Towards the end of January I first set foot on the grounds of a non-profit, religiously affiliated mission, and was greeted by a supportive and friendly staff. \u00a0Knowing that this organization had a religious affiliation, I was skeptical. \u00a0I had the feeling that the staff would try to force faith onto me and it’s clients. \u00a0However, the religious aspect of the organization was minimal, and it was clear that its main mission was to give the local homeless population a pathway to recovery.<\/p>\n
I use the term “pathway” because that is really what the organization seeks to create. \u00a0This is not a day and day homeless shelter, in which anyone can use the services and sleep inside the congregation. \u00a0There is a fairly lengthy intake that each client must go through before he starts receiving the services. \u00a0In addition to a background check (primarily making sure that the client does not have a record of any sexual crimes) he must work with a case manager to create a set of goals or benchmarks. \u00a0 As the case managers have told me, “We need to see something from them that shows us they want to improve.” \u00a0After hearing this, I was concerned that they might have overly harsh policies towards their clients. \u00a0These goals might include finding employment, getting proper identification to apply for social benefits, or getting in touch with family to find permanent and sustainable housing. \u00a0This organization has many success stories. \u00a0However, there is a 70 person cap, and the shelter cannot take in everyone. \u00a0What they do especially well is give advise to those who they cannot shelter. \u00a0They keep good ties with other nearby non-profit organizations that provide similar services.<\/p>\n
Two case managers deal with all the clients. \u00a0This is my main critique of the organization as a whole. \u00a0I found them to be understaffed. \u00a0Of course, they likely do not have the funds to hire more, but I could see that the two of them often times suffered from burnout. \u00a0There are typically around 70 clients that are enrolled in the shelter’s programs. \u00a0Along with regular clients are resident volunteers, who receive full access to all the shelter’s services in exchange for volunteer work on the grounds (primarily janitorial services). \u00a0I found that the resident volunteers played an important role in the dynamics of the organization. \u00a0They were able to provide guidance for the other clients, because they have all lived on the streets before, but are sheltered and nourished. \u00a0These resident volunteers were very welcoming to me and were supportive of my internship.<\/p>\n
Some of the regular clients were approachable, and others were not. \u00a0Some were quiet, and others could talk for hours. \u00a0Most of the clients I interacted with hated to be labeled “homeless.” \u00a0The felt that it ruined their identity to be labeled that way. \u00a0Labeling people, however, is part of normal human cognition. \u00a0We always tend to categorize people into groups, and because of that we negatively stigmatize people. \u00a0Its amazing how by simply hearing these client’s stories, the “homeless” tag that these clients had on them didn’t exist. \u00a0This first hand personalization is why I value my time spent at this organization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Towards the end of January I first set foot on the grounds of a non-profit, religiously affiliated mission, and was greeted by a supportive and friendly staff. \u00a0Knowing that this organization had a religious affiliation, I was skeptical. \u00a0I had the feeling that the staff would try to force faith onto me and it’s clients. … Continue reading My Internship Experience<\/span>