From my journal dated 5/24/11
As I drove around the Southside of Chicago today doing my home visits, I reflected upon who I am, who I have become and the people who have shaped my experience here in Chicago. My clients and coworkers and Catholic Charities have definitly been influential to me in more ways than one. They have opened my eyes to the community of Roseland and the surrounding areas while taching me how to be faithful and thankful for the things I have in my life.
There are so many different experiences I can write about with different clients but since this one happened today, I'm going to talk about it. Every time I go to a home visits, I go from house to house and each one can be completely differenty. One can have little to no furniture while the other can be a fully furnished house. Today was no different. Each house I went to in Altgeld Gardens, Calumet City, Riverdale, and Chicago, they were all different. This year I have learned more about the Southside and the neighborhoods than I would have ever imagined. I have been in some of the best houses and worst houses; I have been in some great neighborhoods and not so great neighborhoods. Don't worry Mom I am always careful. God has protected me through all of my travels and I have never felt threatened while I am doing my job.
After I left work, I dropped off bus cards to a pregnant client who needed them to go to the hospital for stomach pains. As I left, I said, "have a nice night" to the people standing outside my client's house. When I was walking to my car I thought to myself if this would be true. They said "you too" in response but did they really think they were going to have a good night or was it just something to say? Then I thought to myself, I;m getting in my car, driving home to my house in Beverly to then go to a dinner at the Knibbs house down the street. We have plenty of other nice dinners to go to in the next couple of weeks but these residents of Altgeld Gardnes probably won't be doing the same thing. It's sad to be able to drive away from somewhere and know that where you are going is completely different from where you are leaving from. As I drove away I turned off the radio and prayer...
Dear God, Please keep the community of Altgeld Gardens safe tonight. Blem them with your presense always but especially tonight. Please keep them free from abuse, crime, drugs, and violence. Allow them to have a night free of all this. Bless them with your love, safety and guidance. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Thankfully I did not hear anything about something happening in Altgeld Gardens that night but sadly that complex has a lot of crime and situations other nights. It's hard for me to drive the 15 minutes from east to west at the end of the day to home and realize where all my client's are spending the night. Are they in a safe place? Are the babies sleeping in their cribs? Is someone sleeping in a shelter? Sadly this uncertaintly is the "lifestyle" of the Southside neighborhoods and most of my clients. Each day I come home thinking about a client or clients who I have saw that day or caught my attention in some way. Catholic Charities has opened my eyes to so much and I thank the staff and program for allowing me to grow. I thank my clients for allowing me into their lives to help them and listen to them. I thank my roommates for being there to listen to a crazy story of the day. I thank God for guiding me through this year and lifting me up when I was down. Thank you to everyone who has inspired me this year and who will continue to inspire me for the rest of my time in Chicago.
Chicago Fact: Altgeld Gardens is a housing project located in the Riverdale Community Area of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The residents are 97% African American according to the 2000 US Census.[1] Built in 1945 with 1,498 units, the development consists primarily of two-story row houses spread over 190 acres (0.77 km2). It was built to satisfy the need for African American veterans returning from World War II and was originally owned by the federal government, but was granted to the Chicago Housing Authority in 1956. (cited from Wikipedia)
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