LIFTing Our Clients

I particularly enjoyed our class discussion last week about asset-based community development. I think the reason why I enjoyed it was because I identified so much with it: it is almost an exact replica of LIFT’s mission. In fact, here’s a snippet from the approach page of the LIFT website:

“In the process of working toward their goals, LIFT clients develop an important  internal “toolkit” for progress and resiliency that enables them to move forward independently and bounce back from challenges and setbacks. With the support of LIFT volunteers, clients strengthen their goal-setting abilities, problem-solving skills, knowledge of key community resources, self-confidence, and ability to advocate for themselves and their families.”

The fundamental principle of asset-based community development is to emphasize the strengths of the community and utilize them to improve it rather than imposing improvements from the outside that may be short-term or ineffective. However, the biggest problem may be pinpointing the strengths themselves.

One of the first questions on the LIFT client intake paperwork (well, actually, it’s digitized now, so I guess it’s technically not “paperwork” anymore…) is, “What are your strengths?” When I ask clients this question, they usually react with hesitation, confusion, or laughter. What does this have to do with helping them gain housing, public benefits, or employment?

Ah, but you see, it CAN help, especially with regard to employment. Realizing one’s strengths is the first step to determining what to put on a resume, or even what jobs to look for. Additionally, it can help bolster a client’s confidence and help him or her to feel more motivated to succeed in improving their quality of life. Once I explain this to clients (emphasizing the employment aspect if the client is looking for employment), they take the question seriously and really think about their answer.

While it is true that the client service aspect of LIFT does represent some form of outside help, we adhere to the fundamental principle of asset-based development because our meetings revolve entirely around the client and his or her strengths. By doing so, we help to empower them so that they can do even more outside of our meetings.