February 2008 Archives

1. Description. What happened in your project this week? What did you do? Experience?
Well the first downer I realized just as I stepped off the bus. It's a downer and a good thing I guess. I have been searching for ways to help the Listening House and one of the main things going for me was job help at the Listening House. The kicker is a career center is just across the street...literally! I just haven't noticed it all these times. At the Listening House itself I was talking to a guy who is very diligent and has a set plan for getting money and a career and getting off the streets. I was very impressed by how much planning he had. There were a few new volunteers this week so it was cool to meet them and hear about their stories.

2. Interpretation. What did you learn from your project this week? About the project? About the issue? About yourself?
I have been a little down these past few weeks because all I've seen is the people who don't have much drive and thus abuse the care system. There are many people who are trying very hard to get off the streets and they deserve any help we can provide to help them. The Listening House is doing their job very well. I have been struggling to find any suggestions that wouldn't be repetitive which could help the Listening House, and so far it's been hard.

3. Evaluation. How would you evaluate your work on the project this week? What grade would you give yourself? Are you accomplishing the objectives of the project? Your personal objectives?
I have done decent work this week. I was planning on having my survey done by now which isn't done. So I have to get on that and fast. I have slacked on that some. I will have time this week to get it done before spring break, so I'm not too worried. Other than that it was a standard week at the Listening House. I'd give myself a B this week just because I didn't get around to the survey which I set a goal to have done by this week.

1. Description. What happened in your project this week? What did you do? Experience?
Well I have been sick with a viral infection similar to mono so I didn't volunteer much this week. I did go for a few hours on Thursday but I left early as I was extremely tired. When I was there I talked with a guy named Sam for a little bit about how he is getting a job here soon. Then 10 minutes later he was harassing a handicapped man for having to use the women's bathroom since that was the only handicapped accessible bathroom. He actually punched him and they fought for a little before getting kicked out. I don't know what's been going on lately, a little musk in the air possibly? I haven't even seen a quarrel until these last two weeks. I left shortly after because I was exhausted.

2. Interpretation. What did you learn from your project this week? About the project? About the issue? About yourself?
I really experienced the diversity of the situation of homelessness and poverty. While one man is working hard but just can't make enough to get by another man was bragging that he gets all these things for free. It just gave me more to think about when writing my next chapters.

3. Evaluation. How would you evaluate your work on the project this week? What grade would you give yourself? Are you accomplishing the objectives of the project? Your personal objectives?
Well I can't really say I did much this week as I don't really have much work done. I really need to step up my game this week and get some extra hours in. I will need to pick up a few more a week if I am going to make the required amount by the end of the project. I have worked on my Chapter 3 some and I need to get the surveys out to the Listening House at the beginning of the week and analyze them at the end of the week. I feel like I am accomplishing the objectives of my project but I need to step it up a few in order to get it done in time at the quality I want.

1. Description. What happened in your project this week? What did you do? Experience?
Well my project was probably the most uneventful day on Wednesday that I've had all year. Joyce needed some serious dishes done so I put on my gloves and my game face and got to work. I didn't get to interact much with the guests but sometimes I do what I gotta do. The next day took an interesting turn. As I walked in tension was in the air and a fight was bound to happen. I have never seen any of the guests get in any sort of disagreement but for some reason it was going down. Two guys started yelling and doing the typical male dominance circles around the room. Then they threw a few and Adam, one of the workers had to break it up. The cops were called and that ended. Later I was talking with Maurice, a really cool guest, and he wanted to use a back room to make a phone call in private. As I let him in another guest came up and started saying he was here all day. Maurice said he liked the place but the other guy proceeded to taunt him. At this point Maurice put down his stuff and put his guard up. I stepped in the middle of the two like some boxing ref trying to break it up and the guy started saying I had something against him, he just wasn't making sense. He was balling his fists at me and threatening to "kill me." Anyway to make a long story short he was drunk and I reminded him that one touch on me would be a life-long ban. He was thrown out for the night and everything after that was pretty routine.

2. Interpretation. What did you learn from your project this week? About the project? About the issue? About yourself?
Honestly I don't know. I'm trying to think of how something I saw or did contributes to my understanding of the project but I can't put it together. What I can say is that I may have come across a little harsh in my last post. I made it sound like they are all just lazy and take advantage of the system, which isn't true. There are many of them that hold down jobs but just can't make enough to get housing etc.

3. Evaluation. How would you evaluate your work on the project this week? What grade would you give yourself? Are you accomplishing the objectives of the project? Your personal objectives?
I to call up Beth and ask her some questions about where she sees the Listening House in the future and also if they have anything they wanted researched but haven't had the time/resources. I plan on doing that tomorrow and if that goes well then I have the rest of my project made (with about 60 more hours of work...of course). Anyway I would give myself an A this week. I didn't work on Chapter 3 like I wanted over the weekend but I was sick and that was out of my control.