At LIFT, we have a database that contains meeting notes, information, etc. about all of the clients that we have served over the years. Sometimes, if I’m procrastinating or just bored at home, I will go back into the database and look at my old clients to check on their progress. I know it seems a little creepy, but I feel responsible for them, somehow, and whether or not they’ve gotten a job, house, benefits, etc.
I scrolled through the names that I remembered and was disappointed/worried that many had either stopped to LIFT or had not yet achieved their goals. Granted, the job/housing/etc. searches can be very frustrating, which prompts some people to simply leave, and I have worked with some clients who have been with us for over two years. Nevertheless, I will never be numb to the feeling that I have let them down in some way.
On a happier note, I noticed that some of the clients I had worked with, whether it was once, twice, or multiple times, have since gotten jobs or housing and are moving on to make improvements in other areas of their lives such as improving computer skills, learning a new language, improving their local community, etc. One client, a victim of domestic violence, joined a support group in order to share her story and give others hope. This success, to me, proves that LIFT embodies Morton’s paradigm of social advocacy: we have given our clients the motivation to improve themselves and others. They too will take this inspiration and go out and set the world on fire (thanks for the turn of phrase, Jesuit education 🙂 ).
Why I LIFT for LIFT-Chicago 
The reality of doing social services work, particularly of the sort that LIFT does (which is really on the “empowerment” track, more than the direct services-delivery model), is that the impacts of that work are usually very much beyond your control. YES, examine your practice…but don’t take responsibility for things that really aren’t about you!