TMC PULSE

T M C » P U L S E | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 32 T M C » P U L S E | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE NATION'S PULSE THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER'S 2018 CONSUMER SURVEY SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 530 — 7 pmPresentation of survey results & discussion Reception to follow More information and free registration at tmcsurvey.eventbrite.com In addition to strengthening their faith through worship sessions, each participant engages in a day of "service learning" to put his or her faith into action through one of dozens of local projects. That makes the conference one of the nation's largest public service efforts. • • • The outdoor service project was guided by Joe Icet, a veteran urban farmer who assists the Houston Health Department with more than a dozen community gardens through Last Organic Outpost, an organization that works to create food security using urban agricul- ture resources and collaboration. "We create this opportunity to gift a whole neighborhood with food and food production through reintroducing farming or gardening back into communities," explained Icet, founder and CEO of the group, which describes itself an "urban pioneer collective." When Icet explained and demonstrated different tasks, the volunteers followed. Some sifted soil to separate the larger pieces for mulch and the finer components for fertilizer that will break down and provide nutrients to plants. "They're using one of the local fertilizers to create a really good blend and then what we're doing is going and top dressing all of the beds with our fertilizer mix. It's called the Minnesota Hot Mix. It's a fertilizer that was created right here from the local resources," said Icet, a retired refrigeration mechanic. "I'm teaching how we can be real effective in creating food systems for communities." The Houston Health Department—formerly known as the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services— became a Texas Medical Center institution in 1963. Many of the agency's multi-service centers fea- ture community gardens. Though the Lutheran youth were sent to help Houston, the experience also had a profound impact that will return home with them. "I wanted to grow my faith and be … closer to God and meet new people," said Brook Ekenberg, 15, of Frisco, Texas. "A little bit of help can go a long way." Katie Mersiovsky, 14, also from Frisco, said she enjoyed learning something new. "I think it's fun because we don't really get to garden a whole lot and plant stuff and get our hands dirty," she said. "It's hard work … but this is going to a great cause and helping a lot of people." • • • Unexpected assistance came just in time for The Center for Hearing and Speech, which teaches deaf children to listen and speak without using sign language. The nonprofit, which joined the Texas Medical Center in 2017, usually has a group of returning volunteers to help prepare for a summer camp, but that group was unable to help this year. Real-life superheroes in orange shirts came to the rescue. "We were so grateful that they were able to help us." said Mari Bosker, the center's director of development. "It's a huge job preparing for camp and they filled a gap that we had this year." Getting ready for the camp required expanses of craft paper, numerous boxes and lots of painting to make children who enter the hall- ways feel like Spider-Man, Batman or Wonder Woman navigating a city skyline. The volunteers also thor- oughly cleaned the Melinda Webb School—which serves preschoolers and kindergartners with hearing impairments—by disinfecting tables, chairs, walls, cubbies and toys for the fall. "Their work wasn't glamorous," Bosker said, "but it will transform the lives of children with hearing loss."

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