I initially planned to complete my Take Action service hours
at the YWCA of Flint. When the Outreach Coordinator spoke to us in class and
provided us with a list of possible organizations to work with, I was drawn to
the YWCA because of its long standing in the community and its reputation for
providing services to a disadvantaged population. However, because of scheduling conflicts and
communication issues with the volunteer coordinator, I was only able to
complete half of my service hours there. The remaining hours I spent working at
a Thanksgiving dinner at the International Academy of Flint. The experiences at
both locations helped me to see firsthand just how needed these services are in
our community.
While at the YWCA, I was able to speak with Monica Wolf, who works in Legal Advocacy services. Ms. Wolf was able to provide me with a lot of insight into her work with the residents of SafeHouse. As a legal advocate her work involves such things as helping the women to fill out personal protection orders, making them aware of court dates where their appearance is required and acting as a voice for these women in the courtroom when needed, among other things. One thing I found interesting when speaking to Ms. Wolf was that she said it is not unusual that when the time comes for the women to appear in court and provide testimony against the perpetrators of their abuse, they will want to drop charges. Often they “just wanted it (the abuse) to stop right then”, at the time they called the police. They don’t realize that they must then follow through once the process has begun. It is times like this that Ms. Wolf will relay the woman’s request to the judge and, based upon any possible record of previous domestic abuse by the perpetrator, the judge may agree to dismiss the charges or may go against the woman’s wishes and proceed with prosecuting the alleged abuser. It is precisely because of cases like these that SafeHouse educates its residents about the patterns that abuse can follow, the different types of abuse and attempts to teach the women how to detect abuse early on in any future relationships. I like that not only do Ms. Wolf and SafeHouse advocate for these women who often are too afraid to advocate for themselves but also seek to break the cycle of abuse for the women and their children.
While the work in the donation center can be tedious at times, at the same time it is satisfying in doing something that so many get so much out of and knowing that even though they are not in the most ideal of situations, you are a part of helping the residents to get their most basic needs met.
On Thanksgiving I spent 3 hours working at a dinner provided for lower income families at International Academy of Flint. This was my fifth year working at this dinner. Throughout the years I've seen that many of the families we serve are single females, both with and without children, and with a wide range in age. Some of these women are raising families on their own, while some, like many others, have simply fallen on hard times. This is such a rewarding project to participate in as it also incorporates distributing clothing and guests are sent home with a box of food, including fresh fruit and frozen meat.
The SafeHouse at the YWCA has both short and long term effects. For the short term, it gives women and their children a safe albeit temporary place to call home. For the long term, the educational programs it offers provide life long learning to its residents that only seek to better their future, for both the women and their children. As was the message so often in Half the Sky, providing education to those in disadvantaged situations is often the key to a better life and a better world. I don't think we can emphasize enough the importance of education to women so that they can then pass this on to future generations.
I look forward to returning to the YWCA next semester to continue providing service where I can. This project was the impetus I think many of us needed to see the impact that one person can make.
While at the YWCA, I was able to speak with Monica Wolf, who works in Legal Advocacy services. Ms. Wolf was able to provide me with a lot of insight into her work with the residents of SafeHouse. As a legal advocate her work involves such things as helping the women to fill out personal protection orders, making them aware of court dates where their appearance is required and acting as a voice for these women in the courtroom when needed, among other things. One thing I found interesting when speaking to Ms. Wolf was that she said it is not unusual that when the time comes for the women to appear in court and provide testimony against the perpetrators of their abuse, they will want to drop charges. Often they “just wanted it (the abuse) to stop right then”, at the time they called the police. They don’t realize that they must then follow through once the process has begun. It is times like this that Ms. Wolf will relay the woman’s request to the judge and, based upon any possible record of previous domestic abuse by the perpetrator, the judge may agree to dismiss the charges or may go against the woman’s wishes and proceed with prosecuting the alleged abuser. It is precisely because of cases like these that SafeHouse educates its residents about the patterns that abuse can follow, the different types of abuse and attempts to teach the women how to detect abuse early on in any future relationships. I like that not only do Ms. Wolf and SafeHouse advocate for these women who often are too afraid to advocate for themselves but also seek to break the cycle of abuse for the women and their children.
While the work in the donation center can be tedious at times, at the same time it is satisfying in doing something that so many get so much out of and knowing that even though they are not in the most ideal of situations, you are a part of helping the residents to get their most basic needs met.
On Thanksgiving I spent 3 hours working at a dinner provided for lower income families at International Academy of Flint. This was my fifth year working at this dinner. Throughout the years I've seen that many of the families we serve are single females, both with and without children, and with a wide range in age. Some of these women are raising families on their own, while some, like many others, have simply fallen on hard times. This is such a rewarding project to participate in as it also incorporates distributing clothing and guests are sent home with a box of food, including fresh fruit and frozen meat.
The SafeHouse at the YWCA has both short and long term effects. For the short term, it gives women and their children a safe albeit temporary place to call home. For the long term, the educational programs it offers provide life long learning to its residents that only seek to better their future, for both the women and their children. As was the message so often in Half the Sky, providing education to those in disadvantaged situations is often the key to a better life and a better world. I don't think we can emphasize enough the importance of education to women so that they can then pass this on to future generations.
I look forward to returning to the YWCA next semester to continue providing service where I can. This project was the impetus I think many of us needed to see the impact that one person can make.
No comments:
Post a Comment