Sojourner House Winston AndersonKayLee HamlinZeina NaoumJohn Scuola

The Sojourner House• Founded in 1981 by Nancy Watson Dean and Virginia

Fairchild • Mission: “Sojourner House provides shelter, structure,

strength, and inspiration to individuals and families in need, so they are prepared to lead responsible and meaningful lives”

• House had on average 12 women there• Women’s stories:

▫ Many women are dealing with some sort of chemical dependency issue, mental health issues, criminal justice involvement or are victims of domestic violence

Our Responsibilities▫Visit the house every other Friday▫Prepare lesson plans for each class▫Mediate discussions

Engage women to offer opinions▫Help prepare dinner▫Talked to the women▫Played with the children

Workshop 1: Stress Management• General Overview

▫ Definitions, effects• Activity:

▫ Facial massage▫ Listened to music

(Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Enya) 60 beats per minute is

perfect for stress management

• What is stress? Can someone share with us how they manage it?

• Reflection- Went pretty well, helped us get to know the women

Stress Management Quiz:Do you find yourself feeling fatigued or exhausted?

a) Yes, I seem to be tired most of the time.

b) No, I'm mostly only tired when it's time to go to bed.

Do you have another symptom that you think could be stress-related?

 a) Yes.  b) No.  Do you find muscle tension, especially in your neck, back and jaw?

a) Yes, I'm pretty tense, and often sore. In fact, I could use a massage right now!b) No, I'm pretty loose.

Have you become an Emotional Eater? (Do you find yourself eating to cope with stress, or craving sweet or salty food more than usual?)

a) Yes, this sounds like me.b) No, my eating patterns are pretty much under my control.

Have you experienced weight gain or weight loss that you suspect is due to stress, or are you storing more fat in your belly lately?

a) Yes, I find that my body's shape has changed, and I'm wondering if it's due to stress.b) No, I don't think I've experienced stress-related weight changes.

Do you often feel anxious about things you can't control?

a) Yes, I'm somewhat prone to worry and anxiety.b) No, I don't really worry about things that are beyond my control

Do you often feel anxious about things you can't control?

a) Yes, I'm somewhat prone to worry and anxiety.b) No, I don't really worry about things that are beyond my control

Workshop 2: Yoga• General Overview:

▫ Transition from stress management

• Women not engaged

• Poses: Chair, Warrior, Tree

• Reflection: Us vs. Them, not taken very seriously

Workshop 3: Moral Reasoning• General Overview:

▫ Definition of morals, given hypothetical situations and made up their own, debate at end of class

• Situations:▫ Driving in the rain▫ Bank and the bank teller▫ Women’s reactions

• Reflection: BEST CLASS▫ A lot of participation▫ Learned a lot about

women, shared personal experiences (stabbing experience, Grandfather in Jamaica, roommate and anorexia)

Workshop 4: Computers• General Overview:

▫ Groups Basic skills Excel PowerPoint

• Reflection: Women asked for this class. Many of them did not even know how to turn on a computer or access the internet. They really learned a lot.

Workshop 5: • General Overview

▫ Jeopardy▫ Bracelet making

• Reflection: ▫ Small class ▫ Difficult because some of

women were new▫ Showed how much we

really did teach the women

▫ Sad it was the last class

What they learned…

What we learned…•How to work together to prepare lessons

despite our own opinions•Mold our classes to the needs of the

women•Not to judge people by their situation•Look past our own perceptions

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation”

-Robert F. Kennedy