Since I didn’t talk about my experiences in my presentation I’d like to focus on that for a portion of this blog post, for which I will not name the organization. Overall I’ve had a great experience with my organization, I’m at a point where I can walk in there on practically any day at any time and there’ll be someone I know there who I can talk to or that knows me. Watching the presentations today made me really reflect on my organization because most of the others seemed quite professional and very well structured, where as mine felt more like a group of friends trying to do what they believe to be right. When you ask who is in charge the answer you’ll get is that nobody is in charge, that everyone is there because they want to help other people. I think the lack of structure is actually a strength because it goes to show just how far compassion and care go, that all it takes to get something done is will power. That being said it feels like this group of friends is trying really hard to push themselves to the next level of being a well-structured, highly effective agency, and I look forward to seeing the progress they’ll make. I learned a lot about what it takes to manage and maintain a non-profit organization from this internship. My first time trying to volunteer there I was rejected because I hadn’t gotten their early enough, I had to fill out some paperwork about what I wanted to do there and give them personal information; it was very different and much more serious from what I was expecting, I thought I could just show up and help out. That was when I realized that volunteering is no joke, social work is no joke, and having to put up with all of negative stereotypes and seemingly mindless reasons for keeping poor people down is no joke. Most of all this internship has taught me an invaluable respect for the people who dedicate themselves to changing the lives of others as well as those who use the services of these organizations, and I believe it is this respect that will help make a significant change in the lives of millions of Americans if it can introduced to public opinion on homelessness.

Right now this organization is having relatively the same major issue of lack of staff as most other non-profits; like I stated in my presentation there are no paid staff members, and therefore if volunteers don’t show up they must close their doors to the public. In addition they’re struggling with space. A nearby school is planning on moving out in the coming months, and this organization is going to try their best to get the land for their own operations. The school would be three times the square footage of the current facility, have more buildings for more smooth, less crowded services, and would be a big step in establishing themselves as a major contributor to the alleviation of poverty.