SoS Week 3

Now that I’ve been working at HUM for a few weeks, I really feel like part of the team. I have grown especially close to my fellow volunteers, the volunteer coordinator, and HUM’s case manager. My responsibilities at HUM have already increased. In addition to signing in guests, distributing food, and setting up showers and laundry (HUM has daily showers and laundry for our homeless guests), I am also working with the case manager on her major project.

Lyn, the case manager, has been tasked by the director of HUM with identifying individuals/families who have continuously requested financial assistance. After identifying these people, Lyn will work with the people on financial planning. This project requires a lot of initial work, which is where I come in. This week we began going through the physical files to determine which people HUM did or did not assist. I and a fellow volunteer organized the files and then I sat down with Lyn to cross-reference the names with those in the existing data.   

Although this seems like grunt work, I'm really enjoying helping to lay the groundwork for this project. The final product of this grunt work will be awesome – a few local families will be assisted in the long-term.

At PAL, we are in the midst of practice; yet, I am still doing tons of paperwork – apparently adults procrastinate too. Anyway, my responsibilities with PAL now include setting up the gyms for practice, ensuring that all kids/parents/coaches know where they’re going, monitoring the practices, assisting the teams when necessary, and cleaning up after practices. Plus all the paperwork. Overall, I love being able to help out the PAL program while watching/playing basketball and hanging out with some pretty great kids.