My name is Tracy May, and I have recently volunteered at the Dignity Center with a great group of people. Below is the reflections of volunteers describing the important work they are doing followed by my own personal reflection. The Dignity Center is an effective organization impacting poverty, unemployment, and homelessness. Perhaps the best service the Dignity Center offers is friendship to folks who need a little kindness and support.
“On Friday, a client of mine reported that he is now a master counselor in the After-Care program he has been attending for two years. He also attends AA meetings. In fact, he goes to After-Care and AA meetings three times a week. In addition, he has been going to GED classes five times a week. He has already taken and passed four of the five tests required to get the GED. All he has left is the math test. He’s worried about it, but confident. This client has accomplished much in the time he has been involved with the Dignity Center. He is proud of how far he has come, and we are pleased to have contributed to his achievements.”
Rev. Jim Gaughan
“A young woman came into the Dignity Center today. She was dressed in lightweight summer clothes, spoke with an accent and her front teeth were skewed. She was born in Ecuador and lives on the streets of Minneapolis. She had heard about the Dignity Center from someone else living on the street and hoped she could get some warm clothes and shoes. Her purse with all her identification, asthma medication, social security card, and other personal belongings had been stolen. She suffers from depression and anxiety disorders. She has a gentle voice, shy smile and is obviously embarrassed by having to rely on others for help. The forecast is for two days of heavy rain and cool temperatures.”
Advocate: George
“A man came into the Dignity Center to see me after missing his previously scheduled appointment. He explained that he was on some new medication that really knocks him out and he has trouble waking up. Last night he had not taken his dose so he was able to wake up and come down as a walk-in appointment. He is waiting for a ruling on his social security disability income application and has no other source of income. He has an eight year old daughter living with him at home. He smiles when he describes her strong commitment to her homework her eagerness to get up each day to go to school, and her love of reading. He has had trouble finding enough food to eat. We went over the Fare-for-all program which provides low cost basic food packages. This person had used his monthly visit to the local food shelf and had a few canned goods left at home. We talked about what would happen if his SSI claim is denied. It was a short conversation.”
Advocate: George
“I have been working 4 years at the Dignity Center. I have taken part as receptionist and advocate in its evolution as an effective ministry to very poor folks who are motivated to improve their situations by taking a step by step approach toward self-sufficiency. It’s the best outreach I’ve seen or worked in. Lately my work has been especially rewarding because some of my clients are achieving major life improvements and have found their success to be a source of happiness and self confidence. Most of the folks I work with return regularly and keep their appointments. This a major change for people in generational poverty. My thanks to Ann and my fellow workers for keeping the faith in what we are doing for and with the poorest in our community.”
Kathy Chesney
“Currently, I am volunteering as a receptionist at the Dignity Center in downtown Minneapolis. People that are homeless or in poverty come to the Dignity Center to meet with volunteer advocates that help folks map out a plan to become self-sufficient. This is not an overnight process. Ann Carlson and Mary Martin do a wonderful job organizing effective service delivery to clients and training volunteers. The Dignity Center demonstrates stewardship of the few resources they have been entrusted with. The food, I understand comes from Second Harvest. My church, First Unitarian Society, contributes by helping with hygiene kits, making sandwiches, and volunteering. There are layers of community collaboration at the Dignity Center and the result is amazing. Most of the homeless people have mental illnesses, substance abuse issues, learning disabilities, and sometimes volunteers are not treated gratefully for their time. As a special education teacher, a harsh reality for me, is that many of my students might find themselves needing these kinds of services in the future. At 18 years old, if parents of my students have not gone through the legal channels to become legal guardians, students may end up on their own. For some students this is okay, but for many of my students, the reality is that they are not ready to live independently at 18. Some students are blessed with great supportive involved parents. Some youth don’t have that advantage. Some kids are not cooperative with their parents. Many youth in foster care, with disabilities that impact their cognitive and social development, will age out of foster care and go into the big scary world without a legal guardian. This is why I am so thankful for programs like the Dignity Center. I’m sure the volunteers there feel overwhelmed by the great needs, lack of resources, and the seemingly small impact they are making on a big social problem. I just want to say from all of us who are watching our kids go out into the big scary world…thanks for being there Dignity Center volunteers! ”
Tracy May
(DC Blog Editor/Volunteer Receptionist)
A Letter from a Client