Interns
Charlie’s Place - by Abra Lyons-Warren
Intern Caseworker – by Alanna Copenhaver
Transformation of an Intern - by RuthAnn Reshan
Left to right, Casework interns RuthAnn Reshen, Abra Lyons-Warren and Alanna Copenhaver
By RuthAnn Reshan
My name is RuthAnn Reshan. I am 22 years old, grew up in a small city in north-central Indiana and graduated from a small Lutheran university last May. I’ve had an array of amazing experiences in the last four years: I went abroad three times; I was a lead in an opera; I was a leader of Greek life on campus; and I sang in one of the top collegiate choirs in the nation. Along with those amazing experiences, I can now count intern caseworker at Samaritan Ministry. In a few, short months I have already learned more about myself, my faith and what working with the homeless is really like, than I could have ever anticipated.
I decided to volunteer after college while studying abroad my junior year. I spent four and a half months traveling Europe and having the time of my life. My experience abroad and my upbringing in a Christian household led me to take a year after college to give back to something bigger than myself. But what I didn't realize was how much this experience could change me.
When I interviewed with Samaritan Ministry I fell in love with the idea of helping the less fortunate and lending a compassionate hand in a world full of so much hate. As a believer, I felt it was my duty to help those whom Christ would have befriended. The work at Samaritan Ministry has opened my eyes to a world that I never thought I would be a part of - a world that I had only read about and seen in movies.
The program participants I have met and worked with have become my daily light. They have given a face to all of those articles I read in college about homelessness and poverty in this country. And you know what…it’s nothing like I thought. These people, these individuals that I help on a day-to-day basis are real people. Just like you and me. They eat and breathe, they have families and children, and they want a warm place to stay and clothes on their backs. They make me laugh and cry. They worry….like I worry. These people are human. And so often we brush them aside, because unfortunately in this city and many others in this country these individuals just seem to blend in with the trash that lines the sidewalks and parks. But what has “transformed” me thus far is what this experience has done for my faith.
My father has been a pastor my whole life. I grew up going to church every Sunday. I sang in the choir, served on the church council and participated in youth group. I went to church camp every summer and served as a camp counselor and director. I thought of myself as a true, blue Christian girl. But my eyes have been opened. All of these things that I felt so noble for doing are now a minuscule piece of my faith. Christ calls us to go out and be disciples for him. To live life as a servant of the water (Baptism) and the Word. For me this year is about working with those whom Christ would have helped and touched. Everyday I see Christ’s face in all those who walk through the door at Samaritan Ministry, volunteers, staff and especially the participants. To be honest, some days it is hard to see Christ in our program participants, but then there are times when you can clearly see the beauty in the brokenness that is their homelessness. That beauty, the beauty I see in these individual lives and what they are doing to try and change themselves, is what has changed me.
By Abra Lyons-Warren
At 6:15 in the morning, three men stand outside St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in DuPont Circle waiting for Charlie’s Place to open. Their breath shows visibly in front of them as they shiver and blow on their hands; one of the men wears only a thin shirt though it is 33 degrees outside.
As soon as the clock on the church’s steeple chimes 6:30, the door to Charlie’s Place opens and the men, along with five others that have shown up, walk inside. In the large, open auditorium, tables are set up for homeless individuals to eat breakfast four mornings a week.
In the kitchen, volunteers prepare breakfast, which usually consists of chicken, mixed vegetables, toast, and coffee. The nurse - who also dispenses aspirin, band-aids, and manages the sock lottery – walks around with a pitcher of juice, usually enough for 70 percent of that morning’s eaters to have one, small cup.
“I won the sock lottery,” Ernie tells me later that day referring to the raffle he and others entered to get a new pair of socks. “Now if only I can win the Section 8 lottery.” Ernie and others often bemoan the years their names have been on the Federal housing list, known as Section 8, to receive public assistance for low-income housing. Many without homes get taken off the list because they never receive the letter to verify they still want to be on the list as they have no place to receive mail.
As the approximately 80 men and handful of women read the newspaper, talk to one another, or sleep, I begin my monthly outreach: “Hi, I’m here from Samaritan Ministry. If you need help with something like employment assistance or housing or mental health or substance abuse, we can help you or get you somewhere that can help you.”
A regular waives me over, “I need help with something,” he says. “I need help getting 10,000 dollars.”
Robert and I go through this every month.
“I need help getting 10,000 dollars too,” I tell him. “Do you want to make any other changes in your life?”
It seems he isn’t ready, but Eduardo next to him is. I tell him that at Samaritan Ministry he can get an email address for free and learn how to use it. I explain that most job listings are on the computer these days, not in the newspaper and we can help him look for and apply to these opportunities. We can also help him with job interview clothing and practice for his job interview. He can even use our address to receive mail. He seems pretty excited and says he will come later that day.
I talk to several more people like Eduardo about employment services and other services as well. Since it’s so cold, a lot of people are interested in what we can do to help with housing.
At 7:30, Tom Goss, Executive Director of Charlie’s Place, quiets the room. “As always, you are welcome at Charlie’s Place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. This is Abra from Samaritan Ministry, you probably recognize her, but she’ll tell you a little bit more about their program and services and then she’ll be walking around to answer your questions and give out information. If you want a number for the sock lottery, see Nurse Nell.”
I say my spiel and return to circulating the room. Some people I just speak to about how they are doing and listen to their gripe of the day, but usually, people’s challenges and complaints are obstacles Samaritan Ministry hears from participants on a regular basis. I try to make this clear to those I speak with. Sometimes people seem unsure or hesitant, so I leave a pamphlet knowing when people are ready to make a change they will come to one of the offices.
I don’t always know the answer or can’t always think of the resource that could really help someone, so I take notes, find out the answer, and then get back to them.
Going to Charlie’s Place is sometimes less than desirable – I have to get up really early in the morning, some of the attendees have severe mental health issues which can make for difficult encounters, and it can be a depressing way to start my day when a lot of the life stories I hear seem hopeless. One time there, I spent most of the morning talking with a man about the terrible conditions of shelters and what his life was like before he became homeless. I’ve seen him back since, but he doesn’t really talk much – he told me he doesn’t think it will make a difference.
Yet, many of the people I meet are full of hope and are in situations that I am sure Samaritan Ministry can help them with. I encourage them to come and see me at the office. They seem thrilled to connect a face with the organization. As I step out into the cold, usually around 9am, a couple of the guys wave goodbye and shout that they’ll see me next month.
One grabs my arm, stopping me. “You spoke to me last time,” he says, hesitantly, struggling for the right words in English, but he also seems unsure I am the person he is looking for.
He looks familiar so I say “yes…”
“They helped me at Samaritan Ministry. They helped me get transportation and I was able to get to work,” he said.
“Great!” I exclaimed. I haven’t seen him back since.
Abra Lyons-Warren is an AVODAH intern caseworker at the Samaritan Ministry South East office.
Intern Caseworker – Alanna Copenhaver
How did you get involved with Samaritan Ministries?
I am part of a volunteer service corps called the Westmoreland Volunteers. They set up people with social services and community-serving jobs across the DC area. I really wanted to learn more about homelessness and poverty in the USA, and being a caseworker seemed like an excellent, “hands-on” way to learn more about it. I liked the organization, and I was really drawn to the core values and the way that participants are treated.
Why do you feel that you should be working with those who are less fortunate?
I think that I have been given so many opportunities in my life, and a sense of responsibility should come with being so fortunate. I think that to be aware of who I am, I need to be in touch with the problems of others and try to help as best as I can to give back.
Did your upbringing draw you to a life of service?
My dad was a minister, so social justice and community service were very important to our family. I grew up learning about a lot of community issues and I wanted to help; I always did a lot of service work in high school. When I got to college I traveled abroad and did community service internationally also. After I came back from other parts of the world, I was curious if some things that I encountered while serving abroad were in America, especially poverty and homelessness, so I decided to go into full-time community service.
What are some things that you do everyday at Samaritan?
I usually start the day by making coffee for the office. My participants and I really need that coffee in the morning. Then I will usually meet with the participants, follow up with other caseworkers, write referrals to other social service agencies, and work on projects. Right now, I’m working on financial education and voting registration programs for participants.
What is your favorite thing about working at Samaritan Ministries?
I love to see the small joys people take in slowly improving their lives with the help of Samaritan Ministry.
Where do you see yourself 20 years from now?
I see myself definitely doing some sort of direct service work, but not as a caseworker. That being said, the Next Step Program is something anyone can have in their lives, and I still want it to be a part of mine in some way. This job has influenced me so much; much more than any other job I have ever had. Whatever I am doing, I know I have to take Samaritan Ministry’s model and values with me. They can last a lifetime.
Alanna Copenhaver is serving as a casework intern in the Northern Virginia office.
