Today was our first day of service at The Samaritan Inn in McKinney, TX and it was more wonderful than we ever could have expected.
We began our morning with an introduction to the Inn from director Lynne Sipiora (complete with coffee and doughnuts). Lynne's energy had us all completely enamored - this woman knows how to sell her organization. The Samaritan Inn runs almost entirely on donations - only five percent of the budget comes from government grants - and it looks like a big part of that is Lynne's doing. Ben wants to be her when he grows up.
We went on a tour of the Inn, and it really is incredible. The Samaritan Inn is a homeless shelter with a comprehensive "homeless program." Each person who stays at the Inn is assigned a case worker, and the case worker develops a personalized plan for the resident to complete during their stay. The program includes things like financial literacy classes, parenting classes, etc. The Samaritan Inn has all kinds of cool stuff. They have a kennel where they can house cats and dogs (and once a parrot), they have a "Hot Box" which is a giant metal shed that heats up items (clothing donations, mattresses, anything) to kill bugs like bed bugs and head lice, and they have a beautiful kids playroom and playground. We also learned about all the special projects the Inn does to serve the community on top of their everyday duties. This place is hella cool.
We got off to a fast start today. We organized the Hygiene Shed, which is the storage building where non-food donations are stored (like diapers, paper towels, shampoo). It was a big job, but it was successfully completed!
After eating lunch with the residents at the Inn, we worked on a myriad of administrative tasks. Our volunteer coordinator, Cara, calls these "intellectual tasks," which makes me feel like my four months of graduate school have given me a very special set of knowledge and skills. We read over every page on the website to look for typos, outdated language and weird phrasing, we redesigned marketing materials, we launched their YouTube channel, and we looked up the prices for a bunch of donated silent auction items. Then we served dinner to the residents at the Inn.
Here are some highlights from our debrief:
Sabrina: "The Samaritan Inn has totally changed my idea of what a shelter looks like. What a shelter can look like. It surprised me when Cara told us that at the Samaritan Inn, the residents can get comfortable, but not too comfortable. She was being really honest with us. At first I was shocked [at the restrictions placed on residents], but then I realized it was very reasonable. I think I was surprised because I was an outsider, and I realized you can't judge things from the outside."
Mikeita: "My high was definitely talking to the residents. I'm very passionate about public service, and talking to the residents helps me understand and remember my higher purpose. It makes my heart smile. Plus one lady gave me some really great beauty tips."
"I really liked the programs they had set up for the kids, like the petting zoo, the Girl's Night Inn, and the birthday parties. I thought some of the boundaries set for the residents were kind of harsh, but then I realized that this is a temporary housing shelter, and you have to set some of those boundaries."
Laura: "I thought Lynn and Cara were really inspiring. You can tell how much they care about the program. I also really liked hanging out with the kids. Sometimes I like kids more than grownups."
"I was impressed with the community I saw. Throughout the day, residents were talking about how much they liked the Inn and McKinney because of the sense of community they feel here."
Tifanesha: "One of the things I appreciate about the South is that people aren't fake. They'll tell you exactly what they're thinking and feeling. None of that midwestern fake niceness."
"Don't forget The Samaritan Inn thoroughly screens their residents, so we're only seeing about 1/8th of the homeless population in McKinney here. We're not seeing mental health issues, we're not seeing drug and alcohol addiction. I think this impacts their success and their donor model - they are able to choose only the very best people to come and stay."
Natalie: "My high was getting the shed done. Organizing and cleaning always leaves a great feeling of accomplishment. But it was also cool to be in that admin room, bouncing ideas off each other. I didn't think we would get to do so much today. I got to edit and I was like, 'OMG yes grammar!' It was cool to think that I could do this for a job. This is the coolest place."
"I talked to a resident who told us her story. She is a musician, she just went through a divorce. There are big stereotypes about people who are homeless, and it was great to hear someone's story and have someone be so open with us. Also, every single person has said, 'thank you so much for being here.'"
"My low was that I turned my alarm off six tmes. That keeps happening."
Erin: My high was hearing from Cara and Lynn this morning. It was great getting their insight, seeing how someone who has been in the industry for so long still has such a drive and passion for the program. Not only that, but continuing to be innovative and growing the program."
"The hot box was really cool. I worked at a homeless shelter in Charlotte for a year and we had to do lice checks every day because it spread so fast. It's amazing that here they don't have to worry about that."
Chen: "The Samaritan Inn is a functional place for everyone - kids, adults, and even us. I enjoyed the cafeteria, serving the food to the residents there. I feel pretty high today. I've learned a lot."
Chuka: "I was interested in the public health aspect. I thought it was sad that they don't have a county hospital. I liked the sanitation points. I saw all the kids sanitizing their hands. I learned a lot today. Now I know that benevolence has nothing to do with condescention. Everyone was treated as equals."
"I liked watching everyone work. Everyone had something to do. We were all working together as one functional unit."
Ben: "The Samaritan Inn reminded me of another shelter I worked at, Pendleton Place in South Carolina. The staff is really involved, strict but loving. Everyone is very compassionate. I like how they approach the tough love model. It's hard to find the line between taking too much away and not letting them get too comfortable. It's like being a parent."
Kelsey: "I was so apprehensive yesterday, but the whole day today was amazing. It couldn't have been better. I loved every second. I'm so happy I get to design, and happy that I really feel like I connected with their mission. I was impressed with everyone today."
No comments:
Post a Comment