Well, the WWE troops have had two crazy but fantastic days
learning about the West End area. We have had the privilege of talking to so
many amazing community leaders and people doing great things in the West End
area, and we have gotten a chance to dive in, see some of the issues in the
area, and put our hands to good use!
Monday
After our weekend retreat, we arrived Monday morning at
Urban Ministries (UM) to learn about all of the programs going on there. We met
with Dorothiann, the new director at Urban Kids, an afterschool and summer
program for children. There are approximately 30 students enrolled in the
program, designed to enrich reading and math skills, provide children a context
to practice their social skills, give them a safe atmosphere, and present them
the opportunity to take field trips in the area. The program is completely free
and also provides kids with one on one time with tutors and healthy snacks.
Many children come from large families, but with an abundance of volunteers at
Urban Kids, there is anywhere from a 1:3 to 1:5 volunteer to student ratio.
There is a true emphasis on care at Urban Kids, and Dorothiann and the
volunteers all care for the kids’ emotional health, physical health, and
safety.
We also learned about one of UM’s newer programs: social
work for the elderly. Georgia has around 60 clients, mostly over the age of 60
who she helps with finances, doctor’s appointments, etc. She helps with a
weatherizing program for homes, which helps lower gas and electricity bills for
the clients. UM also runs a community kitchen out of their building, where Ms.
Bell cooks and serves a free lunch every weekday at noon. The meal is free, and
since many of the residents in the area are at risk for homelessness, this meal
makes a difference for them. Several of us got the opportunity to serve a
delicious lunch of chicken and noodles, green beans, delicious breads, and
cookies. They also have a fully stocked food pantry for residents, and donated
bread is available for them to take with them as they leave.
For our hands-on project, the WWE group decided to revamp
the Urban Kids’ library, including reorganizing, repainting, and deep cleaning
the room. We began by pulling out all of the books and shelves, taking some
time to reminisce about our favorite childhood books!
We also got a chance to talk to Gary, a Birmingham-Southern
College senior who works part time at Urban Kids. He shared with us his story
growing up in Birmingham and talked about the struggles of the area school
systems and the problems he faced as he went through it. Gary, like a small
percentage of the students, was once offered a chance to attend a school better
equipped to help him succeed, however transportation issues arose. The morning
commute would be at least an hour and was unfeasible for his parents. This
situation is not uncommon, and a lack of transportation spoils a possibility
that could improve the quality of education for many kids in West End. Many
working parents cannot afford to take the time to drive across town, many
busses do not exist, and the public transportation in Birmingham is pitiful.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning the group arrived at UM and split into two
groups for work projects throughout the morning and afternoon. One group began on-site
training learning how to weatherize a client’s house, while the other group
stayed at UM to paint the library walls, floor, and bookshelves.
Dr. Tatter, Becky, Anna, Julian, and I went with UM’s two
social workers to one of their client’s homes. Many residents living in
low-income housing are faced with gas and electric bills that may triple in the
winter, and many like the lady we visited had her gas disconnected and was
heating the house using her stove and oven. Some of the doors did not seal tightly
and windows were letting in cool air. To decrease the bills and retain heat in
the house, people can weatherize their homes. UM’s clients are elderly, and it
is seemingly impossible for them to weatherize their house on their own, since
it requires getting on ladders to measure windows, cutting large sheets of
plastic, taping the sheets tight around the windows, and lining doors to
further insulate the space. In addition, many of these tasks we did were made
easy with the help of others. What took seven of us to do would take forever
for an elderly resident to do on their own or even with the help of family
members.
Meanwhile, Jackie, Lindsay, Lauren, Jarrett, and Rachel made
incredible progress on painting the bookshelves for the Urban Kids’ library,
simultaneously jammin’ to some N’Sync. The walls and floor have been completely
repainted and the shelving units are well on their way!
As a whole group we also got to meet with Jeff, one of the
social workers at UM, who works with a program called HPRP, Homeless Prevention
and Rapid Rehousing which was funded to help people who have lost a job from a
layoff or pay reduction maintain their housing situation or help them get into
emergency, temporary, or transitional housing. We also got to speak with Nathan
who works with HMIS, homeless management information system. They are in the
process of issuing Continuum of Care (COC) cards for the men and women that
come into the community kitchen on a daily basis. This card makes it easy for
people to come and get a meal without having to fill out their personal
information every time. Also with this card, people are able to go to other
community soup kitchens, check in at the Salvation Army, and go to Cooper Green
to get a blue card for health care. This also gives them a form of photo
identification, which many may not have. Their information will remain in the
system, and they’ll be able to simply scan their card and get a meal. This
service is also important for governmental funding and enables institutions to
get a better idea of the population they are serving so they can better resolve
their problems. After we learned about the program, we got a chance to sit down
with people as they came in for lunch to get them signed up for a COC card.
They filled out a simple form regarding their basic information and housing and
job situations, and within 3 minutes, they had a form of photo identification!
Several long days later, I know we are all so much more
educated about the problems that face those in poverty: affordable housing,
transportation, education, and health. We have also come to see the community
here in West End and the deep care that people share for one another. It’s
inspiring to see the strength of the people in these undeserving circumstances,
and I’ve loved every minute of conversation I’ve had with the people of West
End.
I’m blessed to working and learning alongside such
easy-going and talented students, and we have so much left to learn about West
End, poverty, and our place in it all. Looking forward to the challenges,
successes, and conversations that are to come the rest of this week!
Forward, ever!
-Courtney
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