Yesterday was the last group event for my CSJP internship program, which is run through Volunteer Fairfax. We had the opportunity to volunteer at CrossLink International, packing medical supply boxes to be donated during their trip to Sierra Leone next week. It was amazing thinking that the supplies I was taking off the shelves at this warehouse in Falls Church were going to help save lives so many miles away. At the end of the day, one of the operators of the program gave us a brief talk about their agency’s history and mission, and then discussed how we could use our lives to change the world for the better. Her advice was to always use 10% of your time to help others. When she said this, my first reaction was to look around the room and really understand how lucky I was. For this internship I was part of a program, and an employee in an agency, that are both doing more than their share to help improve the lives of others.

My time at Good Shepherd Housing has opened my eyes to issues I had never experienced and allowed me a unique opportunity to get to know some of the people behind these issues. I hope to take everything I’ve learned here, along with the “10% rule,” and apply it to the rest of my life.

Hello! My name is Laura Goodwyn and I have been interning with Good Shepherd for the past eight weeks. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of you and have been impressed with the helpfulness and generosity characteristic of all members of the Good Shepherd family. Tom and Shannon asked me to compose a blog entry detailing some of my experiences while at Good Shepherd. It’s hard for me to put into words everything that I have had the opportunity to take part in because it has extended so far beyond merely completing project tasks or internship requirements. My time at Good Shepherd has been a lesson in humanity, humility, and the power of the individual.

As some of you might know, the main project for my internship was the creation of the “leave-behind” cards. The postcard-sized cards feature a picture and story of a Good Shepherd client on one side and the agency’s logo and contact information on the other. We chose 5 clients who we felt had accomplished success in their own way since being involved with Good Shepherd Housing. My job was to interview them about their struggles and triumphs and then consolidate their life story into a few short paragraphs. I was excited about the task but also nervous. I felt a huge responsibility to the clients to tell their stories how they’d want them to be told. I walked into my client interviews with a blank tape, a recorder, and no real idea about the course that any of the interviews would take. Sometimes I would ask them prepared questions. Sometimes we would just talk. Either way, they were some of the most memorable conversations of my life.

The people I met were brave and honest. They had all made mistakes, of course, and many were still paying for them. But regardless, they were open with me about the intimate details of their struggles and how grateful they were that a place like Good Shepherd Housing existed to help them. Some of them spoke of times in their lives when they had no roof over their head or had no idea where their next meal was coming from. They spoke of failure and hopelessness, but also optimism and dreams for the future. They all wanted better lives for their children and they all wanted to succeed and be good people in the world. In short, they wanted the same things we all do. As I laughed and cried with them all the way through their life stories, I couldn’t help but feel a connection with the humanity that is the most basic part of all of us.

Upon reflecting on my experiences with this internship, I believe its importance and value can be summed up by my conversation with Silvia. She and her family are Mexican immigrants who have worked hard to build a successful life in America. I interviewed Silvia about her involvement with Good Shepherd Housing after her family’s trailer was destroyed by a drunk driver and they needed money to repair it. While in the program, Silvia received her green card. Recounting the day she received it during our interview made her eyes well with tears of joy. She wasn’t extremely comfortable speaking English and her emotions made it even harder for her. I remember she looked at me with tears in her eyes, trying to make me understand exactly how important receiving that green card was to her and how grateful she was to Good Shepherd for helping her family thrive. I told her I understood and made a promise to myself to tell her story, and all of our other clients’ stories, the best I could to make sure everyone else understands, too.

Happy New (fiscal) Year!

by: Shannon

Yes, July kicks off a new fiscal year here at Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services. We start off this New Year with new opportunities and fresh optimism. But for me, there is another thought that enters my mind, and it is not as optimistic.

A new year means that we start with fresh financial statements. At the beginning of any fiscal year, the first few months of the year have lean income. Our expenses are fairly consistent and constant, but our funding pattern has more peaks and valleys. Each new year begins with a valley - - and that keeps me humble. I hate showing more expense than revenue, but I also hate delaying aid to families in need because I refuse to step out on faith. My reaction is to grit my teeth, try to push out more requests, seek new means of support.

And the context is important, too. The year we just finished was a great success. We generated more community support than the previous year, which allowed us to serve more community need than the previous year. I didn’t see that at the beginning of last year. It is likely that we can do better than expected again this year, even though we’ve raised our expectations.

Logically I know that we are the same agency and our financial assets and liabilities have not changed. We have the same reputation for quality services and prudent use of funds. But, to look at our statement of Profit & Loss, it looks like we’ve started over, and there is another hill. And so, we strap on our hiking boots and start to climb. See you at the top!