Charleston Downtown News
Poetry Workshop
Materials Needed
Paper/Notebook
Pencils/Pens
Process
Before you jump into writing poems with your group, it is a good idea to talk about the benefits of writing poetry. These are just a few,
Why Write Poetry
1. It’s more than just lines of rhyming words. (This is so important for them to know)
2. It’s very therapeutic.
3. It challenges you to acknowledge your feelings
4. It is a fun and creative way to communicate- it’s art!
Then communicate the following: “Poetry is a really great art form to explore, but so many people don’t feel that they are qualified or talented enough to write poetry. And that’s sad because poetry is something that can be practically anything. A stream of thoughts, a rearrangement of words, a paragraph with different lines crossed out–poetry has endless possibilities!”
Next, go over the steps for writing a poem.
1. Pick your form.
There are hundreds of ways to write a poem. Do you want to rhyme, or not rhyme? Do you want your poetry to follow a beat or flow on its own? You could write a limerick, a sonnet, a Haiku, a quatrain, free verse–seriously, there are so many options. But don’t let that overwhelm you. Start by experimenting with as many (or as few) as you want. You don’t have to know about all of these types of poems or any of them really. Just write what you want and how you want.
2. Pick your subject.
What are you just dying to write about? Nature? Animals? People? Emotions? You can write about anything you want, but often the best kinds of poetry comes from deep within. Some poets like to write emotional poetry about their deepest feelings. I’ve often found that times of grief, heartbreak, loneliness, anxiety, and insecurity fuel my best poems–but it’s different for everyone. The next time you feel emotional, try writing a poem to release your feelings.
Or, if you prefer other poetry forms, look around you for things that inspire you. Nature is another popular subject that many poets craft beautiful poems around. I personally love writing poems about sunsets and water, simply because there are so many wonderful words I can use to describe them. Find what inspires you, and write about it!
3. Let your heart write.
The beautiful part about poetry is that you practically can’t do it wrong. And in a world where there is so much negativity and criticism, this is amazing. No one can tell you that your poem is right or wrong because it is yours and no one else’s. You may not like what you write at first, but just like stories, poetry can be edited as much as you want. Some people like to use literary devices like metaphors in their poems, others like to keep things simple. Some like to use big words, and others don’t.
While I can give you ideas about what form to pick or what subject to write about, in reality, poetry is something that comes from within. It’s an art form that comes in many different shapes and sizes, and it’s something that every single person writes differently. So take some time and let your heart write! You may be surprised at what you end up with.
Finally, invite the girls to write their own poems.
Today’s invitation is simple. Write from the place of mental and emotional wide-open space; be vulnerable with yourself. Let your mind quiet. And then see what lines form in your mind, your heart.
Share a poem with the girls before they get started.
I will give you an example of a poem that I wrote about overcoming the dysfunctional family I was adopted into. This is my poem, so you may want to use your own that you have written or find one that you like. It is good to share a poem that means something to you personally. Loop Poetry Project has some amazing poems and resources available. It is where I got a lot of my information for doing a poetry class.
Technicolor
By: Heather Bowman
Memories. Fuzzy, black and white.
Fragments of them popping into my mind.
Then disappearing as quickly as they came.
Why can’t I remember?
Pain, suffocating me
Bound by the pain of my past
How do I break free?
Will these scabs ever heal?
Forgive, but how.
It’s so hard.
They’re not sorry.
They’re free, & I’m in the prison of my mind.
I have to try, but it is so hard.
My white knuckles are no longer gripping my past.
I am beginning to let go
the weight from my shoulders is lifting.
The chains have been broken.
I am free;
No longer prisoner to my past.
Forgiveness wasn’t for them; it was for me.
I know myself now.
I am smart. I am beautiful.
I have purpose. I have value.
The lies have been shattered; the truth sets me free.
The world was gray, with a cold rain
Blurry, out of focus, confusing
Now it is beautiful, full of color
I have overcome.
Once you have finished sharing the poem, it is time for the girls to write. They can write whatever is on their heart and/or you can also give them a topic to write about. Chicktime leaders and volunteers should share what they are writing with the girls so the girls will be comfortable in sharing their poems as well. Talk about the meaning behind the poem and why writing this poem is important to you. Allow the girls to come up and share their poems. One girl sharing her poem leads to many girls sharing!
Toward the end, communicate the following about the poems the girls have written:
There are some things that you might want to change because this is your first draft.. You may want to review and edit it., but you don’t have to. It’s your poem. If you like it that way you can just leave it. It’s yours. There is no right or wrong and you don’t need anyone’s approval. That is the beauty of poetry.
DO NOT SEEK APPROVAL FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHEN WRITING POETRY!
THE POEMS ARE FOR YOU; NOT THEM!
Finish by thanking the girls for being brave and sharing their work. Encourage them to keep writing so that they can share more poetry with you next time.
Here is a link to printable instructions and what to do if you are unable to do this through a Zoom conference.
January Update:
We have wonderful women who support Chicktime with fun activities, discussions, and total desire to make the world a better place….
We continue to hope that more will come to find the partnership of Chicktime Dayton and DUYL Teen Mom Program . The partnership that is trying to ensure teens in the Dayton area who have babies have the support they need to feel confident and strong!
January Update:
No-Bake Workshop
Materials
Naan Flatbread
Onion and Chive Cream Cheese (other kinds work well too)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, diced
1/2 cup broccoli, diced
3/4 cup shredded mild cheese
Bananas
Fruit of choice
Mini chocolate chips
Nut Butter
Sprinkles
Vanilla Wafers
Chocolate pudding
Graham crackers
Marshmallow creme
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate bar
Plates/bowls
Cups
Napkins
plasticware
Process
From the above ingredients you will be able to make the following snacks:
Banana Peanut Butter Halves With Fruit/Chocolate
Banana Cookies with Sprinkles
There are multiple ways to host this workshop. You could have the charity partner send the ladies or girls in small groups. You could have the girls work in pairs or teams. Also, you could choose just one recipe to do with the group or individual girls. Or you can do multiple.
Here is how I did it. For the no-bake veggie pizza and the banana cookies with sprinkles, I had the girls work in pairs.
For the banana peanut butter halves with fruit or chocolate, and the s’mores parfait, each girl had her own materials.
Most of the recipes are pretty self-explanatory just by looking at the picture. But I will include links to the recipe that I used so that you can make sure you know how to explain it to your girls. Also, if you Pinterest Or Google no-bake snacks, you will come up with hundreds of ideas. You don’t necessarily have to use these.
Make sure you check with your charity partner to determine what utensils the girls are not allowed to have and if there are any food allergies. Instead of peanut butter, I typically use almond butter.
As for the supplies of food and other materials, you could talk to your local grocery store. We have had grocery stores donate supplies to us before. Also, volunteers are a great resource. They will often happily donate plates, utensils, or food items for the workshop. If each volunteer donated one or two items, you would be able to host your workshop with minimal financial obligation.
Once you are ready for your workshop, make sure the girls have their required materials. And then choose one of the recipes and go over the recipes step by step with the girls. Make sure that they have completed the first step before moving on to the second. Once they finish, give them a few minutes too try their snack before moving on to the next recipe.
As you are making your snack with the girls, you could talk about the importance of healthy snacks and a balanced diet. You could also talk about ways you could change these recipes up. That way the girls will be able to make these recipes with options and have more variety. It’s also a great way to ask the girls what their favorite foods are. Or if they have a favorite snack. Is definitely a great conversation starter.
Between recipes, make sure the girls have time to clean up their mess so that they are ready for the next recipe.
End the workshop by thinking your charity partner for their time and also letting them know that they can Google or Pinterest no-bake snacks for many more ideas.
Printable directions and tips for those unable to have a Zoom conference.
January Update:


Thank you
and friends for delivering dinner to the families at the shelter.
Vision Board Workshop
Materials
Poster Board- full or half sheet
Colorful Markers
Stickers
Glue Sticks
Glitter
Vision Board Pages
Magazines
Stencils
Process
In order to save time (and in order to save your girls from having to use scissors since many of them may have restrictions in place) go ahead and cut out the printables on the vision board printables (link below). Also, I did not use any magazines because it can be hard to find the words or ideas you are looking for, and so magazine flipping can make things take a lot longer. The printables I used worked really well and enabled me to make the most of my time.
I did not print out 20 of each page so that each girl had one of everything. That would take hundreds of sheets of paper. I printed 3-4 of each page so that the girls would have choices.
On the day of your workshop, each person that is participating (volunteers and those at your charity partner) should have supplies for a vision board. You may share the link to the printables if you would like.
Go over what you will be doing with the girls. Tell them about the supplies they have and the purpose of each item. Show them some of the printables that you like in order to give them some ideas. Then it is time to begin!
As you and your volunteers work on your own vision boards, show the girls what you are doing. Share ideas with each other. The more you share your work, the more comfortable the ladies you serve will feel in sharing their work.
I held up various quotes and pictures and talked about what each one meant to me and why I chose to put it on my board. I also encouraged the girls to draw or write their own ideas on the board and not just rely on the printables. I also told the girls that if they saw a quote they liked, but it was already taken, they could just write it on their board.
Toward the end of your time, ask if anyone wants to share. Overwhelmingly praise the ladies who are brave enough to share their board and describe what they put on the board and why. They are being brave and vulnerable in sharing their boards and that should be applauded.
Once everyone has had the opportunity to share, you can end your time by talking about the exciting things you will be doing next month!
January Update:
We had a BLAST playing Minute to Win It with the girls at
They raced through cup stacking, paper air places and shook balls out of tissue boxes… hands free!

This is a workshop that can be easily completed through a Zoom conference or other online platform.
Bullet Journal Workshop
Materials
Bullet Journals/Composition Notebooks
Colorful Markers
Black pens
Folder/Binder
Bullet Journal Pages
Process
There are multiple ways to create a bullet journal. You could purchase the bullet journals that have dots on a page that you connect together to draw things. You could just use a composition notebook without dots and do free draw. Or you can print bullet Journal pages online and put them in a folder or binder. There are hundreds of free bullet Journal pages online. You would just have to print the pages or send them to your charity partner and ask them to print the pages.
On the day of your workshop, each person who is participating (volunteers and those at your charity partner) should have either a bullet journal, composition book, or bullet journal pages with a folder or binder.
You could go over the benefits of bullet journaling, which are below:
- Helps organize and prioritize life tasks, thoughts and feelings
- Helps identify stressors and then one can identify solutions to problems
- Can help process and release emotions and intrusive or avoidant thoughts
- Can help gain insight and confidence
- Help us see situation from other points of view, decrease our reactivity to others, and promote empathy
- Easier to track progress, feelings, habits than multiple journal pages- can fit all on one page
- It is a beautiful, artistic, and creative way to express yourself.
You Could also give tips for bullet journaling for beginners
- Try to write daily at least a few minutes.
- Be accepting and non-judgmental of your attempts, focusing more on getting words on paper.
- Journaling doesn’t have to follow a certain structure or format, just let the pencil flow!
- Some people prefer to keep a gratitude journal for one thing per day they are grateful for.
- Others write down negative thoughts to “throw away” & help clear our mind.
- Experiment with tying journaling into your daily routine at a certain time or after a certain daily activity – like eating breakfast, riding the train home or eating dinner.
Now that you have introduced your topic it is time to complete a few bullet journaling pages with your group. You could use the bullet journaling pages that are available on self-love. The link is posted below. I like to start with that because it is something I feel we all need to do on a regular basis. We need to identify the good things about us, acknowledge our gifts and talents, and overcome the negativity that a lot of these ladies (and many of us) have probably been exposed to.
As the ladies are filling out their journal pages, encourage them to share what they are writing. Encourage the volunteers to show their work so that the ladies at your charity partner will be vulnerable enough to share as well.
At first, people will not want to share. They will be too nervous. But as you share your work and your volunteers share, it will give those you are serving the confidence to share their work. By the time we ended our workshop, everyone wanted to share.
End the workshop by thanking your charity partner for their time and also letting them know that they can Google or Pinterest free bullet journal pages so that they can continue doing this.
Here is the link to the bullet journal pages that I used as well as printable directions.

January Update
Distance cannot keep us from connecting with the girls at Elks Aidmore!
Today we had a great day of making vision boards via Zoom!
Until we get to see them face-to-face,
we’re going to make sure that we connect with them in any way possible.
They created such beautiful vision boards for themselves! 
January Update:


Have a great week,
!!!
January Update:
January Update:



Our January workshop was canceled due to Lindsey House not being able to accommodate us yet.
December/January Update:
December Update:
2020 has definitely been a tough year, especially given that we couldn’t hold our in person workshops with our families at the Ronald McDonald House. However, we believe that in 2021, we will be able to be with them again.
We thank you for the November and December donations! Stay safe, have a blessed day and a Happy New Year we couldn’t have done it without your support
December Update:
Getting excitedddddd!!! Chicktime Dayton made gift bags for the kids & Dayton Urban Young Life Teen Mom Program will be delivering to the Moms, as a surprise, just in time for their virtual session on Monday. Chicktime Dayton is also on tomorrow’s agenda to lead a virtual activity!!! Special thank you to Casey Evans & Amber Evans for donating to make the gift bags happen!
December Update:



December Update:

December Update:



December 2020:
Wow! This years Christmas party with the girls at New Life was amazing!!
We got to dance and see Santa and have amazing food!! We loved being outside and having all the girls able to interact from a distance by dance competitions from their cabins!
Such a blessed day in the midst of all the hard times we’ve all see in 2020! Thank you Jesus for the wonderful volunteers, the beautiful weather all the beautiful girls at new life!
December Update:
December Update:
Today was a good day. Chicktime San Antonio dropped off Christmas presents and a lot of them!! Every gift on the Christmas gift wish list for all the girls who live at the two cottages Chicktime San Antonio serves was purchased! How did this happen? Because we have the most loving and caring volunteers who said YES!! Yes to making sure the girls who can’t live safely in their own home will be showered with love !!
Merry Christmas Chicktime San Antonio!
Thank you for your generous hearts. We are so humbled.

Thank you to Amanda from the Kansas City chapter for this great idea!
We have free downloadable templates below!
Materials:
Blank Paper, Self Love Letter Templates, or Journals
Writing Utensils
Stickers, Stamps, or Other Accessories to Decorate Letter
A computer for Zoom Conference
Process:
Using the “Guide to Self Love”, discuss the importance of loving yourself with your group.
Then use the “I Am Worthy Of Self Love” sheet with your ladies in order to get them brainstorming about what they love about themselves.
Next, use the “Love Letter to Me” template to have the women write letters to themselves based on what they came up with on their “I Am Worthy Of Self Love” sheet.
Finally, they can decorate their letter with stickers, stamps, washi tape, etc. Extra sheets could be given to the ladies so they have the opportunity to do this on a regular basis.
Download documents by clicking the links below.
December Update:
What an amazing morning! Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter gladly accepted all the wonderful gifts for all the kids. We are so blessed to be able to do this for them, all thanks to #HEBHelpingHere. Many thanks to our workshop leader, Lisa Dibble for making all the candy bags and helping to make the Christmas Season special. Merry Christmas everyone ♡♡♡
A great workshop to do via drop off is bullet journaling. This is something that you can do over zoom with the girls or ladies at your charity partner. If you don’t know what bullet journaling is, it is similar to regular journaling but is much more artistic. The only supplies needed are a bullet journal ( a composition Journal will work too), colorful pens and markers, and possibly some free bullet journal sheets. I recommend the printable bullet journal sheets because they are self-explanatory, and you can do those with your ladies over Zoom pretty easily. I am including a link to Pinterest that has hundreds of bullet Journal pages that you could print. Everything from habit trackers, to favorite movies, to books, to feelings. There are so many ideas that you could do. If you need more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will go over it with you in more detail. I am also open to leading a Zoom workshop with you in the area of bullet journaling. I know the women and ladies that you serve at your charity partner will love this activity! Who doesn’t like to color? And you can show them that there are free resources available online so they can continue to do it on their own.
<3 Heather
heather@chicktime.com
404-583-2179
December Update:
Final dropoff in 2020 for SafeHaven. More masks and clothing items. The hard working elves at Berry Good Buys were busy today. Praying for their health and safety as they collect and organize in-kind donations. Also, Praying that 2021 will see this COVID pandemic subside and allow in-person opportunities again to serve the shelter and SafeLiving program women and children.
Until then, we will serve where we can #enddomesticabuse #safehavenoftarrantcounty #chicktime
December Update:
December Update:
Lots and Lots of Christmas fun was dropped off at SJRC Texas-New Braunfels. Ugly Sweater and ornament cookie decorating kits, snowman kit, reindeer ornament kit, sticker pages for the kids, and some other kits as well as hot chocolate and Christmas cakes. The young moms and their kids are going to be so busy.
Merry Christmas Chicktime New Braunfels.
December Update:



December Update
The girls at Elks Aidmore were so appreciative of their Christmas presents
they received yesterday!
Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored a girl,
donated stockings, donated treats to use as fillers
(we used them!), and anyone who just helped to make Christmas special for these girls.
We were able to cook breakfast for the girls and each girl received a Christmas present.
So many people contributed to help with their Christmas
and it overwhelmed me to see
our community coming together for these girls. And you all do it every month.
You all are so amazing. We are blessed to partner
with such amazing people in our community.
We pray God will bless you tremendously for showing such love to these girls!
December Update:
Thank you
for the gift bags we appreciate you so much! Thanks to all our helpers the kids will have cookies to decorate, hot cocoa to drink and a gift.
December Update:

We would feel so honored if you clicked on this link to help us help the families at Buckner. The need is about 300 gift cards ( the link makes it seem like just one is needed so please be advised). This is a HUGE need, but we feel confident we can help these families have a very Merry Christmas.
https://pages.buckner.org/christmas-in-rgv
November Update:
Chicktime was so much fun this month. Thanks to all our great volunteers for making it a special time for the girls at New Life.
We made turkey cupcakes, trail mix, and played fall bingo.
Carolyn shared her passion for art with gratitude paintings. They turned out really pretty and they were all unique. Looking forward to our annual Christmas Chicktime In December!
Merry Christmas! We are rounding out 2020 by spreading a little holiday cheer with something the house always needs! In the new year we are planning to drop off actual activities for the kids to do until we get the okay to be there to do the activity with them!! Getting back to our roots despite Covid of providing some Fun! We do need help and would greatly appreciate it!
November Update:
Special thanks to Amber Evans who kicked off what we accomplished today! Chicktime Dayton thanks our charity partner, Dayton Urban Young Life – Teen Moms Program, for allowing us to partner with them & surprise the moms on Thanksgiving Day. We’re so glad to know the moms were excited! We also thank our DUYL-Teen Moms Program for creating this beautiful pic collage & helping us coordinate delivery of gifts, safely!! The partnership is truly valuable & allows us to do more, together!
November Update:
A huge shout out to God’s Girls who sponsored and made November’s workshop possible! Chicktime SA Central is so grateful for all the help and support in providing monthly drop offs.
The girls are going to enjoy ice cream sundaes! #blessed
November Update:
Thanksgiving holiday….thanks to our November workshop leaders,
and Lainey Olsen!


November Update:
November Update:

November Update
Chicktime volunteers are INCREDIBLE!!
We started the month thinking we could make the girls
at Elks blessing bags with fun snacks.
THEN the volunteers decided to crochet scarves
and beanies by hand for each girl.
THEN they decided that we needed to make a Thanksgiving dinner for the girls,
so we all worked together on meats and sides.
We just dropped everything off and the girls were so excited!
Today I am so thankful to serve with such amazing women. #chicktime
November Update:

November Update:

November Update:
We made our drop off’s at the facility this morning!
A big thank you to Veronica and Rosaura for leading this month’s workshop putting together kits for the girls and making a video to demonstrate how to make your own gratitude journal.
The girls will be decorating journals while enjoying snacks courtesy of #HEBHelpingHere.
Wewere so surprised that the girls made us a “Thank You” sign in appreciation for what Chicktime CC does for them each month.
So sweet of them to think of us all ♡♡♡
November Update:
November Update:
November Update:
November workshop was possible by our true devotional one and only Tara @Thrivent and her bible study group Town Creek!








