What attracted you to GSV?

I was initially exposed to former volunteers at the Good Shepherd Shelter in Los Angeles, which is a domestic violence shelter that supports victimized women and their families. By volunteering independently at this shelter, I was able to associate myself often with the work of the current GSVs at that site. However, the concept that placed GSV in high consideration is the program’s tenet of Community. Looking for service programs, GSV placed much value on support systems within communities both at home and work. It is such a holistic tenet that involves an intentional community, trying not to work with each other but together.

Where are you serving/what kind of work are you doing?

I am serving as a case manager at Family Foster Care, Adolescent Services in the Bronx. It is a foster care agency that serves youth ages 13-21. The focus of my line of work is in an initiative called the Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative. Although I remain an ongoing and extra support to the case workers here at the agency, I focus on case management with the young ladies in our department who are of ages 15-21. Case management involves addressing concerns that encompass physical, mental, and sexual health as well as job training, education, and housing. I have been given the role to help each young person set goals for themselves within these areas, keep them on task, and support them in order to complete the goals. In doing so, I connect the youth to further resources that can help them find the answers they need for their concerns. Furthermore, I work together with my supervisors to create health education workshops that serve the youth in our agency.

How have you seen personal growth thus far as a result of your experience (site placement/community) with GSV?

Working in a professional environment, I have learned that advocating for yourself is an important part of the process. Working with this type of population can be emotionally and mentally stressful as some of the youth have come from very difficult situations or backgrounds. The work at my placement is very important, but my supervisors have made it clear that my needs should also definitely be communicated. Communication has also been an integral part of the process, where one needs to be honest with the community at home and their supervisors. In such a way, I have been able to effectively express how I feel about particular topics or challenges at work without being judged. Consequently, this brings me to realize that I have to be realistic with myself. I cannot take everything personally. Although I want to play a very idealistic role of drastically changing the life of a youth, I have come to realize the difficulties and challenges in doing so. There is so much we can do as a youth worker, but we cannot spread ourselves too thin.

What is the best or most surprising part about your volunteer year so far?

There are several things that have surprised me. The first is the days that some of our youth could make me laugh. Laughter is an important part of life, and being able to share that with our youth is comforting. Another aspect is how easily I have adapted to my work environment. I jumped into every task at work, including helping with our Life Skills groups, home visits with the case workers, court visits, and other organizations that have partnerships with our agency. Lastly, the amount of support I feel both from my community, supervisors, and the GSV staff has been constant. Although the acknowledgement of our professional work exists, I often get check-ins, phone calls, and visits from both our directors Peter and Jon. Throughout the process, they have integrated themselves as a part of our community life and did not leave us without resources.

Any advice for someone considering post-graduate service?

Be real with yourself. You can certainly have great visions of how your service will manifest itself, but you have to be flexible because it may not turn out completely to your ideal expectations. The service may not be as easy as you might think. You may not be able to do as much as you thought you could. There is certainly a lot of emotional stress with our placements, but there is also constant support from the surrounding people in our environments.