*Disclaimer: At this point, I can't remember what exactly of the programs I work in I've detailed in this blog or shared with any of you in person, so I'm just going to assume I got to all of them at some point. If I'm wrong, just let me know, and I'll put more detail in my next post.
My main supervisor in the Environmental program is still out for Christmas (he's visiting his wife's family in Chile with his wife and mother in law), so it's been pretty laid back lately with just one full time Environmental Worker, myself, and another volunteer. I've been going on a lot of home visits, including one to the projects on the Lower East Side. Normally, we don't go that far for purely logistical reasons (it takes forever, the subway is not a good place to be hauling supplies that include a vacuum, etc), but as we're pretty much the only place in the city that does what we do, we make exceptions sometimes. Most places either charge money, use harsh chemicals, don't focus on empowering the resident to take care of the problem them self in the future, or all of the above. Meeting the resident on the Lower East Side, however, was totally worth the trip. Betty supports her family, including five kids, by working insane hours at a nursing home (like, by working 12 hour shifts multiple days in a row and using the time off to take care of her kids). She got moved into her apartment after her son was assaulted within the last projects they lived in, but since the move was so quick, she ended up in an apartment that had been vacated because the last resident found so much wrong with it. She took care of some of that with her own money, obviously in short supply, buying new appliances like an oven to make sure her family has what it needs. She was also insanely upbeat despite all this, telling me how much she loves working at the nursing home, how she buys her residents little cakes on their birthdays if their families can't visit, how she always makes sure she keeps a smile on her face since they might not have any other visitors that day besides her checking vitals. The strength of the clients of LSA never ceases to amaze me.
The past three days I've found myself explaining LSA to three different people in different situations. Each time reinforced what a great, unique resource LSA is for the community. Don't get me wrong, I know that thousands and millions of organizations filled with millions and tens of millions of people across the country and world work to improve the lives of the underprivileged and underserved every day. LSA just provides such a great diversity of services to pretty much anyone. Everything is in Spanish and English, we have resources for immediate needs and long term gains. Some clients have gone from taking the Spanish language classes to taking the English language classes to earning a GED to attending college classes or working at the Agency. We have no requirements of our clients other than that they live in the neighborhood (which can be flexible) and that they be respectful of the service (mostly that they are punctual). Based on my understanding of US history, I highly doubt any of my ancestors received similar consideration when they were new to the country, so I'm glad I can be of service to these families.
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