Benefits of Service Learning Essay

A Personal Reflection from a Novice Social Worker-Part Three

The profession of social work has changed tremendously over the years. From the profession’s primary beginning with the charity work of Jane Addams who focused on transforming people’s environment with the establishment of Hull House, to Mary Richmond’s emphasis on the individual person and how certain situational factors impact their life. It is these two extraordinary women and their advocacy for others that make the profession of social work what it is today. From their work, social work has come to be defined by three theories—Person-in-Environment, Ecological Systems, and Strengths Perspective. It is these three main principles that guide social workers today so that they can better understand the behavior of others and help them function more effectively in society. Regarding this, it is our generation’s duty to keep Jane Addams and Mary Richmond’s vision of empowering and advocating for others alive today. Overall, I will reflect back on my entire experience at St. Ignatius Food Pantry and how my work there has served as a catalyst for my future work in enhancing the well-being of others.

Type of Work

Since I wrote my last reflection paper, the kind of service-learning work that I have been doing is helping families or individuals select food that not only meets current nutritional values but also suffices any special dietary needs that they may have. Additionally, I have arrived early before the food pantry opens or stayed late after it closes a few times throughout the semester to sort through food donations to make sure that nothing we put out for people to select is expired. Furthermore, I have continued to process clients on the computer so that they can receive their monthly food. The role of intake has been fulfilling because I have been able to connect with clients and form a relationship with them such that the next time they see me at the pantry they say hello and we have a conversation. However, in my last weeks at the food pantry, I have really started to reflect on my experience and all the people that I have helped. What I have realized is that some people who come to the food pantry are ashamed or embarrassed to be there. The role that I recently have taken on is to greet them and ask them how they are doing. When clients come to the food pantry, it is my goal to make sure that they do not feel shame but rather to remind them of their own self-worth and dignity.

Looking Back on My Entire Experience. Satisfying and Positive Aspects

One recent satisfying aspect of my experience at St. Ignatius Food Pantry was when a woman came in with her caregiver to receive food. She saw that I was the youngest woman working there and she said, “It is so nice to see a young face who wants to help others.” After hearing her say this, I had the biggest smile on my face and I replied, “You’re welcome, and thank you for helping me feel a sense of purpose in my life.” Her appreciation and recognition of my work at the food pantry was a very rewarding experience.

A positive aspect of my experience at the food pantry was with this same woman. She saw that there was a one-half gallon of milk left and said that she did not want to take it if it was the last one because another person behind her probably wanted milk also. She only was going to take the milk if there was more in the back for the next person, and there was more milk. I saw this as a positive aspect during my experience because even though she cannot afford to buy food for herself or her family, she was still conscious of other people’s needs and not to take more food than she really needed. This is one aspect that really surprised me because I would think that people who do not have access to a basic necessity of life would be greedier, however, they are not. I found these two experiences with this woman very gratifying.

Challenging Aspects. I would say that the most challenging aspect of my service learning is when people ask for more food and I have to tell them that I cannot give them more food. This is challenging for me because I want to give them more food since I have never been deprived of food in my life. One recent example of this is when a woman asked if she could have more bags of shelled walnuts because she had five people in her family. I had to tell her that I could not provide her with more bags of shelled walnuts because they are very expensive to buy and the government only gives the food pantry a certain amount. Thus, I can only give each person or family one bag of shelled walnuts. This is a challenging aspect because I want to give her more bags of walnuts, however, the food pantry is limited in what it can give people because of the food supply we receive from the government.

Another challenging aspect is when people show up to the food pantry intoxicated and we have to ask them to leave because we know that they are not in the right state of mind to be here, especially around others. This is hard for me because then people who are intoxicated do not receive food at this time. I understand why we ask them to leave, but it would be good if the food pantry had a service or could refer these people to services where they could receive the help they need to cope properly with what they are going through instead of using alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Strategies for Managing Fears and Worries. One strategy that I have utilized to manage the fears and worries that I may have during my service-learning experience is to explain that larger families receive more food than smaller families. Additionally, if people do not eat meat, I check in the back to see if we have any fish for them. Another fear or worry that I have is that the government will shut down again and people who come to the food pantry will not be able to receive food because it is supplied by the government. Furthermore, if the government shuts down, then people will not receive their monthly food benefits (SNAP) because it is provided by the government. I do not know if there is a way that we can prepare for this in the future, but my best guess would be to extensively reevaluate our social welfare programs so that if the government does shut down, then these vulnerable people are taken care of so that they are not left to perish in this moment of crisis.

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Strategies for Keeping an Open Mind. Before taking this course, I always blamed people who are homeless or people who go to soup kitchens or food pantries for the predicament they are in. However, after taking this course I have come to realize that it is not their fault for the situation they are in. They are doing the best that they can right now and utilizing as many resources as they can to get back on their feet. As for the strategy that has been most helpful in keeping an open mind when I noticed my assumptions or biases arising rather than blaming people, I should be blaming our unequal economic system. Those who are in power remain in power and at the top of the pyramid because they fail to see what social workers see. Social workers see the systemic inequality that those below the poverty threshold face and it is my responsibility to help improve people’s environment for the better.

Strengths and Unique Attributes. One strength that has contributed to my service-learning is patience. This personal attribute is crucial when working at the food pantry because I need to be patient when people are selecting what food they want or even when they change their mind about what they first chose as opposed to what they would like now. For example, after I help some clients select their food, they may state that they would like to exchange the wheat spaghetti they originally selected for mac n cheese. With this in mind, it is important not to rush people out of the pantry because then it creates an environment where they may feel that their needs are not being truly attended to or cared for. Additionally, another strength is my ability to actively listen to clients whether it be about the food they are selecting or about their day. I think it is important to actively engage with clients at the food pantry because this could be their only social interaction for the day. A unique attribute is that I have great assessment skills. At the food pantry, I am able to recognize what a client needs and the concerns they may have about what food is nutritional for them. My attentiveness and perceptiveness are two key skills to exemplify as a social worker, especially at the food pantry because I need to pay close attention to each individual’s needs and be understanding of any special dietary concerns.

Class Readings. Connection

The connection between my service-learning experience and class readings that I would like to focus on is trauma. Trauma is an issue that people of every class, gender, and race face. It permeates all aspects of life. However, every person deals with trauma differently. Firstly, trauma can be defined as an emotionally arousing event or disturbance that impairs people’s academic, social, interpersonal, or occupational functioning and causes them significant distress. Trauma is an interesting topic because how an individual handles a traumatic event is based on their previous life experiences.

The topic of trauma connects to the story of Lori Skolnik in LeCroy’s book because as a social worker she not only has to help people overcome traumatic experiences, such as when she had to tell a family that their daughter had leukemia, but she also has to manage her own feelings when dealing with difficult issues. I think the idea of social workers managing their own feelings and taking time for themselves is very important because the career can become very overwhelming. This relates to our discussion on the importance of self-care and mental health.

The connection I want to make between Skolnik’s story and my experience at my service learning sight is that, like her, I am helping people get through a difficult period in their life by providing them with the most basic necessity of life—food. By providing them with food, I not only am enhancing their physical well-being, but I also may be supplying them with better ways to cope with stressful situations. For example, rather than turning to alcohol or drugs to cope with their difficult issues, I am providing them with food that is nutritional and healthy for their body, mind, and spirit. Specifically, as LeCroy (2011, p. 86) states, I am providing “them the tools necessary to deal with life every day.”

According to Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner (2018), long-lasting poverty is considered a trauma for people who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds because they experience more societal stressors than people who come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Based on this, people who come to the food pantry likely come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and have been experiencing chronic poverty. As a volunteer at the food pantry, it is my job to help alleviate the trauma and societal stressors people have been facing due to chronic poverty by providing them not only with food but also with social support.

In essence, my service learning experience has shaped my future goal of wanting to volunteer more in my community because I have first handedly seen how much of an impact I have made in people’s lives at the food pantry. I hope to take with me all of my experiences from the food pantry and apply it to my future career. Therefore, an aspiration of mine is to further my social work education, and although I am not pursuing a career in this profession, that I still act as a change agent for others.

References

1. LeCroy, C. W. (2011). The call to social work: Life stories. Sage.
2. Segal, E. A., Gerdes, K. E., & Steiner, S. (2018). Empowerment series: An introduction to the profession of social work. Cengage Learning.