Tuesday, October 18, 2011
End Domestic Violence
As you may know, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and tomorrow, Wednesday October 19th, is the day to wear violet to end domestic violence. But, don't just wear it--talk about it, to to a speak-out, go to Take Back the Night, stop victim blaming, stop thinking about DV as "just another women's issue," and hold criminals responsible. Change the culture.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Needs vs. Wants
One of the things we did early on in CCSC was separating our "needs" from our "wants." In American culture things that are really "wants" are often perceived as "needs." These needs and wants can be material things or they can be other things like having free time or being in a romantic relationship. Differentiating between needs and wants helps when living on a small budget, and it also helps keep life simple. Sometimes when something stays on the "wants" list long enough, I decide I don't really want it that much after all.
There are a lot of things that I need and a lot of things that I want right now as I move into an apartment, start my new job, and shop for a car. Most of the things I'm worried about right now are material things because these are more basic than having my emotional needs met (basic Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) . So, I made a list of "needs" and "wants" (both lists are pretty long) and then I put the needs into two categories: things I need right away and things I need, but can wait a little while. This is helping me to prioritize since I have very little money right now and, even though I have a job, I won't have a pay check for a while and even once I start getting paid, I won't be paid much.
A year ago I would have made a list with needs and wants all mixed up together and I might have gotten things in the order of how much I thought about them. For example, I really really want a haircut because my hair is driving me crazy, but I don't actually need one, so I'll wait until September or October once I get everything on my "needs" list. Although it's annoying to live with bad hair, it's more important that I get things like a bed, rain boots, and a sturdy umbrella that can handle the Buffalo wind (the wind broke two cheap ones last year).
It's interesting that one of the first things we talked about in CCSC is one of the first things I'm using post-CCSC to keep with the Simplicity pillar in my life.
There are a lot of things that I need and a lot of things that I want right now as I move into an apartment, start my new job, and shop for a car. Most of the things I'm worried about right now are material things because these are more basic than having my emotional needs met (basic Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) . So, I made a list of "needs" and "wants" (both lists are pretty long) and then I put the needs into two categories: things I need right away and things I need, but can wait a little while. This is helping me to prioritize since I have very little money right now and, even though I have a job, I won't have a pay check for a while and even once I start getting paid, I won't be paid much.
A year ago I would have made a list with needs and wants all mixed up together and I might have gotten things in the order of how much I thought about them. For example, I really really want a haircut because my hair is driving me crazy, but I don't actually need one, so I'll wait until September or October once I get everything on my "needs" list. Although it's annoying to live with bad hair, it's more important that I get things like a bed, rain boots, and a sturdy umbrella that can handle the Buffalo wind (the wind broke two cheap ones last year).
It's interesting that one of the first things we talked about in CCSC is one of the first things I'm using post-CCSC to keep with the Simplicity pillar in my life.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Life Update
I am happy (and relieved) to report that I have been hired at Catholic Charities as a Case Worker. I'll work with individuals and families who are at a high risk for becoming homeless. I'm very thankful for everyone who helped me get this job and all the positive thoughts, advice, and prayers I've been getting from family and friends.
I start work on Monday—which is good because I need the money and bad because I have so much to do. Even though I have a lot to do, I wanted to write an update.
As promised, my year of service changed me. Probably the most obvious/measurable way that I've changed is how I've changed my plans: I decided not to go to graduate school right away (I applied to five schools, got into three, and was offered a Graduate Teaching Assistantship that would have covered all tuition costs and provided a stipend). There were a lot of reasons I decided not to go to graduate school—one of which was that the school where I was offered the GTA was in Kansas—but probably the biggest reason is that I want to continue to serve the poor and vulnerable for a year or two or maybe even more. I still see myself getting a MFA one day, but it might not be for a while.
For a few years I've seen the connection between my faith/spirituality and social justice/service. This year I've grown in my faith, expanded and deepened my spirituality, gotten to know myself better, and learned more about the systems of poverty and injustice. Now, I cannot separate spirituality and social justice. I think if I stopped serving others and engaging in different aspects of social justice my spirituality would be empty and weak. I'm certainly not a perfectly just person, but I want to do my best to make the world a more just place. I've enjoyed putting my faith into action and doing that is largely why my faith has grown so much this past year (it's also grown because I've taken the time to explore my spirituality and reflect).
The work I will be doing is more charity (it is Catholic Charities, after all), but I'll be continuing to serve those in need. I also plan on seeking opportunities to work for social justice both within my work and outside of work.
I'm excited about my future and nervous about paying rent, student loans, buying a car, and all the other financial and logistical things I have to figure out that I haven't done (or done much of) before. That said, I'm happy to have this to report: so far, so good.
I start work on Monday—which is good because I need the money and bad because I have so much to do. Even though I have a lot to do, I wanted to write an update.
As promised, my year of service changed me. Probably the most obvious/measurable way that I've changed is how I've changed my plans: I decided not to go to graduate school right away (I applied to five schools, got into three, and was offered a Graduate Teaching Assistantship that would have covered all tuition costs and provided a stipend). There were a lot of reasons I decided not to go to graduate school—one of which was that the school where I was offered the GTA was in Kansas—but probably the biggest reason is that I want to continue to serve the poor and vulnerable for a year or two or maybe even more. I still see myself getting a MFA one day, but it might not be for a while.
For a few years I've seen the connection between my faith/spirituality and social justice/service. This year I've grown in my faith, expanded and deepened my spirituality, gotten to know myself better, and learned more about the systems of poverty and injustice. Now, I cannot separate spirituality and social justice. I think if I stopped serving others and engaging in different aspects of social justice my spirituality would be empty and weak. I'm certainly not a perfectly just person, but I want to do my best to make the world a more just place. I've enjoyed putting my faith into action and doing that is largely why my faith has grown so much this past year (it's also grown because I've taken the time to explore my spirituality and reflect).
The work I will be doing is more charity (it is Catholic Charities, after all), but I'll be continuing to serve those in need. I also plan on seeking opportunities to work for social justice both within my work and outside of work.
I'm excited about my future and nervous about paying rent, student loans, buying a car, and all the other financial and logistical things I have to figure out that I haven't done (or done much of) before. That said, I'm happy to have this to report: so far, so good.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The End.... sort of
My year as a Catholic Charities Service Corps Volunteer has officially been over for one week. I'm still living in the house with one of my community members for another few days.
Tomorrow, I'm picking up one of the new CCSCVs for the 2011-2012 year and driving her to orientation. I'm excited, but that might be a little bit of a strange experience since it was only one year ago that I was going to orientation.
I'm planning to write more later about wrapping up the year and my future plans (working...I hope) and staying in Buffalo (if I find a job within the next month).
For now, all I'll say is that CCSC is defiantly the best thing I've ever done in my life (I know, it hasn't been that long yet, but still...). Also, as promised at orientation, I'm forever changed by this experience and I'm certainly changed in a good way.
But, for now, I say "goodbye" to CCSC.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sharing is Better
While helping a client fill out a Change of Address form, I asked him if he liked his new apartment. He said, “yes,” but that the old one was a nicer place. However, the new apartment was “better” because he shares it with a friend.
“Sharing is better.” He told me.
He said it was better for economic reasons, but also because it’s better not to be alone (he’s currently waiting for his wife and children to join him in the United States) and that it’s good for people to share.
“Sharing is better” is so simple, but something that is so often overlooked or even looked down on in this country. We seem to ignore the fact that we depend on one another and that what we do has implications for others, whether we like it or not. We like to think we got that job all on our own and that what we bought we deserve because of our hard work. We forget that we’ve had good mentors and that a friend put in a good word for us with our new boss and that there are people who work just as hard as us—or harder—but don’t make as much money and can’t buy what we can.
Sometimes I think that the sharing that goes on in our individualistic American culture never goes much further than learning to share crayons in kindergarten. I wouldn’t be surprised if even that kind of sharing is going by the wayside because parents are probably sending their children to school with their own, individual 24 pack of Crayolas. What happened to the person with two tunics giving one to the person without a tunic?
Sharing is better—one simple economic example of this is sharing grocery money in my community. CCSC volunteers have a $100 stipend for food each month. It would be hard for one person to buy food for themselves for $100 a month, but it’s pretty easy to feed four people with $400 a month because it’s possible to buy things in bulk (and we eat at lot).
As my client pointed out, the only good kind of sharing doesn’t have to do with money. It is better not to be alone—to help others with their struggles and to allow others to help us with our struggles (not to mention that good times are so much better and so much more fun when shared with others). It is better to share your love and yourself with one other person or a community of people than to stay inside yourself.
I’m still learning to share myself with others rather than to hide within myself, but this year I have come to the conclusion that sharing is better and that community is better—and that’s a big step in the right direction.
“Sharing is better.” He told me.
He said it was better for economic reasons, but also because it’s better not to be alone (he’s currently waiting for his wife and children to join him in the United States) and that it’s good for people to share.
“Sharing is better” is so simple, but something that is so often overlooked or even looked down on in this country. We seem to ignore the fact that we depend on one another and that what we do has implications for others, whether we like it or not. We like to think we got that job all on our own and that what we bought we deserve because of our hard work. We forget that we’ve had good mentors and that a friend put in a good word for us with our new boss and that there are people who work just as hard as us—or harder—but don’t make as much money and can’t buy what we can.
Sometimes I think that the sharing that goes on in our individualistic American culture never goes much further than learning to share crayons in kindergarten. I wouldn’t be surprised if even that kind of sharing is going by the wayside because parents are probably sending their children to school with their own, individual 24 pack of Crayolas. What happened to the person with two tunics giving one to the person without a tunic?
Sharing is better—one simple economic example of this is sharing grocery money in my community. CCSC volunteers have a $100 stipend for food each month. It would be hard for one person to buy food for themselves for $100 a month, but it’s pretty easy to feed four people with $400 a month because it’s possible to buy things in bulk (and we eat at lot).
As my client pointed out, the only good kind of sharing doesn’t have to do with money. It is better not to be alone—to help others with their struggles and to allow others to help us with our struggles (not to mention that good times are so much better and so much more fun when shared with others). It is better to share your love and yourself with one other person or a community of people than to stay inside yourself.
I’m still learning to share myself with others rather than to hide within myself, but this year I have come to the conclusion that sharing is better and that community is better—and that’s a big step in the right direction.
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