I have several friends and family members who work for non-profit organizations and it does in fact seem that a large portion of their mission is reflected in terms of community education. The Gathering Place is somewhat different than most non-profits in the sense that it primarily exists to provide services to a disadvantaged population within the community. Obviously they are concerned primarily with homelessness, and the effects that it has on women and children specifically. However, I don't believe that they are a traditional non-profit in the way that they are actively involved in promoting education outside of the homeless community. Their main mission is to educate people about the danger and hopelessness that accompanies the lack of stable housing for their families. As far as I know, The Gathering Place doesn't put on seminars or make pamphlets to hand out door to door, nor do they take steps to educate the community at large, instead their mission seems to be one of education within the boundaries of the population they serve.
They are a resource for people who are struggling to meet basic needs such as food, clothing or shelter and within that parameter they do a lot to educate their clients. While they don't do any sort of campaigning or external educational work, they do strive to educate the women, children and the GLBT community who come to them for help. In an effort to create self-sufficient and independent women they offer many resources to encourage this in the women who come through their door. First of all, they educate on the importance of a nutritious diet and proper nutrition. They do this by providing a healthy breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack with the option of fresh vegetables, fruit, milk as well as a well balanced main course. Next they educate the population on the resources that are available to them such as state and federal aid programs, applying for social security benefits, housing programs as well as local food banks etc. One of the most important educational aspects available to clients of The Gathering Place is the option to get tutoring and help in obtaining their GED. This is one of the most important steps for individuals who are living without a stable income or who are living in poverty. The most empowering thing those people can do is to get their GED so they can find employment and begin to learn to provide for themselves and their children. So as far as education goes, I think it is appropriate that The Gathering Place uses their resources to provide in-house education rather than spending money on things that do not directly affect the lives of their clients.
Considering what I know about gendered education and communication I believe that The Gathering Place could be doing more in terms of educating the community outside of their immediate sphere of influence. While I think it is a great idea in theory, I believe that in practice it is somewhat counterproductive to their stated mission. To take money out of the in-house education programs and resources that they have and divert it into an external education campaign would be unrealistic and incongruent with their purpose. I think it is more logical that they keep all the funding that they have for the education of the population they serve. By providing safety and hope to the families who come to them for help, they are laying the groundwork for those same people to go out into the community and extend that hope to others. It is a trickle down educational effect that they depend on, and I think it works well for them.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Grateful Expectations
This is an interesting idea to contemplate. The first expectation that I had regarding The Gathering Place was regarding the building and structure itself. Having never been there before I pictured it in my mind like an elementary school or a human services building, with cinder block walls painted beige and a cracked and chipped linoleum floor. I guess this expectation stems from my idea of people who are homeless and disadvantaged and in my experience with that side of life in the past. Like visiting soup kitchens in church basements and food banks in drafty warehouses. When people are offering a service like free food or hygiene items to the poor, it seems like the last thing that comes into consideration is the facility in which they will be providing them in. In my past life I had several scrapes with the underbelly of society and it never struck me as anything but practical for the buildings that I went in and out of to be somewhat shabby looking. I mean it's not like the patrons of these establishments are too concerned with appearances, they are worried about far more pressing things than decoration or paint color. That being said, I could not have been more surprised when I walked in and saw The Gathering Place's facility that first day. It is elegant and soothingly appointed. The lobby doors are glass and lead into a pale green reception area with chairs and couches arranged to create comfortable conversation areas. The pale green paint color is carried throughout the facility and brings a calm and serene atmosphere to the entire place. The entire building was just remodeled about 4 years ago and so everything is new and fresh and still in wonderful shape. I think this is awesome and I appreciate the effect this probably has on the clients of The Gathering Place who visit regularly. It is so much more pleasant to come to a place that is well taken care of and that people care about enough to keep nice. It is only an appearance but it goes a long way toward making these people feel comfortable and important enough to build a beautiful center for them to develop a community within. Not only do the furnishings and the well-kept appearance of the building invite people in to receive the help that they need, but it also goes a long way to making the clients feel worthy of respect. In a way it is just a visual representation of what their overall mission, not to judge people for the circumstances of their lives and to provide them with a safe, comfortable escape from their daily struggles. A place to call home.
The second expectation I had was formed even before Justine came to speak to our class on the day when we had the organization panel in class. From the time that Dr. McCarver announced the organizations on the first day of class I instantly knew that The Gathering Place was my first choice. I was excited to work with the population that frequents The Gathering Place, because as I have stated before, I am not too far away from a time in my life when I could have benefited from their services both physically and emotionally. I have gotten my life back on track and am living in a semi-permanent home in a transitional living facility. I know what it's like not to have a home and not to know where your next meal is coming from and so I was looking forward to meeting others like me and spending time with them, getting to know them, encouraging them. So as far as this expectation goes, I can say that I was disappointed to learn that we would not be doing our volunteer work at The Gathering Place in that capacity. I am still excited and am thrilled to be doing something that will provide these families with a day of culture, but it's just not exactly what I expected to be doing. I think that since I have identified this desire within myself to help out and volunteer in a capacity that will allow me to interact with the less fortunate among us I will continue to pursue and fulfill that need outside the realm of this class. I have already gone to The Gathering Place on another occasion, actually I met another member of my group there and she brought a friend of hers that could take advantage of the food and diapers they provide there. I think I will be spending more time there in the future, even if it doesn't count toward my hours for class. Just volunteering and getting involved in the community there. Cheers to service learning!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Service Learning at The Gathering Place
Wow, I am really excited about the project that we are doing with/for The Gathering Place (TGP) this semester. I live in a transitional living facility called Joshua Station and I have known about TGP for a little over a year now. I was once homeless and was given the name of TGP but never made it over there to get any help. Now I am sorry that I didn't take advantage of all the services they provide there, but glad to know that if I am ever in that position again, I will know where to go to get help.
They provide a myriad of resources to anyone that comes through their doors. Their target population is women and children. They are the only daytime drop-in center for women and children in the Denver area. What you may not know is that people who are living in homeless shelters are allowed to stay the night inside, but during the day they are put out on the street and not allowed to return until usually dinnertime. If you are a man it is one thing to be outside all day on the street, but if you are a woman with, for example, 2 toddlers or a baby this is a whole different reality. TGP has stepped up to fill this gap, but they do so much more than that. They understand the reality of homelessness and the basic facts of life, such as if you don't have food or diapers for your children, you are less likely to be motivated to look for work. If you don't have access to a computer or know how to use one, you are less likely to be capable of finding the resources that you need to better yourself in life. At TGP they have a computer lab that is available to all of their clients, regardless of their abilities or resources. They provide a nutritious breakfast and lunch including fruit and vegetables and salad and milk to all who need it. They have also just started providing a late afternoon snack to get their clients through from lunch to dinner. They have a food pantry and toiletries that are available to all patrons as needed. But these are not the only services provided to clients, also available are GED training, help and testing, an on-site Denver Human Services liason that processes foodstamp and welfare applications, as well as things that enrich the minds of their clients like a shop where clients can create home-made greeting cards and do art projects. These are only a few of the services provided, there are also many more and if you are curious about what else they offer please feel free to check out their website at http://www.tgpdenver.org/.
I really enjoyed the presentation Justine made for her organization in the panel in our classroom and I have only grown fonder of her as I have spent more time with her. Last Friday all 6 of the students who are doing service learning with TGP met up there and spent several hours touring and learning more about their mission. So it was really nice to meet the other students who have committed to helping this semester, everyone got along great and was really enthusiastic about making sure to bring Justine's vision to fruition. Basically what we are going to accomplish is that we are going to figure out how to allow the patrons of TGP the opportunities that most upper or middle class families take for granted, such as trips to The Denver Zoo or The Children's Museum. Most children have been to these places and it's hard to imagine but people who are economically and socially struggling to survive, don't even think about taking their children to places like these. Or if they do think about it, they are not able to accomplish it because they don't have the resources to pay for admission, or they don't have transportation, or they can get in the door but then they can't afford to eat once they are there. So this is a very discouraging situation for a mother to be in. She wants the best for her children but is unable to provide for them the same opportunities that many of their peers are afforded. We intend to close this gap. Our mission is to approach these cultural institutions and find a way to make it possible for these mothers and children to spend a day at the zoo, or to visit the botanical gardens and enjoy their day just as much as any other family they run into there. To be treated as equals and not be ashamed of their economic circumstances. It is not the fault of the children that their mother may be economically disadvantaged and it is certainly the responsibility of the society at large to ensure that all children are given an equal chance to learn and thrive. In part the ability to thrive is determined by the experiences shared between people, and by providing these cultural experiences to these children who otherwise would not have them, we are doing something that will lead to the betterment of society in general. I think I speak for the rest of my group when I say that we are stoked to be a part of this project and we can't wait until we can deliver the good news to Justine and Kathy at TGP that WE DID IT!
They provide a myriad of resources to anyone that comes through their doors. Their target population is women and children. They are the only daytime drop-in center for women and children in the Denver area. What you may not know is that people who are living in homeless shelters are allowed to stay the night inside, but during the day they are put out on the street and not allowed to return until usually dinnertime. If you are a man it is one thing to be outside all day on the street, but if you are a woman with, for example, 2 toddlers or a baby this is a whole different reality. TGP has stepped up to fill this gap, but they do so much more than that. They understand the reality of homelessness and the basic facts of life, such as if you don't have food or diapers for your children, you are less likely to be motivated to look for work. If you don't have access to a computer or know how to use one, you are less likely to be capable of finding the resources that you need to better yourself in life. At TGP they have a computer lab that is available to all of their clients, regardless of their abilities or resources. They provide a nutritious breakfast and lunch including fruit and vegetables and salad and milk to all who need it. They have also just started providing a late afternoon snack to get their clients through from lunch to dinner. They have a food pantry and toiletries that are available to all patrons as needed. But these are not the only services provided to clients, also available are GED training, help and testing, an on-site Denver Human Services liason that processes foodstamp and welfare applications, as well as things that enrich the minds of their clients like a shop where clients can create home-made greeting cards and do art projects. These are only a few of the services provided, there are also many more and if you are curious about what else they offer please feel free to check out their website at http://www.tgpdenver.org/.
I really enjoyed the presentation Justine made for her organization in the panel in our classroom and I have only grown fonder of her as I have spent more time with her. Last Friday all 6 of the students who are doing service learning with TGP met up there and spent several hours touring and learning more about their mission. So it was really nice to meet the other students who have committed to helping this semester, everyone got along great and was really enthusiastic about making sure to bring Justine's vision to fruition. Basically what we are going to accomplish is that we are going to figure out how to allow the patrons of TGP the opportunities that most upper or middle class families take for granted, such as trips to The Denver Zoo or The Children's Museum. Most children have been to these places and it's hard to imagine but people who are economically and socially struggling to survive, don't even think about taking their children to places like these. Or if they do think about it, they are not able to accomplish it because they don't have the resources to pay for admission, or they don't have transportation, or they can get in the door but then they can't afford to eat once they are there. So this is a very discouraging situation for a mother to be in. She wants the best for her children but is unable to provide for them the same opportunities that many of their peers are afforded. We intend to close this gap. Our mission is to approach these cultural institutions and find a way to make it possible for these mothers and children to spend a day at the zoo, or to visit the botanical gardens and enjoy their day just as much as any other family they run into there. To be treated as equals and not be ashamed of their economic circumstances. It is not the fault of the children that their mother may be economically disadvantaged and it is certainly the responsibility of the society at large to ensure that all children are given an equal chance to learn and thrive. In part the ability to thrive is determined by the experiences shared between people, and by providing these cultural experiences to these children who otherwise would not have them, we are doing something that will lead to the betterment of society in general. I think I speak for the rest of my group when I say that we are stoked to be a part of this project and we can't wait until we can deliver the good news to Justine and Kathy at TGP that WE DID IT!
The Men's and Women's Movements
When I think about what women's movements I most identify with is radical feminism. This is the one that is always in the forefront of my mind because without it, women would not have the rights and priveledges they enjoy today. I understand that the preceeding women's rights movement allowed women more rights politically and socially, the right to vote etc, but I believe that without the radical feminism of the 1960's women would still be much more opressed. The 60's movement allowed people of all ages and all economic classes to begin to see the disparity between the expectations society placed on men vs. the expectations placed on women. Men were seen as more powerful, more stable and ultimately deemed better fit to be in control of a family or a corporation. Women, in contrast were seen as better left in the shadows as support staff to the various men in their lives. Like Bette Midler's song "The Wind Beneath My Wings," women were the wind and the men always ended up with the wings. It was only after the radical feminists began to question the social mores that contributed to the oppression of all women, that women were encouraged and even expected to find their own voices and use them to stand up for themselves. Obviously this is not a process that transforms our ideas of gender overnight, but slowly like a river through sandstone, the opression of women is worn down and hollows out a space for us to exist in and flourish in.
The men's movement that I most identify with is hard to say since I am a woman, but if I had to choose one it would have to be either The White Ribbon Campaign or Mentors in Violence Prevention. Both of these groups focus on men's violence and the way men enact violence against women in their lives. I was married to an abusive man for 8 years and so I am well acquainted with the violent socialization of men in our society. During my relationship with my ex-husband the abuse started as small things, such as grabbing my arm too hard, or holding me down and progressed over the span of a few years to black eyes and broken bones. It became clear that he erroneously believed himself to be the "leader" in any given situation and for me to "follow" his commands. He clearly took the position that the man is always to be in control of the woman, and if she doesn't submit willingly then he would do whatever it took to persuade her to do as he asked. I wish I had known these groups existed then, maybe I could have done something to show him that violence is not the answer. As I read about both of these movements I had to stop and think about how the "normative socialization" of men leads to this violent reaction in men exponentially more than it does in women. The examples they listed helped me to understand how it is a small jump from the rough-housing and masculine world of boyhood to the violence and need for control that men exibit in their adult lives. While little girls play with dolls and take care of each other, boys are taught to be more individually centered and focused on their own ideas. I don't know what the answer is, but I do think its great that men are stepping up and showing their peers that what some may think is appropriate treatment of women, may need some revising. It is nice to know that there are men out there who take responsibility and are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, which is equality and non-oppressive relationships with women.
As far as what impact these movements have on me and what I will do because of them, I guess that is yet to be seen. Obviously the radical feminism already has a great deal of impact in my life today because I am in college pursuing a degree that may not have been available to me had it not been for the ideas that the original women's rights movement ushered in. I am happy to know that there are those women out there who are pursuing public office and are equals in the field of education, politics and all forms of leadership. I am equally pleased to learn that there are men's movements that are concerned with the well-being of women and that are making strides to educate and inform the male population that violence is not the way to solve your problems with women. The more men that know that the better for all people in society. I am glad to be learning about all of the movements, many of which I had never even heard of and to know that all of these groups symbolize the growing equality between males and females in our society today.
The men's movement that I most identify with is hard to say since I am a woman, but if I had to choose one it would have to be either The White Ribbon Campaign or Mentors in Violence Prevention. Both of these groups focus on men's violence and the way men enact violence against women in their lives. I was married to an abusive man for 8 years and so I am well acquainted with the violent socialization of men in our society. During my relationship with my ex-husband the abuse started as small things, such as grabbing my arm too hard, or holding me down and progressed over the span of a few years to black eyes and broken bones. It became clear that he erroneously believed himself to be the "leader" in any given situation and for me to "follow" his commands. He clearly took the position that the man is always to be in control of the woman, and if she doesn't submit willingly then he would do whatever it took to persuade her to do as he asked. I wish I had known these groups existed then, maybe I could have done something to show him that violence is not the answer. As I read about both of these movements I had to stop and think about how the "normative socialization" of men leads to this violent reaction in men exponentially more than it does in women. The examples they listed helped me to understand how it is a small jump from the rough-housing and masculine world of boyhood to the violence and need for control that men exibit in their adult lives. While little girls play with dolls and take care of each other, boys are taught to be more individually centered and focused on their own ideas. I don't know what the answer is, but I do think its great that men are stepping up and showing their peers that what some may think is appropriate treatment of women, may need some revising. It is nice to know that there are men out there who take responsibility and are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, which is equality and non-oppressive relationships with women.
As far as what impact these movements have on me and what I will do because of them, I guess that is yet to be seen. Obviously the radical feminism already has a great deal of impact in my life today because I am in college pursuing a degree that may not have been available to me had it not been for the ideas that the original women's rights movement ushered in. I am happy to know that there are those women out there who are pursuing public office and are equals in the field of education, politics and all forms of leadership. I am equally pleased to learn that there are men's movements that are concerned with the well-being of women and that are making strides to educate and inform the male population that violence is not the way to solve your problems with women. The more men that know that the better for all people in society. I am glad to be learning about all of the movements, many of which I had never even heard of and to know that all of these groups symbolize the growing equality between males and females in our society today.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Gendered Verbal Communication in Life
I find this subject very interesting in general and although I have observed it before during study in other classes this phenomena is still quite fascinating to me. One instance in particular that comes to mind when we are talking about feminine speech patterns is the reluctance for the women I know to directly disparage men even when they are upset at them for something specific. Like recently I was having a conversation with my mother, and she was irritated at my dad because he refuses to vary his "routine" even when it is to accommodate others (when he has agreed to do so). What I found most interesting is that clearly she was upset and irritated with his behavior but she continued to say it was "interesting" what he was doing. She would not go so far as to state that it was "stupid" or "irritating" but instead repeatedly used the word "interesting" even though it was clear through her tone of voice and non-verbal cues that she was angry at him and was attempting to vent her displeasure.
I also wanted to talk about something that was discussed in chapter 5 which was the taking of names when we get married. It's not something many of us think about until it is upon us and that's how it was for me. I got married when I was 21 and went from being Erin Brady to being Erin Johnson. It's hard to quantify just how much of your identity comes from your name until it is suddenly different. Men especially don't even really consider it because their names will be the same no matter what happens in their lives. But men, take a moment to think about this. You have been signing the same name since you were 5 years old. It's probably the first thing you learned to write. Now you have to start thinking of yourself as a different person. Your name no longer applies to you. I had to create a new signature, and after 15 years of signing the same name it makes you feel stupid. Your signature looks suddenly childish, where for years you have been confident with it. So much goes into a name and I just thought I would mention it for those of you who haven't experienced it yet. Subsequently I got divorced and had to go to court to request my old name back. It's kinda crazy the way this whole thing plays out in our worlds. It's strange that women are expected to change or at least hyphenate their names, but there is no such expectation for men. I found that interesting when I read about it in the chapter and it caused me to spend some more time thinking about it. As I hope I have done for you now.
I am looking forward to meeting up with the other members of the team at The Gathering Place for lunch and a tour tomorrow about 11:30. Hope to see you all there!
I also wanted to talk about something that was discussed in chapter 5 which was the taking of names when we get married. It's not something many of us think about until it is upon us and that's how it was for me. I got married when I was 21 and went from being Erin Brady to being Erin Johnson. It's hard to quantify just how much of your identity comes from your name until it is suddenly different. Men especially don't even really consider it because their names will be the same no matter what happens in their lives. But men, take a moment to think about this. You have been signing the same name since you were 5 years old. It's probably the first thing you learned to write. Now you have to start thinking of yourself as a different person. Your name no longer applies to you. I had to create a new signature, and after 15 years of signing the same name it makes you feel stupid. Your signature looks suddenly childish, where for years you have been confident with it. So much goes into a name and I just thought I would mention it for those of you who haven't experienced it yet. Subsequently I got divorced and had to go to court to request my old name back. It's kinda crazy the way this whole thing plays out in our worlds. It's strange that women are expected to change or at least hyphenate their names, but there is no such expectation for men. I found that interesting when I read about it in the chapter and it caused me to spend some more time thinking about it. As I hope I have done for you now.
I am looking forward to meeting up with the other members of the team at The Gathering Place for lunch and a tour tomorrow about 11:30. Hope to see you all there!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Early and recent memories of Gender
As I thought about it I recalled several very vivid instances of my mom brushing my hair and I remember that it hurt my head a lot and she used to tell me that "that's what us girls have to go through." I remember thinking, well then I don't want to be a girl because its painful and this hurts. The interesting thing though is that she was always seemingly happy about it and not saying it in a mean way or intentionally trying to hurt me, but she would kinda laugh and say in like a melodic voice "well this is what we have to do" and like shrug her shoulders as if there was nothing we could do to change it. It was just our lot in life to have to go through this to be beautiful every day of our life.
Recently I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the timeless assumption that the women will do the cleaning and tidying up after a party or a get together. Recently I was at a gathering at a friend of a friend's and as the night wound down there were about 50/50 men to women hanging around and 2 women headed into the kitchen and started to clean up and I'm not sure if it's just my own history or if they were subtly pressuring us other women to join them in the effort but we all ended up in the kitchen washing dishes and wiping down counters. All but like 3 of the women ended up in the kitchen and none of the men did. The expectation was clearly there and the women who did not join us in the kitchen almost seemed like they were not a part of the "group" that was formed as we scrubbed and did our womanly duties. LOL.
Recently I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the timeless assumption that the women will do the cleaning and tidying up after a party or a get together. Recently I was at a gathering at a friend of a friend's and as the night wound down there were about 50/50 men to women hanging around and 2 women headed into the kitchen and started to clean up and I'm not sure if it's just my own history or if they were subtly pressuring us other women to join them in the effort but we all ended up in the kitchen washing dishes and wiping down counters. All but like 3 of the women ended up in the kitchen and none of the men did. The expectation was clearly there and the women who did not join us in the kitchen almost seemed like they were not a part of the "group" that was formed as we scrubbed and did our womanly duties. LOL.
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