Through the eyes of a student

In Community Living we have been blessed with many students; social work, nursing, summer students, and many others.  We have a social work student with us presently who although Canadian, came from a different country, different time, a totally different way of being.  Her first journal post to Mount Royal University is shared below.  It is, through the eyes of someone not just new to The Mustard Seed, but also new to the world of poverty and homelessness as a Canadian that we get a fresh view of who we are and what we do, and what it looks like from the outside.

Social Work Practice:

• The Mustard Seed is offering exposure to me of the lives of Calgary's residents, lives that were unknown to me; those experiencing hard times
• I am learning to have a greater respect for people who are going through difficult times or who are homeless, and not to be afraid.  I have had opportunity to observe and talk with, I now can say, "these people are beautiful, they are so well behaved and understand social norms, they honour us"
• I could take a leaf from this book of homelessness in calgary and share with those in my home; the way the talk, the way the visit, the way that they are so honourable
• I have witnessed intelligence, I have seen Bible studies where topics of great magnitude are reviewed, based on sophistication rolling off of tongues that has shown me new light
• These are not homeless people, they are people who presently are experiencing not having a home.  There is a difference and I will not label

My thoughts:

• I am interested by the level of relationship betwee the employees and the guests.
• They treat each other as equals, not superiority, only friendship
• They eat together, talk together, joke together; this relaitonship has surprised me.  If I can't tell who is staff and who is guest then I know all are comfortable with being here; eating the same food served in the same way
• Those without homes at the Mustard Seed know they are respected, they are wanted, THEY ARE SOMEBODY

Refining my thoughts:

• In my country we are 99% black and you would never go and see a manager sit and eat with a homeless person.  Food is served on a golden plate to a manager, while those without homes eat from paper plates

Theory:

• STRENGTHS BASED:  Guests are offered things and goals that they can manage and that they choose, so they succeed.  They have responsible roles because someone believes in them and so they rise up
• A resident with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome sets up and prepares for a Bible Study; this is community
• The residents voted on conflict resolution based on aboriginal healing circles.  This is RESTORATIVE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE being lived

Strengths of the Agency:

• Holistic and interested in the total man or woman
• Food, health, talking, communicating, valuing:  life being lived
• Freedom for guests to come and sit and talk, no one is too busy to care and doors here are always open