Thursday, September 26, 2013
First day at St. Anthony's
The great thing about working with St. Anthony is that the foundation is extremely organized. Because a large portion of their work involves the help of volunteers everyday, they handle and train the volunteers very effectively. The first step to volunteering is to attend the two hour orientation and learn about the community the foundation serves. Because the work is done in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco where there is a diverse population and rich history, the orientation serves to introduce the volunteers to that community. Our coordinator had been with the foundation a very long time, and explained the history of the foundation, why it came about, what their mission is, and how they serve the needs of the community. I really enjoyed the orientation and the information given, I think a lot of times I participated in projects just because they sound good, without really knowing why I'm there and what purpose I have.
One thing that was emphasized in the orientation was how to interact with the guests of St. Anthony's. Most of the people that are served are homeless or extremely low income, and there might be times when they are difficult to deal with. Our coordinator said to treat them like you would treat a guest in your home, therefore make eye contact and smile because they may not get that very often from people. Also, for volunteers on there first day, the staff highly recommends taking time to sit and interact with the guests in the dinning hall. If there was ever to be a problem, we aren't allowed to try and solve the situation ourselves but let the trained staff of St. Anthony take over. When we are working closely with the guests, there are always trained staff throughout the dinning hall to monitor any situations and that made me felt more comfortable.
My first working day at the foundation was very hectic. I worked in the dining hall with about twenty other volunteers. There were volunteers of all ages from age 13 to even in the 90's, and some who had worked with the foundation for over 25 years. I did not at all expect so many people to come in for the meals or that I would get as exhausted as I did. The doors were open from ten to two, and guests were let in in groups. In the dining hall they serve about 2,600 meals a day, and its a coordinated effort by staff, volunteers, and those in a rehab program. The workings of the dining hall was also very organized, there was a dining hall coordinator who directed the volunteers and made sure they did a variety of jobs and get breaks. Although I was physically very tired, I really enjoyed my first day and it felt nice being able to directly help.
Here is a link to the foundation's page http://www.stanthonysf.org/
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Great post Ghazel, its great to hear that your already getting started with your practice experience, and that your working with a local community. What I found interesting about your post was that your working with an organization that depends upon volunteers, and works efficiently with them. I think this is very important, and something many people, including myself, do not look for when choosing their practice org. Many organizations, although they are NGOs and accept volunteers, do not have an efficient and successful method for working them into the activities of their company. This lack of coordination, which is sometimes a result of the specific type of work the NGO is involved in, leads to a diminished impact and dissatisfaction of many volunteers. Great job working with an NGo that knows how to work with its volunteers, its definitely something people should think about when choosing their org.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool that there were such aged volunteers there! My first days at Suitcase felt very hectic also. I think the idea "serving" the "underserved" is interesting, because often times I leave from volunteering with organizations that sound similar to what you described feeling moreso that I was served just as much or even more from the valuable conversations shared with people from all walks of life. St Anthony's sounds very structured compared to Suitcase. I guess you have to be pretty organized serving that many people a day! How incredible. I wonder if you get to see the planning side of the program as well as the direct-client-service? I wonder where it lands on the participation scale and how it is funded, etc. Thanks for sharing your experience with us :)
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