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!!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
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. :)
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. :)
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