"And I'll learn to get by on little victories"-Matt Nathanson

Something great happened today, and while it was a very small thing, I have found that in social work we need to hold on to these small victories and use these victories as fuel to advocate for our less successful youth and power through the obstacles and roadblocks that often stand in our way.

(For privacy purposes I have only included the first letter of all names mentioned.)

After dropping M,a fellow Americorps member, off at work, I continue on to my office downtown jamming to Blind Melon's "Skinned." I notice that the beat of the song jives with the rhythm of the wind-shield wipers swishing back and forth and my fingers begin to snap in sync. And just like every morning, I swing around the bend into the parking lot and wave at the maintenance manager who sits in a golf cart at the entrance. Sometimes, I think he is waving at me to slow down; I ignore this, smile, and wave as if I'm clueless as to what he is trying to tell me. I park in a spot marked "reserved," (this, too, I ignore) and hurriedly gather my things from the backseat because last night's cocktail at the bar with my neighbor has made me late, yet again. I take the elevator up to the third story, brief case in one hand and herbal tea in the other with an eco-friendly shopping bag swung over my right shoulder, to be greeted by our Secretary, S. She just got a new haircut. It's very "Mary Tyler Moore."


I glance at the clock on the wall in my office and realize that I have 5 minutes to spare before a staff meeting at 9:30. Because I chose to put on make-up this morning rather than eat breakfast, I rip open a granola bar with my teeth while skimming the subject lines of ten un-read e-mails in my inbox. Without looking up from my computer screen, I hear a knock at my door.

"Come in," I say, without looking up, figuring it's probably an Independent Living Specialist referring me to another youth.

A young man clears his throat,"Hi Miss."

I stop reading to find D, one of the youth I have been assisting in receiving food stamps and medicaid benefits for the last few weeks, standing in front of my desk with a smile painted from ear to ear. As I stand up to greet him, he walks towards me, gives me a hug and says "Thank you."

I am so taken aback by the gesture of appreciation, one in which the staff members at Vita Nova rarely see, that I think I am going to cry. In just this week alone, I have had two youths miss their tutoring sessions due to a lack of responsibility, one young woman blame me for the rejection of her medicaid application in which she proceeded to deem me "the biggest bitch to ever walk the planet," and a set of twins whose food stamp applications were rejected by the state because of their current citizenship status.

And so during weeks like this, when I feel like I have failed a youth five out of six times, that one youth who has actually succeeded in receiving a benefit is the most important part of my day. Youth like D, while they are few and far between, remind me why I get up for work every morning and encourage me to continue advocating for this particular population. He reminds me to have more patience and compassion for a youth who over sleeps and misses his appointment or out of frustration and loss, takes their anger at the system, out on me. When I think about D, I remember why these youth are sitting in my office. I remember that they are dealing with more stress and trauma than I probably ever will; that their inability to trust anyone takes a toll on the relationships I attempt to form with them; and that in comparison to what I grew up with, these youths have grown up with relatively nothing.

After talking to D about the food stamp benefit he had received, I asked him if he had a meeting with his Independent Living Specialist this morning. He did not. He was simply there to thank me for helping him.

I was beaming.

It's Always Sunny in Florida

I've been writing monthly e-mails instead of blogs because certain family members, like my 76 year old grandmother, do not understand the concept of "blogging." Yet, I feel as though the entire point of creating "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Post College Life" was to remark upon my experiences in Florida. So in order to make both my grandmother and the blog fans (cough, Colleen, cough) happy, I've decided to write both.

Florida is hot. And humid. And there are no seasonal changes, like the changing colors of the leaves, to look forward to. The temperature here has dropped to 90 instead of its usual 100 and people here remark upon this change in temperature as if we're experiencing some sort of cool spell. The pool at the club house is all of a sudden "too chilly" to swim in and the ocean "too rough" to wade in. Being used to the cold water and swells of the Atlantic off Long Island, the 75 degree ocean water feels refreshing against the relentless, blazing heat that radiates from the sun ALL DAY LONG.



Work at Vita Nova gets better everyday. We have taken over the the third floor of the building which means that I get my very own office! (See picture to the right, and Yes, I am aware of the decorating that needs to be done.)On Sunday, VN played a flag-football game at a nearby park in West Palm against ten of the youth we serve. I invited a bunch of Americorps members to play to reinforce the community aspect of VN's mission. The event was a success for both teams even though the "staff" team kicked some serious butt!

As far as the actual work that I do, it is extremely satisfying. To know that I have aided in a student's successful completion of their GED, passed their algebra class because of our tutoring sessions, or was able to move to a less restrictive residency because of positive behavior that was enforced and practiced through different activities, makes way for an unbelievable feeling. For the first time, I actually feel like all of my hard work has paid off; that I am in this position because I have earned it, and because I have earned it, I have found happiness in my work. Right now, I am applying to graduate schools for the fall of 2011 for a dual masters in social work and public health in hopes to continue this satisfying work in the future.

Aside from work at Vita Nova, I have taken up a babysitting job Friday afternoons and Saturday evenings and have become involved with a few community service projects. A few weeks ago, six Americorps members, including myself, served at "Camp Treasure" an over night camp for kids who have parents or siblings with disabilities. They got to be the "treasures" which they often do not get to be because of the extra responsibilities they have at home living with a family member who needs their assistance. The kids got to play basketball, swim in the pool, participate in a ropes course, create an art project, and participate in other "ice breaker" type games that encouraged them to open up and ask for help, two qualities in which most of these kids lack. Because most of these kids would have never have had the chance to attend a summer camp, it was really cool to witness the happiness that the weekend had brought them.

I know it seems like "all work and no play," but I am taking time to do things for myself, as well. I have found that it is easier to leave work at work then it was to leave school work at the library and in class. I've been taking advantage of Delray and Lake Worth, two very artsy and eclectic towns about 10 minutes in each direction of Boynton. Just yesterday, I auditioned at the LakeWorth Playhouse for their rendition of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." I received a call-back for Wednesday evening. I'm hoping for a spot in the ensemble to slowly get back into something that at one point, was the center of my life. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes! :)

Looking forward to my visit with Lindsay and Zach in Austin, TX at the beginning of November, and then my first trip home for Thanksgiving to see my family and friends! I am positive that both visits will be blog-worthy. Talk then--

peace&love.