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.