Central Outreach & Advocacy Center

Central OAC

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Polished

Image description: smooth grey stones over a brown background. The word "Polished" is imposed in front of the image. Central OAC's logo is in the bottom left corner with the web address to the post.by Chattrelle Gillyard

The great Rumi once said that you can never become polished if you are annoyed by every rub. A career in social services is not for everyone – you always have to remain humble, be patient, and be constantly aware of your own biases. Many people who work in social services are often rubbed, challenged, or even disrespected by the population that they serve. Working with people experiencing homelessness is not any different. Working at Central Outreach and Advocacy Center I’ve definitely had my share of rubs, but I often ask myself, “Am I becoming polished?”

At Central OAC, we believe in meeting people where they are with patience and humility, and treating each person with respect and dignity. I have to remind myself that often, when a guest has an attitude, is being mean, or disrespectful it’s not usually a reflection of us or the work that we do. The guests we serve are human,  just like us: they aren’t perfect, they have bad days, and they have trauma that causes them to react defensively. In order to meet someone where they are, you have to take the bumps and the bruises that come from the rubs.  How else can you become polished?

Imagine not having a place to sleep, would you be in a bad mood? Imagine not knowing where your next meal will come from, would you have an attitude? Imagine not having access to a proper restroom at any given time in the day, would you be happy? Imagine the temperature dropping to below 40 and your sidewalk home or tent not keeping you warm, would you be easily offended? Now imagine going through all of that and trying to receive services from a social service agency, and you feel that they treat you unfairly. Many of our guests face this reality everyday so, when they arrive at our center, they aren’t in a great mood. They aren’t always respectful, and they are often frustrated. But no matter what, it is our job to treat them with dignity and respect, and to understand where they are in life at the moment. Does that make us polished?

Do you have to work at a social service agency to become polished? No way. Will you ever become completely polished? Probably not. But it is worth asking yourself a few things. Are you annoyed at every rub? Do you often get frustrated when someone gives you sass or has a bad attitude? Do you meet people where they are? Do you put your feelings to the side for the greater good? Are you quick to respond? Do you get angry quickly? How polished are you?

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The Changing Seasons: Pumpkins or Panic?

by Amy Kirkland

What does fall mean to you? – besides the obvious pumpkin spice everything! For me, it means counting down the days to see the leaves become glorious shades of yellow, red, and orange and then gracefully fall to the ground. Fall means evenings by the firepit enjoying some warm apple cider or mulled wine. Fall means pulling out my favorite long sleeve t-shirt or a puffy vest for those particularly chilly mornings.

But for many of our guests experiencing homelessness, the changing of the seasons means something very different.  Initially, those cool nights give some relief from the sweltering heat of the summer. However, the chill in the air soon gives way to a need for many things – many things our guests experiencing homelessness do not have the means to hold onto from season to season. Most of us take for granted the cedar chests, hall closets, and storage tubs we use to hold all the warm things we need. We just have to remember where we put those thick socks, gloves, scarves, hats, hoodies, and extra blankets in order to stay nice and cozy.  Our guests, though, are in search of all of these items as each season changes. And it’s not just about gathering up all of the items to stay warm; they are also burdened with hauling them around as the cool nights give way to warm afternoons (like the one we’re having today) as they wait for the next cool night.  Getting all of the things they need takes time and patience. Often, all that they can do is hope that there will be folks offering up all the items necessary to stay warm. Even if they find the right clothing closet or church, will there be enough? Will they be in the right place at the right time to receive these necessities?   

In my house, fall also brings about the debate as to when it’s the right time to turn off the AC and turn on the heat. We can always choose and adjust day by day to meet our desires.  For guests experiencing homelessness, though, AC and heat only exist at places they receive a meal, get services, or sleep for a night.  A shelter can seem like a simple solution to us, right? As fall turns to winter, many places open up cold weather shelters and warming stations. However, COVID caused many winter shelters to stay closed last year. Things seem to be getting better, but what will be available this season is still up in the air at many places. The weather and the elements are mostly bearable right now, but it’s certainly weighing heavily on our guests, if the places that were open in 2019 will all re-open for 2021. 

So, as you wait in line for your favorite warm fall beverage or debate over hot caramel apple cider vs. pumpkin spiced latte, practice gratitude for all of the choices you can make. Take a few moments to think about what you can do to help those experiencing homelessness feel some relief this fall.

 

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Perseverance and Resilience

by Ahren Cassinari-Foster

Almost a year and a half ago, our world was turned upside down.  The pandemic forced all of us to make changes to our daily lives. At the OAC, we had to rethink the ways we provided services to our guests, including a full two-week shutdown, as per City of Atlanta guidelines.  While this shutdown impacted all of our guests dramatically, it also meant we had to shut down the Main Frame program mid-class.  As we are all painfully aware, the pandemic has continued to grow, which means we have not been able to reconvene our regular Main Frame classes.  For most people, including the majority of the people in that interrupted class, a pandemic-driven shut down of the class was enough to push them to move on and forget about the program.  And who could blame them?  But this was not true for one student, Ms. D.  

Ms. D kept in touch with me via email throughout the pandemic, regularly asking when and if the Main Frame would start again.  Soon after we started the new, socially-distanced workshop version of the Main Frame, she contacted me to inquire  how she could be a part of it.  Due to her persistence, we quickly got her scheduled for the next Main Frame workshop sessions, and she completed all three sessions in one week.  Shortly thereafter, she scheduled multiple appointments with me to work in the computer lab on her résumé, talk about possible employment certifications, and review her job options.  

At the end of each Main Frame session, we talk a bit about the character trait of resilience and how to cultivate it.  In retrospect, if I had thought about Ms. D.’s incredible resilience while trying to talk to her class about it, I would have felt fairly silly.  I might have even asked her to tell the class what it means to be resilient. She’s shown time and time again that she’s not going to give up on herself. Despite all she’s endured, even in a pandemic, she continues to use all the resources that are available to her. She jumps at every chance to try something new, learn more skills, or seek opportunities. 

Ms. D. has not yet found employment, but the OAC is able to financially assist her in earning her alcohol service certification in the next few weeks to broaden her opportunities in the service industry.  I’m excited to continue to offer her support as well as hopeful because I know her next success is just around the corner!

 

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We All Have a Story

by Brenna Lakeson

(TW: abuse, addiction, mental illness)

Each day, dozens of guests come to the OAC. Some of them we know well and others are just passing through. Sometimes, as we do case management with a guest, we get glimpses into their lives as they tell us about their struggles. It can be a heavy task to sit with someone and hear their story.

This past month, it seems as though we’ve had quite a few guests come through the OAC who are struggling with different types of traumatic events, moreso than usual. Sometimes, we’re equipped to help with these situations and, other times, all we can do is listen. It can be difficult to know that the most you can do for someone is hold space for their story, but that can make all the difference.

Recently, a guest came to our door with a particularly heartbreaking story. We had never met this guest before, but we took the time to listen to what they had to say. While I can’t share much about their story due to their safety, I do want to tell you a little bit about them. They were running from someone dangerous, who had had control over them for years, and they were struggling to get anyone to believe their story. We sat with them, got details of their situation, and called the right people to get them started with some assistance. As the guest got ready to leave, they began to cry, telling us that we were the first to take them seriously. “You’re the first one to actually do anything to help me,” they said. It felt like we hadn’t physically done much, but, for this guest, saying “I believe you” lifted a huge weight off of them.

Earlier this week, another guest came in for help with ID. While working with a case manager, he expressed a desire to get into a detox program. He’d been struggling with addiction on and off for years and told his case manager that he was finally ready to get clean. Getting and staying clean on the street can be incredibly hard, so the courage and determination that it took for him to reach out for help was admirable. We were able to get him started with the intake process for a substance abuse treatment program. He was excited and relieved to finally have a plan in place.

Last week, a guest came into our center for the first time. He was staying at a shelter and needed an ID in order to continue staying there. As he sat with his case manager, he wiggled his legs and looked around nervously. It was clear that he was anxious. His case manager finished applying for his birth certificate and Social Security card, so he took his things and left. Minutes later, though, our security guard came back into the lobby to tell us that this same guest was having a mental health crisis. We brought him back into the center and called 9-1-1. A staff member did some breathing exercises with him as we waited for the Grady Mental Health Team to arrive. They were able to take him to the hospital to get the help he needed. He thanked us for our help as he got into the van. It was brave of him to reach out for help in such a hard moment.

Our guests deal with so much on a daily basis, and, often, they just want a listening ear: someone to take them seriously, hear their concerns, and assist them in getting the help they need. While we are not law enforcement, EMTs, or DFCS, we can advocate for our guests by helping them reach out to the right people. Each guest has a story. We do our best each day to hear them, see them, and be with them.