Describe your most meaningful moment over the course of your Fellowship. Give the context for what occurred, what made the moment meaningful, and how the moment has contributed to your understanding of yourself, community engagement work, your goals, or another area. Reflect on how you will carry the moment forward and the implications for your future self.
I really feel I made a difference when I worked extensively with one patient, who I will call “Jack,” to plan his life after graduating hospice. Change is very scary, so I encouraged him to look forward into the unknown as it was a way to start fresh! First, I compiled a list of housing shelters and investigated the requirements and eligibility of in-house recovery programs. While he did not end up in any of these housing programs, I helped to compile these resources and it may benefit patients who will graduate in the future. Next, I researched job opportunities, I found out the application process, benefits, and skills required for job searching, which will help him and other patients in the future. After Jack decided his relocation to a different state, Jack and I went to the library and researched the plane ticket options, and explored options for public transportation in the city. I presented him with many options to best help him plan decisions and encourage him to design his new life! I helped him build self-assurance, displaying his skills in an impressive resume and helping him apply to four job opportunities at nearby Starbucks. He can use this resume and his many skills to apply for jobs in the future! I encouraged and motivated him to explore this process himself and gain more confidence in his skill sets. I am happy that he gets to start anew, and that he has the social support he needs in the areas around him. This experience was especially meaningful to me because I was able to serve as a catalyst for building a new life.
Consider the role of community support in the work of your community partner. How is your host organization perceived in the community? Does its perception impact the ability of your community partner to be effective in its work? How does your host organization respond to (embrace, work to enhance, etc.) its role and perception in the community?
I want to help the sisters with Street Ministry, distributing food, clothes, and other resources to homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin, the city’s most poverty-stricken area. Many of the homeless recognize the sisters and trust them because of their tenderness in developing close relationships: the homeless feel seen as people by the sisters. The sisters know their names, networks, history, and struggles. This organization is so selfless and is a true example of what it means to put others before yourself. I am inspired by the virtue of the sisters, and through my project I hope to improve the quality of life for the residents of the Hospice Home and also the homeless of San Francisco. One of the hospice patients who had lived in the Tenderloin previously knew the sisters before coming to the hospice home because he had frequently sought their assistance with food insecurity. The sisters are very skilled in their interactions with people and spotting those who are in most need. Therefore, their reputation among the community was one of the primary reasons I chose to partner with Gift of Love for my Brodhead Service Project. They are so well versed in connections among the community, so I knew they would be experts in reaching people in need.
Address the myths and stereotypes that exist in the type of community engagement work you are doing. How do these myths impact your work and its effectiveness? What is the “true story” as you have learned through your community engagement work? How will you be a myth-buster going forward?
I understood stereotypes of the less affluent areas of San Francisco through my conversations with one patient, who I will call Ben. Ben grew up in the Bayview area of San Francisco which is a low income part of the city that is known for violent activities. He had moved to the Tenderloin, another area of San Francisco with a large proportion of street people and people who suffer from substance abuse. Ben highlighted the high rates of crime and violence in these areas that he witnessed and experienced firsthand. Still, he mentions that he exercised kindness in these spaces, by playing music that others enjoyed and lending a helping hand for those in desperate situations. He used to accompany hungry people to the store and buy food for them with the little money he had remaining from social services. Through Ben, I discovered that the stereotype is not true: people in the Tenderloin and Bayview are not all violent people, criminals, and substance abusers who endanger others. We should all try to see everyone, including those from these stigmatized communities, as real people, who are thoughtful, generous, and caring. People from these communities should not be defined by the labels associated with their areas.
Even though I live in San Francisco, I didn’t know about what life was like in the “bad” areas of the city until I heard Ben’s story. I think it is important to set aside previous biases to fully understand others’ reality and place yourself in their shoes. These areas are growing increasingly stigmatized with the worsening drug epidemic. While these myths and stereotypes don’t disappear overnight, we should all make a conscious effort to, like Ben, demonstrate understanding and kindness for others, and helping others with whatever means available. Kindness is infectious in that spreading it made others more aware and empathetic to other people. In addition, it made Ben more motivated to help others on more often occasion. I also learned the importance of active listening as a vessel for bringing to light common biases that many people often associate with certain communities. I gained more awareness of the city I live in, that is more realistic, holistic, and cognizant of the socioeconomic inequalities present in San Francisco.
