Reflection from Gwen, University of Findlay

Who are we helping and how? The more I learn about Bridges out of Poverty and the more I think about my experiences with non-profits, the more I ask this question. I recently led a reflection with a group of international students who had volunteered at a Mobile Food Pantry here in Findlay as part of a Service-Learning course studying the Great Depression. At the Mobile Food Pantries, a truck from the West Ohio Food Bank delivers 10,000 pounds of food at about 7:30 on a Saturday morning at which point food is sorted and distributed by students. As we reflected on this experience, I informed the students that at 10pm the night previous, as I prepared the space, I saw 13 people in line to receive food for the next morning. The students became very vocal about their distress that some individuals had waited as many as 11 hours to receive not even a full grocery card of food. “How are we actually helping them if they are spending the night outside in line?” noticed one student.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about services offered to people living with poverty and how “helpful” they actually are. This Saturday morning time is very convenient for volunteers, but it is obviously not ideal for many of the individuals and families in need. Findlay is full of people ready to serve. Almost every community member I have met is either a part of a church group, civic organization, or a regular volunteer at a non-profit. Findlay is not lacking in volunteers. Unfortunately, I think sometimes the needs of the volunteers override the needs of the people being served. For many volunteers in Findlay, their volunteer work is what keeps them going. Many are retired individuals who get up in the morning because of this work. So, the agencies are serving not only those in poverty or their clientele, but the volunteers who invest so much in their work. Volunteers serve food to folks who need it, but what else is there? Will we perpetually serve food to folks who need it? I think so. But how will we do it? Where will we connect that missing link? How can we match the needs of people without enough food in a thoughtful and caring way with the equally strong needs of the human spirit to give and feel useful? I’d love to hear your ideas as I keep you updated on mine!

Reflection from Katrena, Defiance College

This is an article about homelessness and internet usage from the Wall Street Journal a couple of years ago: Wall Street Journal – On the Street and On Facebook: The Homeless Stay Wired http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124363359881267523.html

What thoughts / impressions come to mind as you read this article? How can we work to make computers more accessible to the homeless population?

• Should we make computers more accessible to the homeless population? Why? Where are their priorities? Where are our priorities? To make them feel more connected to society, more human, the article's Mr. Livingston would argue. If they can buy laptops, if they can go to all the trouble of acquiring the gear, lugging it around, finding creative ways to recharge laptop batteries, create electricity in their tents, and make their laptop batteries last longer by cooling them with damp washcloths, why don't they put that energy into contributing meaningfully to society? For example, why don't they join the AmeriCorps or Senior Corps and help fight homelessness through all the creative potential and problem solving skills they obviously already have? Seems they'd be some of the most experienced of us to do so. The article even mentions a Lisa Stringer, manager of a program that teaches job and computer skills to homeless and low-income residents, who "urges homeless students to put off buying laptops until their living situations stabilize." It's about priorities.

• Are people with jobs and places to live supposed to be impressed by this acceptance of homelessness and ways to make the most of their "lot in life," or to resent that these men living on the outskirts of society are a burden on the system? After all, we pay rising insurance premiums so that when they need medical assistance, they can go to the emergency room free of charge, for example. The article didn't necessarily address that issue, but seems to me these homeless men haven't given that a thought. Are (any type of) Volunteers and the rest of the North American public supposed to "help" these people who apparently don't need help and decided to accept homelessness? How do you help someone who doesn't want it and doesn't see why you think he/she needs it?

• Amateur philosopher, aspiring poet, aspiring computer programmer...what do those "titles" mean? Is that the same as my being a prospective graduate student, but I'm in the process of applying to graduate programs, and saving money from my job to not go into debt for the fees incurred? In other words, making tangible progress toward my dreams? Or are these hollow claims to fame that only men can get away with, just as men are much more suited to homelessness and this lifestyle they've accepted than women would be? These interviewees have no dependents. No family members to help feed, clothe, and care for. I would think that homeless men are much less likely to get raped, robbed, or victimized than women. There are men who also tolerate dirt, grime, and living in the elements much better than women.

• My service year with AmeriCorps VISTA has given me a lot of food for thought so far, and plenty of interesting learning opportunities!

Reflection from Zachary Bartush, UC Clermont

• At this point in the year, what does being a VISTA mean to you?

So far, being a VISTA at UC Clermont means motivating people to become civically engaged in their communities to fight the issues highlighted in our PAFAs. This can be done either intrinsically (e.g. the belief that “no child should go hungry”) or extrinsically (e.g. a service learning program really benefits our college as an institution with good PR, better learning outcomes, etc). It is recruiting others for the fight against poverty while helping come up with new better ways to fight it through service learning courses and advising and serving with a student group that is dedicated to volunteer work to benefit the community.

• What are you aspirations for this year and for your projects? What do you hope to leave as your legacy?

I hope to leave a culture for service behind, or at the very least the beginnings of it. At this point, a tremendous amount of work has gone into creating this culture by the previous VISTA and our supervisor and I feel that it is reaching a “critical mass”. I want to encourage more students and faculty to become civically engaged and combine this with the recent administrative support to catalyze the change in culture. Ideally, this could lead to a formalized office for service learning and civic engagement at UC Clermont. If an office is established, this would enable many more faculty to engage in service learning courses that can both benefit the community and improve the education of their pupils as well as sustain and improve upon the culture that already exists.