Not too long ago I felt the need to be more involved with the Pasadena Community because I live there. I work at an organization where we depend on our 50+ volunteers to make our program work so I understand the importance of having committed people day after day. I came across volunteermatch.org about a year ago when I started posting positions for volunteers with our organization. Last month I started looking for an opportunity for me. That's when I found Union Station Foundation Pasadena's very own homeless shelter located on Raymond and Del Mar.
The facility itself is very nice in the sense that it is modern. I went in last Friday to talk with the volunteer coordinator about the possibility of hanging out there. Little did I know she would have me start that same day. Guess that was where I was going to be!
Today was my second day. I'm trying to stifle my usual tendency to overextend myself to the point where I bail after a few weeks. I'm only going there once a week for a couple hours. I don't do anything glamorous. Their greatest need is to have someone answer the phones. I can do that. Today I emptied out old file cabinets. I remain anonymous in a little back office used for case management. The employees treat me like I've worked there for a long time. They feel free to ask me to help them out with menial tasks--I appreciate that.
One of the case managers is a Van Halen loving, 30-something going on 20-something, no-nonsense, loud mouth (in the good sense) who made my first moments there wonderful and put me at ease.
This is an impressive organization. They provide something like 130k meals a year and they do that with only one paid kitchen staff. The rest is all volunteer labor. That is quite phenomenal to have a volunteer retention rate such as that.
The demographics of clients I met surprised me. There was a fairly even mix of Whites, Latinos, and African Americans. I am accustomed to the large shelters in Skid Row, this place was different. Much calmer, mellower...
I am interested to listen to the people who stay here unfold their stories of life if the right time ever arises.
The facility itself is very nice in the sense that it is modern. I went in last Friday to talk with the volunteer coordinator about the possibility of hanging out there. Little did I know she would have me start that same day. Guess that was where I was going to be!
Today was my second day. I'm trying to stifle my usual tendency to overextend myself to the point where I bail after a few weeks. I'm only going there once a week for a couple hours. I don't do anything glamorous. Their greatest need is to have someone answer the phones. I can do that. Today I emptied out old file cabinets. I remain anonymous in a little back office used for case management. The employees treat me like I've worked there for a long time. They feel free to ask me to help them out with menial tasks--I appreciate that.
One of the case managers is a Van Halen loving, 30-something going on 20-something, no-nonsense, loud mouth (in the good sense) who made my first moments there wonderful and put me at ease.
This is an impressive organization. They provide something like 130k meals a year and they do that with only one paid kitchen staff. The rest is all volunteer labor. That is quite phenomenal to have a volunteer retention rate such as that.
The demographics of clients I met surprised me. There was a fairly even mix of Whites, Latinos, and African Americans. I am accustomed to the large shelters in Skid Row, this place was different. Much calmer, mellower...
I am interested to listen to the people who stay here unfold their stories of life if the right time ever arises.
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