Alyssa Dolly
SWRK- 320 Journal Entry # 4
3/23/2019
Since my last journal I have visited the Union Rescue Mission (URM) two times. I feel that I am becoming more comfortable being there and starting conversations with the residents of the mission and the people who live other places but come for food. Each person has such a unique story of their lives and why they are in their current situation of either not having a home or needing a place to eat. I am still struggling, however with the poor attitudes of some of the workers. Their behavior of yelling at people who ask questions, turning off the lights and telling people they need to leave before they finish their meals, and snide remarks that are made about some of the individuals who come to eat, really does not line up with the beliefs and values that the director as established. I am not sure that the director is aware of the attitudes that is being portrayed or whether I should mention it during our next conversation. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) states that a person should be treated with dignity and respect, however, I am noticing that in many situations, the employees are not treating people how they deserve to be treated.
I spoke with a few men this week who shared a little of their situations. The men at the URM seem to be more reserved and quieter and are harder to get to speak about anything, even if it is just how the weather has been. One man is a veteran who has his own apartment, but does not have enough resources for food, so he comes to the URM for his meals. I asked how the VA clinics were treating him and he said they have helped him out just fine. I couldn’t help but feel upset, however that this man has served his country, but we cannot make sure he has resources to buy groceries. Another man works at a chicken plant for a living. He rides the bus to get to his job which is located over an hour away. He lives at a cold shelter which I found out is separate from the URM. He told me he was saving up for an apartment and would hopefully have enough money soon because it wouldn’t be long, and he would have to leave the cold shelter. I was unaware that there was a time limit on how long a person could stay at a shelter. He stated he had an apartment, but during the winter he slipped on the ice and hit his head. He was unable to work for a little while, so he was evicted from his place. You could see such hope and determination in his face as he told me his story.
My last observation which I have mentioned before was the number of children that you see at the URM. During one of my visits, there were two single mothers and between them they easily had 10 or 11 children. They are residents of the URM and were neatly dressed and clean. The children were well behaved and genuinely cared for each other. One of the rules at the mission is that women and children are always fed first. As I was passing trays to these kids the older children kept taking trays, but handed them off to the younger ones and helped them with their needs. This was nice to see because most times now, kids seem so concerned for themselves and give little thought to those around them. As they finished eating, they cleaned up after themselves and helped clean up after the younger children. I cannot help but think these older kids could be angry and rebel with their situation, because they know their lives are not like other kids, but they were all very kind and well behaved.
Seeing all these kids made me curious about other young adults so I was doing some research and came across a documentary called SHELTER (Full Length Documentary). This documentary was filmed in New Orleans at Covenant House Shelter. The employees truly love the kids they work with and want to see them succeed in life. Some of the kids shown in the video do not go into detail about why they are homeless, but others do give background information. Some have mental health issues while others have been abandoned by their parents. I loved seeing how successful the Covenant House program is. They rehabilitate the kids by providing them with life skills and education if it is needed. They help them put a resume together and find employment. Group counseling and individual counseling are provided during the persons stay. This provides the support and advice that is needed for success in the program. Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2015) states that Rees in 1998 said social workers use four stages to promote empowerment with youth. The third stage of “Dialogue and Solidarity” seems to be exactly what Covenant House follows throughout a person’s stay. According to our text this stage is used so that the children or young adults can “Tell their stories, continue to exchange information and share feelings with others to provide opportunities to learn from and support each other” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2015).
One thing in the documentary that really stood out is that the employees celebrated Christmas with the residents. They put together large bags of clothing or items that each person needed. The bags each had a name tag and were personalized for each person. This gives the residents a feeling of love and belonging which they desperately need as they are growing, maturing, and learning how to handle life responsibilities. I wish that each shelter or program offered the same love and support to all their residents. I believe this would greatly impact each person and push them to want to do better for themselves.
Each time I visit the URM I seem to learn a little more of how special each person is. They each have so much to offer but seem to feel stuck in the hardships they have experienced. After watching the love that was demonstrated to the young adults in the documentary it shows what a difference it makes on a person’s life when you are respectful, kind, and caring. I am looking forward to my next few visits and to see some of the people I have spoken with and to give them the attention and respect that they deserve.
References
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
VICE. (2018, February 21). SHELTER (Full Length Documentary). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUfNbNBFwRI
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 