Thinking about tomorrow...

“If you never take a step in a different direction, you'll always be headed to the same place.”

                – Anonymous

Wow! It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of a year of service for many of us. My year has had both high points and low points, but overall it has been an amazing experience. And, although I have decided to stay on for a second year, there are many people who are moving on. That being the case, I have a few thoughts related to my service so far that I think we should all keep in mind no matter what steps we take next.

In general, in my daily life away from my host site, I have heard people make some disturbing comments about homelessness, and I am sometimes shocked at how narrow-minded they seem. For instance, there is the assumption that people who are homeless are too lazy to work, that they just want to be given a free ride in life. I have never been the type to share these judgments; I realize that in many cases, the circumstances that lead to homelessness can often be beyond a person’s immediate control.  Take my direct service for example: the primary people I provide assistance to are women who are escaping an abusive relationship. Many of them do not have support systems that they can rely on during their transition.  They have had to make a tough choice between living with violence and other forms of abuse, or starting completely over. I applaud them for their bravery because as scary as their relationship might be, leaving is often more frightening, especially when there is nowhere to go.

Other comments I sometimes hear are complaints about younger generations. These are the remarks that they are too lazy or coddled, too disrespectful or dependent on technology. Again, as my host site serves youths, I know this is not always the case. Many of them have experienced challenges that few people can truly understand. Additionally, there are those of them who are happy to help others if we would only give them a chance. I learned this lesson working with the Youth Advisory Board. At the beginning of my service, these teenagers were just beginning to get to know one another. Now, they are making a real difference in the community, getting involved, planning events, and reaching out to their peers. As their facilitator, my role is to provide them with guidance, but the truth is their enthusiasm is contagious. The more they understand, the more they want to help.  They inspire me to keep trying, and to think outside of the box. They are the reason I chose to serve for a second year.

So, why is this relevant? The answer is because we have just spent an entire year doing more than just providing direct service. Our secondary requirements have been to become active in our communities through civic engagement, and to recruit other people to get involved with our cause. We were asked to go beyond solving the immediate problem, to educate ourselves and other people about homelessness, and about AmeriCorps. And while at times it may have seemed overwhelming, I think that these aspects of being an AmeriCorps member are just as important as our direct service. These aspects are what help get rid of the stereotypes and assumptions I hear so often. Therefore, whatever cause we go on to support tomorrow, we need to take that extra step and connect with our communities as well as our clients. Because without that piece, without the education that can be shared through our extended involvement, it will be difficult to truly end problems such as homelessness and domestic violence.