Community Partner : Franciscan Center Intern : Olivia Chan Site Supervisor : Meg Ducey
What is the Franciscan Center ? The Franciscan Center offers a continuum of care , including emergency services , health services , counseling and technology training to help persons who are economically disadvantaged become as self-sufficient as possible and realize their self-worth and dignity .
This summer , I helped out with a variety of services that the Franciscan Center provides , but mainly focused my time in the Responsive Services Department . It was my favorite aspect of the summer because it allowed me to have one-on-one conversations with individuals and understand what they ’ ve been going through . I ’ ve been able to meet and connect with folks from all walks of life . One of the interviews I did on my own was with a man facing issues with housing discrimination . Throughout our conversation , I was nervous about being unable to address his issues and kept searching for a way that I ’ d be able to help . However , he told me , “ it feels so great just to be able to share this with somebody . I ’ m scared that if I tell any of my neighbors , the landlord will make our lives even harder .” It was then when I understood that the most important role for the Center was to be a support system . While that support is typically thought of as our physical resources , it ’ s largely about humanity . Sometimes people just need someone to listen and treat them like human beings .
Despite the burdens that people have held , the spirit of the Center is typified more by the love and rapport that the clients and employees have for each other . I will always remember how clients would hug when meeting with their friends during our daily lunch . And how I would bump into them on the way to work and we would laugh about their struggles with technology or whatever was new with them . And how my coworkers knew all the clients by name and had inside jokes with them .
Baltimore is fundamentally a city which struggles with resources and the Center strives to bridge the gaps by providing basic resources — such as food , clothing , housing and employment assistance , and transportation — to families and individuals in crisis . It ’ s so common and easy for Hopkins students and those outside of Baltimore to caricaturize the city as one of poverty , crime , and decay . Although those issues demand attention , the Franciscan Center has allowed me to look more deeply and truly feel the hope , faith , and resilience that characterize Baltimore residents in the face of institutional betrayal .
• Interviewed and registered clients on the ClientTrack software in order to understand their background and needs
• Conducted responsive services including applying for identification ( birth certificates , MVA IDs , MTA IDs ); providing dental , eyeglasses , and prescription assistance ; registering for pantry bags ; and opening mailboxes for individuals at the Center
• Assisted with various services and operations : organizing volunteers , serving food in a commercial kitchen , packing pantry bags , taking in and distributing donations , working at the reception desk , helping clients learn to use the computer to create resumes and search for jobs
• Compiled and organized a list of 1300 organizations and individuals networked with the Center
I ’ m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to engage and build relationships with people in the Baltimore community and to learn about the city ’ s institutions through these experiences and our discussions at the Center for Social Concern . There is compassion and empathy through understanding , and I will take that with me onwards .
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