At the start of my last semester at UNC-Greensboro in August, I was given the opportunity to intern at a non-profit organization called Youth Focus. The goal of the organization is to help the youth achieve safety, security, and success. There are different programs all around Guilford county under the Youth Focus name. I interned for 3 months at a facility called Act Together Crisis Care. It is a shelter for at-risk, homeless, and runaway youth. The building houses up to six males and six females at any given time with ages ranging from 11-17. I was eager to start as soon as possible and I quickly learned the importance of working with individuals of this population.
I worked previously at a summer camp for very bright and gifted adolescents. When starting at At Together Crisis Care I fell into the trap of believing the "at-risk" youth would be very different. On my first day that belief changed. There were 10 clients there, which is what we call the youth. They talked about a variety of things ranging from pop culture to politics. I was very intrigued by them but they were reluctant to let me in their circle because I was a stranger to them. I made it my goal of the semester to try to positively impact them the best way that I could. I tend to get along well with children and adolescents so this was a perfect position for me.
On a typical day there they are able to do different things like play on the computer, play basketball, or do artwork. Unfortunately it can be pretty limited at times so they get bored. Most of the clients have come from very poor living conditions and many also have learning disabilities. This is where many of the misconceptions come from because they haven't had a proper upbringing which causes a lot of behavioral issues. In my time interning I've experienced verbal threats, physical altercations, clients running away, clients smoking weed, clients being sexually assaulted, and clients trying to destroy just about every piece of furniture in the building. You have to keep in mind that for some of the clients these negative actions are the only thing they have ever known. Even with these incidents though, the good always seems to outweigh the bad. With some of the clients you just have to accept that they won't change but there are many that change and grow right in front of you. There have been clients that have come in distraught and depressed and left in the pursuit of their GED with a stable home to go to.
With me being a white male that also creates some other challenges. Some of the clients come in with many negative views of white people because of their past experiences. It's awesome that I can change these views. I first started noticing it within a couple weeks of interning that the clients told me I'm not like most white people they've met. They said they never saw a white guy that cared about issues within the black community. It's sad that this is the case with many of them but I am glad I can change their perspectives. While working with children in this demographic you don't just change them but they also change you. Everyone should take a chance to work with children whether it be volunteering at your local boys and girls club or even a local homeless shelter. They benefit so much from meeting people with diverse backgrounds.
The shelter is a safe zone area which means we offer support to the LGBT community. Many clients come and go that are gay or bi and even trans. One client in particular came came and talked to me and said "Mr. Josh I think I am bisexual." He was very self-loathing about it and seemed to be upset with himself. We talked about it for awhile and he seemed to slowly but surely start accepting that everything would be okay. He told me about a boy in his class that he wanted to ask out. The next week when I came in to work the same client came up to me and updated me on his situation. He told me that he and that guy were currently dating and that he came out as bisexual to his peers at Act Together. They happily accepted him. Unfortunately many children and adolescents aren't greeted with the same acceptance when they come out but that's another situation to handle. It was conversations like those that really reaffirmed why I chose to do a job in the social work field. My end goal is to get my MSW and become a full-time social worker. Working with Youth Focus has definitely taught me some valuable lessons.
Half way through my internship hours I was informed from my boss that there would soon be an opening for the weekend supervisor position at Act Together and it would be mine for the taking if interested. I thought through all of my experiences so far. There were many tear filled nights for sure but it would be a missed opportunity to not take the job. When I wasn't at the shelter I found myself missing it. I happily told my boss that I would take the position and that's where I am today. When working on the weekend I do group sessions with the clients, I supervise them, I do administrative work, and the best part is that I get to take them on outings offsite. We've gone to so many cool places such as the Zoo, Science center, civil rights museum, children's museum, and history museum. The majority of them aren't able to go to these places so its nice to get them out of the facility for awhile so they can experience them. We need more people to get involved. Guilford county as a whole has such a need for more volunteers and social workers. This is especially true for males because unfortunately the field is stigmatized and is becoming more and more female oriented. This can be detrimental to the people receiving the care because male role models are necessity, especially for youth. In the past few years in Guilford county on average 540 high school students go to bed homeless. Not to mention Guilford county is facing a hunger crisis. 27% of people don't have steady access to food. These numbers are appalling. These are some of the reasons I want to do this for a career. Sure there is good to be done all over the world but you can start locally. Go volunteer! Go feed a homeless person! Any small thing that you do can is worth it! Its the little things in life that go a long way and I am a firm believer that you can change the world one person at a time. I won't be working at the shelter forever because of my goals of becoming a social worker but I am excited to continue challenging not only the clients but also myself to grow. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life! I will take the lessons learned and memories with me for the rest of my life!
