Over Spring Break a group of 30 students and faculty from the University of Redlands formed the Spring Break Plunge group of 2014 and set off to Colorado to help those effected by the flood that occurred in 2013. There was very little information going into the trip about what exactly we would be doing and what exactly the damage was like. There had been very little media attention that anyone in the group could recall having seen during the actual time of the flood and debatably there was skepticism about what real “disaster relief” there was to be done. Early mornings and late nights of hard physical labor characterized our day to day experiences and we were tired and sore but the people that we met were so thankful for all that we were doing, that it never felt like too much. The damage was very real. It was humbling to see the true force that something as overlooked as water can have. Entire homes, roads, concrete, sides of mountains, plumbing, electrical setups, etc. were all destroyed by the flood. Peoples entire lives were uprooted and changed. People went from having homes and neighborhoods and business to having nothing. We have been discussing in class how homelessness and poverty can happen to anyone given the right circumstances. This flood proved that to me in a way that really gave a visual understanding of how temporary financial stability and stability in general can be. It was heartbreaking to see how overwhelmed and lost some of the people looked. They were having to deal with so much at a time where nature was still not necessarily working with them.

After the flood it snowed and the temperatures kept dropping which made everything freeze. This made it exceedingly more difficult to try and sort of clean any sort of debris. It required the we have to break through layers of ice before we could even really make any progress. However every time anything was accomplished we were able to see a change in the people of the towns and business that were were working with. We could see their hopes lift and we could see them begin to feel less defeated and more empowered to get their homes and lives back. The church we stayed at also welcomed us all with open arms and were very accommodating and embracing even though very few of us identified through religion. It was truly incredible to be so well received and appreciated by total strangers. It was even more incredible how quickly those strangers became our temporary families and friends.

As our time continued we hear more crazy stories about the flood and were able to really get to do some incredible work. Small things started to make huge differences and we began to appreciate the work that we were able to bring to the table. It was incredible to help the people of Colorado in any way that we could and it was incredible to get to know Colorado through the resilience of its people. I have an entirely new understanding of hunger and homelessness in regards to natural disasters and in regards to community. The people in the towns and business’ helped each other and bonded over their misfortune. They let us into their lives and made us feel appreciated and helpful in ways that I have never felt before. It was a once in a lifetime experience and truly changed my understanding of human potential and community.

For about the last month, I have had the experience of interning at a local youth shelter. The shelter’s goal is to provide a safe environment for it’s clients and to assist them with the issues they face. With the client’s willingness and participation, the shelter strives to achieve reunification between the client and their family at the end of their program. Until then, the clients are provided with scheduled days that allow them not only to keep busy, but to help them realize their potential. The clients are never caught off guard as to what their day entails and always have something to do.

The schedule not only keeps the clients on track, but the staff as well. The shelter is currently under staffed and has just begun implementing volunteer and internship programs. Therefore, they are struggling with getting the interns and volunteers fully trained in things such as answering phones, paperwork, and the intake process of new clients. It can be frustrating at times, but client’s daily schedule board helps to keep everything running smoothly. The clients are the first priority, and therefore, keeping them on schedule is always first on the staff’s to-do list. The schedule is quite impressive. From the moment the clients wake up, they are occupied until the two hours of free time they receive before lights out. The clients are always aware of what their meals will be and the duration of every activity. The activities include school work, counseling sessions, exercise, art as therapy, and volunteering. And if something doesn’t go according to plan, there is always a group circle as a back-up.

Circle is one way that has allowed a closer glimpse at the clients I interact with. The group focuses on a feeling or theme and expresses how it has affect them at some point, whether it be positive or negative. Both clients and some staff members participate. The clients are usually reluctant at first, but once the sharing begins there is more of a willingness to be heard. That is what the clients aren’t used to; being heard and supported. The circle is a safe place where everyone in the group matters and is respected.

                Although the first week at the youth shelter consisted of reading training manuals and becoming a Mandated Reporter, it showed the heavy importance on providing a safe environment. Everything I read provided me with what I needed to know to be able to contribute to the environment that is surrounding the clients. Many staff members are working at Our House in order to provide the environment since some have overcome similar issues and know how necessary it is.  I have noticed the impact it has on the clients as I see them continue with the program. The clients arrive lost and frustrated and leave with a lighter load and a sense of hope to take with them. For a shelter that has only been around for three years and has some minor kinks, I’d say they are achieving their goals and changing lives.

Volunteering through my internship has been my first experience with a service organization that helps the impoverished or under privileged (my past volunteer experiences have been at a local library and at a local museum). I have worked on Saturdays during which time the organization opens its food bank and thrift shop. I have not worked with the food bank unlike my fellow student volunteers but instead the thrift shop. In this section, I have worked both with the clients and behind the scenes.

While volunteering in the clothing section, I also was able to observe the food bank since  the organization’s services relatively share the same area. According to the main coordinator of the center’s operation, who says a prayer prior to the organization’s opening each morning, a family or individual can come to the food bank once a week (Monday, Wednesday, or Saturday) to receive approximately $75.00 worth of food which can total up to roughly $300.00 worth of food a month. His hope is that this will encourage the clients to use the money that they will be saving to be put towards their bills and other expenses. The visible food that I saw in the boxes given to clients was fruit, vegetables, cake, ice cream, candy, crackers, processed meals, and cereals. These were food items that had clearly been donated from local grocery stores. I was surprised to see what clients were getting in the boxes. I think my surprise comes from how the reality differed from my preconceived notions about food banks in general. This organization provides more than just the stereotypical donation of canned foods, soup, and other nonperishable goods, which is the kind of food donations that I myself am familiar with having given in the past through food drives during the holiday seasons.

I observed a degree of power displacement between the clients and the volunteers in the thrift shop because it has a system that regulates how many items are moving with the clients. The thrift shop gives clients the opportunity to pick out items that they themselves want, much like a regular store, but there are limits on the amount of items that people can take each week. Each client possesses a colored card that allows them to take items from the shop. For example, a client (whether a family or an individual) can take up to three books and one dress (which is the equivalent of three shirts) (I have not fully memorized this system).  I generally found that clients worked within these limits with no problem; sometimes, however, people wanted to take more than the system’s limits formally allow. What happens, however, depends upon who’s running the thrift shop at the time. The other volunteers I worked with in the front were much more assertive than I am when dealing with the clients and were more forthright with telling the clients that they had gone over their limit of items. Some clients easily conceded and put back items, some clients were less willing to give up items or to quickly choose what to put back. This made me uncomfortable, and I admit that I did not follow the organization’s system and let people go over their limit sometimes. It was especially difficult when children wanted more toys than they were allowed, and in one instance a child started crying (in this case we let that child keep all of the toys they had wanted). I understand that this system is in place for a very practical reason–there are a limited number of items for people to take and the items have to last to meet the need in case donations run short.

Overall, this organization is much more informal than some of my peers’ organizations seem to be–there’s no orientation for volunteers, few expectations upon clients, and an emphasis on privacy for the clients. Yet, in spite of this informal nature, this organization functions efficiently and people are helped on a weekly basis.

The organization that I am volunteering with this semester has been one of the most fulfilling and interesting experiences I’ve ever had. I have a slight background in working at places that provide services to families and individuals in need, but this opportunity has taken that to another level. The organization that I chose is a center that provides so many different types of services to families that are in need; some are families that are close to being on the streets, having trouble meeting their payments, or just generally need some support to help them keep afloat. I think that this is so important because I’ve learned through my time there that these situations could happen to anyone. Families that were solidly middle class have come to this organizations offices for assistance with paying their electrical bills that they can no longer meet or for help putting food on the table for their families. I think that this aspect of the class is the most important because so many people in our country and our world are living on the financial edge like this.

This organization is run extremely effectively and is centered on helping families in need in the city of Redlands. There are many different options that families can take in order to benefit from this organization, including: Family Support, Housing Advocacy Program, Emergency and Surplus Food Distribution, Clothing and Warm Coats, Rental and Utility Assistance, Budgeting, Basic Life Skills Training, Good Samaritan Loans, Information and Referral, Christmas Shop, Adopt-A-Family, Holiday Food Baskets, Teens Helping Teens, and Parenting Classes. These classes and services are all effective programs that both help these families and make them independent of the organization. They are focused on maintaining the dignity of each and every person that comes into the organization and they are focused on helping in any way they can.

I tend to volunteer at slightly odd hours during the daytime on Wednesdays and Fridays, so most of the people I see are the other volunteers and those who come in to drop off goods in the donation center attached to the main offices. Even though I’ve talked to plenty of administrators and coordinators at this organization, I have learned so much and been most affected through the people I volunteer alongside. Many of them are people in the community who have either received help from the organization in the past or are currently receiving aid of some kind. Their stories are so important to hear because they are almost ordinary during this recession and economic climate; many of them never thought they would need assistance of any kind and would not be where they are today without the help of the center and they are giving back to the organization through their volunteer hours. Although the program does not require its clients to volunteer in exchange for help, many people who have received assistance decide to do so on their own.

Throughout these last couple days of class we have gone over some of the programs and other organizational that are created to help with the decreasing the percentage of a hunger and homelessness. Even though we have been progressing with more programs and organizations hunger and homelessness seems to continue to grow and the programs/services are beginning to have cut backs and the help for those in need is becoming more restricted. Cutting back these programs/services causes those who were in the border of getting out of extreme poverty to go right back down and lead to more and more families who are in need. America keeps on saying they are creating more and more need based services but more and more people are becoming homeless, is it the economic downfall we had? Will it get better? But why has it mot progressed since the 1970’s? There are a lot of questioned that are just up in the air. I just do not understand if the government doesn’t want to fund why is there laws being passed in smaller communities prohibiting fellow citizens who want to give and help those in need.

I am glad to be participating in the internship it allows me to understand this hunger and homelessness issue that is being dealt in America. After going to icare shelter I have been shocked. I think I am learning the one side of homelessness that I have never really thought of, which I will later discuss in our class presentations. The people there seem shy I wish they were more interactive but I hope to get more about the stories and programs that are said to be given in the shelter. Shelters are the beginning process to helping those recover from hunger and homelessness and I am happy to be a part of there process and I hope to find the real issue to why homelessness is increasing and why America is decreasing findings and prohibiting the help when a large portion of our population is becoming poorer and poorer.

For today’s class we had to read part 4 of The Book Of The Poor. This section was titled “Lets Do Something”.  This really stuck out to me as I am coming back from spring break. This is because I spent my spring break working in Colorado with victims of the flood that happened back in 2013. After eight days of having to help people clean scraps up from all around their broken homes, pull water damaged insulation out from underneath houses, offices, churches, etc., cleanup miles of devastated land and broken rivers and streams, and help people try to move on from losing everything, this chapter really stuck out to me. Specifically Chapter 32 titled. “Our Evolving Standard of Decency”. It stresses the importance of understanding the word decency and being able to look at our past and future and use the knowledge collected from both resourcefully to make things work. I knew nothing about Colorado or its people and I had no real connection to what I was doing upon arrival. However, by the first day I knew that I was glad I was there to help. I was shocked at how devastated the land was and how little I had even heard of the flood back when it had happened. Entire neighborhoods, towns, etc. had been effected by water damage and flooding. Some of the devastation was mind-blowing. It was hard to believe that water could be powerful enough to collapse homes, and uproot cement sidewalks. There were people who had been away rom their homes for months and had no real idea when they were going to be able to move back in. There were entire trailer parks that were completely destroyed, but because the government wouldn’t label them as lost causes, they were not being taken care of. Everything was just rotting and beginning to pollute neighboring towns. I was astonished at how much was being done and how much more still had to be taken care of. The work was hard especially because everything was frozen. But the people who we met were so grateful, that they really did instill this new idea of “decency” in all of our hearts. It was heartbreaking to see how hopeless some of them had been when we had first arrived. However, every time we accomplished something new there was a visible change in the way that the people in the town began to react to their own situations. In the book, author Kenan Heise breaks down the meaning of decency as, “Technically, decency’s Latin root, decus, means what is fitting, what is honorable, what is of human worth.”(pg. 132) As complete strangers we had to come into peoples homes and help them pick up the bits and pieces of their lives. We had a schedule while also having to remain sensitive to their needs and emotions. While doing so they made an effort to help us to get to know their town and their history, they introduced us to as many members of the community as possible, they fed us, made sure we were taken care of, and were constantly thanking us. All in all, it was one of the more meaningful examples of human worth and decency that I have gotten to be a part of. I am glad that this was the reading that I got to do upon my arrival home from Colorado. It really solidified the whole experience for me and I am excited to discuss it in class.

Mind The Gap

My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth.  Abraham Lincoln

Even in the mid nineteenth century, we were feeling like the American dream was in jeopardy as evidenced by Lincoln’s quote above.  Today, however, the dream of a chicken in every pot or the dream of owning your own home is eluding more and more Americans at an alarming rate.  The problem is definitely economic.   Lisa Wirthman in her Denver Post article “Mind the Gap” reports that the richest 400 individuals in American have more wealth than the bottom 150 million individuals combined!    She points out that the shrinking middle class is a problem for all of us, in large part because there are more of us.  If the middle class folk continue to work longer hours that never net them higher wages or increased job opportunity, who will be spending?  The middle class, she points out, are the real job creators.  And even scarier, as we concentrate the wealth in the upper tail of the curve, we are also concentrating the power in the hands of the wealthiest Americans.  So…we will be led like sheep to slaughter as the kingpins feather their nests.

Wirtham suggests some solutions:

• raise the minimum wage – this would impact 16.5 million people with a net loss of less than 500,000 workers and improve life by decreasing turnover and training expenses
• make child care more affordable so that 50% or more of a single mom’s salary doesn’t go to childcare before rent or food
• put money where it counts – K12 education and higher education:  the greatest predictors of mobility are education and the ability to own a home.  Many of us are leaving college with tens of thousands of dollars in debt from student loans…we won’t be homeowners any time soon.

The problem is huge, but the solutions are there.  We need to wake up now and ban together to support bills that can and will help the masses.  We outnumber them, but we are giving our power away with apathy!

While doing some extra research during Spring break I came across an article from 2011 that was titled “15 Facts about U.S. Income Inequality That Everyone Should Know” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/05/us-inequality-infographic_n_845042.html?utm_hp_ref=homelessness#s261400&title=Wealth_Inequality). The article went through a series of charts that detailed the growing and pressing issue of income inequality in America and gave some important facts and figures that many people in America probably didn’t know at the time. It is interesting to read this article from the Spring of 2011, because that is around the time of the very beginnings of the “Occupy” movement. This article may have sprung from the knowledge that people were beginning to gain about the issues of income inequality and class stratification within American society or even have been an influencing factor in the growth of the movement. Reading through the article I was reminded of many of the things we’ve learned in class and been given lectures on, and even though this article is outdated by a few years now, it is interesting to see that not much has really changed.

The Occupy Movement was such a big deal in the fall of 2011 and protests all over the country were broadcast on national television, and it seemed like all of America was poised to see a real change happen. Unfortunately, the movement died out without any real changes being made to the issues they were addressing. Today, people still talk about the income disparity in America, but there have been no efforts made like the Occupy Movement to do much of anything about these issues. It seems like there is a constant narrative about how these things are bad and we should do something about it, but no one has any solutions on how to fix these issues. In 1917 (the last time the income inequality in America was this high) it took a full on Economic Depression to get the country back to a more even stratification, but this latest recession seems like it hasn’t had any effect on the differences in income and wealth.

This class has taught me so much about the issues that our country and our world are facing these days, but I’m still looking for ways to combat the issues that we are learning so much about. It seems to me that there should be a change made in the income inequality in our society so that there could be more good will between classes and a greater way of living for many in our country. My question here is: what can we do about this issue? Is it simply a matter of taxing the rich and getting them to put their disproportionate amount of money to good use? Or is it a structural problem that needs to be addressed as well? Perhaps we need to overhaul everything and start again, or should we just wait for the natural ebb and flow of economic societies to balance everything out? Is there an “easy fix”? Is there any real fix at all? I’m not sure if there is at this point, but I know that there need to be changes made in order to make life better for a large number of people in our country.