I'm pretty sure that isn't a word, but I think it describes me right now. Just not really sure which way to go, over or underwhelmed.
Yesterday was my first day and it didn't consist of much, just did training for awhile and then went to the marketing meeting. I was excited to go to that and even got to speak a little, but nor a whole lot happened.
Today, I went to training in the morning and skipped out on the second half to visit a program site. The particular site I went to houses young men who have been to jail and no long have a home to go to (not because their parents won't let them stay at home, but for other reasons.) The story behind this program is that the department of corrections visited some time ago and deemed it too dirty and unkempt to receive funding for the next year. They get a chance to clean it up and have the dpt. of corrections back on Monday. My boss and I went to the site to walk the tour with them and give any last minute critiques we thought might help.
Honestly, the place was about what I expected it to be. It used to be a prison and now boys lived there, who apparently didn't have much of a rigorous cleaning expectation. Tiles in the ceilings were broken, a door window was busted, a lot of the furniture looked like it might fall over. Carpets were dirty, etc. But here's where I run in to a problem. How much more can we expect out of a program that gets (I think) most of it's funding through grants and charity? I didn't agree with the way the place was run. The kids don't have room inspections and are allowed to leave their basketballs (their own property) out on the basketball court. I personally would take the basketballs until they earned it back, and I would do room inspections. They wouldn't take us into the restrooms. I feel like there should be a higher standard with the chores. So, do we blame the staff and cut the funding or do we not expect much from these programs and let them live the way they do? I don't know.
Also visited a place where developmentally disabled sexual offenders go to find work. The don't do anything too high up in the business world (paint rain barrels, do factory line-work, landscaping). I saw some things in there that let me have a little peek into what they think about and it was what you might imagine, and it was odd for me.
Oh yea, and we met with the development committee. Our company needs funding, just as any other does, but geez we're pushing hard. Hopefully I'll get to sit down tomorrow and actually be productive. We'll see.
I don't really know what to think about it all, I think time will tell.
Liz
Liz, how exciting! Your first instinct with the basketballs was perfect, and gives way to a level of discipline that requires patience and a lot of creativity, all of which I know you possess.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Jake Engle way of doing things, and let me tell you, he had MUCH success with it.
LET THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME.
It's basic to the way you grew up (I hope), and simple. If you leave your basketball outside: someone might steal it, it will be weathered and useless. Make them feel that loss immediately, and let them know why.
People in that situation are often there because they grew up in an environment that robbed them of simple learning. You will find people there who want nothing more than to find the answers to the lessons life has not taught them so far. You will also find people who are not interested, but the lessons will stick with them, regardless of whether they heed them immediately or not.
Broken door?
Let's see...what lesson is inherent in that?
People can get in and rob them.
Bugs can get inside.
No one wants to go in that door, because who knows what's behind it.
Encouragements:
Every day that the door is broken, take away something, and TELL THEM WHY
Take out the broken part until they fix it, so the buts WILL get in.
Refuse to go in the door until it's fixed.
Important:
Before you do that, give them the means to fix it.
The sexual issues that these people have are stemmed from a deep rooted problem, if I had to guess, I'd say that sex is an instant gratification, and they've never learned that they can gain gratification from anything they do in daily life. They need empowerment.
That, of course, is a best case scenario, but you can't leave that guy out of the picture. You have to try to provide an avenue for improvement for everyone you can. If their problem is because of past abuse, you have to leave that up to someone who has experience in dealing with that.
I am so excited that you are living through this, and I encourage you STRONGLY to read a book called "The Cross and the Switchblade".
It's funny how naturally teaching that lesson came to me. I must have had a teacher who knew what she was doing.
ReplyDeleteRemind me again about the book later!