trying to understand how it influences our children and ourselves. Its impact reaches far and wide across the world. And this impact runs deep inside every one of us, even when we think it does not. This is because, as we learned in our first article, media is a teacher. It is teaching you even when you don’t want to be taught. It impacts moral choices, social interactions, health, self-esteem, values, and many other aspects of our lives. Contrary to popular belief, most of this impact is negative and unhealthy on many levels. I honestly believe that we, as adults, parents, and caregivers, have a responsibility to make choices that give our children the healthy life they deserve. And who will benefit from this healthy life? You will, your children will, and we all will because our children are our future.

Okay, okay, I will get off the soap box (but that won’t change how I feel!). You are probably thinking, “What can I do about it? How can I change something that is such a big part of mine and my family’s life?” I have good news for you: You Can Do It! It will take time, patience, and perseverance to bear fruit, but it will be well worth the reward. It is about breaking old bad habits and forming new healthy habits, and that can be a long process. So, let’s begin that process.

Part 4 – The Influence of Media: Getting Out of the Rut

By Matt Christenson, IT Officer, Teacher   This is the fourth and final article on the influence of media. It has been quite a journey delving into the world of media and trying to understand how it influences our children and ourselves. Its impact reaches far and wide across the world. And this impact runs deep inside every one of us, even when we think it does not. This is because, as we learned in our first article, media is a teacher. It is teaching you even when you don’t want to be taught. It impacts moral choices, social interactions, health, self-esteem, values, and many other aspects of our lives. Contrary to popular belief, most of this impact is negative and unhealthy on many levels. I honestly believe that we, as adults, parents, and caregivers, have a responsibility to make choices that give our children the healthy life they deserve. And who will benefit from this healthy life? You will, your children will, and we all will because our children are our future.   Okay, okay, I will get off the soap box (but that won’t change how I feel!). You are probably thinking, “What can I do about it? How can I change something that is such a big part of mine and my family’s life?” I have good news for you: You Can Do It! It will take time, patience, and perseverance to bear fruit, but it will be well worth the reward. It is about breaking old bad habits and forming new healthy habits, and that can be a long process. So, let’s begin that process.   The Practicals I recommend starting with a reality check. Every day for one week write down exactly how much time your children are spending watching television. Also, write down how much time you are spending in front of the television. Write down the start time and the end time each time the television is watched. Then total each day, and then the whole week. I am certain you will be significantly surprised on both accounts. Use this vital information to develop a plan for limiting television time. Here are some of the “practicals” to start addressing television watching.   ·  Be Informed. Be informed about what shows your child is watching. Learn more about the shows on the internet, and watch the shows with your children. Make sure the shows are appropriate. ·  Use a timer. Instead of not being aware of how much time they are watching television, set time limits on the amount of time they can watch. Tell them they have 30 minutes each day they can use to watch television. Teach them to make healthy decisions about the shows they choose to watch. Set the timer, watch the show, timer stops, turn off the television. Note: This technique is also effective for computer time and video game time. ·  Earn entertainment time. Set up a system where, for every 60 minutes of an activity, they can watch 30 minutes of television. For example, if they practice their guitar or ride their bike for 60 minutes, they can watch television for 30 minutes. Of course, don’t do this with every activity because then they will be watching too much television and that is what we are trying to avoid. ·  Special Occasions. Save the watching of television for special occasions. If they accomplish something great, have a special movie night or night where they can watch 1 or 2 hours of television. Of course, I would encourage you to celebrate by doing something more social like going bowling, going to a water park, or going out to eat. ·  TV Cart. Put your television on a moving cart and put it in the closet or out of view so it doesn’t become the focal point of the room. This will encourage your children to find other things to do then to simply press a button and get lost in television watching. ·  Remove bedroom TVs. Take the television out of your child’s bedroom! “Children with bedroom TVs score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking.” (A One-Eyed Invader in the Bedroom. March 4, 2008. www.nytimes.com). Children with TVs in their bedrooms are isolated, unmonitored, and spend less time reading, drawing, building, and doing other healthy activities. If they have to watch TV in a more public area you will be able to more closely monitor the amount of time they are watching television because they won’t be locked away in their room with the door closed. Having a television in their room also affects their sleep because they may stay up late watching TV, thus being tired all day at school, which in turn impacts their performance in school. We all should know how important and healthy getting a good night sleep is. ·  Turn Off the Media Week. Turn off the television, computer, video game systems, music, and movies for a week. Did I just say that out loud? Yes I did. Do it and reap the benefits! Plan creative, fun, and enriching activities for you and your children to enjoy. It will be an incredible week of connection with your children!   The Process You may now ask, “How do I get my child to actually change? All they are going to do now is whine and complain because I am taking something away from them.” Again, I didn’t say it was going to be easy. There is much more to the process then simply setting up rules and limits. Aside from the practicals of limiting and monitoring time in front of the television, there are several other key factors that will help lead to a successful habit change.   ·  Persistence. It is not about one short, simple conversation with your child. It is about talking to them about television and its effects on us, and then continuing the conversation throughout the day, week, month, and year. Your persistent message will help instill the healthy value of watching less television and your children will retain that message for years to come. ·  Modeling. It is about being an example for them. Lead by example. We all know how much we influence our children by our actions. It is really amazing, and scary sometimes. Make healthy choices. Make adjustments in the amount of time you watch television. Instead of watching your favorite show, spend time being productive. Help your child be productive too, and invite them to join you. This will show them that they don’t need to watch television. Also, don’t just leave the television on for hours and hours in the background. This just creates unnecessary noise. ·  Exploration. Help your child experience more of life away from the television. Think outside the box (get it…outside of TV!). Explore things they have never had a chance to explore. They (and you!) may find something that will change the course of your lives forever; some new sport, some new instrument, some new skill, some new experience. And you will be happier and healthier than if you were sitting in front of the television! ·  Consistency. It is about being consistent with your television watching guidelines for your children. Set guidelines and time limits and adhere to them. This will teach them the value of consistency and commitment to a standard. If you are wishy-washy in your enforcement of the guidelines, then your child won’t take them or you seriously. Be consistent. ·  Balance. Keep the television watching in proper balance. Like I said before, this isn’t necessarily about throwing the TV out the window. It is about keeping television watching in a healthy balance with the rest of life. Setting limits can be healthy. “Self-discipline (delay of gratification) is a stronger determiner for success in school than intelligence.” (Mediawise: Watch what your kids watch. p.21. National Institute on Media and the Family). This will positively impact your children for years to come because they won’t have spent 9 years of their life glued to the TV by age 65 (A.C. Nielsen Co)! Hopefully you can cut that number in half! Life is about balance. If you spend too much time working, you are out of balance. If you spend too much time playing, you are out of balance. If you spend too much sleeping, you are out of balance. If you spend too much time watching television…you become a zombie!   The Payoff The results of your efforts: New healthy habits will be formed. And not just habits in regards to watching television. New ways of thinking, new values, healthier social interactions, and higher self-esteem will be formed and these will last a lifetime. Your children will be emotionally healthier and happier. They will have higher self-esteem because they won’t be fed a barrage of images that tell them they are not good enough. They will be more focused and won’t need bells and whistles to keep them interested in an activity. They will be socially healthier. They will spend more time with people, which will help them develop appropriate social skills and interactions. Their life will be more productive and enriching. They may discover a hidden talent in art, music, or science that will enhance their life significantly. They will be physically healthier. Their physical wellbeing will be better because they may be more active, playing sports, playing tag with friends, riding their bike, etc. Oh, and I almost forgot. You will be happier and healthier too. The process may be long and difficult, but the benefits will far exceed any difficulties during the process. The difficulties will be temporary; the results will last a lifetime. To yours and your children’s health!

When you think of the word “sacrifice” what comes to mind? I’m sure you could share a number of personal stories about how your parents, or you, or friends of yours have had to make sacrifices to address certain issues in their lives. Sacrifice comes in many different forms. Last summer, we had the privilege of being the beneficiary of a sacrifice; a sacrifice made by someone who had no previous contact with Kaleidoscope. I am almost dumbfounded when I think about who would do such a thing, but then I had the honor of meeting and interviewing this person and many things became clear: a purpose, a heart, a difference.

In the Spring of 2010 Timothy Davis appeared on our radar. Tim is a Minnesota native who has lived in Colorado since 2001. He is currently at the University of Minnesota Duluth and will graduate this spring with a degree in Secondary Education. He wants to be a High School English teacher when he graduates. In Summer of 2010 Tim was going on a cross-country bike trip and wanted it to be more than just a bike trip. Tim’s mom, Mary Beth Davis, is the Property Manager at Fairview Ebenezer, a seniors housing residence. For the last 4 years we have had a group of Kaleidoscope students volunteer with residents at Ebenezer. As Tim was talking about raising money for an organization, Mary Beth mentioned Kaleidoscope.

Tim contacted Quendy Raymond, our Executive Director, about his desire. She gave him a tour of Kaleidoscope and talked about the many different aspects of our organization. He ultimately chose Kaleidoscope because of our Summer Kids program and our mission. He has worked at a summer camp in Colorado for several summers and loves working with kids. This is where his heart and his calling are. Tim was drawn to the way that Kaleidoscope Place is involved in the community — focusing on the well-being of the students then bringing that back out into the community at places like Ebenezer. With Kaleidoscope he also knew that the money would go directly to the students and programming; not “expensive advertising or high salaries.” So how did this fundraising venture come about?

In the spring of 2006, on a whim, a friend asked Tim if he wanted to bike the U.S. portion of the Great Divide. Due to the fact that Tim is adventure driven, he was excited about the trip. They trained, headed down to El Paso, Texas, and then headed North on their bikes – the adventure began! They were off to an aggressive start, biking 70-80 miles every day, however, he and his cohort rode at significantly different paces. Turns out this was quite challenging for Tim because he was more of an adventurist, not an avid cyclist. Due to this difficulty, after a still amazing 950 miles, Tim ended his ride at Salida, CO. It was discouraging, but he recovered and still hung onto the goal, “I gotta finish. I felt like it was something life changing.” said Tim. Four summers later that goal would become a reality.

In summer of 2010 Tim finished his trip preparations, was dropped off in Salida, CO., literally put his bike on the exact spot where he ended the first leg of the bike trip in 2006, and was off to finish his adventure. As a great encouragement, some friends of Tim’s rode with him for the first two days of the ride. After that point, it was just Tim, his bike, his iPod, the road, and adventures awaiting him. Tim rode 60 miles per day on average, however, the weather and terrain affected his average. Some days he was only able to ride 30 miles, other days he was able to ride 80 miles! “I had to keep a strong mindset – I’m going to finish this!” he stated. He had to set daily goals. Achieving those small goals played a significant part in keeping Tim motivated. It was sometimes tough to stay in the groove, but the pedaling brought on a meditative state and he also listened to Podcasts and music. “The hardest part of the ride was not physical, it was mental. Sometimes I would ride for two or three days without seeing a single person or car. It was easy to get very lonely during these times. Sometimes I would think, ‘Why the heck am I out here?’” exclaimed Tim. What kept him going? “I was inspired to know that people had my back, were in my corner, routing me on and that the students at Kaleidoscope were depending on me.” said Tim. He chose to fundraise during his ride because it was “a way to make it something bigger than just a ride, something more meaningful. It was a great opportunity to do something positive with the ride.” stated Tim.

Overall, it took Tim 29 days to ride the final 1,500 miles of the Great Divide. The complete ride included over 200,000 feet of climbing from El Paso, TX to Rossville, MT. He set up camp almost every night. There was a cost to the trip. Not just the cost of time and energy. A few equipment purchases, trip preparations, staying at motels at certain times during the trip, and especially not working for the entire summer is taking its toll. He is actually feeling the hit now due to not working for the summer. Student teaching in January and February is occupying most of his time so he is unable to work to make extra needed money.

For Tim to pour out such time, energy, and sacrifice for Kaleidoscope is absolutely incredible. I asked Tim, “What makes you tick? What is in your heart?” Tim responded, “I want to live my life in a way that has the least negative impact and the most positive impact. I want to live intentionally. I want a sense of purpose.” He also stated, “I want kids to know that they can do anything. It is not just about doing great things; it is about being great for other people. I am a normal person, average in many ways. I didn’t think I would ride 20 miles, let alone 1,500 miles. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Never underestimate what you can do.”

Even though the ride is over, the fundraising is still happening. Tim’s desire was to raise $2,000 for Kaleidoscope and he is currently at $1,680. If you are inspired by Tim’s incredible accomplishment, please show your support for his sacrifice and for Kaleidoscope: http://givemn.razoo.com story/Riding-The-Great-Divide-For-Kaleidoscope.

We hope you were moved by Tim’s story and effort. We also would like to take to heart his idea and challenge you to create your own fundraiser! What could you sacrifice to help the children and families of Kaleidoscope? How could you make a direct impact on the well-being of a child? What could you do to save a life?

Kaleidoscope Place was founded in 1971 and is the result of a vision members of Messiah and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Churches had over 40 years ago. These churches wanted to build bridges between their congregations and the people in the Phillips community. When the program began in 1971, it was exclusively a summer day camp which ran for six weeks. The churches wanted to provide a safe and enriching place for children to go during the summer months. The churches made a conscious decision to not provide religious programming in order to be inclusive to all children. In the early 1980s a small after school program was started, but unfortunately had to be discontinued after a number of years due to lack of resources.

Over the past several years, the program has grown substantially. In 1994, Kids’ Place, our current after school program (now called After School Kids), began as a pilot program. The 1994-1995 school year was its first full year of programming. The program provided homework help, basic skill instruction, and recreational activities after school, with the purpose of helping children perform at grade level in school. The Children’s Garden program, a partnership with the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, was also started in 1994. In 1995, the Summer Kids program was extended to eight weeks. In January of 2009 Kaleidoscope moved, for the first time in 39 years, into Lutheran Social Service’s Center for Changing Lives. Funding for Kaleidoscope is currently provided by churches, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

Kaleidoscope strives to not only be a resource to those in the Phillips Neighborhood, but to be an active part of the community. To help meet the needs of those in our community, all of the programming at Kaleidoscope is highly affordable for participants. Currently Kaleidoscope offers five programs: After School Kids, Summer Kids, Children’s Garden, Youth Employment, and Families Together.

Board of Directors

Debbie Ondov, Co-Chair • John Ondov, Co-Chair • Karen Beamon • Leslie Bell Pashalek • Reverend Gordon Braatz • Diane Daehlin • Tom Gustafson • Donley Johnson • Janet Johnson • Ann E. Keating • Jim Lerberg • Mary Lundquist • Robert Purvis • Nicole Stanich • Laura Weghorst • DeAundres D. Wilson