Ohhhhh Haiiii everyone!
So one whole month of my JVC experience has just passed by. Hmmm and what a month it has been. People weren’t kidding when they said it would be rough b/c it has been. I’ve been having UPS and downs, but they have all happened in a way that has made me rethink why I am here and what I can do to make the most of it.
As this month comes to a close what I have been thinking about most is my job. I remember being at Loyola HOPING JVC would place me at Disability Rights N.C! And lo and behold there I am today. So I’m going to breakdown what my lovely agency does. We are the protection and advocacy system for North Carolina. We provide legal and advocacy services for people with disabilities across the state. There are 1.8 million people with disabilities in N.C and we have 13 practicing attorneys. Yeaa…great math for N.C right? A lot of the counties do not have many resources. As I was doing my research, I began to notice just how scarce resources are. It’s actually really sad. It was one of the first things that struck me.
My job is to recruit people for a new volunteer program that will hopefully be a remedy to that problem. My days have been full of phone calls! Sounds kind of boring…sitting at a desk and making phone calls? But let me tell you it’s a great part of my day. I always feel this anticipation before the person picks up. Will he/she be responsive? Will this person really understand the need for our program? Some do! A lot of people have been soo nice! Some are not and those are my harder days, but I keep on with my calls . I cannot wait to see how much the program will grow!
The most thought-provoking part has been the Listening Sessions, where we go into cities way out in N.C and hear what people have to say about disability rights. That was my first day on the job. We met with 6 people at our first place and about 12 at the next site. Everyone participated and made each session so good! Unfortunately, people mostly complained about the services they were or were not receiving! You would think that because the Disability Rights movement started around the 1970s people would know what to do! But as with every other civil rights movement that seems to be the case. At work I’ve also heard some really upsetting cases. It’s all so hard to hear especially because for three years I was surrounded by women who worked their hardest to make sure people with disabilities had a way to speak up for themselves. I feel like we were always taught about stuff that happened years ago. I never imagined so of the same stories could still be told today. We learned about all these laws and a lot of people are acting like they do not exist!!! It’s so frustrating!! I’ve been thinking a lot about what my responsibility as an SLP is. I know my job is going to be important and I know it will have an impact on my patients’ lives but…..I don’t know. I really don’t know what to feel at this point. There are days when I feel like calling up Dr. S or J.P for some inspiration and to hear that what we do really does make a difference. I find myself thinking about the “Advocacy” link on ASHA and hoping that those efforts are making some sort of change. I wish everything could be answered with my PowerPoints but that’s not realistic. Lol.
I’ve also been feeling pretty homesick. I know right now I would be running around with flyers for a bunch of ALAS events…Latino Heritage Month! And I have been getting the dance e-mails so it’s like torture. I’m hoping Zumba and Cardio Dance class will suffice my dancing cravings.
I’m hope I’m not sounding too much like a Debbi Downer bc I’m not sad. This is life and it has its fair share of frustrating and confusing moments. I did not come to JVC to have an easy year off school. I came here to challenge myself, and thus grow. And I feel like I’ve grow a lot even in this past month.
That’s month one. Stay tuned for what happens in the next eleven. Peace kids!
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