The action project that I did not see coming

It all began with a search for an organization for my group to work with. We brought it down to a few and ultimately chose to go with REST.

We were instructed that in order to work with the group we would have to go through an orientation of sorts. Jen and I were able to do so a week ago, the other two group members will do theirs soon. Upon completion of the meeting we were given a chance to chose our times. For some reason, simply serving a meal did not seem adequate enough for what I was seeking to gain from this group. I told the coordinator that instead of the 6-8 am breakfast shift or 8-10 dinner, I would like to begin at 6 am and see how long I could last in the organization. Little did i know what was in store for me.

To keep the blog brief and save information for my presentation, I will give a quick overview of my day at rest.

6am Walk into the mens shelter and engage in conversation with the night supervisor along with one of the "clients" who is the cook. I found it interesting and encouraging that the residents so to speak were all labeled as clients and members.

The food situation was not ideal and the menu consisted of oatmeal and coffee.

I guess shortly after the disorientation settled in for me the door was opened and I stood witness to the sleeping situation. That along with the smell took my breath away.

Fast forward to an awkward morning of service and it was almost 8am. The cleaning and putting away of the beds had begun to occur and I was just in a state of shock.

around 8am i met the two day shift supervisors and it was business as usual for them. From processing in the current males, in addition to the women from down the street, it was quite a sight to see. I worked with the two on the front end to receive and process the clients as if it were a job or something with a roll call. My appetite at this point was gone.

Orientation for some newbies happenned around 10, after which i took a lunch to regain composure and let things marinade a little bit.

My group partner Jen came in after lunch and together we mingled with the clients and discussed some of the scenarios that led them to this place of refuge. In addition to some board games and what not, we then went on an adventure with a young fellow through the neighborhood and to Starbucks, where we unexpectedly ran into another client who walked in.

By 7 pm, the day had reached an end for us and the rest of the fun filled action will have to be told in class, so make sure you attend!!!!