After taking the time to research our two assigned RSOs, a non-for-profit organization and therapeutic recreation, we began the process of comparing and contrasting the two establishments from a variety of different perspectives. As detailed in our previous posts, we chose the Champaign Crisis Nursery as the local non-for-profit in the Champaign-Urbana community. This organization provides two main services. First it acts as an around the clock safe haven for children ages zero to five experiencing some sort of crisis. The concept of a crisis is defined differently for each family and ranges from cases of homelessness to domestic violence. The second service is one of continued progress and change. The workers at the center provide therapy, mentorship, classes and home visits for those who have used their services in order to ensure that they will not need to continue to visit the nursery. Our second organization, the Oasis located in the basement of the Illini Union is quite different. This branch of the McKinley Health Center provides a variety of wellness services to its customers. Some of the products include massages, relaxation rooms, free access to the Wii, and personal health give-aways.

 

While the two organization are drastically different in terms of the services they provide, they both have distinct goals and motives. The Champaign Crisis Nursery works to provide a safe haven for children, and ensure safety and well being for individuals who cannot provide such things for themselves. They work directly with the families in the community who are desperately in need of assistance and comfort and they care for individuals, both the small children and their families, on a personal level. The Oasis on the other hand has set goals that involving allowing students to relax, rejuvenate and refresh. They promote overall wellness, both mental and physical, and boast easy access while providing care for students and teachers on a personal level.

Just as the goals between these two organizations vary, so to does the way that they are funded. Champaign Crisis Nursery, as a non-for-profit, is funded almost entirely by donations from local businesses and community members. Many school groups also make monetary donations, as well as those that involve food, clothing, diapers, ect. Finally the nursery applies for government grants on a regular basis in order to sustain constant service and pay its small group of staff. Because the Oasis is connected with the McKinley Health Center on campus, the primary funding comes from university tuition. Each student is required to pay a $250 health fee annually that covers the cost of such services. This allows students virtually free access to all the Oasis amenities, with the exception of massages. Faculty and guests at the Illini Union Hotel are required to pay a small fee for most services including the use of a relaxation room.

                                          

The nature of the two organizations also means that they benefit to very different populations. The Champaign Crisis Nursery, as mentioned previously, works with families of children ages zero to five who are experiencing some sort of crisis. This crisis situation is defined differently for each situation, but involved helping primarily single mothers, those in the community with lower socio-economic backgrounds, the homeless, and those we are experiencing some type of emergency situation. The beneficiaries of The Oasis on the other hand are University of Illinois students and faculty, as well as guests staying at the hotel located insider the Illini Union.

     

Job opportunities are also very different between the two organizations. Because the Champaign Crisis Nursery is a non-for-profit organization, they only employ a small board of directors whose primary responsibilities involve running the day-to-day tasks of the business. These positions include an executive director, an events director, a family specialist, and an administrative assistant. These workers accept a smaller salary knowing that they are providing invaluable resources to children, however they do receive benefits through a social worker program. Volunteers run most of the center, in fact it takes nearly 150 individuals a week to manage the center and care for the children. Because The Oasis is paid directly from the university, they are able to pay a much larger staff. Those people include a dietician, nutritionist, athletic trainer, physical therapist, massage therapist, receptionist and managers, as well as some student interns. These workers must be qualified for their positions, meaning they hold degrees, and are compensated for their level of education.

Even though our organizations were so drastically different, they both have many strengths and weaknesses associated with their goals. The Champaign Crisis Nursery is unique to the area, specialized to a specific population, well run and organized, and brings in lots of donations. They have also seen great success with their in-house supervision program and the new mother program that was put in place last year. With all of its strengths however, comes a few weaknesses. The center is only capable of holding twelve children at a time for a maximum of 72 hours each based on government regulation. After these restrictions have passed, families must find another means of caring for their small children. The Oasis is unique to the university and also the Champaign area, it boasts a wide variety of services, and prides itself on catering to an exclusive group of individuals. They have had difficulties with publicizing in the past however, and many of their services are by appointment, which is inconvenient for many students who tend to plan things last minute.

                                          

All and all we feel that both of these organizations do serve their purpose for their respective populations. Both provide care for those who utilize their services and work to make lives better in a personal and meaningful way. The Champaign Crisis Nursery helped over 1000 children last year and continues to make a name for itself within the community. They are continue to progress their services and are working to touch as much of the Champaign- Urbana community as possible, especially during these hard times. The Oasis too, it continuing to change and adapt to student’s needs and has begun to make a name for itself on campus. We are so grateful for the opportunity to explore these places and are even looking to get involved at both centers.

The Oasis

In this assignment we chose to take a closer look at the campus recreation agency Oasis. Oasis is located in the Illini Union, and is a center where students can relax, rejuvenate, and refresh their health.  Oasis is a part of McKinley Health Center, and serves as an extended service for them. It opened about 10 years ago to offer students a mind-body-soul alternative in addition to the other recreation services on campus. The services Oasis offers are mostly free to students, however, some of them requires a scheduled appointment or inquiry from McKinley Health Center.

Oasis offers five different services, Health Resource Center, BodyWork Associates, McKinley SportWell Center, Exercise Space as well as rooms for various purposes.  The Health Resource Center provides students with self care products like condoms, home pregnancy test kit, cold care products and wound care packages, as well as providing a range of health information handouts. BodyWork Associates is an independent massage therapy company that offer discounted massage services for students, faculty and staff. The McKinley SportWell Center provides comprehensive services in athletic injury prevention and treatment, fitness, nutrition and physical therapy. They have an athletic trainer, a physical therapist, a registered dietitian and an exercise specialist. The Exercise Space is a fitness area available for all students, which have private changing rooms, and health-related patient information hand-outs. It also includes a private exercise area.  Lastly, there are the various rooms, which consist of a relaxation room, a reflection room and a multipurpose room. The relaxation room is a room where you can enjoy progressive muscle relaxation a totally quiet room, while watching images of natural scenery. The reflection room is a quiet room as well, but it can also be used for religious purposes. The multipurpose room can be used to a lot of different things, as the name suggests, like yoga, tai chi, pilates and tango, and it also has a Nintendo Wii that students can use.

Some of the more obvious competencies for having a job at the Oasis would be to have a professional degree of some sort, and to have a care for other peoples well-being.  The dietitian, physical therapist, and athletic trainer all went to school specifically for the job that are currently working, and since everyday they work with people to increase their well-being, the lack of a desire to help others would make this job quite miserable.  In order to successfully run the Oasis, its workers must be able to accommodate for all kinds of people.  For a while, a relaxation room with a 20 minute video aimed at relaxing someone, was the only thing available for stressed students.  The Oasis then realized that different people relaxed differently, so they added a reflection room meant for peace and quietness, that has just a few pillows in it.

There are different employment opportunities and forms at Oasis. They have a professional staff that includes a dietitian, a physical therapist and an athletic trainer. In order to seek a job in one of these fields you must do a number of things. First you must go to through different programs in college and receive a bachelors degree. After you receive your degree you have to find entry level employment and observe at different medical facilities for at least 45 to 100 hours. We interviewed the physical Therapist at Oasis and found out many interesting things. His journey to becoming a physical was in fact a random decision. He said that he used to work in a loan office and grew tired of his job. He wanted something different and saw an ad in the paper for a physical therapist. He went back to school and got a degree and the rest was history. He advises anyone who wants a career here to build a good solid resume because it is a very competitive market. He has been a physical therapist for 16 years and his only goal is to make sure whomever comes through his door feel better.

Like all therapeutic recreation agencies, the Oasis has it’s positive and negative trends.  All too often, students would come into the Oasis expecting emergency care for sprained ankles or things of the sort.  The Oasis has a tight nit schedule that is often booked, and students must make an appointment far in advance to get the desired care.  This supposedly happens at least once a week, and the workers cannot seem to get it across to the students that it is not an emergency room.  On the other hand, students have consistently been utilizing the complementary cold packs, contraceptives, condoms, and more, from the Health Resource Center in the Oasis.

From looking at the programs offered at the Oasis, one could see that the agency believes very strongly in defining leisure as consisting of physical activity, and at the same time, relaxation.  It seems that the agency understands that different people always have different views on leisure, and they try their hardest to accommodate for everyone.  After talking to one of the managers of the Oasis, we found that her personal belief in what leisure was, was that it is something that, “makes you feel good”.  Coincidentally, this happens to be the main benefit that the agency provides to its customers; they help to make people feel better.  They care about balancing our body, mind and spirit, and see this as essential in treating people, and just being there for people.  

We are all personally very happy that we got the opportunity to do this assignment on the Oasis, for none of us really knew what it was before, and now know how to utilize its programs and activities.We have another convenient place to not only go work out but relieve stress. Some of us might have even found a possible career path working with therapeutic agencies like the Oasis.  Working for the Oasis would be quite the rewarding job. Even though Oasis offers many opportunities, those jobs consume much of your time. You have to be willing to sacrifice time at home, personal issues and sleep in order to help patients receive tranquility. It is a day and night process that directly and indirectly show results. The fruit of your labor would be shown right in front of you when you get to see your patient walk out a healthier, more stable minded person.

Patrick Heddins, Eric Walker, Christine Pederson, Andre Vertiz, Roderic Navar

GROUP ONE - NON PROFIT RSO

For our Recreation-Sponsoring Organization, our group chose to investigate a Non-Profit agency located right in our own community known as the Champaign Crisis Nursery. This organization is a safe haven for children from newborn to five years of age whose families are facing some kind of crisis, and need assistance caring for their child. The center defines crisis as any event in which a parent or guardian cannot administer adequate supervision and care, ranging from high levels of stress to homelessness and domestic violence. They provide a variety of services to the children including daycare, basic education lessons, food, clothing, hygiene and medical assistance, and a warm, safe place to sleep. The center runs one hundred percent on donations and volunteers, averaging about 150 different volunteer individuals a week, and countless donations from local churches and community citizens.

            Champaign Crisis Nursery was founded in 1979, after the need to prevent child abuse and neglect within the Champaign community was recommended by the local Council of Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The initial efforts were taken on by a nurse from McKinley Health Center and a social worker at Burnham Hospital, who brought the idea to life and opened the first one-room nursery right inside the hospital itself. After the hospital closed, the nursery was forced to moved to a variety of small temporary locations, before settling into its new home on Hill Street in Urbana. The center is now a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week facility that is aimed to provide emergency crisis care to struggling families and to take prevention a step further. The center works closely with the Provena Covenant Medical Center, as well as many of the other local shelters in order to be the greatest resource for the children possible.

            While much of the nursery staff consists of  a rotating group of a large number of volunteers, the center employs eleven paid individuals who manage everything from basic office work, to childcare and family intervention. All volunteers are required to abide by the regulations set in place by the Department of Children and Family Service, which includes a complete background check, fingerprints, and a collections of references prior to the designated start date. Once cleared, volunteers interact one on one with the children in play, meal times, and basic classroom lessons. Other positions at the center include an executive director, development director, family specialist, marketing and special events director, and a volunteer coordinator. Many of the individuals that hold these positions have degrees in physiology and social work, or some kind of business administration. Just recently, the center hired two staff members with early education backgrounds to ensure that children are constantly being stimulated and educated while at the center. The center looks for individuals who are passionate about children and bettering their community, embody patience and understanding for all of the situations that they encounter, and are able to communicate well in difficult situations. In an interview with the executive assistant, Erika Weiss, she stated, “The pay here is nothing like working for a big corporation, but I love what I do and it really comes with its own rewards.”

           This center is a unique RSO, in that it provides a sense of comfort and leisure for children who might not recognize the severity of their situation. While we were not able to take pictures inside the facility in order to ensure the children’s privacy, it is evident that the center provides a stimulating, creative environment even outdoors. Thanks to community donations, the center is equipped with a wide variety of playground equipment to stimulate play and provide exercise. Inside, the center is broken into sections for children of different ages, and continuously incorporates new learning and recreation activities and games. On the day we visited, the older children were painting in the arts and crafts room, while the toddlers play imaginary games in a pop-up castle. The infants there at the time were in a small play area with one-on-one care provided by a group of volunteers from a campus sorority. Our group was struck by the sound of laughter and screeching that filled the space immediately upon walking in the doors. It is evident that definition of leisure for these children involves active play and creative thinking, socializing with others and continuing to explore the world around them.

                  

            After speaking with many of the volunteers present that day, it was also apparent that getting to spend time with these children was a form of leisure as well. Many attested that the time allowed them to “be a kid again” or that the “contagious smiles” was reason enough to donate a few hours every week. For these generous individuals, time to engage with children and step away from the stress of school and other activities is considered leisure. Finally, for the administrators of the facility, the center provided leisure in the fact that at the end of the day they knew that there were making a difference in the lives of the families that walked through the door. “I don’t consider what I do work,” said Erika when asked to comment on the definition of leisure, “Actually when things in life are stressful, I come here to unwind. The kids calm me down and make me laugh. There is no better leisure than that.”

            One of the main issues we discussed with Erika before leaving that day was how the current financial and economic situation that is plaguing the entire country, especially small towns like Champaign is affecting what the nursery is trying to accomplish. “We have seen a lot more cases of homelessness. When a parent is not sure where they are going to sleep that night, they bring their children here where they know they will be safe.” According to the center’s sources, Champaign has seen a huge spike in homelessness due to loss of jobs, making it difficult to pay for homes and food. Champaign Crisis Nursery also provides extra diapers, clothing and food to families who do not have the means to purchase such items, another service that has also been taken advantage of since hard time have hit. The center stressed the importance of donations so that they might be able to continue to provide a safe haven in the midst of a tough world for those too young to care for themselves.

After leaving the center our entire group was in awe about how much impact a small group of committed individuals can have on a community. More importantly though, we were all so impressed on how they have incorporated the idea of leisure into their mission, even in the midst of crisis and emergency. The services they provide seem basic, but for those who utilize the shelter these necessities are not givens and mean so much. In discussing how this particular RSO incorporates leisure, we were all surprised to discover how many definitions fit under one roof. It really incorporates leisure, recreation and play, while constantly putting smiles on the faces of those who are present. Working at the Champaign Crisis Nursery, or other similar organizations like this, might not prove to the be most profitable, and do involve high stress, serious situations, but for those who choose this path, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. The ability to work with children, give back, and love the occupation are considered greater reward than any monetary value. A few of us were so moved by the experience that we have even decided to being the process of volunteering at the center, and experience the leisure it provides in a whole new way. 

Kaitlyn Hull, Chirag Sharma, Parth Lakadawala, Alvin Fields, Lauren Bontemps, Erin Furmanek

Leisure- Roderick Navar

To me leisure is something very important and necessary in life. Leisure is what keeps us alive and sane because it is what makes us happy in a stressful world. There are many ways to describe leisure depending on what people like to do in their spare time. It ranges from sports to playing video or board games, watching TV or checking their facebook. Like many people I do all these things for leisure however my favorite thing to do in my leisure time is to travel and spend time with the people I most care about, such as my family and good friends. My ideal place to go is somewhere where there are many things to do and see and preferably is by the beach. It is there where I get to step out of my routine and truly get to enjoy myself without worrying about anything else. That's what leisure means to me.

Defining Leisure - Christine Pedersen

To me, leisure is a lot of things. 

On one hand leisure is coming home. Coming home to your family during school breaks, coming home to your friends during the weekend, or just coming home to someone you care about, who cares about you. Talking to your loved ones about what is going on in their lives. Having the time to really sit down and have long conversations about memories of the past and dreams about the future, without having to think about when you have to get up the next morning. Just having quality time with people you love.

On the other hand, leisure is going away. It is about exploring the world, and getting away from your usual surroundings. Leisure is traveling to new countries and cultures, to see how other people live their lives. It is new experiences, like trying crazy things like river rafting or skydiving, or hiking in different nature surroundings. 

But leisure is also the little things in life. The things you can do in your everyday life, to make it a little bit happier. Take the time to listen through your favorite album, reading a book, or try a new recipe.  Going to a sports event or play some sports yourself. Going to the park, and just relax for a few hours. 

In my opinion, all of these are examples of leisure. Leisure is therefore the time you spend on exactly what you want to do, and not being in a hurry.

This picture is from the Brazilian countryside, where I spent my summer. I was there with my family, and I also got to know a lot of the people who lives there. This vacation combines a lot of what I think of as leisure, like spending time with family and friends, visiting a new culture, and getting new experiences. It was probably my best vacation ever.

csharma2

In this image we see a couple friends relaxing at the bar with drinks. This picture represents leisure to me because it has the dimly lit setting of a bar combined with the social aspect of the bar. The fully stocked bar is a sure sign of leisure to relax and unwind after a long day.

What Leisure Means To Me: Eric Walker

Leisure could be easily defined as a pastime or activity a person likes to do. I believe that this is leisure at its simplest form. Leisure could be anything from collecting bottle caps to rock climbing at your local YMCA. I think that whatever you do for leisure offers insight on your personality and demeanor as a person. It not only reflects you but it offers a break away from the hardships of problems, work, and society. The picture above is of my first Illini football game. I love sports and football just happens to be among my favorites. I not only enjoyed the game but it was relaxing and exhilarating. As you can tell from the picture my leisure activities are sports and social based events. Your leisure offers the world a glimpse of the person you are and the things you enjoy.

Defining Leisure - Kaitlyn Hull

For me, leisure is loud; its full of laughing; it involves close quarters around a patio table, and sharing seats; it deals with running, kicking, and screaming; it means never leaving my backyard. I consider any time that I am able to spend with my extremely close knit neighborhood, one that resembles a family more than anything else, as my definition of leisure. While it is sometimes chaotic, these people mean everything to me, and there is nothing I would rather do then spend a summer night eating a pot luck dinner after countless backyard games, followed by smores. 


With the 10 or so small children in the make up, I am able to be a kid again. I can play tag, running bases, ghost in the graveyard and catch bugs. I am able to relive childhood every summer night, just before the sun goes down. More importantly though, leisure is the complete enjoyment that comes from watching these kids grow. I have been present for most of the major milestones in these ten small lives, and there is no greater feeling than knowing that I am an integral part of their memories. 


With my 4 peers in our small community, I have found a mini support group. I am able to talk for hours about small insignifiigant matters and huge life decisions. These individuals are the ones who ground me, and help me to remember what is important and who I am. Leisure for me is sitting on the back deck, listening to music and discussing current matters of the heart with 4 individuals who I feel most at home with no matter where I am. 


Finally there are my wildly diverse six  sets of parents who I have come to love and respect as my own.  There is a saying that states "it takes a village to raise a child" and for me, it truly did. Each adult I consider not just my neighbor, but my mentor, my friend, and my parent. They all are so unique and wonderful and have taught me so much. Leisure is the nights I get to spend with them on someone's back porch sitting, laughing, and silently learning from them all. 


Before leaving for school, my definition of leisure was much more stereotypical. I would have said time at the lake or on a beach, where one can experience quiet and solitude. After leaving the neighborhood for an extended period of time, I realize now there is nowhere I would rather be then with all of them. Leisure is different for everyone, but I believe it is when you are most comfortable and most at peace, without constantly formulating the future. For me this happens on a back deck, with the people I love, learning lessons and making memories that I will never forget. 

Leisure Definition, Andres Vertiz

This is a picture of me in Berlin’s Fernsehturm which translates to “television tower”. It is the tallest structure in Berlin which obviously attracts many tourists. To me, this picture is a good depiction of what I consider to be leisure. It shows how I like to observe my surroundings and doing it at an altitude of 1,198 feet really allows me to take Berlin in. It also shows how sight seeing is a main part of leisure for me. My definition of leisure is when you use your time for your own personal pleasure. Leisure is when you are putting aside your responsibilities and taking part in an activity that either interests you or makes you happy. 

Leisure Definition, Erin Furmanek

This is a picture of my friends and I in front of one of the houses that we helped build for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity was a great way to not only give back to those in need, but to also experience a memorable trip with my friends during senior year.  During this service project I was able to experience leisure by participating in something that made me feel like I was making a difference and by also spending quality time with my best friends.  For me, volunteering is a form of leisure because I really enjoy helping others and making a difference.  Spending time with friends is also a major part of my leisure activities because I am free from any stressful environments and I am also myself and very relaxed around them.  My definition of leisure is participating in an activity that brings you happiness and also brings out the best qualities of your personality. 

Leisure Definition: Parth Lakdawala

I think that leisure is something that is unique to each person. I feel that we define leisure as an activity that where we can forget about the daily problems we face and simply enjoy ourselves stress free. My personal definition of leisure is to travel the world and experience all the different cultures and customs that the world has to offer. The picture is of me on the top of Huashan Mountain in Xian, China. It is one of the five scared Taoist mountains and I am sitting at a height that is 1/4 the height of Mount Everest. This picture captures my experiences while traveling very well. Sitting at the edge allowed me to contemplate my life and simply relax without worrying about everyday problems. Being surrounded by a different culture helped satisfy my desire to learn and immerse myself into different cultures and customs. Finally, traveling around and meeting people helps broaden one's horizons and learn how the world and its people are truly interconnected. 

Leisure Definition - Patrick Heddins

          This is a picture of me atop Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park, California.  I am shown doing one of my favorite pastimes, simply gazing in awe and wonder at the beauty of our natural world. Unfortunately, this picture may have taken away some of the greatness of that experience because now when I think of that particular hike I went on, I think of this picture, as opposed to the feelings and emotions that I was actually experiencing during those moments.  Regardless, it serves as a reminder for me to get back out there, to Yosemite or any other wilderness area, for those are the places in which I find the deepest serenity and realize the connectedness of all things in this world.  I could say my personal definition of leisure is to get out into the natural world, but it quickly falls apart when you realize that my hiking guide considered our time together as work, due to his responsibilities, so I would have to say that leisure is something that is freely chosen by someone to bring joy or happiness in some form or another.

Leisure Definiton, Lauren Bontemps (includes picture)

This picture is of myself and teammate's playing in a basketball tournament over spring break. I played basketball in high school, and because of my love for the game, I decided to continue to play. This pictures represents my leisure being put into action. Playing basketball is one way I use leisure. Basketball is a part of my life that I have to relax and enjoy. I believe leisure is a type of activity you participate in that causes you happiness, relaxation, and physical movement individually or with a group of people.

Leisure Definition, Lauren Bontemps

This picture is of myself and teammate's playing in a basketball tournament over spring break. I played basketball in high school, and because of my love for the game, I decided to continue to play. This pictures represents my leisure being put into action. Playing basketball is one way I use leisure. Basketball is a part of my life that I have to relax and enjoy. I believe leisure is a type of activity you participate in that causes you happiness, relaxation, and physical movement individually or with a group of people.

Alvin Fields' Leisure

This is a picture of the beach in Mexico my family and I went to during Christmas break last year. It represents complete abandonment of thoughts from school and the real world. We went on this vacation immediately following my last final and since it had been my first year in college, the break was more than necessary. It was a nice way to escape the stress and pressures of school. The calm atmosphere allowed for complete relaxation. My definition of leisure would be; the process of losing yourself from your responsibilities and relaxing without thought of the consequences.