UJ: outreach memories

Before I start, I wanted to give Michael Moore's website just in case anyone wanted to read more about what he has to say. He's controversial...that is an understatement, but I do believe we need his kind of controversy if we have any hope of changing our country.

http://www.michaelmoore.com

And on to the topic of this entry. I have been reminded often of my days of outreach this week. And for those of you who don't know....my first social service job in Indiana was working as an Americorps Homeless Street Outreach Worker. We went out on the streets in groups and talked to those who were homeless. We tried to focus on those who textbooks would call the "chronic homeless." They are the ones which have made a life on the streets and over time, many have gotten quite used to it. We would go into alleys, parks, by train tracks and along underpasses. Our job was first to engage with these people and hopefully get a trusting relationship with them. You see, most people who are chronically homeless (btw- I hate this term) don't trust many people and agencies...and can you blame them? They in many instances have been treated like animals or worse....and only helped if they were deamed worthy of some sort of help. They don't have much reason to trust or put hope into agencies....those same agencies that have let them down over and over again.

And that in many ways is where we came in. We would go to them...on their turf in many ways. And we didn't go there spouting requirements. We would just talk with them and see if there were ways, if any, that we could help. We also carried some basic care items with us...like soap, shampoo and some food. In many ways the items were our "in" into the conversation, but they also really served a need. Just because someone doesn't want to go to an agency's door, doesn't mean that they don't deserve some food and some cleanliness items. It is amazing to me...how many people think some of the basic items are not a basic human right.

And the agency I worked for...I considered one of the good guys. Their mission is to treat all people...especially those experiencing homelessness as human being....with the right to make decisions on their own life. They didn't call the people we served homeless people or "bums", but instead we chose to call them "homeless neighbors" because they are just as much our neighbor as the person who lives next door. And through time...of these individuals seeing us coming to them and really trying to understand their situation and their frustrations and helping them in any way that we could....many of these people really began to trust us and work with us. We were able to be the bridge between the street and the agency.


I have such fond memories of that work. And by that, I mean of the work with the people, not necessary the work inside the office. There was agency politics just like everywhere else. But, I know that when I left the office and our group began our outreach...we were doing good work.

Now what made me have these memories this week? Umm...a few things.

The first was on Wednesday they did a Homeless Count here in Bloomington. We were trying to get accurate information for grant and service purposes about the amount of homeless people in Bloomington. So, to count people in essence we broke up into teams and did outreach of the area. It was different in many ways...in scope...in purpose, but it felt very similar. It also reminded me of what I loved about it. Our group didn't come across and people to count, but I remember the sense of team work that goes along with going out with only those people. YOu have conversations that you woudln't have in any other setting. I really missed my outreach days while walking through our area of town.

And then today....it was kind of sprinkling when I came into work and continues through most of the morning. And I went to a local place to get lunch. It started to really rain on my walk over and then continued on my walk back. I ended up having to go back (they got my soup wrong...) and it continued to rain. It wasn't a hard rain, so I just walked through it. That reminded me of outreach too...because we were out in almost every kind of element. We talked for hours through the rain, the ice, the snow, the wind, the hot sun, etc... You name it...we walked through it. So, for those 5 or 10 minutes at most when I was out today and walking through the rain....letting the drops hit my shoulders over and over again, I was once again reminded of my work.

I think I had forgotten how much I loved that job. I enjoy the work I am doing now, but not on the same level. The work there was not only satifiying, but also incredibly challenging. And the challenges were about the people we were helping and nothing else. I think in my work today, the things that challenge me are not client related, but about the system and administration. My challenges....they are about then budget and making sure the program meets the need of the grant. The challenges of outreach were difficult, but life affirming and energizing...and the challenges of work here...sometimes are just so draining.

In the end...I enjoy my work enough with the families that I will keep with it, but if a job came along that encompassed those things in outreach, I would be there in a second. That is the work that dramatically satisfies me.

And...for anyone who wanst to check out where I worked when I did outreach, here is their website. Check out what they do...since outreach is just one small piece. And if you are so motivated, they accept donations and gifts of all kinds.

http://www.horizonhouse.cc

And those are my final words on this rainy friday afternoon....

Shelley