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.

My term... What a great year!

The year is quickly wrapping itself up.  I find myself tying up loose ends, saying goodbye to clients and coworkers and organizing computer files for the Americorps member who will take my spot for the 2012-2013 term at Goodwill.  This blog has given me the opportunity to look back and reflect on just how beneficial the last year of my life as an Americorps member with the Campaign to End Homelessness has been.

                My term began with training.  I thought the training would never end.  HMIS, member reporting, webinars, OnCorps, internal training, shadowing on client visits… On and on.  However, looking back this training was an absolutely essential part of the term and without it I would not have been able to integrate into the successful case management system that Goodwill Housing Support has created over the years. 

                I soon found myself diving right in to working one-on-one with clients.  My role with clients was to provide follow up support with time consuming issues and intensive care that case managers did not have the time or flexibility to commit to.  In this regard I was made to instantly feel that my role was important.  The flexibility of being able to work with clients who are actively seeking help on their time frame is what makes the Americorps member at my agency such a valuable asset.  By mixing administrative duties with life skills support I was able to drop what I was doing in the office and provide assistance to clients when they needed it in the field. 

Regular paid employees at our agencies are often bogged down with heavy case loads and documentation, Americorps members are the ace in hand that allow clients to receive the care they need and are asking for.  Often, I would receive a call from a case manager in the field who was with a client experiencing some sort of crisis.  Due to pending appointments the case manager was unable to provide support to ensure the issue at hand was addressed all the way through.  Because my daily tasks were a mix of administrative and on-call client assistance I was able to provide that extra level of support that our clients needed to be successful in maintaining their housing.  The trials and tribulations, successes and failures of working with clients are many, yet I feel that my experience as an Americorps member serving with Goodwill Housing Support Services has helped to move me on to the next level in my career and personal development.  It is an experience I will look back on with pride and good memories.

INFORMATION, MOTIVATION, ACCESS, EMPOWERMENT!

As I approach the end of my service and look back at the variety of experiences that I have had, I have to say that the greatest aspect of my service has been the ability to network and learn about programs, services and resources available to assist others. I have learned that many of those that we serve that are homeless, are lacking information about resources and the support to help motivate them to get to the next step.

 Information equals access. I will use this example. I happen to love shoes; when I see a person with a great pair of shoes, I usually ask the person about the shoes, where they purchased them,  etc. This information now give me access to the same opportunity that the person with the great shoes has, which empowers me to go get a pair! I recall working with homeless individuals who find themselves recently unemployed, with no healthcare, money, food, etc. For some, I provided information about State Disability Assistance, which enabled them to get monthly financial assistance because they were unable to work. All I did was provide the information and encouragement to take the next step in making the phone call. Those who were motivated now had access and were empowered to change their living situation.

 While each and every program participant, client and individual we meet are at different stages, we must never work harder than the individuals we serve. Some may need more encouragement, while some may need more education and information. I believe this goes along with restoring dignity to an individual, enabling them to have confidence in their own abilities, which will ultimately and hopefully result in our clients becoming tax paying, contributing citizens! Our compassion must be guided with the motivation of empowering an individual; not enabling them to continue on in crippling behaviors the often times result in individuals becoming dependent upon a lifetime of public assistance.

 It’s been a great year of learning for me. Thanks Americorp!

 

Over the last ten months, I have been serving at NMCAA in Petoskey. I was born and raised in a small community that I thought I was very familiar with; however, there are more problems than I realized. There are individuals, children and families that are literally homeless or some living in un-safe housing.

We have a shelter but it is much smaller than most and people are very hesitant to stay there. I have always thought that if you were truly homeless you would stay in the shelter. I was wrong. Many individuals believe that there are people that are suffering more than they are. I have also noticed that many homeless veterans would rather live on the streets or in the woods than stay in the shelter.

During the last few months, I have seen many working poor families that are facing eviction; they cannot afford rent, utilities, and take care of their families. They work full time but only make minimum wage, which is barely enough to pay rent. There are some affordable housing and housing programs in the community but not enough.   Many clients are being turned down because of past evictions, credit history, or criminal history. Clients feel as though there is never a way out because of their past even if they have done their time. People end up living in housing that either is not affordable or unsafe; therefore, only temporarily fixing the problem.

During my service, I have learned a lot about the causes of homelessness and many of the challenges people face. I have also learned the importance of volunteering and giving back to my community.

Learning and Awareness

As I have completed over half my service there has been many questions, issues and answers that I have come upon. While I have walked, more like ran, through my service I have learned that homelessness effects much more than the person, or family, going through it, but an entire community.

Before I began my term, I had no clue the amount of struggling people there are in this area. It seems that everyday presents its new hills to climb. My phone is full of messages, my mailbox is full of empty hands, and my emails are full of questions. I begin with how to solve these issues. For it is my service to provide housing help to all that need it, whether their credit is shot, they have more felonies than 10 people I know together, and whether they have any money. These are the questions and issues that have become a part of my life, as I dig further into answers.

Being a part of AmeriCorps, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, I’ve been taught to find answers. I have had to become more outgoing and persistent to find the necessary resources to help folks in crisis using good case management. That meant becoming more of a part of the community with the C.O.C., doing outreach at the shelters, and getting my hands dirty. That I need to influence people of the community, that everyday there are struggles beyond what we usually see; trying to build a connection of people to go to when I need an extra hand or a thought. My goal has been to make more eyes open to the reality of the homeless situation going on right now in my community.  

My hope is that by the end of my service that this small community will really understand the devastating toll homelessness takes on members of “us”. It is important to think further than ourselves, to think of everyone, and turn that awareness into action.

The importance of being involved

My name is Brendan Ehrlich and I am an Americorps member currently serving Midland Area Homes in the city of Midland. It has been roughly eight months since I began my service here and the experience so far has been rather eye-opening.  I grew up in Midland and I’ve been a resident for nineteen years. Before my experience with Americorps, I actually never liked this town. In fact, I had a strong urge to leave as soon as possible. However, this urge began to fade once I started serving almost eight months ago. Americorps really forced me to be involved with this community in a way that I had never been before. In a short amount of time, my service was showing me many new aspects of the town I had lived in my entire life. 

My first eye-opening moment of my service occurred at Midland County’s 2011 “Housing Connect” event. I was amazed by the number of people from the Midland area that had shown up for help. The lines of people stretched far outside and wrapped around the building. This made me realize how out of touch I was with the community. My previous notions of homelessness in Midland were inaccurate to say the least. As I watched the faces of people light up after receiving a winter coat or a small bag of toiletries I wondered why I never knew that this much help was needed. I soon realized that many residents in Midland were just as out of touch with the community as I was. This realization really motivated me to help spread awareness of these issues in Midland where ever I could. Following the “Housing Connect” event, I began to partake in numerous local events and fairs to help bring awareness to my agency and the issues of homelessness in Midland.

Shortly after I was introduced to some of my community’s toughest issues, I met many of the great people trying to tackle these issues. I started attending Midland county’s C.O.C. meetings on a monthly basis and listened in as different local agencies worked out plans in cooperation to better serve the community’s needs. Each agency would bring up the problems they were facing when serving clients and together, the C.O.C. would try to address those problems. I came to admire many people from those meetings and made connections that I never would have without Americorps.

 

My Americorps service has taught me so many things, but I think the most important lesson I’ve taken from this is that I have to be involved. I realized that my dislike for my community when I was younger was simply a result of me not trying. I will take this lesson with me for the rest of my life and use it to work with others to make my community a better place.

Just for a little background – my name is Melody Dickinson and I am an AmeriCorps member serving at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.

Recently Jeanine made a site visit here at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH). One of her questions stirred my mind, triggering me to reflect on my AmeriCorps service. Her question was simple and along the line of, “how has your AmeriCorps service impacted you?”  Although my AmeriCorps experience has had multiple impacts (building professionalism, stability, routine, etc.), the answer that came to my mind at the time was an increased level of volunteerism.

                I’ve always been interested in the idea of volunteering, but I can essentially count on one hand the number of times I have actually volunteered. I recognized volunteering as nice and ethically responsible, but it required time and commitment, something I seemed rarely inclined to give. I did have some volunteer experience that I was proud of, both one-time and long-term positions. Overall, however, I can admit that prior to AmeriCorps, my rate of volunteering was embarrassingly low. Nevertheless, since my term started, that rate has gone up and I can confidently attribute most of that change to my AmeriCorps service. Here’s how it happened.

                One major role as an AmeriCorps member serving at MCAH is to manage the Project Homeless Connect grant process for counties across the state. For those events occurring within a reasonable distance of my host site in Lansing, I make it a point to make an appearance. Being physically present at PHC events allows MCAH to not only act as a source of monetary support, but also to show their support through volunteering at the event. After the first couple PHC events, I grew familiar with the types of volunteer positions and now look forward to going and fulfilling one of those roles. I love being a part of the planning and the implementation. I find great joy in volunteering at PHC events, both as a representative of MCAH and AmeriCorps, and as a citizen looking to be a part of something positive.

Furthermore, as the Volunteer Coordinator, I’ve been doing reading and research on volunteerism and have realized that finding volunteers, especially for smaller non-profits, is not always an easy task. Keeping them is even harder. As a result of this realization, I have made an effort to find volunteer positions that I would be interested in, outside of my service time, and commit to them. I’ve been working a lot with refugees teaching ESL and helping students with their homework. I’ve also volunteered at various “one-time” service events, some relating to AmeriCorps and others not.

My point is not to toot my own horn. Rather, I hope to demonstrate just how AmeriCorps has influenced me to not only appreciate the idea of volunteering, but the act as well. I am confident that volunteering is going to play a key role in my future activities and I am really excited to see where it will take me.