Philly | FindPenguins

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Trip start
May 11, 2017
Philly Carly Matthews
Salvation Army
May 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Today we went to Salvation Army and sorted toys with the leadership team. We divided toys into categories according to age and gender. We were provided lunch halfway through and that gave us the extra energy to finish strong.

-"What are you hoping to learn about yourself as a leader on this trip?"
On this trip I am hoping to exercise using my voice as a leader. I usually am nervous when it comes to speaking up and voicing my opinions while leading or even while just interacting with others and making to decisions. A lot of the time, I will keep quiet on what I have to say in fear of hurting someone else’s feelings. I am always busy worrying about not shutting others down, so I don’t speak up, even if I have a completely different idea of how we should do something. I’ve been trying to work on that throughout the entire year, and I hope to continue speaking up on this trip. Another thing that I hope comes from this trip is a group understanding amongst my team. We are all different in personality and I hope that on this trip we can utilize our different strengths to help our team prosper overall. Sometimes I feel as though we let those differences come in our way of accomplishing things or coming to decisions. I hope that on this trip we can focus on what makes us different as ways we can be successful. Ashleigh is good with directions, so maybe she can handle that realm of the trip. Zach is really good at commanding attention, so maybe we could use that strength as a way to relay information. If Tim were coming I would say that he is also a strong communicator, maybe he could’ve been our contact person for the different organizations. I hope to learn also my limits, as a leader. I would like to be more self-aware and as helpful as I can be on this trip.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Philadelphia
May 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Philadelphia is a city with many facets. Like most cities, it is complex and has different sub-cities and neighborhoods within the actual city boundaries. This was taken in north philly, an area vastly different than that of the inner city. I noticed less commissioned art, more apparent poverty, more "uncommissioned" graffiti, and our group walked with a little more caution.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
SEPTA
May 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
This is a picture of the SEPTA station we used frequently while staying in the loft in north Philly. The public transportation is vital to the city's economy and sustainability. It allows its citizens to travel far distances for only a small price.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Art museum
May 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The front of the Art Museum. We attended the "pay what you wish" hour and went on a tour inside the museum. It was very informative and I was surprised at how many pieces they had. I only wish that I could've seen more of the museum rather than just sticking with the tour group.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Philly advertisment
May 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
This is a picture of an advertisement that I saw while in Philly. I took a photo of it because I realized I see ads like this in Chicago, on billboards, public transportation, etc. But I hardly ever see ads like this in a place like Winfield. It made me wonder, do cities/urban areas truly have more drug problems or is it just harder to see in more rural areas? Maybe rural and urban have similar need for these ads, but rural areas don't want to ruin their small town, clean image by admitting their citizens use drugs.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Hope
May 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
"Share your hopes, 'weave' your troubles behind." I feel like no matter where you are, rural or urban context, people need hope. People have troubles anywhere in the world, and while that sounds grim, it also means that there is an endless opportunity to spread and give hope, joy, and kindness. I think thats what people need and it's so easy to give.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Share Foods
May 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
At Share Foods we sorted food and packaged it into boxes for families. Our strategy was to have an assembly line and also to have people restocking stations. We set a goal and we accomplished it, and we had fun all the while. It wasn't until the end that the supervisor realized how much we finished and she was really happy that we cleaned up.

-"What about the service experiences is different than the service we do on the team?"
Service leadership can be experienced and seen in various different and unique ways and instances. At school and in the community of Winfield we do lots of different things to help build ourselves and those we come into contact with. A lot of the times, those jobs that we do, the fundraisers we put on, classes we take, they have a direct effect on us and those involved. I feel as though in Winfield, the activities I do because of and through Leadership SC give me instant gratitude in the sense that I can see the difference I made right away. A lot of the time I get the immediate satisfaction of seeing how those involved were effected. With fall and spring cleaning I can see the difference in their yard or house, it’s right in front of my eyes. While in Philadelphia, we could see physical results throughout and after each job that we participated in. However, we didn’t get to see any emotional results. With the toy sorting at Salvation Army, we saw a large pile of bags diminish, but we didn’t see any toys get wrapped or given out. We didn’t get to see kids receive any presents or their face light up. At Front Step, we saw trash in the park diminish, but we didn’t get to see people enjoying the clean park. At Food Share, we saw food get packaged but not given out to families and enjoyed. In my opinion sometimes it makes jobs harder not being able to see the effects right away that you work has had on people.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
New friends
May 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
On the way home from Share Foods, we took the bus. A group of us sat toward the back and after a few stops, some school girls got on. There were some shyer ones, but a couple were very outgoing and friendly and we played games the entire way home. They asked us questions like "how old are you," "what's your favorite color," and "are you guys related?" It was fun getting to know them and I found it interesting how outgoing they were. I felt as though kids from Winfield would be much more weary about talking to strangers. In the city, perhaps they're more used to having to interact with new people every day, especially in close confines such as city transit.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
People watching
May 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
A girl attacked her boyfriend with a pompom. It was pretty funny. People watching in the city is way more entertaining than in Kansas.
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Philly Carly Matthews
Apple Hostel
May 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Staying in Apple Hostel was fun. I thought it built community amongst those sharing a room and I really enjoyed the freedom we got while staying there. Hostels are cool because you can meet lots of new people that you wouldn't have the chance to if you were just staying in a hotel. Immersing yourself in the city can be as easy as choosing a Hostel over a Hampton Inn.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Dazed and confused
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Sometimes travel in the city was a little confusing. I took this because he kept making this face and I thought it was funny. But in all seriousness, big shout out to Ashleigh and Dylan for handling the directions for the majority of the trip. Finding your way in a new city is no small feat, and I'm thankful we had them to guide us.

-"Describe on act of a servant leader that you have witnessed in Philadelphia."

Servant leadership can be found in grand and great big gestures, and it can be found in the small and everyday act of simple kindness. Throughout the entire trip, there were countless acts of servant leadership that I experienced, witnessed, and noticed. When thinking about how to answer this question, I had difficulty picking just one to write about, as there were such a great deal to decide from. One of my favorite acts of servant leadership that I saw was Ashleigh taking charge of directions. As I’ve said previously, my team is packed with diverse and different personalities. Sometimes we clash and sometimes we complement each other like peanut butter and chocolate. In the beginning of this year I think we were all worried about stepping on one another’s toes and would be more wary about utilizing our own strengths in situations of uncertainty or challenge. On this trip, Ashleigh really took charge of figuring out the directions while traveling place to place with our large group. While being in a new city with unfamiliar surroundings can be difficult, she was brave enough to take on the role of being Map Master Guru. She didn’t expect anyone to thank her, she didn’t expect any special favors in return. She did it for the good of the group and without any glory. I’m very thankful that she was there to help us find our way and in a small way it reminded me of Leo from Journey to the East.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
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Front Step
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We helped clean up the park and surrounding area for Front Step in Logan Nicetown. It was really cool looking at things we found in the park and also interacting with people as we cleaned up the streets. My favorite part was hearing people from the community talk about Pastor Wes. You could tell that he was really respected by everyone because of how much he cared about their community. His intentions and actions meant a lot to his peers and they were also really appreciative of our help. One man even asked us where he could get trash claws like the ones we had. It was cool seeing that people were genuinely inspired to help out around the town in the future, as well.

-"Kouzes and Posner suggest exemplary leaders should 'treat every job as an adventure." What have you learned about how to do this on this trip?"

Kouzes and Posner suggest exemplary leaders should treat every job as an adventure. I believe this to be very true. Treating all jobs as an adventure can help keep morale high, boost goals setting, and keep you focused on the end result. Having an “adventure” mindset keeps things enjoyable and I also feel as though it could help curb the negative feelings that could accompany adversity or any possible obstacles encountered. I think the Philadelphia trip helped develop this mindset for me in a few different ways. Some of the work we did while in Philly was laborious, it felt as though it was endless at times. But throughout each job I’d try to think of the fun parts, and highlight how much success we were having as a group overall. Adversities, like bathroom breaks during the assembly line at Share Foods, were small adventures in themselves. Instead of worrying about not getting the job done, or it being harder with less people, or our system getting messed up, I tried to think “okay we can do it!” No challenge was too big and trying to go into high gear when someone stepped out was actually pretty fun Sure it was hard work but that was part of the adventure mindset. Adventures are hard but usually worth it. This trip taught me to push through the hard parts of the adventure and find great joy in the process.

-"Describe one Philadelphian Leader you have met."

One Philadelphian leader that I met on this trip was Pastor Wes. Pastor Wes we met at Front Step and he enlisted us to help clean up a nearby park and the surrounding area. Wes helps run Front Step and he does a great deal for the community of Logan Nicetown. He is very dedicated to helping the community and its people by providing a place where people can worship, get to know each other, and get involved. Pastor Wes is a transformational and charismatic leader. Everyone in the community that I talked to and interacted with knew who he was. The people in the community loved what he is doing and has done for them and they are all very appreciative of it. They have a high amount of respect for him and I believe it is because they can tell that he genuinely cares about them and their town. He cares about helping them out, improving their city and their youth, he cares about having a strong and positive impact on their lives. Pastor Wes has taken time to build up their relationships, the ones between him and others, and those between community members themselves. He is also a transactional leader. He can be categorized as transactional as well because his foundation functions through and relies greatly on volunteers and the service that they all provide because it is just him and his small staff running things. Without the help of the community members, they couldn’t function properly and have such a great impact.Read more
Carly Matthews The great Pastor Wes thanking us for all our time and hard work
6/12/17Reply
Carly Matthews Pieces of a puzzle we will never solve
6/12/17Reply
Carly Matthews I related to this letter written by a student to a teacher very hard.
6/12/17Reply
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Philly Carly Matthews
The Mural Mile
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
On our tour we saw many different murals commissioned by the city. They add to the city's beauty and history. On the tour we saw many different pieces and styles of murals and it reminded me of the amount diversity in the city, itself. However, part of me couldn't help but think about the rougher parts of Philly, and what they would look like if some of the money used for the murals could've gone towards them instead. Why not invest that money into bettering the school systems, the parks, recreational facilities, etc.? Why not put that money to use to better the rougher, lower income areas FOR the people who ALREADY live there? Why not help those who already inhabit those areas rather than put art into an already decent area? Art is important, but I feel as if they could've spent the money on other important things.

-"What about being in Philadelphia is a new experience for you?"
A new experience for me in Philadelphia was going on the mural mile tour. In Chicago there are various different subsections, each with their own look and feel. There is West Loop, South Side, North Ave., tons of various places within the city borders, and they all are completely different from each other. I felt that same way in Philadelphia. In Chicago, there is an area that could be considered the “art district” of the city but it’s not officially dubbed so. In Philadelphia, on our mural mile tour, I felt as though we were right in the heart of the art district. I had never seen that many murals, that many large scale pieces of commissioned art in the same place before. While walking throughout the tour I noticed the variety among all of the art pieces. Chicago has a great deal of different art as well, but it isn’t displayed in the city in the same way. Yes, there are lots of pieces, but they’re completely scattered about, geographically. They aren’t displayed with the same pride as Philadelphia’s were. It was a new experience seeing so much art in the same area. I thought it was really cool to see how beautiful it made the city and how much it brightened up the surrounding buildings. Hearing the stories behind each one was very interesting and I thought the various methods used to create each one was cool. My favorite was a more whimsical one that looked like silly monster faces.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Graffiti as Art
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
I thought the concept of this restaurant was really cool. I think graffiti is its own art, I love how raw and distinct it is to the artist and how strongly it can be used to portray messages and concepts. I've been really interested in graffiti documentaries, there's a really good one on Netflix called Exit Through the Gift Shop, I highly recommend it. Seeing people able to leave their mark at this restaurant was really cool and fun to me, and I found it interesting that Philadelphia puts so much value into different art, graffiti and otherwise.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Travelers from All Over
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
In the hostel there was a map that you could put a pin on where you're from. There were pictures, little notes, and pins all over the board. I thought it was cool that people had stayed there from all over the globe, and it made me realize how your path could cross with anyone in the world. We're really small on this planet but we are all so much more interconnected than we realize. I just found it crazy I was touching a board that someone from China also touched. It reminded me of the history of Philadelphia, and how many famous people walked the same streets as me a hundred years ago.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
The best part... Food
May 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
There were so many places that we ate great food. My favorite thing was when we got to venture on our own during free time and go wherever we wanted to eat. I loved getting coffee in the morning at little cafes, but my favorite meal was when Kyndra and I ate at this fancy restaurant before the historical tour. I had the best pasta of my life, and it just shows the versatility of the city's food options.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Historical Tour
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
This tour was really cool, we went to a lot of old places. I thought it was really interesting to walk the same streets that our founding fathers did hundreds of years ago. My favorite parts were the judicial and legislative buildings, I thought it was interesting and convenient that they were placed so close together. I find it interesting that they could've literally walked down the street to get something signed, have a debate, or gotten political work done. Even though it was rainy I had a lot of fun on this tour.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Take me to Church
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Morning service at Christ Church. I really enjoyed seeing this part of the community. I found it interesting to see how many people actually attended this church for the service regularly as opposed to tourism attendance. I thought it was sweet that the church was so involved in the lives of the youth members and that they threw them a little pizza party. It's cool how much faith can connect community members regardless of where you are in the world.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Graveyard Tour
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
After church we took a tour of the graveyard. It was really interesting to see how many well-known people were buried there. I found it neat to see who made the cut and got a plot. My favorite part was seeing all the different types of grace markers and the sinking headstones. It was cool to see such a historical and old sight.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Ben Franklin Museum
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
The Benjamin Franklin museum was really cool and interactive. I had no idea that he was such an innovative creator. Sometimes I wonder how much would've still have been invented had he not done it himself. He led such an interesting life and seemed to have such a progressive mind. He created more than just his inventions and political legacy, he created opportunity for progress and future trailblazing.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Liberty Bell
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
The Liberty Bell was really cool. I felt as though I was back in time. My favorite part about it is the crack and I think it's amazing and great that the city of Philly wants to preserve this historical beauty. This was probably the most touristy I felt on the entire trip.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Chinese Lantern Festival
May 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
The Chinese Lantern Festival might have been my favorite part of the trip overall. I loved seeing some Chinese culture in the city, and I thought it was awesome seeing all the people enjoying the festival and the show at the end of the night. I really enjoy the diversity found in the city.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Subway Art
May 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
I read an article in one of the magazines on the plane on the way to Philly about the art incorporated in the subway stations. I didn't even realize that the article I read was about Philadelphia until I got back on the plane to go home! It was so cool to see beautiful, big art. In Chicago, our public transportation isn't beautiful, clean, or well taken care of. Philly has really made a point about bringing beautiful art to the people.Read more
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Philly Carly Matthews
Headed home
May 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
On the plane heading home, I had a lot of time to reflect on my trip experience. I had a lot of fun and was very lucky to experience such historical and beautiful places and sights. I grew as a leader and a follower, I strengthened friendships, and created new ones. Leadership is a truly irreplaceable ad special program and I'm very lucky to be a part of it.

-"What kind of influence will this trip have on you as a leader?"

This trip has had a lot of influence on me as a leader. It helped me sharpen my leadership skills while being provided the opportunity to experience new context. Broadening my context has allowed me to meet new people and experience new and different need in the world. Seeing and immersing myself in a place so different than Winfield has allowed me to grow as a leader and widen my perspective. On this trip, I learned that sometimes, having some purely transactional interactions doesn’t make you a “bad” leader. Sometimes you need those transactional type moments to keep things going and functioning properly. This trip also reinforced my belief that relationships matter. Forming new relationships and strengthening them is important, and I think it is relationships that keep people inspired and passionate about hard work. Finding motivation for grueling and gritty work is no small challenge, keeping people feeling positive and encouraged is a difficult task in itself. But it’s possible and necessary. I found myself realizing that part of keeping others motivated is keeping yourself involved as well. I suppose it might be obvious to others, but I had sort of an epiphany. In order to inspire a shared vision, you must first be inspired and have inspiration to share. It’s awful hard to motivate others if you, yourself, aren’t very into what you are doing in the first place. I learned that thinking positively and thinking of every hard task as an adventure can help you go farther and do more than you originally thought you could.Read more
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Trip end
May 16, 2017