Week #5
As I prepare to begin week 5 of my internship, I am reflecting on all the surprising and enlightening experiences I have faced this summer. I have learned about the flexibility required of those in nonprofit work and the concept that everyone must reach out of their comfort zones. My internship has surprised me in the diversity of my tasks. I so enjoy the nature of my schedule which is organized each week but contains differing goals and assignments. I love the fact that the work I am doing not only is enjoyable to me and keeps me on edge, but all the while is working towards bettering the lives of those in my community. I am also surprised, although I shouldn’t be, by the close relationships I am forming. I did not know my coworkers except for brief and small interactions before beginning my work, and now I have formed meaningful relationships with those I work with.
I have learned additionally that my previous conception of nonprofit and charity work is not one of substantial or longterm fixes for those I seek to help. Through reading a novel recommended by my boss, Toxic Charity, and intellectual conversations about it’s concepts, I have come to explore the concept even further of investing in communities and people in difficult times in their lives instead of just giving to help the poor. Investing in individual’s efforts, abilities, and self-esteem promote longterm corrective solutions to the conditions of the impoverished in my community. A highlight of my week was having a conversation about this with one of my leaders at the Closet of Hope about this concept. She admitted to having struggled with this concept and how she has tried to make correction to the typical and stagnant structure of charity work with the Back 2 School Store, which is structured to promote positive self-esteem not only for benefiting children, but also the parents who are able to say they provided for their own family. This was an important conversation for me because it reinforced the notion to me that the people working in the nonprofits I am interning with hope to improve their own organizations in order to long-term become better and more equipped for empowering underprivileged families in the community.
Ashley Graham Phipps June 29, 2017 - 8:59 pm
Toxic Charity is a great book. Many non-profits struggle with developing the whole person instead of just fixing the symptom. One of the overnight shelters that I worked with previously, not only had classes on how to manage money, but they also developed classes on smoking cessation, healthy eating on a budget, computer software (i.e. Word, etc.). They knew that it wasn’t as simple as providing a safe place to sleep.
One of their best stories is a man that would always sleep at the shelter. He went through all of the courses but was still struggling to find a job. At the time the shelter was building a new shelter. He would go over daily and offer to volunteer with the construction company. The construction company hired him and when the project was done recommended that the shelter hire him as the facilities manager. He is now the director of facilities at the shelter. He has his own home and has been able to begin a new path in life.
calvpe16 July 2, 2017 - 6:01 pm
That is such an inspiring story! I loved the book and it definitely challenged my previous conception of charity work and has made me reconsider how I want to serve others. In order to see lasting results, I think careful consideration of assistance is necessary!