Although I volunteered at LIFT all of last year, I took a break over the summer to work and study for the GRE. I was nervous about beginning volunteer work again two weeks ago because I was afraid that I would have forgotten where to find resources or apply for benefits or somehow have forgotten how to use Google Calendar, where we make all of our appointments. Then again, maybe that old “it’s like riding a bike” cliche would be true: I would be able to pick up where I left off in terms of my ability to assist clients.
Since LIFT advocates have to be in the office at least 4 hours per week, I chose the 9-11am time slots on Wednesday’s and Friday’s. It’s a nice shift because the office is still calm right when it opens at 9:00, and the computer stations aren’t busy. Aside from my initial fumbling with our new online database (which I’ve grown to like a lot), my meetings have gone smooth. They have been mostly intakes, or first meetings, which means that we’re bringing in a larger client base. I’m happy that we’ve been able to reach out to so many people and that those people were inspired to come in.
This past Friday, however, I got to work with one of my regular clients who has been searching for employment. After an enthusiastic “HI!!” from me and a cheerful “What’s up, kid?” we quickly got down to business. Often times, we spend meetings with clients looking for job openings online with them because some don’t have access to a computer or are more comfortable looking for them with us. This client always comes in with a folder filled with job listings and ideas and we can zoom through them and apply to at least 5 in a fifty-minute meeting. After I set up another appointment for him and wrote the meeting wrap-up notes, I joked, “you’re even better at writing cover letters and finding job openings than we are” and he replied, “Well thank you for the compliment, but it’s way more fun to apply to jobs with you all than by myself.”
After the client left, I realized that he, while able to navigate the weird world of job applications, was capable of doing all of this by himself, he comes to LIFT for the emotional support. I also realized how well this connects with my first blog post: in any meeting, even if we can’t make tangible progress like finding a house or job for a client, we can always be present emotionally. And, honestly, that’s what distinguishes any form of service, whether you volunteer at a hospital or your club’s event. Even giving a friend a hug is a type of service: you’re making a difference in someone’s life and providing emotional support. If I make it my goal to provide some sort of emotional support every client meeting, I shouldn’t be nervous about jumping back in.
Why I LIFT for LIFT-Chicago 