The 2017 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Interns have graciously agreed to share their experiences with all of us. From time to time, we’ll be posting ‘journal entries’ from Naiomi Gonzalez and Katy Morton. Below is one of these entries.
I will preface this by saying I promise not to tell long, drawn-out stories every week, but that I have received two very different welcomes to Biloxi since my arrival in Mississippi.
After traveling over nine hours from the small town in Southern Florida that I had called my home for the last year, I was relieved—to say the least—to have finally arrived at the house at Back Bay Mission. My mom had graciously offered to come to Florida to make the journey with me from Mississippi, and I’m sure she was just as relieved as I was to have finally arrived. We began to unload my belongings from the car into the house.
After a few trips, we decided that we needed to take a water break, partially due to the heat and humidity—something I figured I would be more used to after living in Florida for the past year! Within a few minutes, we realized my entire purse was missing. Remembering I had left it in the car, I raced back outside and down the steps, only to discover it was not there.
My mom and I tried not to panic, and did a complete search of the house, but still came up with no purse! We quickly made the decision to call the local police, and within minutes, an officer was at our door. Understandably, my mom and I were both very upset, as we realized my wallet, phone, glasses, medicine case, and a set of car keys were all missing. We scrambled to cancel my credit and debit cards, find a phone store that was open on the holiday, and make sure I had enough of all my medicines, all while using my mom’s cell phone and attempting to file a police report with the officer.
At the time, I was completely devastated. I had been unbelievably excited and looking forward to living and working at Back Bay Mission in Biloxi since I heard I had been chosen for the program. I could not believe this was my welcome to Biloxi. I couldn’t help but think why me!? Someone had stolen my entire purse with all of my most important things. But that was just it, they had only stolen things. Always the voice of reason and wisdom when I am at my most upset, my mom reminded me that it was only things they had stolen, and that things can be replaced. She and I were both safe, and nobody had hurt either one of us. Still upset and angry, I continued to question why this had happened and why this was my welcome to Biloxi. My mom reminded me, once again, that things happen all the time that we can’t explain, but that God has a plan no matter what. To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive to return to Biloxi after what had happened, but continued to feel called to learn and serve at Back Bay this summer.
On Sunday, I boarded my plane from PA and headed back to Biloxi to begin my summer.
Fast forward a week to my first day on the job at Back Bay Mission. My fellow intern Naiomi and I met with Dr. Alice Graham who provided a completely opposite welcome to the one I had received the week before. As she toured us around the buildings and introduced us to staff, I couldn’t help but remember the feelings of warmth, community, and welcome that I had remembered about Back Bay so many years ago. Everyone was kind, loving, and even listened intently to my above-mentioned, long, drawn-out story.
As we walked through the buildings and witnessed the staff at work, it continued to show just how much everyone truly loved what they were doing and the people they were serving. Another thing that became apparent almost immediately at Back Bay, was the sense of community amongst the staff. I have never seen a group of people who love working together as much as the staff of Back Bay. I continue to be amazed at the number of people Back Bay manages to serve on a daily basis, all the while smiling and enjoying being and working with one another.
I was nervous that Naiomi and I might be viewed as the newcomers, and may not fit into the tight-knit group of staff at Back Bay. Oh, but how wrong I was. Once again, the sense of community and kindness was alive, and we were welcomed right in as if we had been working here for years. In the first week, Naiomi and I have had the opportunity to help answer the phones, man the front desk, re-think and re-draft organizational policy, attend meetings with other area agencies, create a client survey for the food pantry, and most importantly of all, meet a number of the individuals that Back Bay Mission serves on a daily basis.
In my down time, I have found myself thinking back to what happened when I first arrived in Biloxi, and realizing just how truly fortunate I am. Although it is frustrating that I lost my pair of prescription glasses, and scary that someone is still out there with a key to my car, I have been able to replace the glasses with a different pair and put a steering wheel lock and tire boot on my car.
When I take a minute to stop and think about how bad it could have been, I am so thankful that all that was taken from me were things. The staff at Back Bay has welcomed me with open arms, provided suggestions and reassurance, and I can say with certainty that they have made me feel much more secure and excited about my decision to work in Biloxi and at Back Bay this summer. This week has flown by, and I have enjoyed every minute of being able to learn new skills and ideas. As I look towards next week, I cannot wait to see what is in store for Naiomi and me. We have several meetings scheduled with different community organizations, as well as time allotted to work with other employees, staff, and volunteers on various programs and projects. I am so excited to have been chosen for this opportunity and cannot wait to continue to share my experiences with all of you!
