The Lincoln Park Community Shelter has been an absolutely
transformative experience for me on my journey to becoming a social worker. I
am extremely grateful to have been placed here for my first year internship. I
came in with very superficial ideas of what I would be doing for the year and
what kind of people I would be working with. I have learned more from the Guests
here at the shelter than I did in any class.
I think the main thing that I have realized throughout this
process, is how realistic privilege is. Most of us walk around with all sorts
of privilege but we don’t actually acknowledge it. This year I was forced to
not only acknowledge it, but come to terms with it. I would find myself buying
groceries or a pair of shoes and get a pit in my stomach thinking “what could some of the Guests do with this
money”; however, privilege is not just a financial way of being. I have
also learned how ones family can quite literally become a safety net for
people.
Some of the Guests at LPCS do not have these privileges and
that was one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with. Interning at
the shelter has shed light on what true flaws and utter unfairness exist within
our society today. There were times when I felt defeated, useless, and beaten
down by these injustices. However, at the end of the day – and mainly due to
the help and pep talks of the LPCS staff – I feel more determined than ever to
not just help people facing these challenges, but do my part to change the
infrastructure of our society as a whole so this cycle of inequality is put to
an end.
This year, I have learned to appreciate everything that I
have including my placement at LPCS, my family, and this experience as a whole.
The Guests at LPCS have opened my eyes to what true strength, perseverance, and
resilience really is. The Guests have been an inspiration to me that I will
never forget.
Thank you to LPCS for giving me this amazing experience.
Becky Rosenberg, Intern Case Manager
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