Annie has a deep connection to the work we do on both a personal and a professional level – she is studying for a masters degree in social work, but also researches nonprofit organizations for her employer, a local philanthropist. When she first visited us, Annie says that she “fell in love” with Friends In Deed immediately – especially with The Women’s Room, where she was deeply impressed by how well run it was, by only three staff members! It fit the criteria for her employer’s altruism as well, being a Pasadena grassroots organization that helps people directly. So FID has benefitted twice from Annie’s involvement – we benefit from her help as a volunteer, and from her recommendations to her employer.
After filling gaps in The Women’s Room schedule for six months, Annie took on a regular volunteer shift on Wednesdays. She has also run a vision board workshop and a goal-setting class for our guests, and sometimes helps out downstairs in the laundry room. She loves talking to the ladies and hearing their stories, and says she is often in awe of how they turn up with a smile on their faces even after a night of the trauma of living on the streets. Annie says she tries to “check in her own stuff at the door” – because whatever she has going on in her life, it’s nothing compared to what our guests are dealing with.
One event that sticks in Annie’s mind is the exhibition of art from The Women’s Room that was hosted by Vroman’s Bookstore. She talks about how special it was to see the women talking about their pieces with so much pride.
We hope that Annie’s experience with us informs and guides her future in social work. She tells us she has already learned a lot – particularly from Lindsey, who Annie says has helped her with the difficult but important task of learning to set boundaries.