By Natalie This marks the last week of my time with The Washington Bus.
While part of me is admittedly relieved to be done with the 9-5 workday, and excited to sleep until noon, I am truly sad to be leaving The Bus. I don't think I'll ever find an organization as closely-knit and empowering as The Bus (or at least not in the realm of political NPOs). I lucked out this summer- The Bus is comprised of young, cool, extremely intelligent and hardworking staff. They care about both the organization's cause and each other so readily and completely that it feels like a family rather than a group of colleagues. From day one, Sonny (our supervisor) has invested so deeply in our development not just as interns, but also, as people. Allen and I have explored issues such as race, gender and sexuality, and other mechanisms of oppression, within the Seattle community and within the world at large. In order to better understand our research (and ourselves), we were constantly called upon to deconstruct our own values and to open our eyes to both transparent and nuanced problems that exist in regards to these issues. Never in my life have I been challenged to think about my privilege, others' privilege (or lack thereof), and how these systems of power and oppression feed into all institutions and group/individual psychologies. I'm leaving The Bus with an arsenal of new knowledge and understanding that I can apply to my education, work experience, social life, family life, etc., but most importantly, I am leaving with the intention to never stop deconstructing, listening, and acting. By Stephanie “Don’t build roadblocks out of assumptions” is a quote I’ve reflected on quite a bit this summer. Before working at Amara, I assumed that direct service would have more impact than working in communications. At Amara, I work as a communications intern, often drafting blog posts and other materials. These serve many purposes: advocating on behalf of children in foster care, recruiting foster families, and attracting donors. I’ve also read countless articles on adoption, foster care, foster families, parenting, you name it. Some of these articles are written by individuals and families who have adopted children from foster care, while some are written by foster care alumni and adoptees themselves. I didn’t fully understand the power of writing until this summer--the empathy, understanding, and passion that flows out of storytelling. Communicating social justice issues has the potential to reach millions of people through social media, news outlets, and word of mouth. A larger impact than I previously believed, I should say. I knew a little about the foster care system before coming to work at Amara. I understand how a child feels when they are taken away from the only home they’ve known, wondering if they’ll ever see their parents, siblings, and relatives again, only then to be overwhelmed by social workers and court dates. What I didn’t know was how much social workers actually care and how dedicated they are in this line of work. Every social worker I met as a child during awkward home visits and family visitations seemed like a stranger. However, chatting with Amara case workers about their careers made me see their profession in a different light. Looking back, I realize now I had so much anger towards and confusion about “the system” that I failed to see that my social workers were really trying to help--not only me and my sisters, but also my parents. I have been amazed at the dedication, empathy, and care the clinical team at Amara has shown for the families and children they serve. By Michael After six weeks of working at Amara, I still don’t have the answers I set out to find in my earlier blog post. In fact, I find that I understand the problems better than I do the solutions. However, this is hardly surprising and does not represent a failure on anyone’s part. This summer has been an education in community service, racial privilege, and civic engagement. In other words, I realize that I was pretty ignorant of these issues before DukeEngage, and now I have a responsibility to be active in my responses to them. As discussed in previous community nights, “power is never static” and inaction is action by default.
The most significant change I have realized this summer involves what it means to volunteer. I remember first learning about DukeEngage during an information session in the fall. I heard about the wide range of programs offered in different locations worldwide and wondered what it would be like to go on each one. In DukeEngage Zhuhai, volunteers work with children at a local school teaching English through visual arts. In DukeEngage Seattle, volunteers work at local nonprofits whose missions are to serve specific populations within the community. Why does one program look like the students volunteer more than the other? Different problems require specific, unique solutions, which explains why the various DukeEngage sites are hard to compare. I applied to DukeEngage Seattle for many reasons, but most accurately summarized with the tired phrase “it was the best fit for me.” I understood what this summer of volunteering necessitated and approved of it, so why do I feel hesitant to say I volunteered? Is it because I don’t understand how this volunteering measures next to the other volunteering going on through DukeEngage? By Allen
By Krista I remember moving to South Carolina when I was ten, and all the terrifying confusion of having to learn a new town and a new way of life; new foods and new accents, a new home and a new school. This is probably why I approached DukeEngage Seattle with some trepidation. How different would Seattle be from what I know? Even going into this experience with some expectation that I would be challenged by living in this new city, I underestimated just how different two places in the same country could be.
I’ve yet to get over how refreshing it is to walk into a restaurant and see not just one salad in the vegetarian category, but actual, filling meals. The food in Seattle is just fantastic--usually local, organic, and scratch-made, and always delicious. There is fantastic coffee on every corner, and farmers markets pop up every weekend (and sometimes on weekdays) to supply city-dwellers with fresh produce. While the food is often expensive, it’s also healthy, and has been quite the treat for us this summer. Working in an office setting, we’ve gotten to experience the work culture of Seattle first hand. In generals, there is a much greater emphasis on work-life balance here. Offices offer flexible work hours and ample time off to full-time employees. My supervisors treat me like a person, not just an intern. It’s been refreshing compared to Duke, where often assignments are piled on with little regard for students’ well-being, that my co-workers check in to make sure I’m not overworked or stressed out. DukeEngage, for me, has been made a more fulfilling experience because Seattle has been such a refreshing place to live and work. The support of my fellow students and my co-workers have really pulled me through, and for that I’m immeasurably grateful. By Emily My mom always taught me to write thank you notes. For presents and parties, to friends and family, notes of all shapes and colors (and legibility) have passed from me to people I love, admire, and respect.
This summer, I have too many thank yous. I want to write a whole novel of gratitude to Kristen, who welcomed me with a Duke notebook and an infectious smile. She’s understanding and personable, energetic and caring. Thank you for answering all of my questions, no matter how big (“how do I share my life map?”), small (“what’s in Swiss chard?”), or utterly obvious (“where are the keys to the van?”). You’ve shaped such a positive experience for me this summer, and I am so grateful to have worked with you. Lizzie, Danny, and Claire – it seems only appropriate my thanks would come as an email, though it would be infinitely longer than my Monday updates. You guys are the dream team, the reason each meal on the farm goes off without a hitch. Lizzie, thank you for sharing your nutrition knowledge; Danny, thank you for making us all better cooks; and Claire, thank you for your unending patience and positivity. I’m so lucky to have worked with and learned from such talented, generous people. To Anthony, Christian, and the SYGW program assistants (or “special ops”) – thank you for showing me the ropes on the farm and at the market. I marvel at each of your work ethics. Whether your teaching a workshop, planting a new bed, setting up the kitchen, or running the farmer’s market, you show such dedication to your work, and it inspires energy in me and in everyone on the farm. Y’all would get small, simple cards durable enough to be tucked into back pockets and retrieved after a full day of work. By Motin You would think that living on the street would be cheaper than paying rent every month. However, it is not the case for this one client. I was shocked when I learned that our client would have more expenses overall living in his truck despite the rent he can save. The client initially called with suicidal emotions to ask for advice about moving from transitional housing to his truck. He has a bunch of credit card debt along with student loan debt, so he wishes by moving to his truck he can save the housing expense to pay off his debt. After doing some research, we have found that it would cost him way more to live in his truck and he could develop chronicle health issues as well. Living in his truck would mean that he no longer has his bed, kitchen, bathroom, and a free parking spot for the truck. Our client is very tall. Sleeping in the back of his truck could cause problems to his knee and he would have a hard time staying warm in the truck during winter times. Not having a kitchen would force him to eat out more, and often eating out is more expensive and less healthy than cooking at home. Additionally, he has no tool to prepare food he could be getting from the Food Bank. The client said that he has access to a gym’s bathroom during the day, so he’s covered there. However, not having a free and safe place to park is a critical problem. He could receive parking tickets or the risk of being towed. Criminals could also break into his car while he’s sleeping. Those are very dangerous and real problems. When the client came in for the meeting, he sounded very pessimistic and hopeless, talking about how difficult it is to pay off his debt and that bankruptcy is not an option. After Judy dissected and explained his financial situation, he was able to understand the pros and cons of living in his truck and most importantly he was able to see hope. That moment, when he left with a smile on his face, will keep me motivated to devote my time in social works.
By Leah
By Alex S.
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August 2016
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DukeEngage
Seattle 2016
DukeEngage empowers students to address critical human needs through immersive service, in the process transforming students, advancing the University’s educational mission, and providing meaningful assistance to communities in the U.S. and abroad.