I begin my work days as an employee of Samaritan House at 7:30a.m. and am always the first to arrive at our Café 458 location. As I turn the corner off Boulevard into the alley to park, I am always greeted by at least 2 to 5 clients saying "I thought that was your car passing by". Upon asking why they are here so early, the response from those residing at shelters explained that they have to vacate the premises between 6:00am and 6:30am and have no where else to go. Those sleeping on the street say that they have been outside all night and just want to come inside.
I am the Administrative Manager, not part of the agency program staff that directly services our clients; however I understand that they depend upon me just as much as they depend upon their counselors in my being here to give them access to Samaritan House, a place where they know they can come in to get out of the elements, make a cup of coffee and receive assistance in the transformation process of their lives towards stabilization.
Contribution in any form and in any amount is still contribution – of which I am glad to give because I am blessed to be a blessing!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Why I came here...
I joined the Samaritan House team last October when I came on board as Business Development Manager for Clean Street Team. In this role, I am responsible for securing contracts for Clean Street Team, a transitional employment and training program for individuals in our employment readiness program. Team members work collecting litter, clearing drains and performing general grounds maintenance services for municipalities, private companies and non-profits.
Before accepting this position, I worked as an account executive in the advertising industry where I earned a high salary and enjoyed a beautiful office space near my home. It was a great job but I couldn’t help but be bothered by the fact that the work I was doing was counterproductive to the change I’d like to see in the world. I am, after all, disheartened by consumerism and hyper-commercialism. With so much strife and suffering in the world, I felt it was my duty, as a citizen of this planet, to expend my time and energy on something more positive; so I was very happy to find this job and join the non-profit sector.
One of the many differences I’ve noticed between working in the business world and the non-profit sector is the attitude of my co-workers. I’m constantly impressed by their compassion and dedication to our mission of helping to transform lives and make the world a better place, rather than being dedicated to the accumulation of personal wealth and material goods. It is refreshing and inspirational to me to work alongside individuals who understand that our prime purpose in life is to help others.
I’m also inspired by our guests. As a Buddhist practitioner, I believe our guests can serve as spiritual teachers. Despite the fact that they are facing great obstacles in life, they are working to get back on their feet and improve themselves. I, on the other hand, have never experienced many of the challenges they might be facing: addiction, broken families, abuse etc. They help me keep my own challenges in perspective and provide me with an opportunity to practice compassion. Only through compassion can true inner peace and happiness be obtained.
Before accepting this position, I worked as an account executive in the advertising industry where I earned a high salary and enjoyed a beautiful office space near my home. It was a great job but I couldn’t help but be bothered by the fact that the work I was doing was counterproductive to the change I’d like to see in the world. I am, after all, disheartened by consumerism and hyper-commercialism. With so much strife and suffering in the world, I felt it was my duty, as a citizen of this planet, to expend my time and energy on something more positive; so I was very happy to find this job and join the non-profit sector.
One of the many differences I’ve noticed between working in the business world and the non-profit sector is the attitude of my co-workers. I’m constantly impressed by their compassion and dedication to our mission of helping to transform lives and make the world a better place, rather than being dedicated to the accumulation of personal wealth and material goods. It is refreshing and inspirational to me to work alongside individuals who understand that our prime purpose in life is to help others.
I’m also inspired by our guests. As a Buddhist practitioner, I believe our guests can serve as spiritual teachers. Despite the fact that they are facing great obstacles in life, they are working to get back on their feet and improve themselves. I, on the other hand, have never experienced many of the challenges they might be facing: addiction, broken families, abuse etc. They help me keep my own challenges in perspective and provide me with an opportunity to practice compassion. Only through compassion can true inner peace and happiness be obtained.
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