Newsletter # 1
Amehed’s greetings from the U.K.
Hello everyone! Nearly a month has past since I left Iowa City, first we stayed on an orientation in Chicago for a week, and then London! I was nervous at first to leave for the second time to a different country with different culture and almost a different language, and start from the beginning all over again.
At the moment of my arrival to my placement, I noticed a friendly atmosphere that made me feel almost like home. Every stereotype that I was told about the English people by other ex-volunteers and others that have lived there before, was totally mistaken around my shelter’s staff and residents. Most of the people around me are foreigners or first and second generation English.
I’ve never worked on a homeless shelter before. The first thought that comes to mind, is that every one that is there have been homeless all their lives, that do drugs, and that are there just to spend their lives, that at the end nobody expect nothing from them and that they don’t want anything out of life, just to live from the government.
The Anchor House homeless shelter is a little different. They encourage people to learn different skills that eventually would give them a better opportunity to get a good job, and finally move out the shelter. These skills training are offered for free to anybody who is interested.
Most of the people that end up in here have had good jobs in their lives, but because of many different reasons, such as mistakes, deaths in the family, or sudden loss of jobs they find themselves homeless, depress and desperate with no way out but to live in the streets.
Most of the residents that live here are foreigners and don’t feel comfortable enough to get a good job because of their lack in English skills or any other skills that most jobs require.
My job description is to help people with some English classes, teach them the basics of computers: internet browsing, creating documents, helping them with their curriculum vitae and make sure that they go to their interviews and the job agencies.
The lack of motivation is the main problem here, since the government provides housing and some allowance every week, they don’t feel the need to try to get a job, instead they just walk around with nothing to do. The staff members bring motivational speakers, job training services, even companies with job openings, but if people don’t want to succeed, there’s nothing much you could do about it. These four weeks that I’ve been here have taught me that no matter where you come from, how rich or powerful you are, if you are in a low point in your life you fall down hard like anybody else, it’s only our job to get back on our feet and accept all the help we can get.
I am very excited to be in a different country learning about a different culture and trying to enjoy this experience as much as I can. At times I miss my family, friends even mountain dew, ranch salad dressing, and real ketchup, but at the end I realize that this things will be there for me in my return.
Thanks to the members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for your support and I’ll try to keep you inform in every aspect of this experience.
Amehed
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