I was made for sunny days

Hey there!

Here is a new post about how my life is going. My life has found new meaning. I am happy and feel enthused about the work that I am doing. It all started on Sunday. I’ll give you a couple topics to digest:

1.) 1.) Austin, my love

2.)2.) Halloween as a pirate Barbie

3.) 3.) Lost Maples

4.) 4.) There’s a gang protecting our house. No, seriously.

5.) 5.) Wendy’s with Brother

1.) Austin, my love

So I went to Austin back in October (the 22, 23, and 24) right after I published my last blog. It was amazing. I went to visit a friend of mine from Loyola University, Anna and we had a blast! We know each other because we studied abroad in Chile together and she is now studying Public Relations at the University of Texas in Austin.

I stayed with her in a home that she shares with six other people and she showed me the downtown area. Austin is such a young person’s town compared to San Antonio and I appreciated that quite a bit. Everyone downtown was between the ages of 18 and 26 and the bars were hopping. We checked out some undergraduate bars but they smelled like vomit so we drifted instead to the more “sophisticated” bars playing house music. We also ate from one of the numerous trailers on the streets of downtown Austin. The trailer was called “Kabobalicious” and served falafel/hummus wraps that were quite tasty. Austin has an impressive culinary selection and I ate very well there.

I spent the night at Anna’s house and the next day we met up with two of the Jesuit Volunteers serving in Austin- Rachel and Joel. We walked around taking in the sights of the city and enjoying the perfect weather. We strolled by the river and took in a spontaneous drum concert and dance performance. Obviously with it’s “Austin City Limits” and “South by Southwest” concert events, Austin is a hot spot for music. But I didn’t realize that there was so much local and unprofessional music performed all over the city every day. We also attended a Day of the Dead festival that involved live music and a spooky parade!! We only stayed long enough to see the Chihuahua portion of the parade but those little doggies were quite adorable so I was happy.

Austin is neat because its mantra is “Keep Austin Weird.” It also is quite environmentally conscious (well, compared to San Antonio…which might not be saying anything at all) and socially conscious. The city has made an effort to keep chain restaurants and department stores out of its territory. You won’t find McDonald’s or Walmart. It’s strange because one might say that Austin is more “liberal” because there are so many college students in the town. However, San Antonio has quite a few universities within its limits as well and it isn’t as liberal. I’m not sure what to make of it but I appreciated being in a much more familiar atmosphere.

That night we went to a concert and the style was described as “glam punk” or something to that effect. The band reminded me of “Of Montreal” and I couldn’t help cocking my head in bewilderment as the keyboard player with a foot-long beard hopped around like a monkey and stood on top of his keyboard. The main singer climbed the rafters of the stage and the rest of the band mates whipped their heads around in wild circles to the beat. I liked it even though it was strange. After the concert, we went out on the town and ended up at a bar called “Beauty Bar.” I felt like I was on the set of Grease during the “Beauty School Dropout” song. There were hair dryer seats along the walls and discos balls. I enjoyed dancing…until I was asked by a highly intoxicated Luigi to dance. He was in costume (although he was a week early) and accompanied by an even more inebriated Mario. He left at one point to get a drink and another random guy came up to dance with me. I tried to back away from him to return to where Anna was dancing but Luigi saw me before I could slip away and he was clearly jealous. He said, “I go away for one minute and you’re already dancing with someone else??!!” That’s when I decided it was time to leave.

Anyway, I think I’d like to move to Austin some day! It’s got everything I look for in a city. It’s more than accommodating to bicyclists, vegetarians, liberal-minded people, environmentally conscious people, people who like to dance, young people, musicians, poets, and other cool kinds of people. So that’s why…

2.) Halloween as a pirate Barbie

…I decided to return to Austin the next weekend!! Four of my roommates, a friend of my roommate’s and I piled into two cars and headed out to the state capital on the Friday before Halloween. We arrived at the Jesuit Volunteer house there and got ready. The Austin JVs were more than accommodating and two of them (there are five total) joined us out on the town. We went to 6^th Street which is supposed to be the craziest place in Austin on Halloween (or any given weekend). The bar that we chose to go to had a line out the door but we knew it was worth the wait. As we were waiting to get in, two men were violently thrown out of the bar and onto the street (the entire street was blocked off because it was the weekend). One of them was wearing a bright pink polo shirt and was horribly intoxicated or drugged. He kept taking swings at the other man who was thrown out of the bar and people were trying to restrain him. At one point, he found himself in the gutter and a man was kneeling on his ribcage to subdue him. It was frightening. When the police arrived, they put him in handcuffs and dragged him away. However, one confused Pooh Bear came over to help the man in the pink shirt and was forcefully shoved away by the police. Poor guy.

Some memorable costumes were the Teletubbies, Flintstones, and the cast of Sesame Street. I saw one of the Teletubbies smoking and told him that he couldn't smoke because he was a children's television character to which he replied, "Well, I'm the Teletubby who doesn't give a [expletive] about life." My favorite costume was Wilson from the TV show "Home Improvement." He had attached wooden boards to his shirt to form a fence across the bottom half of his face and was wearing the same hat that Wilson always wears on the show. I thought it was incredibly creative because it was obvious who he was right away but it's not a costume that many people would ever think to don. I love Halloween. It was the one night of the year where I could say that I danced with Fred Flintstone, a cow, and Big Bird without causing much concern.

Halloween continued the next night when my roommates and I returned to San Antonio and partied downtown San Antonio at Howl at the Moon. It's a dueling piano bar that plays live music- all requests from the audience. It was fun singing along and dancing. I can really appreciate live music because I know how difficult it is to perform and these people were playing all sorts of songs without having prepared them ahead of time. After Howl at the Moon, a few of us headed to a nearby McDonald's. There we were asked by two Spanish fellows to take their picture. This started up a conversation and before I knew it, I had spent five hours with the Spaniards walking the streets of San Antonio, dancing, and visiting the central park of the city. It was a real test of my Spanish though because people from Spain speak in a much different manner than those from Latin America. I struggled quite a bit and vowed later that night to intensify the amount of Spanish in my life. I'm not sure if that means reading more Spanish or listening to more Spanish radio but I've got to polish the skills I once had!!

3.) Lost Maples

Ah, yes. Lost Maples. Located along the Sabinal River in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, 2,208-acre Lost Maples State Natural Area is an inspiring mixture of sheer limestone cliffs, deep canyons, dense woodlands, and numerous clear streams. Designated as a National Natural Landmark, Lost Maples State Natural Area contains the state's largest stand of bigtooth maples east of the Guadalupe Mountains. When conditions are right, the maple leaves put on a dazzling show of fall colors, attracting thousands of visitors to the park. Peak fall foliage viewing is during the last two weeks of October through the first two weeks of November.

I went to church this past Sunday to sing in the choir at the 11am mass and after mass, one of the women I sing with, Joanne, was telling me that she and her family were going to Lost Maples. I didn't know much about it other than the fact that one of the priests at our parish was planning on taking a group there in December, but Joanne then got the idea that I should accompany her and her family to the park. I didn't know if she was serious but when she started telling me the time and place that she would be picking me up and what kind of hiking gear I should bring, I realized that she meant business! Joanne is married and has three kids. I didn't know her children very well, other than that they attend mass almost every Sunday and sit up front in the pew closest to the choir. Her oldest son is 26, one of her daughters is 24 and the other daughter is 12 so I figured that this trip to a national park would be just the parents and the youngest child. When Joanne showed up at my house to pick me up, I got in the car and realized it was only her and her husband. I thought, "Oh good. It probably would have been awkward if the kids came because I'm friends with their mother and I know a lot about them, but not because I've spoken to them, only because their mother has told me all about them." However, Joanne quickly gestured to a car in front of her and said, "I told the kids to take the other car because they're bringing the dog and I won't drive with a dog in the car." Hoo boy.

Well, I ended up having the time of my life. The drive to the park was about two hours and I enjoyed talking to Joanne and her husband, Mark because they're both good listeners, filled with interesting stories, humorous, and caring. When we arrived at the park, we decided to take the shorter hiking trail so that we wouldn't have to hike in the dark (the sun sets at around 6pm or 6:30pm now). Marco, the son, was our guide and we enjoyed meandering along trails and taking in the beautiful natural sights. I spoke to the kids and was happy to find out that they were just as awesome as their parents. I really felt like they were my host family because they took such good care of me. I was in all of the family photos that they took on the trail, they made sure I was sufficiently hydrated, and they were comfortable bickering with each other in front of me. I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a lasting friendship. I really appreciate spending time with a family that values family as much as I do. I mean, if you think about it, it's unusual for 26 and 24 year olds to take hiking trips with their parents on the weekend, isn't it? It's also unusual for them to attend mass with their family every week and call their parents every day. That's what I found so great about the Sanchez's. They haven't let the individualistic culture of the U.S. dismantle their familial bonds.

4.) There’s a gang protecting our house. No, seriously.

So I spoke to Carlos, one of the church employees at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (my home parish here) a few days ago about an assortment of things. One of them being the fact that the home in which I live is protected by the Mexican Mafia. As I may have mentioned before, I live across the street from a plaza where drug deals and prostitution are a daily occurrence. It is part of Mexican Mafia (the "M", pronounced "eh-may") territory and the gang members take their duty very seriously to protect their area from other gangs. When a man came into our front yard, sat on our porch, and then made threatening gestures to one of my roommates when she told him to leave, Carlos went over to talk to members of the M. He asked them if it was one of their guys who had sat on our porch. They assured him that it wasn't...and if they found out that it WAS one of their members, they would "punish" him for having bothered us. So basically, the M has a code that if any one of their members bothers us or the church, they will be severely reprimanded (in the form of a solid beating). This provides incentive for the members NOT to mess with us. They also have a code that if someone from outside of the community comes in and causes us trouble, they will be severely "taken care of" as well... so much so that they will never want to enter Avenida Guadalupe (our neighborhood) again.

I suppose this is comforting. Thank God that the members of the M are Catholic and really respect the Catholic Church. I didn't realize it, but our neighborhood is under strong surveillance by the M and they all know who my housemates and I are.

5.) Wendy's with Brother

No, Wendy is not with Brother. I went to the fast-food restaurant, Wendy's with a religious brother from the parish named Brother Gus. He took Kait and I out to eat on Wednesday night because the Jesuit Volunteers are his best friends every year. He is a lonely old man (about 71 yrs. old but in horrible health) who lives in the church rectory and invites himself over for dinner quite often. However, he does return the favor by taking us out (individually, in small groups, or as a household) to restaurants and day trips through Hill Country. This week it was my turn to go out and I was pleased that he remembered my name! He's pretty bad with names and tends to call us whatever he feels like calling us. Here are some memorable things that we have been referred to as:

Owen = Owens

Kelsey = Kelly, Kathleen

Christina = Christa, Katie

Laura = Kait... and he once asked me "How do you pronounce your name again?" because he clearly had forgotten what my name was altogether

Janine = Cindy, Seeya (???), Celia... this is the name he can NEVER remember

Megan = That one (when referring to her, not to her face)

Kait = I think he just never called her anything until he realized one day that SHE was Kait, not me

He is adorable because he's just got such a different perspective on life and he's random and he's got a thick southern accent and a HUGE belly and an intense sweet tooth for ice cream. At Wendy's he told us stories about his youth. Apparently he once worked in a food pantry and a little boy came and was having a tantrum. Brother Gus decided that he TOO would throw a tantrum and it caused the little boy to end his tantrum immediately. He told us that a man who used to work at the church was a drunkard and they found him dead in one of the church's public restrooms. Yuck. He told us that when he was in training for the brotherhood, he was forced to practice self-flagellation (yes, he whipped himself with ropes that had metal hooks on the ends). He told us that he had never finished school...meaning grade school. He once heard himself on a taperecording as a child and couldn't understand a word he was saying because he had such a bad speech impediment. Needless to say, it was an interesting dinner.

Well, I've got to go finish up my work here at Catholic Charities. I mean, it's Friday so work is slow, but I still probably shouldn't be typing my blog while on the clock! ;)

Hasta later!

Laura

Lost

So, I've been a bit lost lately. I've lost sight of why I'm spending a year of my life with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. What do I hope to achieve? What do I hope to discover? I had such different conceptions about how the program would work in the beginning so now I am trying to figure out how to reconcile reality with former expecations. I guess I'm just hoping that I get grounded again soon. I'd like to feel that I have a concrete purpose so that I can put all that I have into working towards that purpose. I know I'm young and should be entitled to some enjoyment here and there, but I really would like to make the best of this year so that I can turn around and confidently say, "Yes, I achieved what I set out to achieve." We'll see how that goes.





Today's Topics:





1.) Wake up, sicko! We need an escape vehicle!
2.) Tastes of Chicago
3.) Let's get together and change this town
4.) Birthday madness!
5.) Reminded me of Voices

1.) Wake up, sicko! We need an escape vehicle!
As you may remember from my previous post, I was greatly struggling with an intense illness that I couldn't shake in the past few weeks. I showed all sorts of symptoms- incessantly runny nose, extreme fatigue, sore throat, general congestion, coughing, sneezing, and mild chills. This provoked me finally to visit the Texas Med Clinic late on a Friday night (Oct. 8). My housemate, Megan drove me there (it was kind of far so I was very grateful to her) and we arrived around 9pm. I signed in and waited about an hour to finally be seen. When I was seen, the doctor's assistant took my blood pressure and temperature and then sent me out into the waiting room again. I waited and waited (and enjoyed a great conversation with Megan, but come ON) and finally was called back to see the doctor. I sat in the room all alone and waited for about half an hour for the doctor to come. When he did, he checked my ears, nose, and throat, listened to my lungs and left. Then his nurse came in to take a strep test. Then I waited. I was nervous because the clinic closed at 11pm (it was now probably 11:15pm) and I didn't want the doctor to leave without giving me the results.

Matters were worsened when one of my housemates called me while I was waiting for the doctor by myself on the exam table. She was obviously intoxicated and said that there was someone who really wanted to talk to me. She then handed the phone to a guy named Jason who said his friend Travis had never met a Laura in his life and really wanted to meet me. "Do you hear that?" Travis asked, "That's the sound of me pulling a chair out for you at 'The Friendly Spot' [a personal favorite bar of my roommates]. You better come!" I was dumbfounded. I had TOLD the guys that I was in the doctor's office but they still insisted that I come join them at The Friendly Spot. "I am very ill. I'm being tested for strep throat," I informed the guys repeatedly. "Strep throat? There's a shot for that! Just take the shot and you'll be fine!" was Jason's response. I wasn't upset at them but hearing them having fun at a bar made me extra bummed that I was sitting in a doctor's office on a Friday night feeling miserable.

The doctor returned with the results of the strep test finally and told me that it was negative. He prescribed steroids and special steroid nasal spray to cure whatever I had (he didn't actually ever make it clear to me what my illness was...). "Steroids, eh? I think I'll just sleep it off," I thought to myself. But I ended up going to Walgreens two days later anyway to fill the prescription because my nose literally wouldn't stop running and I was wheezing so badly I thought my lungs were collapsing. (Side note: Sorry for all of the hyperbolic descriptions but they're just too fun to write!)

However, before filling my prescription (which eerily worked like magic), I had to suffer through 48 more hours of feeling nasty. And this is where the title of this section comes in. After leaving the Texas Med Clinic on Friday night with Megan at about 11:45pm, we called the housemates at the Friendly Spot to see if they wanted a ride home. They declined, saying they were enjoying themselves too much to leave. I asked if any of them had a way of entering our back gate at home because without a remote gate-opener, they wouldn't be able to get in. None of them had one so we told them we'd keep one by our bedside so that when they decided to come back, they could call us and we'd just roll over and hit the remote without having to leave bed. That seemed like a reasonable plan. But reasonability is non-existent when alcohol is involved, I guess! Haha. So I finally lay my aching nose on the pillow around 12:30am and expected to sleep in until I felt better (which seemed like it could be a long while). But 6.5 hours later, my phone rings and it's one of the partying housemates. "Wake up, sicko! We need an escape vehicle!" Okay, so she didn't actually say that, but that was they gist of her call. Apparently the girls had decided to spend the night at a Motel 6 with the fellows I had spoken to on the phone in the doctor's office. The girls were annoyed, however, with how "clingy" the boys had become and so they decided...at 7 in the morning...to leave as quickly as possible. And they also decided to call ME, the sickest one of all, to pick them up. Since I would do anything for the girls of my household, I dutifully left my bed and was at the Motel 6 in no time. They piled in the car and told the details of a night that started out amazingly but then got "weird" and "annoying." I felt like a mother, picking up her naughty kids after a night of craziness. I wasn't mad at them. I kind of felt bad for them. I knew that they just wanted to enjoy themselves but had let things get a little too far. I also knew that they felt pretty bad asking me to give them a ride in my condition and at that hour on a Saturday morning so I really couldn't be upset.

What really surprised me though is that two of the three girls that I picked up that morning ended up going out with the SAME guys two nights later! Too funny.

2.) Tastes of Chicago
A friend of my family's, Bridget Lamble, came to visit me last Sunday, and spending time with her was very refreshing! She is from San Antonio and spent a year doing the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Chicago so we kind of swapped places. She and her father took me out to a most delicious brunch and then we went to her childhood home. It was beautiful and what amazed me was that it was pretty much preserved in the same condition as it had been when Bridget was growing up. The rooms were decorated in very unique ways and I enjoyed feeling as if I were taking a trip back into the (not too distant) past. We also watched a slide show (projected grandly on the wall) of Bridget's wedding pictures. It was cool to see so many of my parent's friends about 20 years ago. I was super grateful to talk to someone from Chicago and to get the updates on how things are there. Thank you Bridget and dad!

The second taste of Chicago that I got last week was more literal. My community went out to eat with our JVC "support people" John and Catherine at a Chicago-style pizza joint. It was lovely. One doesn't realize how great one has it living in Chicago until said "one" leaves the city and realizes that superb pizza is hard to find. I would give that place a 7/10 on the Chicago pizza scale. :)

3.) Let's get together and change this town
I was asked by my boss to attend a community discussion/presentation last week sponsored by SAM Ministries at the Mexican American Urban Community Center in my neighborhood. Organizations from all over the West side of San Antonio were asked to come to the discussion and present on what services their organizations offered and to also bring ideas to the table for how to improve the community. I was in charge of presenting the Guadalupe Community Center (the new location for my department) to a panel of maybe 40 people and I was quite nervous. I am familiar with what my department, Crisis Intervention, does, but I am just learning about what the rest of the departments at the Guadalupe Community Center offer. It was exhilarating though to be part of an initiative to improve the community. I liked seeing that there are other organizations in my area that are passionate about improving the desperate situations that many San Antonians face. Most of the organizations deal with the immediate needs of clients but some deal with solving the root of the problems that create poverty. I'm excited to be a part of enacting structural changes in the community.

My boss also has asked me to brainstorm ideas for how to use potential grant money to bring different programs to the Guadalupe Community Center (GCC). I feel honored by the fact that my opinion matters and that I have quite a bit of sway over the programs offered in the center. I just have to come up with some great ideas!! I guess the one difficult thing is that my boss is very tied to the military and she has asked that I brainstorm ideas for how we can assist service members at the GCC. I've never really thought about the assistance needed by service members, especially because I feel that the military or the government should be responsible for assisting soldiers after they finish their terms of service. However, I'm learning more and more that service members are increasingly left to fend for themselves when they leave the military. It's a reality that I am being forced to learn about this year and I'm very grateful for this experience.

4.) Birthday madness!
This past Friday, October 15th was my housemate, Kait's birthday! We celebrated by going out to dinner at a sushi restaurant (yum to the 10th power) and then going out clubbing. We went to a club called "Revolution" and it was interesting to say the least. It involved three dance floors, each with different kinds of music, and the 7 roommates, plus a few others, enjoyed moving from floor to floor and shaking along. We tired of that club though and so we decided to walk next door to "Salud," a bar that played tons of Mexican ranchero music and Juanes. Kait was less than pleased at this new bar (and I guess I can't blame her, it was tough music to really jam to) and so we went to yet another club attached to "Revolution" and "Salud." This club played lots of lovely hip hop music and we enjoyed dancing in the huge mass of people on the dancefloor. At one point, however, a certain song came on that provoked a group of gentlemen dancing next to us to form a large circle with their arms around each other and sway violently around as a unit. They accidentally(?) almost dragged one of my housemates down and trampled her so we decided it was time to go. It was a good night, nonetheless, and I was glad that my housemates and I were able to enjoy a fun outing together.

The only thing I'll comment on is the fact that Texas law allows people to smoke in the clubs and bars. Therefore, I smelled like an ashtray after I left the club and I'm not sure I liked that very much.

5.) Reminded me of Voices
Kelsey, Megan, Father Marty, two other parishoners, and I attended a benefit concert on Saturday night that was very reminiscent of the concerts that I've attended back at St. Gertrude's Church in Chicago. Each concert attendee paid a fee to enter, dinner was provided, and then three bands played. The audience consisted of tables and chairs for eating and each table was equipped with paper and crayons so that the audience members could contribute drawings to a mural that was being made. The first band to perform was actually just one man playing guitar and singing and he was a high school teacher. He was pretty talented, although my one qualm would be that he only sang about women. Then the next band was a music teacher and his two students. They did a 30 minute set and were very cute. They sang some contemporary songs and originals that the teacher had composed. My favorite act though was the last one, performed by Patti and Rod Radle. They are the couple that leads the music for the 11am mass that I sing at every Sunday. They are amazing people- a real social justice activist duo. They sang and played together- both switching out the banjo for the 6 string for the bass- about nuclear weapons, injustice done to immigrants, and the need for peace. I felt like I was at a Voices concert. (For those who don't know, Voices is a Chicago-based band that sings about issues of social justice. My father was a part of this band in my childhood and so it is very dear to my heart). I was cheered to find that there are other groups out there that continue to sing folk music and jam about social issues that merit much attention. I want to spend more time with Patti and Rod, not only because they remind me of my roots, but also because they seem to be the most socially conscious and active people on the West side of San Antonio.

Well, what else can I report? Work continues to be manageable. I am settling in nicely at my new work location. To clarify, my Crisis Intervention department used to be located in a building on Salinas St. with the Immigration department. Now our Crisis Intervention department is located a block from my home in the Guadalupe Community Center. The Guadalupe Community Center is a branch of Catholic Charities that offers after-school programs, senior programs, dance programs, and food and clothing assistance. Now that our office is there, we have consolidated our food pantry and clothing closet with theirs to make one big center of assistance. I really like my coworkers (the majority of whom are middle-aged women) because we all eat lunch together and share food, stories, and hearty laughs. The clients I work with can be very challenging, but I am getting the hang of assisting them to the best of my ability. And, we pretty much solved the problem of the kids running into my office while I'm on the phone. The director of the after-school program laid down the law and so I can rest at ease.

Well, I'm plum tuckered out. I'm in the church rectory, it's 10:30pm, one of the priests keeps looking into the room that I'm in because I think he needs to use the computer so I should go.

All the best!!

I guess I owe y'all a post, huh?

Well, life has been crazy and being sick makes everything tough to handle! I mean, I've been having fun and working hard but having a stuffy nose and sore throat makes me feel gross and exhausted. I think I picked up something from one of the girls in my house. She was sick a little while ago and perhaps it was bound to happen to me at some point. Hope it goes away soon!

Anyway, here are the topics for today:

1.) Haven for Hope
2.) Crisis Intervention Caseworker = Babysitter??
3.) Running and drinking for fun!
4.) Huevolution
5.) Til'Wanna Monay
6.) Raspas, get your Raspas!!
7.) Does Your Mother Know That You're Out?



1.) Haven for Hope

So, last Tuesday, I was sent to a facility for the homeless here in San Antonio. The center is called "Haven for Hope" and is actually pretty fascinating. It's mission is NOT to provide food, clothes, and shelter for those without homes. Instead, it's mission is to help people make the permanent transition from homelessness to stability. Here is an example of how it works:

-Joe, a man without anything but the clothes on his back enters the facility

-He is brought to the "Prospects" yard, which is a big outdoor yard (surrounded by fences) with toilets and showers. He is given a thin mat to sleep on and provided with three meals a day. He can stay in the Prospects yard for as long as he fancies. The toilets have half doors and the showers have no curtains so he doesn't have much privacy, but at least he has meals and a safely guarded place to sleep.

-If Joe so chooses, he can then apply for the transitional program that Haven for Hope offers. He will be accepted into the program on the condition that he follow through with it to the end.

-If Joe is an addict of some sort, the program offers (and mandates) a couple sessions of "detox"

-Then, the program assists Joe with obtaining all of the documentation necessary to get a job (if he's lost those documents). This means applying for birth certificates, social security cards, driver's licenses or state IDs from whatever state Joe is from. The program pays for these documents so Joe won't have to.

-The program then offers job training, GED classes, parenting classes, nutrition classes, and other sorts of training to help prepare Joe for a job.

-Then Joe is assisted in filling out job applications and finding affordable housing.

The hope then is that, with all of these acquired documents, job training, and assistance finding affordable housing, Joe will never need to visit another homeless shelter or food pantry again.
Visit http://www.havenforhope.org/ for more information.

I'm pretty jazzed about the idea of the place, but apparently it's too new (it opened in April) for anyone to really have an idea of how successful it's been. It gives me hope at least, that people will start to break the cycle of poverty that consumes our nation.

So, anyway, why did I have to spend three hours of my work day at Haven for Hope? Catholic Charities is in charge of funding the official records section of Haven for Hope. That is, Catholic Charities pays for every birth certificate, social security, and ID needed by the Haven for Hope clients. My coworker in the Crisis Intervention Department is usually in charge of processing the requests that the clients fill out and bringing them to the Catholic Charities Headquarters, but he's going to be out of town this week. He therefore had to bring me along last week to receive training on how to process the requests. It was great getting an insider's view of the facility and how it functions. I wasn't given an in-depth tour, but I at least got a feel for the environment.

As I write this, I'm at Haven for Hope by myself waiting for record requests to be brought to me for processing so I'll be reporting more on Haven for Hope later, hopefully, because it really intrigues me. If it's successful, I'd like to help instate in other cities throughout the U.S... namely, ChIcAgO :)

2.) Crisis Intervention Caseworker = Babysitter??

So my job title here is "Crisis Intervention Caseworker" and what I thought that entailed was purely providing clients with utility and rental assistance. Little did I know that it also includes a myriad of random chores and duties. Last Friday, one such random duty was to act as a supervisor for the after school program that Catholic Charities provides daily from 3pm to 5pm. There are about 20 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 (maybe, I really don't know anything about the program) and they are given a hefty snack and some homework help. I came around 3:30pm, since I had some casework to finish, and the kids were running rampant throughout the computer lab, study room, and outdoor basketball court. There was one other volunteer watching the kids and so mayhem ensued.
Kids screamed, hit each other, and accused one of the female secretaries of opening the boys' bathroom and staring at the boys while they did their business. They demanded money for ice cream (the ice cream man had strategically placed his truck next to the basketball court), got splinters (which I had to remove with my nails- yuck! there were no tweezers to be found anywhere), left the premises and wandered around alone on the streets, and climbed on railings they weren't supposed to climb on.
At one point I was proud of myself because I grabbed a volleyball and had some of the younger kids line up in front of me, one behind the other. I showed them the way my volleyball coach had taught me to hold my hands and they each took turns hitting the ball as I threw it to them. They loved it... for awhile. Then, they each wanted to take turns throwing the ball at the front of the line, but couldn't figure out a fair way to take turns doing so. They soon tired of the whole ordeal and scattered. Oh well!
I also tried to organize a game of knock-out, using the basketballs and one of the hoops. But the kids started cheating and yelling and misbehaving so I forgot about that.
I played make-believe with some of the younger kids, skipped around, ran in circles, and confiscated a billiard ball that one of the youngsters was whipping at the fence surrounding the basketball court.
Later, to my dismay, some high school boys came onto the basketball court and took over. They claimed that one of the basketballs on the courts was "theirs" and they refused to give it back at 5pm when the other volunteer and I were trying to clean up. I finally said in a sad voice, "It's such a shame that you would lie and claim a basketball that belongs to the little kids." He sighed heavily and tossed it to me. (Point Laura!)

I would love to instate some structure for that program. I want the gate to the basketball court locked so no teenagers can come in and no kiddies can escape. And I want actual activities for the kids to participate in. If they're left to their own devices, they fight and do bad stuff.

Oh yeah, one girl found a large knife next to the basketball court, and another girl's cell phone was stolen. They're a rough bunch of youngsters to say the least.

3.) Running and drinking for fun!

I participated in a Pub Run on Friday. It started at 7pm at a pub called "Beethoven's" in the hipster, young part of San Antonio (a neighborhood called "King William's" just south of downtown). The Pub Run is an event that involves wearing running gear (spandex, gym shoes, sweatbands, etc.) and literally running (or jogging) from pub to pub. The organizer of the event designates about five participating pubs where discounts are given to the runners. In all, I think participants run 3 full miles. It occurs every first Friday of the month.
I went with five of my housemates and some of their friends. We enjoyed running/jogging/walking to each pub and meeting new people. I especially enjoyed being one of the only sober people participating in the event. I was approached by two very nice UTSA students who offered me some free beer. They had purchased some large beer cans and were trying to "get rid" of them. I said "No thank you" which confused them but we ended up having a nice little conversation about random things. One of the guys had been raised in Germany so we mostly discussed that, since I've been to Germany before.
Then, we all met up with our seventh housemate at a salsa club/pub called "Azuca." Her mom and sister were visiting and they treated us to drinks. While waiting at the bar for the drinks that we had all ordered (I requested water on the rocks), I was asked by a man in a fake muscle suit if I'd like a shot. Without really answering, he gave his credit card to his friend and commanded him to buy whatever I was having. I thanked him but informed him that I was only drinking water. "Are you driving?" He asked. "Yes." "Oh, that's awesome! One less drunk driver on the road is a good thing!" Yes, yes it is. Then I was approached by another man who offered to buy me a shot and I politely declined, stating that I was the "DD" for the night. He smiled widely and gave me a high-five. One thing I can say for the San Antonio menfolk- they seem to really respect responsible drivers!
Then all the gals and I did some salsa dancing. I was asked to dance by an intoxicated fellow that I had sort of spoken to earlier. He was a crazy dancer, and not in a good way, so I thanked him for the dance and swiftly "got lost" in the crowd of dancers.
I must say, I enjoy going out pubbing in workout clothes. They're much comfier. And I'm glad that I can still have a good time without consuming alcholic beverages :) Well, not that I really doubted that I could...

4.) Huevolution
Last Saturday morning, one of our three parish priests invited my housemates and I to a breakfast across the street in the plaza. There was live music, food (free for us), a ceremony, and an impressive outdoor art gallery set up. The celebration was to honor the King and Queen "Huevos" (eggs) of the neighborhood. According to some tradition, huevos are important or something. Ok, so I didn't research the event very thoroughly. All I know is that I got a free breakfast of delicious eggs, beans, pastries, tortillas, and watermelon juice. And that at one point, the king and queen huevo, who were sitting in a huge egg chair were crowned with crowns that had HUGE feathers on them. And if you wanted to dance with either the king or queen, you had to pay a dollar. The king and queen were chosen based on their involvement with social justice issues in the community. Pretty neat- but completely random to me!!

5.) Til'Wanna Monay
I had to follow up on my coworker's client. The client's daughter's middle name was "Til'Wanna Monay." Fascinating.

6.) Raspas, get your Raspas!
I volunteered at our parish festival on Sunday from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. It was across the street in the somewhat shady plaza (where all the drug deals and prostitution go down on a regular basis...oh and where Huevolution had taken place) and I would consider the fair a success. My housemates and I were in charge of manning a booth that sold pepperoni pizza (that's it, no other kind), raspas, and large sour pickles. Raspas are snow cones and we sold them in 8 different flavors...one of which was vanilla?
Man, did people eat those raspas up. Forget the pizza and pickles. People wanted their raspas!! Then, during one of my shifts, our supervisor brought over some ice cream and told us to give customers the option of putting ice cream on top of the raspas. Ooh boy! People were excited about that! As if the syrupy substance enveloping the shaved ice wasn't sugary enough, people wanted their snow cones topped with ice cream! And customers would come up with all sorts of demands- more syrup, not too much syrup, strawberry with a "splash" of coconut, make a nice rounded ball of ice at the top, more ice cream, more ice. I was about ready to scream!
However, it was nice working with my housemates on a common goal. And we all got free tickets to use at the other booths at the fair! I had a chalupa, some nachos, lemon cake, and the sugariest of fruit punches- yum!
I also danced a bit to the live music playing. My housemate Megan is a very talented dancer so when Celia Cruz's "Carnaval" came on, we got out on the dancefloor!

7.) Does Your Mother Know That You're Out?
Perhaps the least savory part of our parish festival was when I unwittingly befriended a young member of the church's youth group. I have been trying to be on friendly terms with the teens in the church youth group so that I can have a positive influence on them (it's a lofty goal of mine, I suppose). So after my shift at the booth, I spent some time chatting with the teens. However, at one point, all of the teens trickled off to do different activities and I was left conversing with a 15 year old boy with a foul mouth and loads of inappropriate stories. He told me that he was affiliated with a gang and that he was currently in a state of "SOS" (Slaughter on Sight). He said that if any of the members of a certain gang saw him, he would be killed. I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Then he went on to ask how old I was. He thought I was maybe 16 or 17. When I told him that I was indeed five years older, he replied "Oh that's cool, I was with a 21 year old once." Ok, buddy.
He filled my ears with info on the gangs in San Antonio, the people he had murdered, the girls he had courted, the drugs he had done and sold, and the huge fights he had "won." He painted himself out as a true hero, since he donated his monthly drug wages ($5,000 to be exact) to people who truly needed it. I felt like I was listening to a movie plot or rap song. However, perhaps most of his stories were true... I certainly hope not. He told me he had found a better life by attending a Catholic retreat a few months back. I told him I was proud of him and that I hoped he'd continue on his journey towards improving his crazy lifestyle. He then wouldn't leave my side. I told him I had to go home to do laundry and he followed me. I walked all over the festival and he just stuck to me like glue. Then two of my housemates came over to us and when they left, the kid asked me how old they were. He guessed 19 or 20 and I said that one of them was 25. "Well, that is the HOTTEST 25 year old, I have ever seen!" Yeesh. I finally got rid of him, but I was left with much to ponder. Is the gang situation in San Antonio really as bad as he described it? Are kids really engaging in such adult activities? I will continue to investigate.

And, as I was told by a client of mine at Catholic Charities, I should use my youthful facade as a method of obtaining info about the youth from the inside. The other youth in the church youth group thought I was between the ages of 14 and 18. No one could believe I was any older...much less four years older. So, maybe looking like a child is a gift. It will allow me to get in with them as their peer and then have a positive influence on the youngsters that way. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't actually want to do that. I like being a 22 year old. And pretending to be a teen probably won't bring about the groundbreaking change I'm seeking anyway. Oh well, I'll keep thinking of a new way to promote positive, drug-free, promiscuity-free lifestyles for the youth.

Wish me luck! And please do leave comments if you feel so inspired. :)

According to you...

Some fun comments from clients this past week:

-One client referred to me as "mama" after every other sentence. "Ok, mama, I'll bring in those papers, mama" "How much you gonna help me with, mama?"

-As I was assisting in the food pantry, I handed a man his bag of food and he looked at me and said in monotone: "Your hair is long." Without a hint of emotion, incredulity, or ANYTHING!! It was strange, haha.

-I received an email from a client stating: "You are a blessing in disguise." What's my disguise??

-As I greeted a client, she exclaimed, "You're little!! You're like my little daughter, she's little!! Wow."

Thank you.

Hey Howdy

No, I haven't heard anyone say the phrase, "Hey Howdy" while here in Texas.  However, if I ever did, it would make my whole year here worth it. ;)

I have been struggling a bit with the adjustment to life in Texas and the reality that I will have to live here for another 11 months.  It's not that things are horrible in San Antone, in fact, there really is a lot of beauty and life and hope.  However, I'm kind of ready to be on my own and to start settling into my own lifestyle and I can't do that here.  I live with six other girls which makes independence and quiet time a little tough.  Don't get me wrong, I care for the girls.  We have great conversations, share funny moments (and scary ones, which I'll get to in a minute), and we support each other through the adjustments we're all making together.  It would just be nice to have my own apartment so I could decide when I want to eat, sleep, hang out, or be alone.  I'm learning, though, that the girls definitely respect my need for quiet time and are totally willing to be social when I'm in a community mood.

So, here are some highlights from the week (broken into digestible sections):

1.) Smells like VOMIT!!!

2.) The 5k that was so much more...

3.) You got any kids?

4.) Pull that weed!

5.) Raging hormones and spiritual insight

6.) Styrofoam

7.) Yes, it rains here...but from the shoddy sewer system, you'd never know it!

8.) I ain't scareda you!

1.) On my mail run this past Wednesday, I was greeted by a most unpleasant odor as I entered the mint green Ford Taurus that Christina and I use to make our rounds between the Catholic Charities offices.  We're talking kill-me-now-oh-my-goodness-can't-breathe-get-me-out-of-here-my-head-hurts-so-bad-what-in-the world-i'm-going-to-die unpleasant.  I was running a little late (I had to finish my mail run before 10am so I could return to my office in time for my 10am appointment with a client and it was already 9:15am) so I couldn't really investigate where the nauseating smell was coming from.  I rolled down the window but the smell just kept getting worse so I assumed it was coming from outside but that didn't make any sense because it followed me wherever I drove.  

Then I thought back to that morning when my housemate had uncovered a container of white beans that had been sitting out on the counter soaking in water for the last few days.  Those mamas smelled AWFUL so I thought, maybe somehow I got the smell of the white beans on my clothing and now that I'm enclosed in a car, I'm getting whiffs of those rancid beans.  However, a few stops later as I opened the car door to get out, I noticed something on the base of the door frame.  It was orange, brown, and chunky and looked like vomit.  I didn't have much time to process what I was seeing but when I returned to the car and was at a stoplight, I had the bright idea of lifting my foot up to see if I had somehow stepped in upchuck.  However, this just served to spread the substance from my foot to my pants and the seat of the car.

It turns out that I somehow had stepped in vomit in the parking lot of my office when I first entered the car to do my mail run.  However, I did not notice in the least what had happened until after 40 minutes of driving around smelling it and literally having the worst headache ever.  I have yet to discover the mystery of who expelled such foul mush in the parking lot but I made sure to locate the pile of it when I got back to my office.  Oh, and I stopped back at my house while out on my mail run and changed my pants and shoes, incase you're wondering.  I also cleaned out the car as much as I could so that it didn't reek up to high heaven when I drove back to work.  Oh wee, though, that was quite distressing, haha :)

2.) I ran 3.9 miles with Christina on Wednesday (more than a 5k race!!  I was so proud).  We found a beautiful lake near our office with a well-marked path so we could keep track of how far we had gone down to 1/10 of a mile.  Then we ran that same distance today.  I'm feeling good!  I will say this though, the humidity will be my biggest downfall here.  It makes running and breathing so dang hard.

3.) A client came into my office on Thursday with her daughter.  After very little discussion, she asked me if I had any kids.  I almost replied that I was 22 years old and therefore far too young to have children but something told me I shouldn't say that.  Turns out the woman was 22 (literally 5 days older than me, I discovered) and had three kids- yeeks!!  She acted quite young too, I was surprised she could have so many niños.  At one point she handed me a document by saying "Here ya go, baby" and then our conversation went así:

Her: You're really nice.

Me: Um, thank you.

Her: No really, you are.

Me: Haha, thanks. (uncomfortable)

Her: I mean I went to the Salvation Army and that lady was so mean.  She was like giving me crap for needing help and whatnot.  But you, you're so sweet.

Me: Ha, er, oh, well... (????)

It was kind of her but I just didn't know what to say.  She was my peer!  It's as if I were helping one of my classmates, friends, or housemates.  For some reason it's easier for me to help people older than me, but I get awkward helping those of my age group.  How did we arrive at such different places in our 22 years of life?

 

4.) Owen and I did some yard work on Wednesday.  We borrowed a weed-eater from the maintenance man at the church and set to work on the massive weeds in our backyard.  It was really tough and the weed-eater wasn't the most efficient, unfortunately.  So we ended up doing most of the weeding with our bare hands.  Let me tell you- that was tough work!  I thought I might die...besides I had just run over 3 miles a few minutes earlier.  Our yard is a lot nicer now though, so I'm proud.

5.) Yesterday, four of my housemates and I went to a spiritual retreat for 8th graders from about ten different low-income Catholic grade schools in our archdiocese.  We were asked to facilitate small group discussion with the kids and two of my housemates gave a speech (and did very well!).  The retreat was from 10:30am to 5pm and we were assigned six to seven 8th graders each.  My seven 8th graders were really sweet but didn't talk very much.  There were 5 boys and 2 girls.  One of the girls, Brenda was loud and obnoxious but she calmed down too so I didn't have too much trouble with her.  I was warned by her principal and the leader of the retreat at the beginning that this was a "tough" student to work with.  However, I was grateful that she held it together.  The other girl was quiet and shy and very self-conscious about her hair.  She was on the cheerleading team which might have something to do with that.  One of the boys was ADORABLE.  His name was Christian and he just had such a sweet smile and always participated in our discussions.  I was grateful for him.  Another boy was Jacob- he was a football player and basically responded "football" to every question I asked him.  When I got him to smile though, his rough football exterior faded away and he was just as friendly and approachable as any other kid.  Another kid Eric sat next to me and spoke quite a bit.  He was sweet so I had trouble trying to shut him up.  He was obsessed with talking about how Jesus gave us life.  I found that interesting.  Another boy, George was SOOOO quiet and shy but at the end when I asked the kids how the day was for them, he answered quite emphatically.  Or rather, his words were emphatic- his tone stayed the same.   He said the day was "awesome.  I really liked our small group discussions- my favorite part was spending time with you guys."  My heart just about melted.  The last boy was named Robert.  He was quiet as well but quite profound.  He said he wanted to thank God for "each and every day."  

I will probably still never be a teacher but working with kids does give me hope that I can have a positive influence on the future.  

6.) I think Styrofoam was just recently discovered in San Antonio.  It's like people have just recently discovered it- they use it everywhere and in MASS quantities.  It makes me so uncomfortable.  Today I bought a taco at church (they have a taco breakfast every Sunday in the church cafeteria) and it was served on a Styrofoam tray.  Then I wanted another one so I brought up my tray to be served again but they told me that due to "cross-contamination" issues, they had to give me a fresh new tray.  I had to fight the urge to scream.  Needless to say, this is not a very green city. :(

7.) It has been raining buckets here lately.  When it rains, it RAINS.  And everything floods.  Actually, as I'm typing this in my room, I'm watching a river rush by in the street.  It's cooled the temperature down- :).  But has added to the humidity in the air- :(.  Oh well, I'm making good use of my rain boots- yahoo!!

8.) Today as I was talking on Skype to Mary, my sisterita, I noticed from my window that a man was entering our front yard.  My room is on the 2nd floor of the house and my window faces out the front of our house.  Our house is surrounded in the front and back by a chain-link fence.  So I glanced outside and saw that a man was opening our front gate and coming up the walkway to our front door.  I thought of texting the housemates of mine who I thought were in the kitchen on the first floor to let them know.  Then I noticed that he was not a parishoner or a friend of anyone in the house.  He was in his 40s, wearing an open button-down shirt with nothing underneath so his bare chest was exposed, he had a bright red bandana in his hands, was carrying a bag, and did not look very kind.  I realized that texting would take too long so I ran down the hallway yelling "Guys...GUYS!!!  There's a man at our front door!!"  Owen and Christina came out of Owen's room and followed me downstairs so we could investigate.  We could see the man from our front windows which do not have blinds right now and he was sitting on a chair on our front porch (which is level with the ground- you just step up one step to get on our porch).  Then, while Owen and I hid from his sight, Christina caught his attention and yelled "Hey!  You can't stay here- you have to go!!"  He stood up, gave her a menacing glare, reached up to the upper right side of his chest...Christina thought he might have a gun...exposed a tattoo, pulled out his red bandana, and stormed off.  

Needless to say, the girls are quite frightened.  We feel a bit vulnerable because our windows are thin, our gate is open in the front, and Christina just made us an enemy!!  His tattoo could be symbolic of his involvement in a gang.  Ay, I wish the violence and fear and danger would just cease already. 

Well, I'm exhausted.  I sang in church today and though I loved every minute of it, I am pooped.  

Love to all!!

Más observaciones

Hey y'all!!

In San Antonio, I live on the "West Side." This is the equivalent of the South Side in Chicago. A very misunderstood part of town. Yes, it's crime-ridden. Yes the first week I moved in, there were police helicopters hovering above the scene of a shooting that had just taken place down the street. However, there is so much beauty and vibrance in the neighborhood that goes unappreciated. I can't really compare it with other neighborhoods in San Antonio (because I haven't been to many others) but it seems that this part of town follows its own rules.

For example, no matter which way the flow of traffic goes on a street (whether it's one-way, two-way), cars park wherever they damn well please. So if you are going north on a two-way street and you find a nice parking spot on the left side of the street, you can just mosey your car on into that spot. I've freaked out on several occasions because I'll turn on to what I think is a two-way street but then I'll see a car on the right side of the street facing me. This makes me think that I've turned the wrong way on a one-way. However, if I drive a little further, I'll undoubtedly find a car on the right side that is facing away from me and I'll realize that it's really just a free for all when it comes to parking.

The same goes for pets! Dogs are allowed to run wild through the streets and they do. It reminds me a lot of the street dogs in Chile- they were everywhere! Some of these dogs have it in their tiny brains that cars are to be barked at and chased. Little do they know that a car is an enormous machine that can kill any dog in its path. Yeesh.

Okay, work is getting crazy but I wanted to give a shoutout to Marcelle (my coworker):

I love that you pronounce the word "again" as "agaYn" (like the second "a" sound in "away"). And that you say "papah" instead of "paper" and "wondahful" instead of "wonderful." Just please keep your voice down when you're talking to yourself in your office which is next to mine!!! Thank you <3

That's it for now! Keep on keepin' on :)

Is this a Southern thing?

This week is slower at Catholic Charities because we're not seeing as many clients- more just catching up on paperwork. This means I have time to blog!!

So I've noticed that almost all of my clients here have called me "ma'am." It's "yes ma'am," "no ma'am" and more often than not: "yes'm." I guess I'm not sure if it's because I am in a position of "importance" here or if it's a sign of the Southern charm. I just don't recall hearing or using the word "ma'am" after every sentence in Chicago. But then again, I've never been to a Catholic Charities office in Chicago so maybe if I were working there as a Caseworker, I would be treated the same and referred to as "ma'am."

Also, everyone drives here as if they were bearing a large, open fishtank on top of their cars- so slow!!! While I'm rushing around trying to deliver envelopes to the various offices across the city, people are taking their gosh dern time!! Haha.

I haven't spoken much Spanish yet. I had a client yesterday who only spoke Spanish but that was the first one I have had and I didn't do very well because I had to ask her some pretty detailed questions using obscure vocabulary words. Oh well, it's all good, she understood me at least!!

My housemates and I might be taking a trip to Austin for Labor Day weekend- not sure yet! Will keep y'all updated.
<3

Hello my babies!

So I am at the San Antonio Central Library right now with one of my housemates- Owen. We all are trying to get out of the JV house as much as possible on the weekends because our weekdays consist of working, eating dinner, and sleeping. So far this weekend we went downtown on Friday night and explored the River Walk (well, four of us did), and danced outside to a live band playing bachata, cumbia, salsa, and oldies- so fun! My housemate Megan is an amazing dancer and she showed us some steps. Then on Saturday, the seven of us loaded onto a school bus with some of our parishoners and were off to a conference at the Wonderland Mall from 10am-3pm. The conference brought together several organizations from all over Texas to discuss immigration, education, health care, and community issues. It was pretty interesting but LONG. I was glad to find out about the issues that Texas faces and how people are going about trying to fix them. Then Saturday night, the Jesuit priests next door had us over for a barbecue and we enjoyed some tasty steak and salmon. So good!!! One of the priests brought out his trumpet and we all sang together. Father Marty and I even sang Marty Robbins' "El Paso"- it was great. Today, I was fortunate enough to join the 11am mass choir and so I sang my heart out to the whole congregation. It actually feels nice to go to mass every week. It's kind of grounding I guess.

So, I wanted to give a brief description of the work that I do at Catholic Charities every week. I will not be able to write this during the week I'm guessing because I get so busy. Here's why: (and hopefully Owen doesn't demand the computer while I'm typing this because I'm using her library card to log on...! haha)

Okay, so this is what a typical day looks like for me:

1.) I drive with my coworker/housemate Christina to the Catholic Charities office and we enter the building at about 7:50am.

2.) I walk to my office (which is fairly spacious and has two chairs in it facing my desk for when I see clients) and set down my things.

3.) I check my schedule to see how many clients have appointments with me and when those appointments are. On a typical day, I see between 4 and 6 clients.

4.) On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and most Fridays, I go on a mail run at 9am. I take the Catholic Charities van (which I don't know if I have described already, but it lacks all of the features of a van that one might want- the windows do not open, the power locks are broken, the radio doesn't work, there are no seats in the back, and the gears sometimes squeak when you turn a corner. oh boy!) and visit a couple different offices that are associated with the office that I work at. I drop off mail from my office and pick up any mail that the other offices might have for the people at my office. I also bring large envelopes to the post office. The mail run usually takes an hour and would be very fun and relaxing... if I had a radio!!! Haha, no it's nice just singing to myself ;)

5.) Then, the craziness begins. My first client comes to the front desk, fills out a form and the secretary calls me on my phone to alert me that my client is there to see me. I run up to the front, call the client's name and invite him/her/them(sometimes family members come together) to my office.

6.) Then I interview the client and ask what the "crisis" is that they're experiencing. They tell their stories (sometimes at great length!) and I determine whether or not they will qualify for the four grants that we work with.

7.) If a client is having trouble paying his or her rent, I will help him or her fill out an application to request funds from two of the organizations we work with that assist with rent. If the client is having trouble paying his or her utility bill, I will help him or her fill out one of the other two applications that we have.

8.) Filling out the application can be tedious and arduous. Depending on which of the four applications I am filling out for them, I have to ask the client to think back on ALL of the purchases that the client made in the past 30 days. "How much did you spend on clothing since July 26th?" "How much did you spend on personal items...child support...gasoline...groceries..." the list goes on. Then I inquire into ALL of the sources of income that the client's household has received in the last 30 days. "How much did you receive in child support...food stamps...social security checks...from your job..." and that list goes on as well.

9.) Once we've filled out the application, I must ask the client to provide a picture ID for all members of the household over 18 years old, social security cards for everyone in the house, birth certificates, proof of income, proof of the crisis they're experiencing (hospital bills, car repair bills, school supply bills, etc.), their lease, paperwork filled out by their landlord, and their utility bill. I have to make photocopies of all documents to add to their application. The hardest part is getting proof of the client's crisis. Sometimes the client just "gets behind" in bills but that is not enough of a case for the organizations from which we ask funds. If I ask the City of San Antonio (COSA) to pay "Anthony's" utility bill, they want to know WHY "Anthony" can't pay that bill. It's also tricky too because in order to receive assistance, the client must only be behind ONE month in bills or rent. If they are behind on two months or more, they don't qualify.

10.) I have only had positive experiences with my clients so far which is good. They are
generally kind, respectful, and compliant. However, I have heard that some clients get intensely irate when they do not receive the assistance that they have asked for. Which is understandable, but it's really not MY fault if COSA doesn't want to help the client. Grr.

Here are some highlights from the clients that I have seen:
-One woman named her daughter "Abcde" (pronounced "Absedy") because her friend told her about the name and she thought it sounded cool.
-One client's little girl would giggle uncontrollably when I put my hands in front of my face and then did "Peek-a-boo" to her. Very cute!
-One client had just taken medication and was very "drowsy." She practically fell asleep while talking to me. Kinda sad.

In addition to my casework and mail runs, I also have to do little errands for my boss all the time. It wouldn't be that much of an issue if I weren't already super busy. Oh well! I do like my job, really I do, I'm just trying to adjust to the fast pace!!

Well, got to go- Kait and Owen are reading over my shoulder right now. Kait is laughing hysterically! Owen is correcting my spelling and making fun of my excessive use of exclamation points!!!!!!!!!

Love to all!
:) ;) :D

This has been an insanely stressful week- work at Catholic Charities is killing me!!! I mean I like the work I'm doing but it is really tough. That's why I haven't updated much. I will try to write more this weekend when I will possibly have a spare moment. Possibly.

Or I'll be experiencing the busiest year of my life and not able to tell anyone about it. :(

We'll see!!
All my love :)

First Day of Work

I have internet at work!! I am at work right now!! Here is my job description:

My job title is ‘Crisis Intervention Caseworker’, the position responsible for dealing with clients who are in dire need of basic financial assistance. The caseworker interviews clients, who undergo a prior screening process by telephone, and determines whether or not they qualify and which grant(s) best suit that particular client’s situation of crisis. The grants come from the city, state, and federal governments and are quite straightforward, aiming to serve those members of society most traditionally in need, such as single mothers, the elderly, and the disabled. The caseworker is also responsible for the year long program, entitled Project Cool, which distributes over 6000 fans to elderly members of the San Antonio community during the brutal summer months. Finally, the caseworker will be called on to help out around the office as needed for many odd jobs. Some of these tasks include helping in the food pantry and delivering the mail to different branches of the city-wide Catholic Charities Organization.

I love the staff and the job seems really interesting. I sat in on a caseworker getting info from a client today and it was really exhilarating. I then went on my mail run with a funny maintenance man named "Vidal" (who is a crazy Christian...and thinks Jesus was "filthy rich" when he was born and never preached poverty...hmm.) and visited the new office that my department is moving to. There are about ten of us from Catholic Charities moving to an office near my JV house. I'll be able to walk to work soon!! (like mid September).

I can't access Facebook or Youtube at work, but that's alright! If I have time, I'll try to blog every once and awhile.

I spoke Spanish quite a bit today and was told by coworkers that I look like I'm from "the capitol" (meaning Mexico City). Neat!

Talk to y'all later, I get off at 5pm. (And start at 8am. Office is closed from 12pm-1pm for lunch).

Here I am in San Antonio, Texas!! I really love it but it is intensely hot... in fact, it's kind of impossible to stay outside for longer than five minutes. At night the air is still exceedingly thick and hot so air conditioning has become my new friend!!



I arrived in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, August 10th and stayed at Circle Lake Retreat Center for five nights. I met all 56 of the Jesuit Volunteers working in the South region of the United States. There were people from all over the U.S. and they made up houses of three to seven people. There are two JV houses in Houston, one in Austin, one in San Antonio, two in New Orleans, one in Atlanta, one in El Paso, one in South Dakota, and one in Mobile, Alabama. We had a lot of fun, there were three hour lectures on four of the days and then a talent show on the last day. I performed with the seven girls in my house- we sang "So Long, Farewell" from the Sound of Music. I was Brigitta. :) I also did a skit with some JVs from the Midwest which was a lot of fun!! It was my birthday so we all enjoyed a huge marble cake and dance party that night. I was in heaven (except I realized that if I was hot inside from dancing, it would be no relief to go outside so I had to keep taking breaks so as to not overheat!!).



So, my housemates and I were picked up by Brother Gus (a religious brother associated with our parish in San Antonio) and a nice man named Carlos in a white mini-school bus on Sunday, August 15th and driven to our new home in San Antonio. We arrived around 3pm and had a little time to unpack. Our new home is crazy!! It's a huge former convent with nine bedrooms and a chapel. It's two floors. The second floor has eight monastic cells- one of which is the "Mother Superior" room, complete with a buzzer to wake the young nuns. My housemates and I had a little trouble choosing who would get each room but when we finally decided, I was content with my assigned room. There are four bathrooms, each with a shower, toilet, and sink, on the second floor. The house was filthy when we arrived so we set about cleaning as soon as we all had chosen our rooms. However, someone used the shower in one of our bathrooms to fill up a bucket of water for cleaning but the water wouldn't turn off. It gushed and gushed from the faucet (luckily it was luke warm water and it wasn't coming from the showerhead, it was the bottom faucet) and we had to call the priests over (from the church next door) to turn off the water to our house. They searched and searched but couldn't find the switch to shut off the water. Meanwhile, the drain in the shower couldn't handle the excessive amounts of water spewing from the faucet so we kept filling up buckets and dumping them in the sink. Finally, the maintenance man for the church grounds figured out how to turn off the water and we were without water for about twelve hours. We showered and brushed our teeth in the church guest house which was nice :)



Then, on Monday, August 16th, we (the six gals and I) went and visited all of our places of work. When we went to visit Catholic Charities (where I work), I was given the keys to a large white van which I will need to use every day to get to and from work, and to run errands for the organization throughout the week. The van can only be used for Catholic Charities-related activities :( and it has only two seats (driver and passenger). Also, the windows do not open at all... thank goodness the air conditioning works because otherwise I would die. I share the van with my housemate, Christina who also works with Catholic Charities. The job seems like it will be challenging but a really great experience. I'll explain more later. I start work tomorrow!!



So, the gals!! We call ourselves, "G-Unit" because the convent we live in is called Casa Guadalupe and we call it "Casa G" or the "G-Spot" (which I don't like but it's a tradition for the JVs to refer to the house that way). So anyway, here's the line up-



1.) Owen, "Nana"- She is the oldest of the group and from Columbus, OH. She studied Dietetics but now has applied (and been accepted) to Social Work graduate school. She has her own car here and is working with the elderly at Christian Senior Services.



2.) Janine- She is from Los Angeles and is shorter than me!! Yay!! Haha. She is going to enter Nursing school after JVC and works with Respite Care- a center for children with disabilities and abused children.



3.) Kelsey, "Kels"- She is also from the Los Angeles area and reminds me so much of my former roommate, Kaeli that I keep accidentally calling her that- oops!! She studied Sociology at USD and is a self-proclaimed sassy diva. She will be working with pregnant teenagers and young mothers at Seton Home as their spiritual director. Vegetarian.



4.) Kait- She is from Philadelphia and has described herself as the most talkative person you'll ever meet. It was true at first but really, I haven't noticed that she talks much more than anyone else, haha. She attended Loyola Maryland (and studied abroad in Spain with a girl who studied with me in Chile!) and is applying for grad schools this year. She'll be working at Respite Care with Janine. Doesn't eat red meat.



5.) Megan- She is from San Diego and probably one of the sweetest people you'll meet. She's kind of quiet and shy but totally selfless and caring. She works at the church (Our Lady of Guadalupe) next door to us and already started working today and yesterday (whereas the rest of us have a break until tomorrow). She's our direct link with the church which is really nice. Vegetarian.



6.) Christina- My fellow Chi-town gal, her family actually lives in Skokie now but she lived in Wrigleyville before. She attended Loyola Academy and St. Louis University. She studied Spanish and International Studies (just like me) and is working with Immigration at Catholic Charities. I was jealous...until I found out her department has a lot of drama, back-stabbing, and passive aggression (as well as active aggression- last year's JV got into a verbal altercation with a staff member that involved cursewords). We know all about the office from a binder the girl who worked in my department gave us. I'm glad to have a coworker from my house!! (and hometown!!) She's real nice.

7.) Laura, "Boo," "Baby Boo"- The youngest of the group and the goofiest. Least religious and most adamently opposed to the cruel treatment of animals. Content with her housemates!


So, I want to comment on Texas culture, our financial situation, the rest of our house, the staff of the parish we live with, and the neighborhood we live in but don't have much time. Suffice it to say that we are in an area of heavy crime. Literally across the street is a plaza where prostitution and drug deals are done every night. Last night we heard at least three helicopters responding to some criminal activity in our area. We heard sirens and bird calls as well. The city has installed speakers that blast predatory bird calls so that birds will stay out of our area. I've been sleeping surprisingly well. Apparently this morning I slept through a loud garbage truck and the eight o'clock bell medly from the church next door (OLG). Granted, I was exhausted. The cockroaches we've found in our bedrooms have made us afraid to sleep.

Wait, I should say first that I am happy to be here!! It's going to be an adjustment but I really thank God that I have been given this opportunity. I'll try to keep you all updated. :)

Love from San Antonio!!!
<3
Laura

JVC

I will be spending a year as a volunteer with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in San Antonio, TX. I am really excited and can't wait for August 10th when it all begins!

I have never been good at blogging but I will try my best to keep up with this one. Perhaps the fact that I will not have internet access (or a computer) in my home will cause me to make really good use of the time that I DO have on the internet. Who knows? But don't lose faith in me! I'd love to keep anyone who is interested updated regularly.

Ta ta for now!