Still too idealistic??

Getting closer to the end of the project, and it is pretty exciting to really see some progress since the beginning of the summer. The interviews with David (we ended up having the one Wednesday afternoon, then another one this morning) went pretty well. It is interesting seeing the transition from mock interview professionalism to after the interview, going over what he said and shouldn’t have said, where we were all joking around. He is interviewing tomorrow for a company, and we are setting him up with a few other companies in the mean time, and his birth certificate is on its way to CareerLink as we speak. I also talked to Nancy this afternoon, who went for an interview on Friday. She isn’t finished with the program necessarily, but if she gets this position she will be required to take a reading and math test, and the remediation in the program will be extremely useful for that test. Danielle completed her last few hours for the GED pre-testing sessions, and hopefully has scheduled her final test for her GED for this week (I need to call her still…), and Catherine is trying to work the remediation around her part-time work schedule as much as possible so she can continue to works towards clerical work. I also need to get reconnected with Samantha, who I am hoping will get involved with the program again and hopefully attend some of the evening classroom sessions. Kenneth left his shelter last week, which was extremely upsetting because he seemed so earnest and motivated. He just seemed really determined to get through everything to show that he really could work through it all, and it was extremely disappointing to see him leave the area before he had finished it. I think this brought me back to reality (not completely, apparently, since I am still leaving this internship incredibly idealistic and optimistic!) and helped me realize that I am only seeing one challenge that these individuals are dealing with on a day to day basis… Still, I believe that even if we can help ease some of the problems in one area we can help make a difference in that person’s life, even if just a little bit.

Way too hot for professional clothes!

My last real week at United Way--- wow this summer really flew by! Esther had her mock interview yesterday morning, in which we discussed how to answer difficult questions, what questions to ask, and went into a little bit more detail about interviews in general. I learned a lot just listening to all this, and I hope Esther did as well. She is up to the real job search part, so I am excited to see how this goes!
David is having his interview tomorrow, because I caused this major miscommunication. It is HOT outside, close to 105 degrees I think, and I was concerned about how he was going to get to CareerLink. Having to walk places really stinks, especially if you need to be wearing professional, interviewing clothes! I called him to see if he had transportation secured and to make sure he was coming in to the interview despite the heat, but unfortunately I couldn’t leave all of that in a message. By the time he got a hold of me he had already been into CareerLink, talked with Brenda, and rescheduled the interview for tomorrow afternoon. I guess I just ended up creating more problems by trying to help him out of that one!
This morning I watched the cutest little kids for this couple that is living in one of the shelters and went to look at an apartment. I can’t even begin to describe how cute these kids were, and just sitting with them for an hour or so was so much fun. I love working with adults, but hanging out with these kids was just such a great experience!

Woo Hoo!!!

This week has been so exciting; I haven’t even had a chance to keep up with this! Monday I met with a few women from Family Services to discuss the possibility of having a Mary Kay session dedicated to homeless women, to help with preparing for work and interviews on a tight budget, and essentially boost self-confidence in a work environment. This project has SOO much potential, so hopefully we can get it up and running as soon as possible! Tuesday was a really busy day—in the morning I sat through the last few sections of Alchemy with Kenneth, who now has something completely finished and is on his way! I then met with a reporter from the Lancaster Intell, who interviewed me about what I have learned and experienced so far this summer. Finally, that afternoon David and Esther took the WorkKeys test! Proctoring the test was so long and boring, and apparently I breathe very loudly in a quiet room, so I spent most of the time trying not to distract them with my breathing! I did make cookies for them, and at the end of the test we talked for a good while about job prospects, the next steps, and Esther finished the final part of Alchemy (she is officially done with the program now!!!). This part after the test was actually a lot of fun, because we were all just hanging out, talking, and everyone was so happy—it was a great feeling! Of course, chocolate chip cookies help! Bobby Joe even got employee of the month, so all in all Tuesday was just great!

This morning we got the results back--- both of them passed! Esther passed with the silver level at 5-5-6, and David got bronze with 4-4-4. Both brought up their scores so significantly, David just needs Digital Literacy, and Esther is ready for interviews. I am so happy for both of them!

I also had a chance to catch up with Catherine, Danielle, and Samantha yesterday, all of whom I am very happy to report are still interested in pursuing the program!

I'm beating you this time!

Thursday morning I saw David leaving as I was walking into CareerLink, and I immediately started questioning where he was on Tuesday. I felt a little bit bad at the time for yelling at him, but I really had been concerned and I was relieved to see him. He had been sick the other days apparently, and promised me that he would continue to show up on time for the rest of his time in the program. Interestingly enough though I met up with his case manager later Friday afternoon, and he could not stop saying how much David has appreciated how much care he has been shown—that he couldn’t believe that someone would care that much. I am realizing more and more how much everyone just needs support and attention.
The other big surprise this week was with Nancy. Nancy had met with me earlier at one of the shelters, and when we didn’t see her at the first appointment I had thought she just didn’t want to do the program. In reality, she had walked in to CareerLink and been directed to another program in the building. It all worked out for the best though, because she caught up with Bobby Joe Thursday, took WIN assessment, and returned Friday morning for Alchemy. Actually, since she was the only one in Alchemy Bobby Joe requested that I take it with her to make it more entertaining—and we had a blast! We got really competitive during the lightning rounds, and we turned it into a fun morning overall. I really like Nancy, and I am so excited that she is sticking with the program. She is doing Digital Literacy Monday morning, and at this rate she should be through the program in no time!

It is all coming to a close!

Well, it is strange to think that in a month I will not be doing this anymore… at least not to the extent I have all summer. However, this half-week has been the first time where I really feel like we are making a lot of progress with… everything really. Esther, David, possibly Catherine, and Maximus (one of the other clients who I have met with at one of the shelters that has been involved with the program but that I am not personally responsible for) are all just about ready to take the WorkKeys test! Also, we are starting to discuss extending what we have started this summer and institutionalizing my position for volunteers or interns from F&M and/or Millersville (this is VERY early in the planning process, but the potential is huge!). Essentially this person would just work with one individual through the process (more for an internship) and really help create a link between the shelters and CareerLink to make everything run as smoothly as possible. This week I have also spent a lot of time working on David’s identification issues, and I think we are finally getting somewhere with that as well—if he would have shown up today when he was supposed to we could have sent out the paperwork today! I am just giving him a hard time, because this is the first time he has done anything even remotely disappointing. Same with Danielle, who was supposed to show up this morning but also missed her session. I don’t think they are failures for this at all, and I still have a lot of hope for both of them with this program and employment in general. I’m always a bit taken back when I talk to some of my friends, some who have never worked with homeless individuals and some who have worked primarily with the extremes (chronically homeless, living on the streets with alcohol or drug addictions and mental health issues), by the perceptions of homelessness. I have worked with just the population that is at least interested in employment, so my perspective that anyone can achieve anything if they want it badly enough sounds naïve and innocent to those who work in some of the more difficult situations, particularly with the chronically homeless or those living on the streets. Still, I am happy that I am this far into the summer and still truly believe that the people I am working with will succeed in finding employment with a well-paying job, be able to afford a place to live, and will be as successful as they can possibly be.

Real Progress

All of my clients are really making a lot of progress, and at the rate they are going they should be through the program in no time! David in particular has been above and beyond with the assessments, and if he attends all of the sessions he is scheduled for next week he will be ready for WorkKeys and placement the following week. I have a lot of confidence in what he has shown so far, and he is by far the easiest one to work with out of everyone right now (him and Esther, but I do not work with her as frequently since she is so far in the program and I don’t do more than just check in with her occasionally), so I appreciate that a lot. Kenneth is making a lot of progress, but he needs a lot of individual help and attention that is overwhelming at times. He is so motivated to succeed though, and I do think that if he keeps at it this program really will help him with a lot in the future. Catherine was on time for alchemy this morning, and while she believes it was a waste of time and simple, I am interested to see if she got 100% on the test. She will start with remediation next week, and the following week will be digital literacy and (hopefully!) WorkKeys!
Esther came in yesterday to work on remediation, and I really was happy to see her again. She explained the situation to me about how and why she got kicked out of the house she was staying in, but then insisted that she wanted to be in the program, and to succeed and get a good job and on her feet again. Danielle came in to meet with Bobby Joe yesterday to discuss the program, furthering education, and a bit of her background. I want Danielle to succeed, I mean I want them all in jobs, but I think Danielle and Esther are the two that I am really mentally fighting for. Danielle was talking about she was probably moving into an apartment with her boyfriend, even though they were having a rocky time right now. She knew it was a bad decision, and I think she wanted one of us to confirm that, but Bobby Joe handled the situation perfectly I think. She tried to help with the actual problem—she helped Danielle map out how she could make enough money to pay for the apartment herself, and work towards her education and doing what she wants to do with her life. At no point did she question why Danielle would think to do that, and I think Danielle left feeling much more confident about her education and career situation. Hopefully she doesn’t move in with him!

"Give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

These past few days have been pretty intense, and I am realizing how much I have become attached to a few of my clients. Last Thursday Catherine casually mentioned that Esther had been kicked out of their housing the other night and probably wouldn’t be continuing with the program. I tried really hard not to let myself get upset, but I was crushed! Esther was one of my favorite clients to talk to, and I really believed that this was her chance to restart, get back on track, and live her life the way she wants. I also really do think that she would be a great drug and alcohol counselor, and hopefully help people in the future to avoid prison and everything else. I held on to a bit of hope, but when she did not show up for her training on Monday morning I could not help thinking that we had lost her.
When I got back to the office I had a message from her. I called her back, and truly was ecstatic when she said she wanted to continue with the program, that she thought her appointment was Tuesday and not Monday, and that she also believed that this was her chance to change her life. I was so happy for her!
Friday afternoon I also went over to one of the shelters and ran into Megan, one of the ladies that I was supposed to work with but couldn’t because she needed a job and money immediately. She seemed like a great candidate, so of course I was upset when she couldn’t do the program, but she continued to tell me that she wanted to go for her CNA training as soon as she was settled. Last Monday she had an interview with Donnelley Printing, where she got a job, and by Friday she had found a place to live and was moving out of the shelter. She really had gotten back on her feet with a job and a place to live—and I have never seen anyone so happy about finding a job and a room! Even in her excitement, she was telling me that she hadn’t forgotten about training as a CNA and would contact me in a few months.
Seeing how happy this woman was and Esther showing that much determination really helped me understand why people remain so dedicated to this population, despite the fact that most people do not get to that point. Bobby Joe said to me earlier this summer that if you can make a difference in one person’s life it really is worthwhile, and I finally understand what she means by that. I am also looking at the work that her and Max (the teacher for Ready to Work) do and realizing that beyond just helping these people find a job, they are making them feel worthwhile in so many ways. Every person that walks in that room is known by name, encouraged constantly, and spoken to with a level of respect that is unseen in almost every aspect of life. Every day these individuals walk away feeling more accomplished, determined, and ready to make the difference. While the job is the ultimate goal, this program offers a sense of accomplishment and support to each person. As corny as it is, I keep thinking of the saying, “Give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.” I feel like these people can finish this program with enough confidence in their skills to help them find and keep jobs for the rest of their lives.
Kenneth started his digital literacy program Monday morning (for which he was fifteen minutes early). This is the man who has never encountered a computer before, and was extremely intimidated yet excited to learn. By the end of his session with Max he could not wait until his next opportunity to come in and practice using the computer. While this man does require a lot of one on one interaction, encouragement, and support, he does show the motivation and dedication needed to complete this program.
Immediately following Kenneth, David and I met with Bobby Joe to discuss his plans. A younger man in his mid-20s, he has a daughter with a woman from New York who he no longer speaks with, but he wants to support his daughter. Overall he shouldn’t really have any trouble finding a job, as he has experience in maintenance, welding, flooring, and painting, and he was early for his appointment today (the time sounds fairly trivial, but the most dedicated people tend to be those who show up on time or early, especially since most people use public transportation or walk to make sure they are there on time). We start the assessment with him on Thursday.