Celeste has been delivering services while working from home. We asked her to share what it's like:
Spending 8 hours a day at my kitchen table on a computer and a phone is not my ideal working environment. But I appreciate the opportunity to keep working and keep serving the members to the best of my ability. I am having no problem keeping busy!
As an organization, I know this is different than anything we have done before. And in my opinion, it's working. The phone calls I am making mean a lot to our members. I know this because they tell me so.
I hear things such as: "I look forward to your call all week," and "You're the only person that checks in with me."
They can't wait to tell me about their day or what is going on in their life – the good and the bad. I get to hear about the birth of their grandchildren and the sadness from not being able to see or touch the child because of social distancing.
I get to hear how they are staying connected to each other and all the fun things they are going to do when this is over. I am also the person they call when they need a food box or another resource, or even just looking something up on Google.
The ultimate goal is to stay connected to our members during this time, and I feel that is being accomplished. But there have been some challenging situations as well.
I have experienced members who are talking about suicide or hurting themselves. Some members have lost their jobs or are suffering from hardships due to other resource-based organizations closing. Some members are struggling due to mental health issues. The list goes on and on.
But I am positive that being in this role, walking alongside our community members, holding space for them in whatever capacity we can...it is helping, and it is making a positive difference in their lives as well as mine.
- Celeste, Community Room Lead
