Alyssa Dolly
Journal #2
2/24/19
Since my last journal posting I have been thinking about what I would like to get out of this project. In order to do that, I feel like I not only will need to be involved with the homeless society but also the people who take so much time and effort to unselfishly care and love on strangers. I feel that by donating my time and volunteering for the Union Rescue Mission in Cumberland, Maryland it will give me the opportunity to talk with workers and to love and take care of less fortunate people.
This week I called and spoke with Andrea who helps operate our Rescue Mission. Her husband is David Ziler and he is the Executive Director and Pastor at the Union Rescue Mission. He also carries a degree in social work. After speaking with Andrea for quite some time about the services provided to the homeless community, I am very excited to partake in distributing meals this coming Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Some of the services this facility offers are an emergency shelter, residential shelter, and the dining room which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I should also mention that the Rescue mission keeps its doors open because of donations both of food and money and volunteers help. They do not receive any State, Federal, or County money so they are able to care for people without the worry of meeting any guidelines.
Andrea spoke with me about her past bias toward homeless individuals which she stated were the same thoughts and feeling that I currently carry such as that homeless individual are dirty, lazy, and just overall looking for free handouts. She reassured me after volunteering and getting to know these people I would most defiantly have a changed of feelings and compassion for each individual story. When I asked if there were any rules regarding speaking with the people I was serving, she said that they encourage all the volunteers to show compassion and to give them the human connection and respect they each deserve. She stated everyone will be fed eventually but if someone reaches out and has a need to talk that they encourage their volunteers to sit with them and meet this need. This closely aligns with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) ethical principle of understanding the importance of human relationships in order to help promote and strengthen the people.
I asked Andrea if each of the people who visited the Rescue Mission in our area were U.S. citizens and she stated that for the most part they were, but she was able to tell me of two people who were not citizens, but that the mission was helping them with the necessary paper work to gain citizenship. One of these people was a man who was attempting to become legal, however he became ill and in now in a nursing home. She said to the best of her knowledge he is still trying to complete the process. The second story really pulled at my heart. She said a Hispanic man had an expired green card and asked his wife and daughter to come to the U.S. and meet him. The daughter suffered from a disability although they were not sure what it was. She said once the woman and her daughter were able to legally make it here, the man disappeared. He was only interested in his daughter being here thinking it would give him quicker access to citizenship. The woman had nothing to her name, so she spent time at the Union Rescue Mission and a team of volunteers worked with her to get her settled and to complete her process to citizenship. It is clear, there is no Institutional Discrimination which our text states as “Unfair treatment of an individual that is due to the established operating procedures, policies, laws, or objectives of large organizations” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2015). This is evident because they do not see the persons ethnicity or skin color, but a person who needs assistance. These stories, Andrea has shared with me have already begun to change my perception of what types of people seek help from this facility.
While there are some people who abuse the system many according to Andrea’s testimony just seem to have the world stacked up against them. Some have had all their possessions stolen which include all their important documents. As everyone knows without your birth certificate, drivers license, social security card etcetera you are unable to find employment and without identification, it is extremely difficult to replace these documents. It is sad to say that many give up hope for getting their life back on track.
This week I have already gotten a small idea of what the Union Rescue Mission is about and received small facts about the types of individual they assist. I am excited to get involved and speak with other volunteers and more importantly the people themselves. I believe this will a great opportunity to practice the NASW’s ethical principle of service by helping individuals in need. This may end up being a long-term commitment of volunteering with the with the Union Rescue Mission and I may be recruiting my younger sibling which would be a great learning experience for them.
Reference
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (approved 1996, revised 2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ms_ArtLqzeI%3d&portalid=0
Zastrow, C. and Kirst-Ashman, K. (2013). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, Inc
Alyssa Dolly 