#yav program

Speechless. The beauty here takes my breath away everyday. Now that it's been a few weeks, I'm feeling nice and settled in. I'm learning to get to different places around town without a GPS. People have been so incredibly welcoming and generous. I'm happy here. I get to live in the seclusion the woods provide while still having access to city life and it's everything I could possibly want.

My focus here is at the Disaster Assistance Center (The DAC), where thousands of care kits (hygiene kits, baby kits, school kits, and flood buckets) are put together and shipped out to those who have been effected by a disaster. My job at the DAC is mainly keeping track of inventory and supplies. Additionally, I am learning about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) and will be able to go on deployments throughout the year, both locally here in Arkansas and nationally. THIS IS SO EXCITING FOR ME!!! The two things I love most in the world are traveling and serving those in need- this encompasses both and is honestly a dream come true.

Introducing: Manateam

Every time I think about the year ahead of me, that's how I feel.

It's a Monday night and the countdown on my phone says 49 days. I've yet to start packing. It all seems so simple, all laid out in front of me with step by step instructions, yet I can't help but feel hopelessly unprepared.

August 24th, I will be leaving the place that I have called home for the past 14 years. All I've ever known since I was 6 is within these walls. I will be leaving it all behind for a year to do volunteer work in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Growing up, I always did well in school. Never flinched at a spelling test. Timed math quizzes were a piece of cake. Even when things became slightly more difficult in high school, I still managed to graduate in the top 15% of my class, earning myself a state scholarship that allowed me to go to my home county's community college free of tuition. After picking my major, Social Work, and spending endless hours looking at 4 year schools to eventually transfer to, I was ready and eager to begin my first semester. My naïve excitement was short lived as I encountered panic attacks and mental breakdowns more than new friends and social gatherings. My GPA suffered significantly and I found myself having to retake classes and ultimately losing my scholarship. With a third stressful semester under my belt, I decided enough was enough and that I would finish out the year, but going back in the Fall was not in my plan.

Instead, PC(USA)'s Young Adult Volunteer program seemed much more suited to the needs of my mental/emotional state. I get to take a year-long break from school, while still working in my field of interest. I will be able to refocus my energy and hopefully come home feeling refreshed and ready to dive back into my studies. Along the way, the aim is to make new connections, service others, build meaningful relationships, and step out of my comfort zone- something I've always had extreme difficulty doing.

As the application process began, I was elated. Nothing could stop me, I was ready to go. Now, however, as the reality of the situation sinks in, I can't help but begin to feel extremely anxious (silly comfort zone). I will be an 18 hour car ride away from home, living in a house full of strangers, in an area I am unfamiliar with. Sounds pretty scary to me. I won't be able to go to my friends' houses to watch movies and talk until 5 am. I won't be able to take spontaneous trips to the shore just to get pizza on the boardwalk. My life is going to change significantly and for someone who is as comfortable as I am, nothing could be more terrifying.

Nonetheless, I am hopeful. I'm hopeful that my roommates will be as silly and sociable as my friends here at home are. I'm hopeful that my busy work days will keep too distracted to miss home. I'm hopeful that the new connections I make will be able to comfort me on my worst days. I KNOW that this next year will change my life for the better.

So despite my anxieties, I can walk away from all this rambling feeling a little more like:

A few days ago I realized that I had never written a blog post about the awesome organization that I work for in Atlanta! I have the pleasure of working at a place called Clifton Sanctuary Ministries, known to most as just "Clifton." 

Clifton is a transitional shelter for men ages 35+ who are working towards self-sufficiency. The men who come here are referred by outreach centers, hospitals, large agencies such as the VA and small agencies alike. These agencies work with the men from Clifton so that they can find jobs, get benefits, and housing. When the men come here they are offered support services such as counseling/case management, help with computer skills, A/A and N/A meetings, Bible Study, Empowerment, and more. They are also offered health services such as blood pressure checks,help with medication, advice from a certified health professional, and three meals daily. On any given night, there are about 10,000 homeless people in Atlanta. Atlanta is a big city with wonderful agencies, but there is definitely a shortage of places for people to sleep. Clifton Sanctuary provides a safe space for up to 30 men every night.

I serve as an office administrator who does intake, payroll, and all of the other office tasks that we stumble upon daily here at Clifton. This is an especially meaningful experience since I am fresh out of college. I have never worked in a professional environment, so the past few months have definitely been a roller coaster ride. I've had times where I was overwhelmed and frustrated but those feelings are all voided when a man comes in and says he found a job or that he was able to see his children that day.