5/5 - 5/9 Week in Review

Table Talk guest Angel Gates from Hudsy TV 

Word of the week: Execute

As we near the end of our programming, we chose "execute" as our word of the week. It’s not exactly crunch time but it is time for our fellows to begin executing their next steps. We launched into our final volunteering day with Community Blue Fridge and KEFC. It was a bittersweet moment: the last service day of the year, but such a powerful one, as our fellows helped design a flyer and logo that will be shared with the community. As we all know, it’s through generous hearts that nonprofits continue doing the good work.

Back at homeroom, our fellows were busy preparing lunch for Cinco de Mayo. We’d love to say it was planned but truthfully, it just happened that way! Tacos are one of our favorite shared meals. We had refried beans, perfectly seasoned ground tacos, and delicious elote, Mexican-style corn on the cob. To top it all off, our fellows whipped up a specialty drink: virgin strawberry margaritas with a “secret” ingredient… salt! Everything was delicious, and we all had full bellies heading into the afternoon, when we worked on finishing our yearbook.

The yearbook deadline arrived this week, and it was designed entirely by our fellows. They chose a cartoon theme and one of our fellows created illustrated versions of each fellow and staff member. The collaboration was incredible to witness. There were lots of laughs as people guessed the cartoon inspirations for each page. Even on a deadline, the room was filled with joy and creativity.

We were thrilled to welcome back Angel Gates, HUDSY Co-Founder, for his second year of Table Talk. Angel spoke about the power of connections, the magic of manifestation, and the importance of continuing to pursue your dreams even in the face of failure. As a service study mentor to one of our fellows, it was a gift to have him back, sharing wisdom and encouragement with the group.

At the Hudson River Maritime Museum, we’ve been hard at work painting and sanding the boat. We have been applying primer and coats in preparation for the competition. This was a huge moment of celebration for many fellows and a definite highlight of the week. By now, we’ve all come to expect the end-of-day sawdust layer, especially on glasses! One fellow noted she never notices it until the day is over but her peers sure do.

Now that our Service Study program has officially wrapped, we spent our first Thursday together in eight weeks. These days will now be dedicated to graduation prep and professional development. Fellows wrote their personal bios and sent thank-you emails to their service study partners. We also covered email etiquette and the importance of proofreading, thank you, Grammarly! We ended the day with a sweet treat at Boice’s Bros. Ice Cream. Because you know what stressed spelled backwards is, right? DESSERTS.

It was especially meaningful to take a shortcut back to homeroom using the Midtown Linear Park Trail, a space the fellows helped design earlier this year. Enjoying the sunshine as we dropped off food at the Community Blue Fridge and returned along the trail reminded us how deeply connected these experiences are to our program.

Over the weekend, our fellows also participated in the Kingston Earth Fair, volunteering and tabling to share Place Corps with the wider community. It was great to be part of this beloved annual event once again.

We hope your weekend includes executing the little things whether that’s finally folding that laundry pile or cleaning out the garage. It’s the small steps that add up.

Have a good weekend,

Place Corps Team 

:)