tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74782278842299380782024-03-14T02:57:25.495-07:00JVC Northwest, Idaho Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-43232127362726882222018-01-21T12:04:00.001-08:002018-01-21T12:04:46.162-08:00That's a Wrap on Year One<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This post comes very, very late and
for that I apologize. The end of my service year in Boise was busy and
difficult and bright all at once. But backing up, after my last post my
community and I had many great adventures before departing from Boise. For my
birthday in May we took a trip to Stanley, ID and found hot springs to use with
beautiful views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Later in May I took my first trip
home since August to see my friends graduate from Stonehill College. It was a
wonderful reunion, and I made it a surprise for all of my friends. I then got
to spend time at home in Vermont. In June we celebrated Pride in Boise with
parades, stands, and general support for the LGBTQ community. We took a few
hikes together to Table Rock, an iconic hike in Boise, and watched the sun set
over Boise on many nights, especially at the end of the year. We finally
visited the Old Penitentiary, another iconic point in Boise, towards the end of
the year. We saw the natural sand dunes and attempted to slide down them on
sleds. We ate at the Basque Market, wandered the Saturday markets as much as we
could, saw Hamlet performed by the only female lead who performed as Hamlet in
the country at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. We went backpacking for four
days in the Sawtooth Mountains with our support people in July. This was a
great opportunity and a wonderful chance for reflection on the year. It was
also something I never thought I would be able to do, and conquering that hike,
that trip, felt like one of my greatest accomplishments to date. We made a
collage together with pictures from the year and all of our adventures together
that we hung in the house, as it is a tradition for JV communities to do. We
hosted one last potluck at the end of the year with all of our support people
and friends from Boise. We thanked them for all they did for us throughout the
year. I was fortunate to have my mom fly out to see my placement and to see
Boise in my last days of service. We got to see the markets, Stanley, and Sun Valley,
ID. These last adventures and last goodbyes were things I will cherish for the
rest of my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At
service, everyone seemed to be dreading the end of my service year; most of all
me. I found out in March that I was placed for another JV year in Yakima, WA,
but knowing the placement and city did not make this time of transition easier.
There were many unknowns in my future and the only thing I knew for sure at the
time was that I would miss the shelter, all the people I had grown to know and
love, and Boise. As the end approached I made sure to tell people I was
leaving, to try and make it clear that I would not be back after July 28<sup>th</sup>,
and that there was a great new JV who would add her own flair to the position.
I said many goodbyes and I said goodbye to some people several times, as there
was no way of knowing if people who return from day to day. The last few days
were tough, as the end did not feel real, yet I knew it was coming. It did not
feel like the end of a school year, when there is usually a certain feeling of closure.
This was simply another week at service, but yet very different. On my last day
I received many gifts, hugs, affirmations, and even cake. I gave a short
speech, interrupted by many tears, in which I told everyone how grateful I was
that they let me into their lives, that they took me in, and that they taught
me so much throughout the course of the year. I truly was leaving as a
different person than when I started in the position. I told staff throughout
the year how grateful I was that this position found me, as I did not know I
needed to be there until I was. I looked around a room full of guests on that
last day who may not know how much they have changed my life and how they will
stay in my memory for a lifetime. There were many more tears and hugs as the
day ended and I was given cards full of guests’ best wishes for me as I moved
on. Walking out the door and leaving my keys behind that day was one of the
hardest things I have done. I won’t sugar coat my experience, it had its tough,
truly difficult days. But at the end of the day, I grew from those tough
experiences and learned from every person I met at the shelter. I saw a light
in every guest, no matter their background, and I will always be grateful for
that light and positivity that each person presented in their own way. I will
always remember seeing more light than darkness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I
left the shelter on that last day and was walking to the house one last time, I
ran into a guest I knew well. We hugged and I told him how grateful I was to
see him, as it was my last day. He echoed that message, as he said he didn’t
know it was officially my last day. We said our goodbyes, him with his sense of
humor shining through as always, and we went in our opposite directions. Only a
week later I found out that one guest who I knew well passed away quite
tragically, and then a week after that I found out that this guest who I
happened to see on my walk home also passed away. Both were found, separately,
floating in bodies of water. This was some of the most difficult news I’ve ever
heard. I was devastated that they had died and even more distraught that I
could not be among people who had known them and attend their memorial service
at the shelter. As I was transitioning into a new year of service, my heart was
still with those in Boise who were going through this difficult time. It was
difficult to find closure when their deaths are still a mystery and when I
could not attend the memorial service. I did write something that was shared at
the memorial service, which is below. It does not feel like it does justice to
who they were, but it was what I kept coming back to about them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“When I heard the news about Kevin,
then about Ruben, I had many thoughts racing through my mind. Mostly, I was
thinking about how I had just seen both of them before I left and how, even
now, I cannot believe they are gone. This news has been shocking and difficult
to bear and all I want is to be with the community of Corpus Christi House, to
be with the people who knew Kevin and Ruben well. I saw Kevin almost every day
at Corpus, especially as he sat in the lobby recovering from his accident in
the spring. I gave him his mail each day and we would make small talk. I
appreciated his curiosity about other people and his ability to try and try
again when he knew he had room to grow. Kevin and I pushed each other to be
better and as I grew I saw him change in certain ways as well. It was so
promising to see the progress he had made.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though I didn’t see Ruben as
often, he left quite the mark on my life. He was always smiling and joking with
me wherever I ran into him and he always had something witty to say. He was
honest, blunt, and so full of life. He seemed to brighten any room he was in.
He certainly had his struggles, as many of us face difficult times, but I
admired his ability to be genuine with what he was up against. I remember
meeting Ruben on one of my first days at Corpus and feeling so welcomed by him.
I ran into him outside Corpus on my last day and he gave me a big hug and we
wished each other well, still using the humor I knew and loved. He was a
friendly face, someone I loved to run into at Corpus, as so many of you are. It
is difficult being away from Corpus, knowing I won’t see Kevin or Ruben again,
and not being there with all of you through this time. Know that I think of you
all every day, that my life has been made better by everyone I’ve known at
Corpus, and that you have the community of Corpus Christi House to lean on in
this difficult time. Thank you for letting me share these memories.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just a couple months later, I was
told that one of the volunteers at the shelter who I worked closely with for
many months also recently passed away. She was a student at the local
university getting her degree in social work. She was twenty-nine when she
passed away. This news also came as a shock. It is incredible how many people
touch our lives and we don’t always stop to realize how much they mean to us. I
looked forward to Tuesday afternoons in the kitchen because I got to see her
and two other volunteers who I liked talking with very much. It is not every
day you stop to say how much you learn from those around you, how much you
appreciate them, how much they have changed you for the better. To everyone
involved, they were just Tuesday afternoons. I’ve learned in her passing to
cherish the simple Tuesday afternoons, and every day, a little more. I’ve
learned to say “thank you,” more often and to let those around me know that I
appreciate them because they actively make my life what it is. I’ve learned,
again, that we never know how much time we have with someone and even if they
are not someone who we live with or a family member, our lives are touched by
their presence. I cannot express the gratitude I have for being able to know
this volunteer. I can only hope she knows how much she meant to the community
of the shelter and to the greater community. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have found it unsettlingly ironic
that I came into this new year as a JV in Yakima, WA to serve in the area of
end of life care and, while none of my patients have passed yet, many people
from my past have. I would like to say that these losses have been a great
learning opportunity and that I can move on without any trouble. The reality is
that these losses will stay with me, as the people that have been lost had a
big impact on my life. It has been difficult missing their memorials and not
being with the people who knew them well. It feels as if it does not do them
justice to say I’ve learned something from them and I am moving on. The reality
continues to be that I have to take one day at a time and do the best I can
along the way. Everything in Yakima has been going very well. I plan to
continue to make the best of this year. I am putting to use everything I
learned last year and the important lessons I took away from that position and
the people I met there. Thanks to all of you who have shared this journey with
me- I could not have done it without you all!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The three photos above are from our backpacking trip in the Sawtooth Mountains in July 2017</div>
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A photo from our last day together in Boise</div>
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My last day of service</div>
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Two photos of my community in Yakima, WA for the 2017-2018 service year</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-87114600543908646752017-04-22T14:35:00.003-07:002017-04-22T14:38:31.691-07:00Spring is Here <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and April 26th is Denim Day- Ask me about Denim Day! </div>
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Shoshone Falls- Very windy, but truly beautiful! </div>
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The State House the day before St. Patrick's Day! (There were people lining the streets taking pictures!)</div>
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About to get on the road for our trip to Yakima, WA</div>
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The sunrise on my walks to service </div>
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March and April have flown by, as
has this year. There has been a lot going on as the winter has turned to spring
here in Boise. My community and I went to Yakima, WA for St. Patrick’s Day. We
got to see a lot of other JV communities there and we had a great time seeing a
new city. The farmers market has opened up again for the season in Downtown
Boise and we have greatly enjoyed spending Saturdays there. We saw Shoshone
Falls, which is called “The Niagara Falls of the West,” at the highest water
level it’s been in a few decades. It was a beautiful sight on a sunny day with
many rainbows over the falls. Boise has had record snowfall over the winter and
a lot of rain this spring, which has led to a lot of flooding along the river.
There is a biking/walking trail which runs along the main river running through
Boise, which has been shut down due to flooding. This has been a big deal for
the community and an inconvenience for so many. We are all waiting for the
flooding to subside, but the rain keeps coming. We are taking in every sunny
day as it comes this spring! <o:p></o:p></div>
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This
spring has been full of wonderful opportunities to partake in. In late March my
community, along with all other AmeriCorps members in the area, were invited to
an event hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
where the mayor signed a document supporting national and community service,
especially highlighting the service that has been done in Idaho. At my
placement we held a gathering for our volunteers, of which we have more than
eighty, where they all had a chance to meet and talk with each other. Many of
our volunteers are from different shifts and don’t get to see those from other
shifts very often. We had a panel of mental health workers and housing specialists
who explained about different disorders, addictions, and experiences to be
aware of in order to be the best volunteers they could be for our guests. The
gathering was successful in many ways and was well received. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In
April we were made aware of the fifth death this year among our guests. There
have been guests who have passed of cancer, car accidents, other illnesses, and
one who was killed by the police. This was a big story in Boise surrounded by a
lot of controversy and opinions. This guest was named Ben Barnes. I regularly sorted
and received his mail for him. He was a quiet man who always carried a very
large backpack with a fishing pole. He usually ate at the shelter, but he didn’t
stay overnight at any shelters. He camped, fished, and hunted as necessary to
survive. On the day he died he was in the foothills surrounding Boise. There
was an incident that occurred and for some reason he shot a dog on a hiking trail.
Why he did this we may never know. When police arrived he shot at them and, in
turn, he was shot and killed. Investigators came to my placement after this
happened and asked about his belongings, his family, and any information we had
about him. As I said, he was a quiet man and while he did talk with us, we did
not know about his family situation. After a national notice went out that investigators
were looking for family, they were finally located in the South. His family
went through a difficult time after Ben’s death, as did many in the shelter.
People were heartbroken and left confused, wondering how this could have
happened. We reached out to his family, telling them that we knew who he was
before this event. We knew him before he was labeled “Homeless Shooter” by many
newspapers in the local area. We knew him as a quiet man who meant no harm. We
held a memorial for Ben in our facility, which many guests attended. It is
always important, no matter who the guest was or how long they had been at the
shelter, to hold a memorial for a guest who has passed. As our Mission’s Coordinator
put it, it lets everyone there know that they will be remembered when they pass,
which is a valid concern for many without families or connections outside the
shelter. I have many mixed feelings about everything that happened, as it was
very sudden and unexpected. Ben was gentle and did kind things for people.
During the winter we had a lock and hinges that kept freezing and they were
difficult to get open each day. He greased the hinges and would work at the
lock for me before I needed to use the door. He would quietly mention to be
careful with the door, as the hinges had been greased. He was not looking for
recognition for the deed, but just wanted to let me know so I wouldn’t get
hurt. He did small acts of kindness and looked out for others in this way:
guests, volunteers, and staff. It is difficult to believe he was capable of
this amount of harm. Marc, the Mission’s Coordinator at my placement, wrote an
article about Ben which reflected how we knew him. That article is attached
below. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article140329968.html">http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article140329968.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have
had the privilege this month of attending two meetings of a women’s group that
happens weekly. This group is put on by case managers for the overnight shelter
located directly behind to my placement. Both of the meetings were about
domestic violence, which is the leading cause of homelessness among women and
children. There were many women present who told about the violence they have
endured and the violence they have tried to keep their children away from.
There were many women who had been homeless for years because of these
situations. Many women had turned to drugs and/or alcohol to cope with the
trauma they had endured, and many had their children taken from them at some point.
Witnessing the raw emotion and honest stories from these women who I see almost
every day was really difficult. Imagining them in these situations made my
heart ache for them, more than it already did. I feel grateful to get to know
them in this way and for them to let me see that part of themselves. I think
about these situations often and how far too many people experience domestic
violence and sexual assault. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and there
have been great efforts nationwide to share stories like the ones I have heard
and to support prevention efforts as well as supportive services to assist
survivors. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I also
had the opportunity very recently to shadow case managers at the overnight
shelter where many guests who use our services stay. I helped out some while I
was there, doing some intakes and connecting with guests, as well as observing
the procedures and protocol of the shelter’s operations. As the guests entered the
shelter and saw me there, the reactions were priceless. They couldn’t believe I
wanted to see where they lived, as they put it. They were excited to show me around
and that I could see where they stayed. Many were happy to see me but confused
as to why I was there, but I gained a lot of perspective and understanding in
seeing where guests spent the other half of their time. There were a few new
guests who had to be checked in and I was fortunate enough to do a few intakes
while I was there. There was a man who was renting a house with a friend and he
had just found out that the friend had been spending their rent money on drugs.
He has a college degree and he can’t find work right now. This was his first
time in a shelter. Another man didn’t have anywhere else to turn and he told me
he needed work. He had no other resources and no one to turn to. I left the
shelter at the end of the night when everyone was going to sleep. Outside, the
world was still going on in just the way it usually does: cars driving by,
people walking on the sidewalks, the lights in people’s homes going out as they
turn in, but my perspective had changed. There were many guests who genuinely thanked
me for being there. This baffled me at the time, but it truly mattered to them,
and to me. It made a difference in what I do every day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently,
time has been flying by. I am somehow three-quarters of the way through my year
of service and that just seems so odd to me, and to the guests I serve, as some
of them are getting nervous for the end of my time there as well. I am so
grateful for all of the experiences I have had this year, even on the difficult
days, and it will be really weird to leave at the end of the year. Just last
week the former Jesuit Volunteer in my position came back to visit after almost
nine months since she left. Seeing her visit was wonderful and heartwarming,
but also strange knowing that will be me visiting in the same way in the
future. While she was there on a Friday afternoon there was an ambulance called
for a guest who was short of breath and having heart issues and the police came
by when another guest caused issues in the back of our facility. There’s an
interesting dynamic with anyone who has served at a shelter, and she understood
everything that was happening. She and all of the Jesuit Volunteers from last
year came to Boise for a reunion, which was so nice to see and to be a part of.
Community is a very unique part of the service we do and it makes service so
much better knowing I can come home to people who know what I’m going through.
Service is difficult, but it’s the little things that make everything so much
better. Thanks to them and to everyone else in my life for continued support
throughout this year. I appreciate everything you all do for me and for those I
serve. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-26280861719695567472017-03-12T08:22:00.002-07:002017-03-12T08:26:30.897-07:00Progress, Protests, and Purpose <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslf_j2VLM5fAaowYnOOegw3qEnXLjrKKHftIEo4R_nlwaarV_3HvsfkHogiFjG3da8PFA8pF3Y1YwlRKCD-ykV9RsStYibZZsG3HGuZ4GeKKDlS6QqB3w6XqU3CyJElshtIIS7oIntAc/s1600/IMG_4525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslf_j2VLM5fAaowYnOOegw3qEnXLjrKKHftIEo4R_nlwaarV_3HvsfkHogiFjG3da8PFA8pF3Y1YwlRKCD-ykV9RsStYibZZsG3HGuZ4GeKKDlS6QqB3w6XqU3CyJElshtIIS7oIntAc/s320/IMG_4525.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCB3PiDKl521XScgvX_OQNQ4U7a6g5zsv9U_GS564qtGwAI6G43EfQMGDhRrgMXO3RO9hATHPWBIwjiDGpIc65MBF0we5-0_soKx2D148StUV5hVCiaNBoiDNzLxpa2t_xgEfs01JFN0/s1600/IMG_4550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCB3PiDKl521XScgvX_OQNQ4U7a6g5zsv9U_GS564qtGwAI6G43EfQMGDhRrgMXO3RO9hATHPWBIwjiDGpIc65MBF0we5-0_soKx2D148StUV5hVCiaNBoiDNzLxpa2t_xgEfs01JFN0/s320/IMG_4550.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Women's March at the State House in Boise, Idaho was a success with huge crowds, even during a snow storm. We peacefully made our voices heard and marched in solidarity with people across the country. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF1m3qdu-oJhRZjG3icaeVGXPG_n8pjOaudA3MWFojAXA63CXSUjDJTI68vgODljGWowV_nvUvDw_MVWlHFSX97wyFNhC8pg-4ECvBxmzMzGcCIFQO7MSTxjXK1tSgfkG_ARITdPb2PE/s1600/IMG_4556.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGF1m3qdu-oJhRZjG3icaeVGXPG_n8pjOaudA3MWFojAXA63CXSUjDJTI68vgODljGWowV_nvUvDw_MVWlHFSX97wyFNhC8pg-4ECvBxmzMzGcCIFQO7MSTxjXK1tSgfkG_ARITdPb2PE/s320/IMG_4556.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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Fr. Grubb visited us while our program coordinator was in Boise. The last time we saw him was at orientation in August, so it was a great reunion! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwjUhezms3EVB6CRRTueJAoMlcUWnMqDL0NM4xjkyqnce3rkWpYMwAudlHr9mcFJ5VvBwPLkFgeVFc1-la41-lZwOzc0nvls7SB4PtzAWSFQMHnAEpVn4TxKiC95jMKBVVvRO6PS04MA/s1600/IMG_4553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwjUhezms3EVB6CRRTueJAoMlcUWnMqDL0NM4xjkyqnce3rkWpYMwAudlHr9mcFJ5VvBwPLkFgeVFc1-la41-lZwOzc0nvls7SB4PtzAWSFQMHnAEpVn4TxKiC95jMKBVVvRO6PS04MA/s320/IMG_4553.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Almost all of our support families came together while our program coordinator was in Boise. We love these gatherings where we can all catch up with one another. </div>
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The JVs from Woodburn, OR visited in late February. We had a great time showing them around Boise. We took this photo in the State House. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBCpue6hLTyYM1kEy3zV4kkbuYiyT72Fgs9bum1gFK7W1nzUWFJ9Yc2c_9qx9H6s19eRxdwehTmXH7K626Hk4Q7WffMvgcPckRMfwG0DDhsGmitDfAz5Gkisn-RNL3xGFn1cbWvHUxKM/s1600/IMG_4595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBCpue6hLTyYM1kEy3zV4kkbuYiyT72Fgs9bum1gFK7W1nzUWFJ9Yc2c_9qx9H6s19eRxdwehTmXH7K626Hk4Q7WffMvgcPckRMfwG0DDhsGmitDfAz5Gkisn-RNL3xGFn1cbWvHUxKM/s320/IMG_4595.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Boise community on the last day of retreat, featuring hummus we were gifted!</div>
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These past couple months have been very busy and a whirlwind
of trips, visits, and learning opportunities. This post won’t do any justice to
the experiences I have had recently. In February we had the opportunity to host
our program coordinator for our community in Boise, which was great. Our
program coordinator is a wonderful support system for us and they have all
sorts of resources for JVs. His role in February was to facilitate reflections
and get our thoughts in order about reaching the six month mark of our service.
While our program coordinator was here we had opportunities to reflect and
reminisce about the past six months as well as look forward to what might come
next and what we want to do and see in these last six months. I’m in awe that
we are already so far into our year. I think we’re in a good place. Someone
once told me that it takes about four months to feel like you really have a
grasp on a new position. By six months, I feel comfortable at my service site
and I feel like I have a good idea about various social justice areas and about
the guests we serve each day. While there is always more to learn, knowing the
local resources and exactly what to do in certain situations gives me a lot of
comfort. Our program coordinator told us he once heard it said that the first
six months of service are for learning and the last six months are for reflecting
and giving. This seems to be pretty accurate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We had the opportunity to see Chinese acrobats at a local performance
while our program coordinator was in Boise and had a priest, who was a former
JV and a speaker at orientation, visit our community at that time. We had
attended the Women’s March in Boise a couple weeks prior and felt very
connected to people around the country asking for the chance to be heard. This
was an important time for us, as the march made history. We hosted the
Woodburn, OR JV’s in Boise in February. It was so much fun showing them around
the city and hearing their perspectives on our temporary home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Almost directly after our program coordinator visited Boise,
our community drove to Northeastern Washington for our second retreat of the
year. This retreat was focused around social and ecological justice and allowed
us all to reflect on service so far and how far we’ve all come from the
beginning of the year. It was nice to have a larger focus on many different
areas of social justice throughout the weekend. We reflected on our experience
with the factors that make up who we are; the privileges, the disadvantages,
and more. We explored intersectionality as it relates to ourselves personally
and as it relates to those we serve. We had opportunities to talk with people
from different locales around the Northwest, different social justice areas,
and different perspectives and experiences. The retreat was rewarding and inspiring,
but also a lot to think through. I’m so glad we have the opportunity to embark
on retreats throughout the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the retreat, the next day, my community mate and I
went to the Serve Idaho Conference for two days. The first day was involved
AmeriCorps members who served around the state of Idaho. The second day was the
general conference. The general conference was focused on The Time, Treasures,
and Talents of Older Adults. Each day, there were wonderful speakers who talked
about the experiences as AmeriCorps members and about the experiences of
elderly volunteers and their value to all organizations. My organization is run
mostly by volunteers, most of them retired, with only one paid employee, so
volunteer coordinating is very important. I am in that role this year and I
love it. Finding new ways to connect with and schedule volunteers through this
conference has been wonderful. I wrote an article for my program reflecting on
the conference, and that is below. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Serve Idaho:
Reflections on Inclusion <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i> When I started in my
placement this year at my placement, I naturally began coordinating the
seventy-five volunteers that help the shelter operate smoothly. There
is one paid employee at the organization and everyone else is a volunteer. I
enjoy this aspect of the organization and I truly see the community giving everything
they have- time, a listening ear, in-kind donations- every day to assist those
in need. Most of the volunteers are retired and over fifty years old. I did not
pay much attention to this fact when I started in my position, I just knew I
enjoyed talking with the volunteers, getting to know them and getting to know
their perspective on the organization. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> One of my goals for
this year has been to conquer the task of volunteer coordinating. For anyone
who has been in a similar position, they know that this task is not always
easy. Luckily, we have many committed, wonderful volunteers who are ready to
take on any extra tasks, and we appreciate them so much for that quality. The
Serve Idaho Conference this year focused on post-retirement age volunteers and
their immense value to the organizations to which they serve. I learned a lot
about recruiting older volunteers and about how to create a welcoming and
inclusive environment to which they would be inclined to continue volunteering.
I learned that not everyone is immersed in the world of nonprofits and
therefore may be hesitant to volunteer, as they don’t necessarily know their
place or how they are needed in the community. The most beneficial aspect of
the conference was hearing directly from older volunteers who currently devote
their time to serving the community. They discussed their experiences in
volunteering; the good, the bad, and the mediocre. They shared their knowledge
as volunteers, which was valued by all present. They said they wanted to feel
heard, valued, and to understand the vision of the organization. They wanted to
feel like an important part of the operation of the organization. They wanted
consistency and organization. They wanted to be a part of a positive change in
the community. All of these points seem fairly minimal, but when staff at an
organization put this all together, volunteers can feel more valued and
substantial, therefore creating an environment where they want to stay and
contribute their skills. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Since starting in my
position, I have made a point to spend time with the volunteers and get to know
them as well as those we serve. This has been important to me because every now
and then someone will surprise you. I am always curious why someone wants to
volunteer, what has drawn them to the shelter, and any talents they
may have to improve the organization. There is one volunteer who was
supervising computer use and enjoyed it, but seemed like he had more to gain
from the experience. Upon further discussion, we found that he is a skilled
musician. Now there is a music program once a week for our guests to
participate in, which has proven to be a therapeutic and positive program. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> The speakers at the
conference reminded me how important it is to connect with every person I
encounter at service, those I directly serve include the volunteers I serve
beside. At the day of the conference dedicated to AmeriCorps members, I was
reminded that the service done by all AmeriCorps members is vastly different
and incredibly important. While we all serve in different roles, we are all
volunteers working together to create a community that cares for those who
often go unheard and overlooked. Meeting volunteers from all branches of AmeriCorps,
including Senior Corps volunteers, was a highlight of the conference. People
devoting their time to service at all ages and coming from all backgrounds is
inspiring. I have taken these experiences with me to my service site and I hope
to keep these important messages with me throughout the remainder of the year,
gaining as much from volunteers of all ages as I can.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The transition from February to March at service has been a
noticeable one. In February it was still winter and still very busy at my service
site with people wanting to get out of the cold each day. It has slowly started
to warm up in March, which is wonderful, and people are slowly dispersing. More
are sleeping outside and spending time in the parks. A few highlights from the
past couple months have been having a guest remain regulated on meds and off of
illegal substances. There were a few bumps in the road, but this guest is
persistent in their recovery. Another guest got housing, yet another is going
to in April after six years in shelters. There is a little girl who comes to
check mail with her father and she recently got a haircut. She seemed sullen,
but I made a big deal of her haircut, telling her how wonderful she looked. She
smiled and said a genuine thank you. She said her class was picking on her that
week because of her haircut. My supervisor and I had to pull a man off of the
sidewalk as other guests told us he was close to rolling into the road. He had
laid down, drunk, and was close to falling into traffic. This was off of our
property, not technically our problem, but we both went to make sure this guest
was safe and was able to move away from the curb. This is one of my favorite
moments recently, as odd as that may sound. I think it shows the lengths we go
to for guests and it truly brings a new challenge every day when so many people
we care about are out on the streets being hurt, hurting themselves, and the
least we could do is move this man in from the curb. There is another guest who
was recently released from jail. He was around all the time before he went in.
When he got out he had a case worker who got him housing, payee services, and
stability on medications. Within three days he lost his housing, was off his
medications, and the organization that provided case management was shut down.
This does not usually happen, at least not so fast. I was blown away. He is in
the exact same position he started in before he went to jail, which is what we
see a lot. So quickly he was thrust back into the shelters and he returned to
his old routine, so that if I don’t think about the past couple months, it’s as
if he picked up right where he left off exactly, as many do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These past couple months have been packed with many
wonderful and simultaneously heartbreaking experiences. I am fortunate to be of
service in this way, I would not trade the difficult times for anything, as it
has shaped my perspective in these past seven months. I can’t believe the year
is flying by so quickly and I am trying to take in everything I can while I am
here. Thank you all for all of the support and guidance you have given to me
throughout these past seven months, I truly appreciate it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-23077888587377179832017-01-08T13:10:00.000-08:002017-01-08T13:10:02.839-08:00Witnessing Change <div class="MsoNormal">
December was full of the joy of the holidays and
simultaneous heartbreak. This month was really busy between accepting constant
donations, meeting everyday needs, filling in for volunteers who had holiday
plans, and staying open seven days a week for three weeks straight. It was an
exhausting and fulfilling month. As the days grew shorter, I saw light
elsewhere throughout the holidays. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After
deciding at the November board meeting that new men’s showers were definitely
needed in the day shelter (there are at least ten showers per day in the two
showers per bathroom), the process started in early December. It only took a
little over a day to complete one shower, and during this process I received a
call in the office from a woman who wanted to donate for specific projects,
preferably larger projects, as she wanted to donate about five thousand
dollars. I instantly thought of the showers and how they were much needed, but
would put the day shelter a little over budget for the year. This was unlike
anything I had encountered- a need met almost instantly. She was willing to
work with us on these showers and was even willing to put in two new women’s
showers after seeing the quotes from the contractors. As I was still in shock
from all of this, I told the founder of this good news. He wasn’t surprised at
all. There’s an incredible way things fall out of the sky for both staff and
guests at the day shelter- if we are incredibly low on food, it magically
arrives before a meal. If we are low on mugs, they arrive as the last one is
being taken for coffee. Witnessing this sort of support and timeliness is
something you can’t really believe until you see it. I thought staff was being
overly casual when I started this year, saying things like “our needs have a
way of being met around here.” Turns out, it’s true for the most part. Things
seem to work out and when they do, I’m still in awe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the
winter rolled around in Boise, the colder weather meant more worry, more
donations, more illness, and more work. In early December staff made the
decision to stay open until 5pm, an extra half hour, as needed to keep people
inside for as long as we could. The gratitude of the guests confirmed that this
was the right decision. Even as the temperatures dropped and the snow settled
in the foothills, people still slept in their cars, on the streets, and, as I
learned from talking with some guests, in empty laundry rooms and vacant areas
of certain buildings. There is one guest who slept outside in the cold
temperatures of later December and came in after a hospital visit with
confirmed frostbite on five of his fingers. He would lose at least four of
those fingers, if not all five, in surgery in a couple of months. First he
would have to go back for more diagnostic tests. As he was telling me this I
didn’t ask why he had slept outside, as there are many reasons why people can’t
or won’t enter into overnight shelters, but I instead thought about how one
night could instantly take away half of his fingers. I was very aware for the
rest of the day exactly how much I used my fingers and how different life would
be without the use of them. This man came back the next day, very embarrassed,
and asked if I could tie his shoes. With the nerve damage from the frostbite he
couldn’t use his fingers to tie his shoes. I joked with him that I am always
amazed at everything I do in my position on a daily basis- things like tying
shoes, which I never would have thought of as part of the job. The truth was, I
was extremely humbled sitting there, seeing the exhaustion and anguish on his
face, and doing the simplest of tasks for him. He asked to borrow a marker to
write a sign and I asked if he needed help writing it, as I had the time to do
so. He nodded and I asked what he would like me to write. He said, “Broke with
frostbite. Please help.” I wrote it out, thinking just how accurate it was and
wondering if anyone would stop to help him out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flying
signs is a way of life for some guests, while others don’t participate at all.
Either way, everyone has their opinion about it. There is a sense of discomfort
about seeing someone flying a sign- the guests are very aware when people feel
uncomfortable by the sight of them. It’s a weird mixture of helplessness,
guilt, and sorrow seeing someone asking for a strangers help. I’ve thought a
lot about the whole concept of flying signs and wondering how to encounter
people who are. Of course, now, I know most of the people flying signs around
town personally, so I usually just say hello and converse with them. One guest
had a conversation with me one day about how humiliating it was to fly a sign.
He said he felt such shame, knowing how uncomfortable people were by the sight
of him. He said a lot of people turn away and wouldn’t even look at him or his
sign. He said these interactions, if you could call them that, make him feel
insignificant. He asked how he could feel any worth when others don’t even
acknowledge him. Thinking about it on a larger scale, though, I know some
people want restrictions on the money they give. They think, “Don’t use this
for drugs, alcohol, or any momentary pleasures. Save it, use it towards housing
and food. Maybe some shoes.” But the fact is that it’s difficult to put
restrictions on cash. Giving a gift means not controlling how the gift is used,
and that requires a certain amount of trust- trust in the ability for others,
even strangers, to make their own decisions about what they need most to get
by. I recently watched a documentary about homelessness and the woman filming
asked a man flying a sign what he used his money for, implying the money he got
from flying a sign. He asked her, in turn, what she used her money for. I liked
this point a lot. People often feel they have a right to know what their money
is being used for or what the poor are putting their money towards, where in
reality finances are usually very private matters. If someone asked me about
the details of my bank account, I would be taken aback. So little of people’s
lives are private when they are homeless. Some are forced to have payees making
financial decisions for them, forced to be passed by on the streets and stared
at, share a room with thirty to fifty other people in a shelter, never having
full quiet to sleep, being elbow to elbow in the day shelter where there never
seems to be enough seating, especially in the mornings. People can get very
irritated over lack of personal space, which is completely understandable. What
is frustrating is that this usually leads to yelling and violence, aggression
that comes from feeling smothered by others who most likely feel the same way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We held
a card-writing session for guests in mid-December. This was an opportunity to
use donated Christmas cards to write to family, friends, and anyone else guests
wanted to connect with over the holiday season. Inevitably, staff, especially
the founder, received cards from guests. He was talking with me about it one
day, saying he wished people wouldn’t waste the cards by writing to him at
Christmas, someone they see at least a few times a week. I saw his point, but I
also mentioned that means they probably don’t have anyone else to write to. He
saw my point and we hung the cards up in the office and around the facility. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There
were a lot of guests who are very sick in these winter months. Because some
hold off on seeing a doctor or going to the hospital when they are sick, their
cold or flu can quickly turn into pneumonia, bronchitis, or something more
serious. There was a man found on a street corner earlier in the month
unconscious. Another guest called paramedics and he has been in the hospital
ever since, recovering from pneumonia, frostbite, and a few other
complications. His fiancé, another guest, has kept us updated about his
recovery, and we are hoping for the best even though things weren’t looking good.
There’s another, older man who I visited in the hospital who has lung cancer.
He was on oxygen constantly and when he ran out, which happened once, we had to
call paramedics to come with emergency oxygen for him. He’s doing well in the hospital,
putting on weight despite going through chemo, and basking in the fact that he
has a quiet room all to himself where he can watch movies he loves all day
long. Seeing how happy he was to be in the hospital made me sad, as that’s a
place not a lot of people want to be, but he thinks of it as a really great
environment to be in, despite the pain from his illness. His memory is starting
to go more now and he will eventually be put in long term care until he passes
away. There have been some guests who visit him and care for him, but the
hospital is out of the way and it’s difficult to get there on the bus. There
are so many barriers and not a lot we can do, so I try to be there, especially
around Christmas. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
those who do pass without a home, there is a national event called The Longest
Night where people who passed while experiencing homelessness are honored and
remembered by those who loved and cared about them. There were ten names of
people experiencing homelessness and three of advocates who passed last year,
some very recently. There was a vigil held outside of the day shelter on the
evening of December 21<sup>st</sup>. We read each of their names, said
something about each and gave the opportunity for everyone present to speak if
they wished, and had a meal together afterwards. The service was heartfelt,
raw, emotional, and beautiful. It was nice to know that all across the country
others were being honored in the same way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During
my time at the day shelter I’ve learned not to take things too personally.
Every day at service is very different and I can never expect anyone to treat
me in exactly the same way each day. There are days when some guests love me
and want to talk with me all day, a few days later those same guests could be
quiet or yelling at me for something that happened. It’s an unpredictable
environment. When I first started in August, there was a guest who was causing
problems left and right and since we never actually saw her causing these
problems, we only heard about the aftermath, we could never do anything except
sit with her, talk with her, and ask her to please try and do better for
everyone’s sanity (not in those exact words). A couple months ago she stopped
using and slowly got clean with help from religion, a counselor, and her
doctor. She has slowly changed over the last few months and I’ve seen her
transform into a troublemaker who screamed at me daily with personal,
emotionally charged attacks to someone who says to me over and over as I walk
by “I’m doing good! I’m being good! I appreciate you!” Now during this
transitional period, I would get reports from other guests that she was arguing
with guests or instigating fights and I would go to check on her and she would
repeat her mantra “I’m doing good!” in between yelling at other guests. I had
to tell her that while she had been doing well, this was not a good moment. I
told her I knew she was capable of better things than what she was currently
involved in and I asked her to walk away from situations more times than I can
count. Eventually, the process so slow I didn’t even realize it was happening,
she really was behaving well. I was completely impressed with her, and I told
her that. She had a really bad day one day when she couldn’t go to meet with
her counselor, she had coffee spilled all down her back by accident, she had
orange juice thrown at her at lunch, and after her third shower and change of
clothes that day she was exhausted from crying and feeling terribly about
everything that had happened. The staff and I told her “you had a really,
really bad day. Tomorrow will be better.” For the rest of the afternoon, every
time I walked passed her she smiled and said “tomorrow will be better!” I think
of this resilience and positivity on my most difficult days. The true highlight
for me, though, was when an older guest with memory loss was anxious and didn’t
know how to get to the overnight shelter at the end of the day a few days
before Christmas. I was looking around for someone heading that way who could
wait with him to enter the shelter and help him through the check-in process. I
asked a couple of people, but they either weren’t staying there or didn’t want
to take him. Understandably, it was a lot to handle. I was about ready to walk
him over myself when she looked up at me and asked what I was looking for. I
told her, and she quickly offered to take him. I explained to the man that she
would take him to the shelter and help him to check in. He agreed, making sure
he knew what he should be doing, and she looped her arm in his and said “Okay,
we can do this, let’s go now.” She informed me she would walk slowly so he
wouldn’t feel rushed. I watched as they walked away, just taking in the
kindness she had grown to possess. Not a lot of people could come full circle
in this way and I feel privileged to experience something so profound. I’ve
learned that, frustrating as it is, there can’t be a set number of chances for
someone to make a change in their life. This woman might have tried to get
clean countless times before and for some reason, this time, the fall of 2016, it’s
sticking. She had been asked to leave before, she has gotten on people’s nerves
countless times, she has manipulated situations and people, and even so, if
everyone had given up on her she wouldn’t be where she is today. I think that’s
pretty important.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
During early
December I was fortunate enough to visit with extended family and my mother in
Colorado. That was my Christmas, as I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas day at
the shelter this year. For New Year’s Eve there were JV’s from Washington who
visited to see the Potato Drop in Boise- we got to check that off of our bucket
lists for this year! I’m so grateful to everyone who has supported me through
the holidays and made my first Christmas away from home so warm and memorable. Happy
Holidays from Boise! <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-3542230523153956302016-11-26T11:32:00.000-08:002016-11-26T11:38:47.374-08:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
November has come and gone so quickly. We started the month
by driving eight hours each way to the JVC Northwest fall retreat in Loon Lake,
Washington. The retreat was centered on community and featured a lot of good
knowledge about how to live better in and appreciate community. The retreat was
on a beautiful lake, as pictured, and we had a lot of time to relax after about
three months of service. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weekend after retreat, my dad visited Boise for the
weekend. We got to do touristy things downtown, then we went to Cascade, ID for
a day. Pictures can’t do justice to the beauty of the drive and of the lake
once we arrived. On his last day here, my dad came to service with me and I got
to show him around the shelter and introduce him to guests who were there that
day. It was nice to see the shelter through his eyes and to get a fresh
perspective on what I’ve been doing for the past few months. Sharing Boise with
him was definitely a highlight this month!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the shelter, we have been preparing for colder weather and
for Thanksgiving. Donations of warmer clothes, hand warmers, and lots of food
have been coming in regularly. We are having an extremely warm fall here, which
I am grateful for because it means that the guests got another month or so of
warmer weather to stay outside in, if that is what they have to do. Shelters in
the area are filling up as the weather changes and the day shelter I serve at
fills up every morning with people wanting to get out of the cold. When the
shelter is so full with people that many have to stand as they cannot find a
seat, people get hostile and agitated with one another. This means there are
sometimes arguments and fights that break out when people cannot get enough
space from one another. This doesn’t happen too often, but it’s why de-escalation
is so important. I am always learning so much from the volunteers and staff I
have the privilege to serve with each day who have been volunteering for years.
Something I can’t help taking away from this experience is that one never stops
learning and that many situations don’t have a clear-cut solution, which makes
things difficult but worth taking time to help with. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanksgiving at the shelter was like any other day, but with
lots of food and a few more decorations. One volunteer worked all week to make
seven turkeys and a lot of sides to feed about one hundred guests. The rest of
my community came to help set up and serve the meal, as they had the day off
from service. The day went well, but it felt like any other day. This is not
surprising, as for the guests it was like any other day. My community and I had
Thanksgiving dinner with one of our support families, which was really nice.
The next day we went to the Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Boise. This
event of coming together with others was much needed after a busy couple of
weeks. I am grateful for so much during this holiday season and I hope that everyone
else can experience some joy at this time of the year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This blog does not reflect
the views and beliefs of JVC Northwest or my service site. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-80522380433195533602016-10-30T10:20:00.003-07:002016-10-30T10:22:21.632-07:00Looking Past Labels <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzG8_vf16KXEVI6b-nrrRwWYEoL33ha2UQTBiMaOC1xpxoQZLih9U8xST-lXHTM87oAm6m66lOKKfyY4o9VkXuGNBYJPr8lwe5F8rrKsYcfJZcFD65ySDksEjKndTaMC_lXX1Boyfz3ek/s1600/IMG_4201.JPG" imageanchor="1"><span style="color: black;">I'm starting this post with some pictures from our trip to Woodburn and Portland, OR. Tons of fun to be tourists for a weekend! I took the picture of the sunrise right outside my service site. Some of the guests and I stood outside for a few minutes just taking in the beauty of that day.</span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJZdObfh6fWZ60RIqB3mY3IY_wo5oFk_P7xeP1NiCgPScOufeS4dVYwf_LdHTuQMudWrc0U2Io9iRrEaG7uk65sNVZvqol1AgF0YJgS1B6BJT0Vd_Fd78EoHiPAYOh2nI7P2JFHeIs04/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJZdObfh6fWZ60RIqB3mY3IY_wo5oFk_P7xeP1NiCgPScOufeS4dVYwf_LdHTuQMudWrc0U2Io9iRrEaG7uk65sNVZvqol1AgF0YJgS1B6BJT0Vd_Fd78EoHiPAYOh2nI7P2JFHeIs04/s320/IMG_4221.JPG" width="320" /></a> <img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzG8_vf16KXEVI6b-nrrRwWYEoL33ha2UQTBiMaOC1xpxoQZLih9U8xST-lXHTM87oAm6m66lOKKfyY4o9VkXuGNBYJPr8lwe5F8rrKsYcfJZcFD65ySDksEjKndTaMC_lXX1Boyfz3ek/s320/IMG_4201.JPG" width="320" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT102LlD6TT7OZKPXi4crFH45BkAAggem-yG9QBQhBx6iVOKYOrj0jqKZutEKFgnqtGslc72vUp4fO2Ki_op6WYu07flfIPyevpprR2PyzD3Hxdxy6AV798dBjI6u6UKpVY2ZtX6cCX2U/s1600/IMG_4227.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT102LlD6TT7OZKPXi4crFH45BkAAggem-yG9QBQhBx6iVOKYOrj0jqKZutEKFgnqtGslc72vUp4fO2Ki_op6WYu07flfIPyevpprR2PyzD3Hxdxy6AV798dBjI6u6UKpVY2ZtX6cCX2U/s320/IMG_4227.JPG" width="240" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5_2ym-pHVJoKF6640N-ydU9Yx6zhfKqM8QpPV74cwl4aiy_DDpY-bd7Jax20i3btTpGVO2p8Pg6C6bLTuj_7iWphZxI905hIPZ9N5EAlOD6VnBXOOD-dnzXCc63TMAYhLLgBS0mMp5A/s1600/IMG_4228.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5_2ym-pHVJoKF6640N-ydU9Yx6zhfKqM8QpPV74cwl4aiy_DDpY-bd7Jax20i3btTpGVO2p8Pg6C6bLTuj_7iWphZxI905hIPZ9N5EAlOD6VnBXOOD-dnzXCc63TMAYhLLgBS0mMp5A/s400/IMG_4228.JPG" width="400" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM94dsqNaArJ_gcC5qIwdkzPIBPufkUV-auHrSalpkYdHKgA2cO0J5wC_xdx6Uld-an_knVcjfOpoXk3ByN3g4T458mDjkCeooyW9JrE8eRRVXOJ8xhZq_DJ4sb24GsP3fg4BRAcbMP_M/s1600/IMG_4230.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM94dsqNaArJ_gcC5qIwdkzPIBPufkUV-auHrSalpkYdHKgA2cO0J5wC_xdx6Uld-an_knVcjfOpoXk3ByN3g4T458mDjkCeooyW9JrE8eRRVXOJ8xhZq_DJ4sb24GsP3fg4BRAcbMP_M/s400/IMG_4230.JPG" width="400" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzmfJgHjCqvAeaABTjL_lpz7Tyghz45LpIC1AEVyHAUi75CZ9TBYDf9z2-dd65JQH6eaTZMRJiduTgUoeebO90RsL9h0Owkfj1v7jX1VLd0TgAqZHbZDqYpDpciTbR082uGFYDvPioFc/s1600/IMG_4235.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzmfJgHjCqvAeaABTjL_lpz7Tyghz45LpIC1AEVyHAUi75CZ9TBYDf9z2-dd65JQH6eaTZMRJiduTgUoeebO90RsL9h0Owkfj1v7jX1VLd0TgAqZHbZDqYpDpciTbR082uGFYDvPioFc/s320/IMG_4235.JPG" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vGD5XC6uJz5gLeDLIeK8bOygI0rOXCxWt-6lfNNbG3HF7xJxJmRR2Fo8aPcix-VWswXLn_idoueDE2Urv1ei4g_jRlE2qfwX-7_3MRWFUfAIDrHh4yF4NZVgjJlC55SDUWLIt2doGhM/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vGD5XC6uJz5gLeDLIeK8bOygI0rOXCxWt-6lfNNbG3HF7xJxJmRR2Fo8aPcix-VWswXLn_idoueDE2Urv1ei4g_jRlE2qfwX-7_3MRWFUfAIDrHh4yF4NZVgjJlC55SDUWLIt2doGhM/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" width="180" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHtqfECco2aMlj-1eoTnYu8b83PZXSZNvltCAVH4AqSTZonu8M7myYcGAx4Jh5cTEYKMYtA0NY-zq3D-QhWYd-qR05pTc1n2OT_czpun8tWy-fVYsDrHlESzZR4pOh6FjlN3v0Lejh74/s1600/IMG_4248.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHtqfECco2aMlj-1eoTnYu8b83PZXSZNvltCAVH4AqSTZonu8M7myYcGAx4Jh5cTEYKMYtA0NY-zq3D-QhWYd-qR05pTc1n2OT_czpun8tWy-fVYsDrHlESzZR4pOh6FjlN3v0Lejh74/s400/IMG_4248.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT102LlD6TT7OZKPXi4crFH45BkAAggem-yG9QBQhBx6iVOKYOrj0jqKZutEKFgnqtGslc72vUp4fO2Ki_op6WYu07flfIPyevpprR2PyzD3Hxdxy6AV798dBjI6u6UKpVY2ZtX6cCX2U/s1600/IMG_4227.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Last weekend the Boise JV community
traveled a total of sixteen hours to visit the JV community in Woodburn, OR. We
were able to see Woodburn and we got to see some highlights in Portland on
Saturday as well. We went to the Saturday market, Voodoo Donuts, Powell’s
Books, and just wandered around the city. I’ve always heard great things about
Portland and now I have actually been there, which is really surreal. Community
life has been going well and I think we’ve all settled in well to life in
Boise.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Service
has been interesting this month in many ways. In the first part of the month
things were much slower than usual because some guests who receive pay at that
time get hotel rooms or alternatives to shelters when they have the funds to do
so. Having funds available also means potential drug or alcohol consumption,
occasionally excessively so. At the beginning of the month there weren’t too
many people in our eating area, but when I heard shouting I went to check what
was going on. There was a man who I see on a regular basis who was slurring,
spitting, and yelling at anyone who looked his way. This was very unusual behavior for this man. I tried to calm him down in
order to allow him to stay for the rest of the afternoon, but he was so
intoxicated that he wasn’t hearing reason and I had to ask him to leave for the
rest of the day. As I got him out of the door, another man was making rude
comments to other guests so I asked him what was going on. He could barely keep
his head up and his only response to my questions was to repeat everything I
was saying. Eventually he made rude comments and it was obvious that he was
very intoxicated, so I asked him to leave for the rest of the day as well.
These things happen in threes, of course, so as I went back to the office I saw
that a couple had camped out (literally) with blankets, pillows, and the rest
of their belongings in front of our office window. We do not allow people to
sleep on our property at night and we never allow people to sleep in front of
the building, where this couple was. I went out and asked them to move
(politely) and the man could not have been angrier. I heard insults that day I
didn’t even know existed, but they moved their things and went on their way
within a few minutes. The thing is, I can understand their frustration. I was
frustrated right there with them, but I was also doing what my position
requires because I have to be fair and provide a safe environment for the guests. When the man wasn’t swearing, he was saying
that they had tried to camp in the alley and were told to leave, they tried in
the parks too and were asked to move. These situations are frustrating because
while the police and business owners are usually pretty forgiving with
loitering, sleeping is another situation entirely. We encourage people to
utilize the shelters in the area, but if anyone has been kicked out, is excessively using drugs or alcohol, or does not agree with or want to follow
the rules at the shelters, they may either not want to go to the shelters or
may not be allowed back, at least for the time being. This is a tough position
for anyone to be in and there are so many reasons why someone could end up in
these situations. We try to be as helpful as we can be but at a certain point
there isn’t much we can do immediately. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On my
walks back to the house after service I usually chat with anyone flying a sign
down the street from my placement as I wait for the traffic lights to change.
Just a few days ago I asked a man about his sign, which said he is a veteran
and that he’s died twice, but he’s survived that and become homeless. Guest's signs are always a conversation starter. He told
me it’s all true and I said that I believe him, which is one of the most
calming things I can say to guests when they are upset or telling me anything, really. He proceeded to slur
his words and stumble, almost into the road. When I told him to sit he said he
was fine, but when I insisted, he tried to sit down on the curb and fell into
the road. I jumped out to stop oncoming traffic and to pull him back to the
curb. When he finally got there I called 911 because this man was a danger to
himself as he couldn’t stand on his own. While I was on the phone explaining
the situation, a woman held out a dollar bill from her car window and the man
fell in the road again trying to get to that bill. I was helping him up again
while explaining the situation to the police and I brought him to a safe,
grassy area. I waited until I saw the police coming to leave. The weird part
about all of this was that the thing I felt the worst about in this situation
was calling the police. That may have been irrational, but as I’ve been working
with the guests, hearing their stories, and hearing about their relationships
and past history with the police, I didn’t want to be the one to bring the
police to a person who has potentially experienced trauma involving the police
or brought the police to someone with a potential record. Long story short, I
was very worried about this man after an already long, stressful day. When I
saw him the next morning sitting outside of my placement with no memory of the
day before, saying hello to me as I walked into service, I was so relieved. I
don’t know what the outcome was except that he was okay and wasn’t in jail the
next day, and he doesn’t remember anything either. I was told I did the right
thing, but it is so much more complicated than that. It is difficult to see
clearly in those gray areas where I have power to involve the police or have
them protecting me in certain situations, but knowing this is a privilege in
these situations and in our society. The police try to work with and protect
our guests as much as they possibly can, but there are so many gray areas and
that makes their jobs difficult. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My
placement has been part of a program with the local university for years. This
program allows students enrolled in undergraduate social work classes to
volunteer for a set number of hours at our site, if they choose, while other
students from the same classes volunteer at other sites. This volunteering
allows the students to interact with our guests, gain perspective for their
course, and it provides my placement with more volunteers for a certain amount
of time. One of these students asked to interview me for a paper he is writing
about homelessness in Boise. Most of the questions were pretty straight forward
and it tested my knowledge of the housing situation in Boise and how much I
have learned about it in the past couple months. Then he asked, as staff at my
placement, how I keep motivated to volunteer for forty hours a week. I am used
to being asked this by volunteers, especially the ones from the university who
are about my age, but I usually brush it off and say it seemed like this path
chose me. But when I was asked directly in a setting where an answer was
expected, it really made me think. The guests keep telling me that I’ve
remained positive throughout my time so far at my placement, which I guess I
take as a compliment, but it’s been a goal of mine to see the positivity in
each interaction I have and it’s usually not difficult to do. I take time for
self-care and I look forward to the wide variety of things I do each day at
service. I never know what the next day will bring and interactions with
guests, both joyful and trying at times, keep me motivated to move forward each
day and serve in whatever way is needed.
I guess it’s difficult to explain, and some people don’t understand, but
even in the trying times there are so many positive experiences I have
witnessed and been a part of so far that I can’t imagine not moving forward. My
motivation comes from the happiness guests experience when they get a piece of
mail they have been waiting for, when they can use the phone or the internet
for something important to them, when my placement can pay the copay for a
prescription they need. There are so many reasons why making a small difference
matters so much. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
student also asked what I would say about homelessness if I had the whole
world’s attention for a minute. (These were not easy questions, by the way.) I
said I would try to break stereotypes. I would ask for everyone to look past
labels, such as “homeless,” “felon,” “addicted,” “mentally ill.” These labels
have prevented guests from getting housing. There are wonderful programs that
work with people experiencing homelessness to help renters look past these
labels, but sometimes it’s not enough. There are people who were incarcerated
over thirty years ago who cannot get into housing because of that period in
their lives. There is a woman who has her master’s degree and who has traveled
the world, but is flying a sign because things haven’t turned back around in
her life. These labels and stereotypes are preventing growth and are preventing
other people from getting to know the people behind the labels they are forced
to carry with them. So if I could request anything from you all reading
this blog, it’s to look past the labels people are forced to carry. Without
volunteering at my placement I don’t know if I could have looked past some
things, but getting to know people as people, without prior knowledge of their
labels, has shown me that we can’t be so quick to judge. To think I would have
been joking around about sports with an ex-felon, or interacting daily with
people who are mentally ill and who have so much to offer to the world, people who are
addicted to drugs, some wanting assistance for their addiction and some who do
not right now, but who, overall, stay positive and keep me smiling at service.
It’s amazing what can happen when stereotypes are broken long enough to see the
individuals behind them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you all for your endless support in my journey.<br />
<span style="background-color: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;">This blog do not reflect the views and beliefs of JVC Northwest or my service site. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-86329310398682635832016-10-01T09:52:00.001-07:002016-10-01T09:53:48.193-07:00Becoming Aware<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This month has been full of highs
and lows as I continue to adjust to full time service and living in the
Northwest. I have had days when service has left me feeling helpless and mostly
hopeless, when I feel like I am not making a difference. There have been days
when I have felt truly homesick for my home state and for the college which has
become a second home for me over the past three years. Days like these are
always tough, but my community and the people I serve remind me each day why I
am here and why I know I can continue to make the most of this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As I wrote in my last post, one of
the highlights in my day is my walk to service, not only because I am fortunate
enough to see the sun rise over the mountains as I walk down the hill in the
mornings, but also because I get to say hello to some of our guests in the park
where they have stayed the night before. These interactions were always
positive and it gave me a chance to talk with the guests outside of a busy
environment where I don’t usually have a lot of time to simply say hello and
ask how they’re doing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At the start of this month, the
guests were no longer visible in the park. For a few mornings I looked and saw
no one at the tables where there used to be small groups of guests gathered.
When one of these guests finally came into the office I asked where they had
been. They said they still saw me walking to service each morning, but they had
been asked by the police to move back in the park to a spot that wasn’t by the
road. I didn’t have to ask the guest why this was. This interaction has been on
my mind ever since. The guests were asked to move to locations in the park
where they wouldn’t be as visible- where they wouldn’t be noticed. I have heard
that the city receives complaints that people experiencing homelessness are
visible, that they cause disturbances on occasion, and other such comments. The
fact that these guests were explicitly asked not to be seen deeply saddens me.
Since they were asked to move by the police they would be at risk to receive a
ticket if they did not oblige; at least this is my understanding of the
situation. This happens frequently at the skate park, which is a popular
hangout right down the street from my service site. People are ticketed for
sleeping on the streets, in their cars, disturbing the peace, etc. and when
they can’t pay off the ticket (which they usually are not capable of doing)
they are taken to jail after a certain period of time. When I walk by the park
each morning now I see the empty space where the tables full of guests used to
be. I will never again see parks in the same way. I used to think of parks as a
place where there were trees, paths, events, maybe some ponds. A place where
kids could learn to ride bikes and where people exercise. I still see them in
this way, but now I also see a place some call home. I see past the trees at
the entrance of the beautiful park and I see what they’re trying to hide: the
people that some don’t want us to see. This is a tough reality to face and one
I wrestle with each day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I talked to a man every day on my
walk home from service who would sit by a stop sign with a cardboard sign
asking for money. This man is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He would
chat with me about the local news, ask me about my day, and tell me to make sure
I walked home safely, as he said the drivers in the city didn’t pay enough
attention. This man went missing for a week and a half or so and turned up
again asking for clothing from our clothing room. When I asked where he had
been he said he had just gotten out of jail. When I said I was sorry to hear
that he told me “no, it’s a good thing! Now I have a clean record again because
I’ve done my time!” This mindset is a new one to me for sure. Things I never
would have thought of as positive I’m being forced realized I must have been mistaken
about because to some of our guests they truly seem like positivity, light, and
hope. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It hit me at full force one day,
when I was hearing another story of how someone had become newly homeless and
needed our services, that they were relying on me in that moment. I know that
my position involves assisting people experiencing homelessness directly and
that many people rely on our services each day, but in that moment (and many
moments since) I was very aware that the person sitting across from me was
relying on me and my knowledge to get her and her family through the day. This
is a privilege each day to be able to interact with people with a vast array of
life experiences. It is a lot to process, though, that I have to make
decisions, find resources, and assist people with tasks I never thought I would
have to know about. A few times a week new guests come into the office and say
“I just got out of prison for X number of weeks/months/years and I don’t have
anything.” Each time I take a minute to process what that would be like:
reentering the world with nothing but some clothes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One day, a man came into the office
and he was very intoxicated. He admitted that he had been drinking that morning
but wanted to go to detox to get help for his addiction to alcohol. This seemed
like a reasonable request to me, but it was also my first time receiving this specific
request. My supervisor and I called the local police department to ask for
suggestions as to what to do in this situation, as the guest was, as I
mentioned, very intoxicated. The officer we spoke with told us that there
wasn’t anything that could be done until the guest sobered up. The officer told
the guest that he needed to stop drinking and then seek help getting sober. This
didn’t seem to add up to me. We then called a local detox center where the
woman who was conducting the guest’s pre-screening to get him admitted to the
program asked the guest to hand me the phone. The woman told me that the man
was incredibly intoxicated (which I was aware of) and told me that they
couldn’t perform a screening or admit him when he was intoxicated. I asked her
what to do in this situation. She told me that he needed to get sober and then
make an appointment for a screening, at which point they would determine
whether he would be eligible for the program. This process couldn’t be started
until the next week. I asked what to do in the meantime, for any other
resources she could refer me to. There was nothing to do and nowhere to go. I
found myself trying to regurgitate this information to this man, slumped in
front of me, weary with nowhere to go. I wondered how he was supposed to get
sober on his own when he said he had been drinking heavily since the age of
seventeen. He was seeking help for a reason and there was none to give him. I
gave him water and told him to stay near the day shelter so he could get sober.
He didn’t feel like he could attend the AA meetings held at our facility at
that time, which I offered information about. He thanked me for taking the time
to assist him (which got us nowhere) and he wandered off for the day. I have
only seen him a handful of times since. I couldn’t believe how long it took me
to go in circles and come up without an answer. I felt absolutely helpless with
someone relying on me for an answer and I felt terrible coming up short. This
happens fairly often: we can’t fund a full bus ticket for someone trying to
leave town, we can’t find a location someone is trying to get to, we can’t
provide funds for a lost ID because this is the second one they lost in a short
period of time. There’s a lot we can’t do, but there’s also a lot we can do.
It’s easy to focus on our shortcomings and to take these home with us. It’s
much harder to be satisfied in all that we offer to others. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I am working on being satisfied
with all I can do in a day’s time. I am working on understanding the situations
that have brought guests to us. I am trying my best to remain positive, even on
a few days per month when this is a difficult task. How I react to situations
is my own choice and how others react is theirs. This is a tough concept, but
it is a relevant one each day. There was one day this month where a guest
became so angry that we ran out of sandwiches to serve and just had pasta left
(from our donated food supply) that he took pasta that I served him, threw it
across the counter, knocked over various things on the counter, and stormed out
while yelling. A line of about sixty guests saw this and as I went on serving
the long line of guests, many guests from the line told me how rude the guest
was, how good the pasta was, and that I was doing a good job that day. This is
how service goes on a good day: there can be guests who cause disturbances, who
are affected by drugs or alcohol, who cannot control themselves for reasons
unknown to volunteers, who have experiences where it is just the last straw,
and even through frustrating experiences, there are guests who are so gracious,
kind, and appreciative that I know what I am doing each day has a purpose. This
is a balance I am continuing to adjust to each day at service. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Thank you again to everyone who
continues to read through my thoughts here each month. I hope you all can gain
something from these interactions I’m discussing, as I know they are changing
me in so many ways. I will continue to update this blog at least monthly. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This blog do not reflect the views and beliefs of JVC
Northwest or my service site. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-57657894256013822742016-09-17T11:45:00.003-07:002016-09-17T11:48:54.710-07:00Pictures from my first month in Boise<div style="text-align: center;">
I thought I would include a quick update with pictures from the past month. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our day trip to Silver City, Idaho. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSV-lRoKxvg7QdWdMwy-OX9NbrOkKiSQutzWnCmy4hyI3kRoYIGypE5padNaKpws-baGk5kXIWl8g94D2F0xZWwElD795nPmFrk5s-7XORwKLMcV_w1rswgMFGtht09SrSvdjTRgRtlY/s1600/IMG_4080.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSV-lRoKxvg7QdWdMwy-OX9NbrOkKiSQutzWnCmy4hyI3kRoYIGypE5padNaKpws-baGk5kXIWl8g94D2F0xZWwElD795nPmFrk5s-7XORwKLMcV_w1rswgMFGtht09SrSvdjTRgRtlY/s320/IMG_4080.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuNBCcW5vUYqYmydmXhyZ7kTjCJBzqG3Skoq852nYqD42561B822wgG8_LkhGZQsp_nuOKO9D0NQXxRyLvID9Y46LgMvNbs_Pnf-ebWbm5zpZzJMxUoyOH7gyK8AFCPjPCqg0asrMIA0/s1600/IMG_4076.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuNBCcW5vUYqYmydmXhyZ7kTjCJBzqG3Skoq852nYqD42561B822wgG8_LkhGZQsp_nuOKO9D0NQXxRyLvID9Y46LgMvNbs_Pnf-ebWbm5zpZzJMxUoyOH7gyK8AFCPjPCqg0asrMIA0/s320/IMG_4076.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAhOcFKSFbrut_ZBrrqDjCFIWgbX9x6wuKo7fClC-tNwV6V5csDNkUdMDIFWNnT8aWS44eQNbTW1RBnhM2q6qKsd2N3r5yCteUPw6OzlO9qkI4hnJzozZ0jRv0PTLIZ8iiJe2kDhKhXc/s1600/IMG_4044.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAhOcFKSFbrut_ZBrrqDjCFIWgbX9x6wuKo7fClC-tNwV6V5csDNkUdMDIFWNnT8aWS44eQNbTW1RBnhM2q6qKsd2N3r5yCteUPw6OzlO9qkI4hnJzozZ0jRv0PTLIZ8iiJe2kDhKhXc/s640/IMG_4044.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLIjr64496pAzz5UwzcpV_UdGGhkHaKeyoJA06061fpVizYaIRsvgPZO3nq9unp0rkAN9qcF3z9yLJ3k4Cavi7N1i9tRUz6uFU_YvsdWpZRXKgNVkq94YghTLhuLUmUE2XoTANIxlHl0/s1600/IMG_4032.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLIjr64496pAzz5UwzcpV_UdGGhkHaKeyoJA06061fpVizYaIRsvgPZO3nq9unp0rkAN9qcF3z9yLJ3k4Cavi7N1i9tRUz6uFU_YvsdWpZRXKgNVkq94YghTLhuLUmUE2XoTANIxlHl0/s320/IMG_4032.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcG2ZBBCJKCOPCAi6e8avDcf1mIkAyEKdJpVkSZ5BfqkNXPEX5L7JEei2HqT818LDWiuFRdoBHehoPSWcx-7FpnMy72Tzrbs2SYnghvDE2iI5Heh5IG2yK_Ds_vUYzf5XpA4Ags37exg/s1600/IMG_4047.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcG2ZBBCJKCOPCAi6e8avDcf1mIkAyEKdJpVkSZ5BfqkNXPEX5L7JEei2HqT818LDWiuFRdoBHehoPSWcx-7FpnMy72Tzrbs2SYnghvDE2iI5Heh5IG2yK_Ds_vUYzf5XpA4Ags37exg/s320/IMG_4047.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
We saw a concert and a sunset after we hiked to this beautiful spot in the foothills <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo8Wa4g5td_Q9oi_dax9JezYzk15V7gbaODRhb5U5YTnmcVzSHN9vh9mJdJ5yzowvRdtKxbMeJzXvKi-qDZym1K98PfECHk96dCdemRgK4wWMSaGv5-Xsy1HIPWcoDGAytq0SF15rkmc/s1600/IMG_3967.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo8Wa4g5td_Q9oi_dax9JezYzk15V7gbaODRhb5U5YTnmcVzSHN9vh9mJdJ5yzowvRdtKxbMeJzXvKi-qDZym1K98PfECHk96dCdemRgK4wWMSaGv5-Xsy1HIPWcoDGAytq0SF15rkmc/s640/IMG_3967.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDgDCQvZukkOFn3zTc4nOC0eecCTaLIssWv3k-0FfYwaCLTv1yJF2ZIuxrFwhtFbFdJH8MGOvKBUcZ9ms6Kt4En4VxfwvZcsZ09YL54dWBEIh6RGtCDMPYrr0k6qYpP9BNvIgtIcdhhw/s1600/IMG_3974.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDgDCQvZukkOFn3zTc4nOC0eecCTaLIssWv3k-0FfYwaCLTv1yJF2ZIuxrFwhtFbFdJH8MGOvKBUcZ9ms6Kt4En4VxfwvZcsZ09YL54dWBEIh6RGtCDMPYrr0k6qYpP9BNvIgtIcdhhw/s320/IMG_3974.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYuqgwVQbjvUrcA6yyLiPCS9duK0FmU1HKIkDkwEe_Zeo7QxD_0VO10eN3HnwCxLefQSYZHZ6lXbQfOknlhyfC6OaX4qKgT4lm2Fa1IYGEwlNOJgixpXsyqnHt3S3-hzpfGpBss8YX_g/s1600/IMG_3983.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYuqgwVQbjvUrcA6yyLiPCS9duK0FmU1HKIkDkwEe_Zeo7QxD_0VO10eN3HnwCxLefQSYZHZ6lXbQfOknlhyfC6OaX4qKgT4lm2Fa1IYGEwlNOJgixpXsyqnHt3S3-hzpfGpBss8YX_g/s320/IMG_3983.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A hike in another part of the Boise foothills with former JV's on Labor Day!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn1WTrVSBKUTYaInOK53PSl7_IwatqHhEarAn9mhUbXZVArlhTRx7AiPiJ2f4p0kGBuclBgZ31iNYxXtTxKu4dy6jiPCpiIECnepRX6QkIkkeeKg78CGiSZPIPtJQ4IPdZ9_mcH0Ugog/s1600/IMG_3962.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn1WTrVSBKUTYaInOK53PSl7_IwatqHhEarAn9mhUbXZVArlhTRx7AiPiJ2f4p0kGBuclBgZ31iNYxXtTxKu4dy6jiPCpiIECnepRX6QkIkkeeKg78CGiSZPIPtJQ4IPdZ9_mcH0Ugog/s320/IMG_3962.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfTwg6LPSqhaQrNd6Yx6ZHyD2S0NK0kU3byL20RK69LTq9YNN46-6nVTgGztTrcCafjFpwKVNb_HNdIXMrkolP62Nm777H9R-Dr4doEhoZQFylWApee_IxpLf8XA8WPDOhtJznOM6YqU/s1600/IMG_3959.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfTwg6LPSqhaQrNd6Yx6ZHyD2S0NK0kU3byL20RK69LTq9YNN46-6nVTgGztTrcCafjFpwKVNb_HNdIXMrkolP62Nm777H9R-Dr4doEhoZQFylWApee_IxpLf8XA8WPDOhtJznOM6YqU/s320/IMG_3959.JPG" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH1m4MZ8qLmmFCATxSpg_R7ajbtdCDVo4BQn8e88dvfbsJuw6yoC6uU8x7iNFCnFxlKGQ0SozNMKJbCGaadWez4cBn4T5aNBM7FqqEk1t694qCh4TOfKvzWQmOAX3sn6RrUq_B_UQHdk/s1600/IMG_3924.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH1m4MZ8qLmmFCATxSpg_R7ajbtdCDVo4BQn8e88dvfbsJuw6yoC6uU8x7iNFCnFxlKGQ0SozNMKJbCGaadWez4cBn4T5aNBM7FqqEk1t694qCh4TOfKvzWQmOAX3sn6RrUq_B_UQHdk/s640/IMG_3924.JPG" width="640" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9GpU0BHxqc3J8Gsx3wFubFAI7wTkWru-asYTtY2e0t81-OXQufzwXcT_xYbcEkXeZNqUw0OPt0pyQhvrEXHEzadiUCdFGbkt-7DWLpdq71AXMLjUaKAdpFlS04XoymvUEyEp3gejqUw/s1600/IMG_3925.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9GpU0BHxqc3J8Gsx3wFubFAI7wTkWru-asYTtY2e0t81-OXQufzwXcT_xYbcEkXeZNqUw0OPt0pyQhvrEXHEzadiUCdFGbkt-7DWLpdq71AXMLjUaKAdpFlS04XoymvUEyEp3gejqUw/s400/IMG_3925.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYV-h136YVMRCkSbC70nF1XMgCl4bvUPvKLFQl_gTUpcxsPPGjEfwievjqiiBtPScuqzV7wMPogdIzuYMoScQU_iLnwuP5tfPaaMpM9iYRVVdd9J6TMKPydpJyBW152S44j7pNShkxcU/s1600/IMG_3922.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYV-h136YVMRCkSbC70nF1XMgCl4bvUPvKLFQl_gTUpcxsPPGjEfwievjqiiBtPScuqzV7wMPogdIzuYMoScQU_iLnwuP5tfPaaMpM9iYRVVdd9J6TMKPydpJyBW152S44j7pNShkxcU/s320/IMG_3922.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Boise Hot Air Balloon Festival. We watched as these balloons were lit up in a local park one night, after I saw them rise on my walk to service the previous morning. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JQrZA5QC-o9Tz92sswAabXsKR55_WjPLPkoJk-3FSZkT_Ank2YUsRVisMBJzDquRyTG1D9vwoTixkmN65a7nfllZ9iE8WGXAWSqURTzhgDCJy6cDGTfifcsA0-eF8z85VzJVWslySA/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JQrZA5QC-o9Tz92sswAabXsKR55_WjPLPkoJk-3FSZkT_Ank2YUsRVisMBJzDquRyTG1D9vwoTixkmN65a7nfllZ9iE8WGXAWSqURTzhgDCJy6cDGTfifcsA0-eF8z85VzJVWslySA/s320/IMG_3910.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BJyHfu4ZZXXyXivESzkJm0FZN6_RqXEDXZ0jBSxlCR5jYgYxmIyutaLP4eUecc-urXxDyamaOQFADlJUxN2n7l12th0NFpO95oGWT4QlqM8aOGC3ylJzqCQrlSK7bjgEH2QBLPxGTAk/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BJyHfu4ZZXXyXivESzkJm0FZN6_RqXEDXZ0jBSxlCR5jYgYxmIyutaLP4eUecc-urXxDyamaOQFADlJUxN2n7l12th0NFpO95oGWT4QlqM8aOGC3ylJzqCQrlSK7bjgEH2QBLPxGTAk/s320/IMG_3851.JPG" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLz8Z7IeSjyi8aMVeUrZJk4ubse30nZ1NjtC_XT_Lxd_bbmmXlLcKrLRaRM2o8jlmJCiW22sjEmih0w-8iFPFznDvjJtjQeMGDSHat1CAabLUoQrIDUGoBbTqwLdOtLivMOZx5Jtd9fI/s1600/IMG_3854.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLz8Z7IeSjyi8aMVeUrZJk4ubse30nZ1NjtC_XT_Lxd_bbmmXlLcKrLRaRM2o8jlmJCiW22sjEmih0w-8iFPFznDvjJtjQeMGDSHat1CAabLUoQrIDUGoBbTqwLdOtLivMOZx5Jtd9fI/s320/IMG_3854.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our first hike in the foothills with one of our support families. We watched the sun set and the full moon rise as we sat together on the mountain, watching the city of Boise light up. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY2DFnsyZz_Ziu4HWD8h3CGCExIvwTqRB7o2wEBz37ZjmrOyRuzuq6bGHTxrHxiDzie1ILrcqQW7-3TTnAy_cTy-X-95zTNXx8tJmR6gOQ9TnuZZWFsAyNJWYiMMA7J9lE8jOgdzPShQ/s1600/IMG_3807.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY2DFnsyZz_Ziu4HWD8h3CGCExIvwTqRB7o2wEBz37ZjmrOyRuzuq6bGHTxrHxiDzie1ILrcqQW7-3TTnAy_cTy-X-95zTNXx8tJmR6gOQ9TnuZZWFsAyNJWYiMMA7J9lE8jOgdzPShQ/s320/IMG_3807.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE38qcVt2O5BAzncWJ-4P-z5hc76Wh0WLggsUTgezo2bOnCsoAePBlvdgazOmwjuWAteFAKmzpGrCIPT7KsIgEZqkELG01NqXiNpn20X13DoXK35SN2YtiVPn1oR-tz08PPq9r73Z2Qpk/s1600/IMG_3800.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE38qcVt2O5BAzncWJ-4P-z5hc76Wh0WLggsUTgezo2bOnCsoAePBlvdgazOmwjuWAteFAKmzpGrCIPT7KsIgEZqkELG01NqXiNpn20X13DoXK35SN2YtiVPn1oR-tz08PPq9r73Z2Qpk/s320/IMG_3800.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On our trip to the Western Idaho Fair we took this picture in front of the potato used in the annual "Potato Drop" here in Boise, Idaho on New Year's Eve. It is a real event, if you can believe it!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKlQP9H5-yohxL-_kX57vdjJ7dTGrR7Brw0DhzNfDpJhJVmHKsEhuENJyhl0f_X4S6lhx-Yy5xiZjI4KaPwfknrCn-KF0XZKluv-grV403JkRcRT2470DBr5YS9PK85HXKUtqFrJe4F8/s1600/IMG_3822.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKlQP9H5-yohxL-_kX57vdjJ7dTGrR7Brw0DhzNfDpJhJVmHKsEhuENJyhl0f_X4S6lhx-Yy5xiZjI4KaPwfknrCn-KF0XZKluv-grV403JkRcRT2470DBr5YS9PK85HXKUtqFrJe4F8/s320/IMG_3822.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
More pictures to come in future posts! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07764472752792722022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478227884229938078.post-10454176776429075682016-09-05T12:51:00.000-07:002016-10-01T10:20:25.569-07:00Arriving in Idaho<div class="MsoNormal">
I started my journey to the Northwest with a week-long
orientation just outside of Portland. The orientation focused on the four core
values of Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest: simple living, spirituality, social
and ecological justice, and community. Walking away from orientation with the
tools to build on these four values within our community, we drove from
Portland to Boise on Saturday, August 13<sup>th</sup>. Since arriving we have
spent time with our wonderful support families who live in the area. They took
us on a tour of Boise, hiking up the foothills to watch the sunset and the
moonrise over Boise, cooked dinners for us, and checked in from time to time.
We have spent weekends and evenings as a community exploring downtown Boise,
checking out the local farmers market, volunteering at the community garden
which is run by one of our support families, and attending events put on by
local nonprofits. Most recently we attended the hot air balloon festival at a
local park. We watched as the hot air balloons were lit up after dark, which
was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I already knew how to cook fairly
well, but I’m learning to cook for a community of four now with the vegetables,
fruits, and other ingredients we happen to have from the garden at any given
moment. The joke in our community is that we have to make zucchini everything…
zucchini bread, zucchini bake, zucchini salads, etc. because zucchini
apparently grows like crazy in our garden, and some of our neighbors put out
signs for free zucchini. Who are we to pass up on free food with a budget of sixty dollars per week for groceries? So, we are getting creative about cooking with
zucchini.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our first day of service was August 17<sup>th</sup>. My walk
to service is about two miles round trip and I enjoy this walk more and more
each day, mostly because I can see the sun rise over the foothills in the
morning and I can say hello to the guests I serve on my way to and from
service. The guests are people currently experiencing homelessness who use
services which are provided at my service site. These
services include the use of bathrooms, showers, sinks, laundry services, some
long term storage, access to donated clothing, meals in the morning and
afternoon, a place to receive mail if a guest does not have an address, a phone
for outgoing and incoming calls, access to the internet, and generally a safe
place to hang out and get out of the hot or cold weather. My role as the
services coordinator is mainly to assist guests and volunteers in whatever way
I can. There are guests who need directions around Boise, who need to find
services locally, who need bus passes, who need to talk with someone, who are
new to the area or newly homeless and need to figure out where to start. This
is what we’re there to assist with each day. The goal of my service site is to ease the burden of homelessness, and that’s what we try to do on a daily
basis. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
My first day consisted of me sitting and visiting with
guests in the main area of the building, the goal being to get to know
as many guests as I can and for them to get to know me. This task was a bit
overwhelming at the time, though, as there were about fifty guests in a small
area eating breakfast, talking, etc. I didn’t know where to start. As I talked
with guests throughout the day I learned a lot about them, my service site,
homelessness, and Boise. I still feel like a sponge every day, absorbing as
much information as possible from guests and volunteers. Some people who stuck
out to me from that day include two guests who were getting married the following
weekend, guests who had recent experiences in prison, friends of guests who had
been recently incarcerated, many guests with physical and/or mental
disabilities, guests who were married, guests who wanted to find love, people
who had lost love, guests who were going through detox, people who told me nonchalantly
that they were sleeping in the parks at night, a woman who had just left her
husband because he had met another woman and now he was dependent on heroin again,
many people who had everything stolen from them, two people who were starting
college at a local university, a woman who had her children taken away by
social services, many people who said they came from other towns and cities
where conditions for people experiencing homelessness were worse than in Boise
currently in their opinions, many people who told me I missed the peak heat of the summer (even
though it was 97 degrees that day), people venting about the current housing shortage
for those applying for housing, people bringing donations, people continually
welcoming me, and people who experienced some joy by being at there that day. This was just day one. Every day at my site is a rollercoaster. I never
know what will happen next and I’m never bored. There are always emails and
phones to be answered, mail to be sorted, guests to talk with, and volunteers to
check in with. The controlled chaos is an environment I feel I fit
into so far, a place where I enjoy being busy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As the weeks have passed by I have developed more of a
routine at my site, saying hello to people who stay in the parks
as I walk to service in the mornings, making conversation with people “flying
signs,” or panhandling on the side of the road, and generally trying to meet
some of the needs of the guests. A big part of this role, as I learned on my
first day, is knowing that there’s no way to possibly change every guest's situation.
While all of the volunteers try our best every day, we have to know
that there’s only so much we can do and there’s only so much time in the day
that we are available to our guests. One of the founders told
me that every volunteer has certain strengths they bring to our services. There are
some feet, some hands, some mouths, some ears, etc. and together the volunteers
make up a full body, helping our operation to run as well as it can. Each volunteer
knows that no one could do it all alone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the first two days of
September the floors of the building had to be redone, which meant that no one could
be in the main building for a couple days. This was hard on the guests and the
volunteers. On these days I volunteered in the morning, sorting mail and
greeting guests for a few hours. On these days people from local churches
brought donations of sandwiches they had made. I went to the most popular and
visible area where people hang out, a skate park down the street. The skate park is a place for people experiencing
homelessness to sit, sleep, etc. since the area is covered by an on-ramp, which protects the area from rain, snow, and other unpredictable elements. This experience was important for me because
on one of my first days in Boise I walked with my housemates through this
section of Boise, directly past people experiencing homelessness, and I could
feel myself tense up, uncomfortable at the sight. I’m not proud at all to say
that, but I think for most it could be a natural reaction to a situation which can be considered uncomfortable. Now, handing out
sandwiches in the exact same area to people I now know by name, it just felt
natural. I noticed people passing by in their cars staring as I had a ten minute conversation
with a man holding a sign on the side of the road (a fairly regular occurrence
now). I continue to notice how shocked some of our guests are when I say hello
to them every time I see them, regardless of what I am doing or who I’m with,
and make a point to smile and wave, to make them feel acknowledged. I don’t
give our guests money, but I try to give them everything I can offer: some
food, conversation, acknowledgement, a smile, and a sense of normalcy in a
world that is anything but normal. When I walk past the park in the mornings
and some of the guests wave so enthusiastically, it makes me realize how simple it should be to remain positive throughout my days of service. No matter what, I am
surrounded by people who are positive, kind, and genuine in spite of situations
that are anything but fair. There are some who don’t quite fit these
qualifications, but overall I walk away from each day of service reminded
how fortunate I am to know the guests and volunteers there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Someone in the community knows
that I volunteer at my site full time and asked me recently if I thought the
guests are entitled. They didn’t specify, but I’m assuming they meant in terms
of receiving our services as well as money from social security, food stamps,
or other benefits. I told them that in the brief time I have known the guests I
serve, I can’t think of one person I would describe as entitled. I have found
that most guests are respectful to volunteers and each other, wanting to be as
reasonable as possible because if there is fighting, disrespect, drug
or alcohol use, etc. guests are kicked out for a certain period of time
depending on the offense. This is not taken lightly for people who truly need
our services. I interact with many guests throughout the day and in my experience
so far I wouldn’t call anyone entitled, but I would say some are frustrated,
which can come off as entitlement if you don’t look more closely at the
situation. They are frustrated with the current housing system, lack of
support, lack of compassion from the community, police who, while doing everything they can to protect the community and help us in any way we request, give tickets to
people because they are sleeping on the side of the road or in their cars. They are frustrated because they are
currently experiencing homelessness and to most people who pass by them daily,
it is easier to look away than to advocate for them. I often see people who
have had their shoes stolen and when I open the clothing room to find there are
no shoes that fit them, they smile and thank me for taking the time to look for
them. This is a truly humbling experience. So, no, I wouldn’t say that the
guests feel entitled. I would say that in a system which has pushed them aside
and forgotten them, they will often take what they can if it’s being offered.
Although it is not rare that people will share what they have or give others
their food who seem to need it more. This is the beauty in having the
opportunity to observe others: you might just witness something profound. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you have read this far, thank
you for hanging in there through my whirlwind of thoughts from the past three
weeks. I am still actively learning about the issue of homelessness in Boise
and I have a long ways to go, but I will continue to update this blog with new
information about my community life as well as my service at least monthly.
Thank you all for your continued support in my transition to serving the people
of Idaho. Please think about saying hello to someone new, donating time or
goods, and paying it forward if you can. I know these things have changed my
life in the past few weeks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This post does not reflect the
views and beliefs of JVC Northwest or my service site. <o:p></o:p></div>
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