“Our job is to provide service, but our work is to be human.”
By Katey Lantto, Jesuit Volunteer 2017-2018, Case Manager 2018-Present
“Hey baby girl, get me my shaver. Please.”
Sure Wayne, here you are. How you doin’?
“Which one for me?”
Hi Mr. Jack! Last one on the left should be open. Don’t go falling asleep on me now today, all right? Ms. Emily says you’re on the list for medical and I don’t want you to miss your appointment.
“Hi sweetie, I’m taking your powder.”
Good morning Miss Stephanie! Could you wait to get it after the shower? Ok, go ahead, I’ll grab it from you when you’re done.
“You got any shavers left?”
You’re getting the last one Kevin! And hey, come see me after lunch: I found a backpack in the back yesterday that I think should work for you.
“Do you have any of those bags left?”
No I’m sorry Ronald, but we have some toothbrushes you could grab and I’ll see if I can find a deodorant.
“Hey got a razor?”
No we just ran out! You gotta get here before 8:30 Percy, you know that. But hey, I’ll see what I can do to hold one for ya tomorrow morning.
“You have any socks?”
Socks are on Thursdays, Michael! But come back to me after lunch and I’ll see what I can do.
“Hey Miss Katey, how you doin’ today?”
~~
The thing about working at the Rebuild Center is that the day-to-day tasks are mostly the same. Showers open at 8, razors run out by 8:30, towels by 11, and then the showers close at 12. There is the daily balancing act of manning the showers, moving laundry, and running to the back to grab more toilet paper and a requested shirt.
However, no day is truly the same, thanks to every person who passes through those front doors. Our guests and our coworkers are different one from the next, and are every day different from the last. After about two months on the job, I still have no way of determining how the day will go, what will happen or who will show up. As I’m learning the ins and the outs of the center, I am also learning peoples’ stories, personalities and quirks, needs and wants, humors and emotions;
Knowing the people we meet every day and acknowledging their complex needs and wants is what providing dignity means in the context of the Harry Tompson Center. In essence, providing dignity and knowing each other is our job, and we work in the space of our community, our offices, and our homes.
However, the most important thing I say during the day is to myself. “This day is not about me.” This day requires us to be present, it requires us to be a friend, it requires us to be available and willing to listen and help where we can, and it absolutely requires us to have a good sense of humor. This day is about who we meet, and our interaction.
The Harry Tompson Center provides direct services, a long but simple list of them, and our days are filled with complex and beautifully frustrating people. Our job is to provide service, but our work is to be human with each person we meet and to allow them to be the same.
