Sleuthing Series — Service Learning — Las Pintas

JCCC Archives presents the Sleuthing Series, where every Tuesday, we bring you an image from our past and ask you to help us find out more!

1.  The small community center of Santa Rosa serves many purposes.

What We Know

  • The “program began in the fall of 1993.” Students have learned real-world lessons and skills while providing hours of service to to “community sites in the metropolitan Kansas City area, including Bridging the Gap, Habitat for Humanity, Harvesters, Head Start, Operation Breakthrough, Special Olympics, Uplift and Youth Friends.  Student volunteers consistently report increased self-confidence, empowermemt, achievement and a greater understanding of diverse and often unfamiliar segments of the comunity.” (This from an early, 1997 or 98.  pamphlet from Marcia Shideler, Service Learning Coordinator.)
  • A search for “Service learning” on the JCCC web page (jccc-search) will assist anyone interested in becoming involved with service learning.
  • In 2008 Service Learning and Dental Hygiene launched Oral Health on Wheels.  See the jccc-search above for details.
  • In Charles Bishop’s The Community’s College, he describes the first visit to Las Pintas in May of 1998:  “In 1998, [Carolyn] Kadel also organized the first major international service learning venture to Las Pintas, Mexico, and a dozen students and six JCCC staff helped construct a portion of a community center and brought needed shoes, medical supplies and technical asistance to this relatively poor community outside of Guadalajara.”
  • Carolyn Kadel, a professor in Political Science, and two women from the Guadalajara area largely set the foundation for the successful, multi-year program.  Dr. Carmen Rodriguez left a “good job and sold her car to open a clinic in Santa Rosa.”  Santa Rosa was was the poorest area in Las Pintas.  Martha Medina, an engineer, was working with Dr. Carmen to “set up a community development center to promote education and help residents help themselves.” This is from a 2011 information sheet, “Service Learning in Las Pintas.”

What We Don’t Know

  • Tell us if you recognize anyone in these pictures that we did not name.
  • We have no lists of people who traveled to Las Pintas from any of the annual trips.
  • If you were on any of these trips, your experiences are valuable. Were there any recorded interviews?

If You Know More…

Contact  librarians: Anita Gordon Gilmore (agordong@jccc.edu, ext. 4369) or John Russell (jrussell@jccc.edu, ext. 3284).  You may also comment below!

For More Information…

2.  It appears that the group has arrived in Guadalajara.
3.  Waiting for Dr. Carmen.  Gracelia Stanley is in the center (per Jeff Anderson).
4.  Carolyn, Bob Perry and an unidentified person talk as they wait in line.  The person in the center is Desiree Vuocolo (per Jeff Anderson).
5.  Arrival in Las Pintas.
6.  Looking at the inside of the community center.  From left to right, Meng Zhang (from China), Elmer Ladera (from Peru), Glenn Smith, Charalambos Charalambous (from Cyprus).  Three are international students with the JCCC group (per Jeff Anderson).
7.  Carolyn talks with Martha Medina and others.
8.  Martha talks to another member of the JCCC group.  The young man is John Woods (per Jeff Anderson).
9.  Is this a solar water heating device?  “Yes, solar water heater for the Clinic” (per Jeff Anderson).

 

10.  Children play. They are the furure for which this program plans.
11.  An unidentified group member, is this Glenn Smith?  This is Glenn Smith (per Jeff Anderson).
12.  Bob Perry.
13.  International students were represented on the team.  Meng Zhang, JCCC international student from China (per Jeff Anderson).
14.  Jeff Anderson and two others.  This is John Woods and Jeff Anderson with Victor ? (center), a young man who lived nearby with his family (per Jeff Anderson).
Working. This is Natalie Savage, JCCC international student from Australia (per Jeff Anderson).
16.  Working.  This is Carolyn Kadel (per Jeff Anderson).
17.  A clearer view of all that goes on in the center.
18.  Bret Gustafson was there, and we have all of these pictures.
19.  Local youth.
20.  A young girl takes part in some acivity, perhaps musical.
21.  A young girl with glasses, a hard-to-procure item, the prescription harder, perhaps.
22.  New shoes!   The team member (wearing the hat) is Desiree Vuocolo (per Jeff Anderson).
23.  This is Jose ?, an Archetect and a partner in the CIC clinic (per Jeff Anderson).
24.  Visit to a local home.
25.  A picture of a family member is a rarity, and a treasure.
26.  A break to stretch while working on the community center.  In front, from left to right, Gracelia Stanley, Mary Smith, Desiree Vuocolo (per Jeff Anderson).
27.  Another unidentified team member.  Jose (the Architect and CIC partner) and Glenn Smith (per Jeff Anderson).
28.  Carolyn and Dr. Carmen are grateful for their partnership.
29.  Learning local traditions.
30.  Discussing progress.  From left to right, Carolyn Kadel, the Mayor of Las Pintas, Mary Smith, Glenn Smith, and Jeff Anderson (per Jeff Anderson).
31.  Dr. Carmen is grateful for this visit.  Bob Perry and Carmen Rodriguez (per Jeff Anderson).

 

One thought on “Sleuthing Series — Service Learning — Las Pintas”

  1. From: Jeff Anderson
    Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 10:04 AM
    To: John Russell
    Subject: RE: Las Pintas Memories – Revisited

    Hey John!

    After going through the pictures, I an identify a number of folks captured on film from Brett G! I’m numbering the pictures in the sequence starting with the first picture, #1 and that is the El Centro Integral Communitario.

    #3 Gracelia Stanley in the center

    #4 Desiree Vuocolo

    #6 From left to right, Meng Zhang, from China, Elmer Ladera, from Peru, Glenn Smith, Charalambos Charalambous from Cyprus

    #8 John Woods

    #10 Yes, solar water heater for the Clinic

    #12 Glenn Smith

    #14 Meng Zhang, China

    #15 John Woods, Victor ? he was a kid who lived across the street with his family, and Jeff Anderson

    #16 Natalie Savage, Australia

    #17 Carolyn Kadel

    #23 Desiree Vuocolo

    #24 Jose ? He is an Architect and a partner in the CIC clinic

    #27 from left to right, Gracelia Stanley, Mary Smith, Desiree Vuocolo

    #28 Jose and Glenn Smith

    #31 Carolyn Kadel, the Mayor of Las Pintas, Mary Smith, Glenn Smith, and Jeff Anderson

    #32 Bob Perry and Carmen Rodriguez

    I think I will win the prize ? This was the first work group the college sent to Las Pintas and it was back in 1998. We had a mix of faculty, staff, students, many of which were international students. Such a great experience and so many great memories. I missed the trip in 1999 but I led Dental Hygiene and Early Childhood Education teams there every year through 2010.

    Jeff

    Jeff Anderson
    Counselor
    Johnson County Community College
    Student Center 249
    Overland Park, KS 66210
    (913) 469-3809 ext. 3644
    janders@jccc.edu

    Hi Jeff–
    My numbering was a little differert. It was one off with #10 and forward. Please check to see if I interpreted correctly.

    Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. It will help us greatly.

    Anita Gordon-Gilmore
    Archives assistant

Comments are closed.