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              As time is winding down, it is getting harder and harder to believe that I will be heading back to Ohio so soon. These have been the fastest 9 weeks of my life, and I have Back Bay Mission to thank for that. For this week, I want to talk about a success story that I had to privilege to witness over the past 9 weeks.

               From my very first day here, there was one client that automatically became one of my friends. She came up to me, introduced herself, and gave me something of a “scope” of all the clients that were in the Day Center. She was nothing but friendly, and kind, and extremely independent.

                As time went on, and I continued talking to her, she began telling me that she was in line for an apartment, but she didn’t know if she was going to take it. It didn’t make much sense to me why someone would refuse to accept housing, but in her case, there were a lot of underlying issues that I had no idea about.

                Anyhow, over the past couple weeks, I had seen her more on the phone with her case manager and I had also seen her case manager in the Day Center (which was not usual). She told me that she had decided to take the apartment, and that she was moving in as soon as it was ready.

                At the end of this week, I got a phone call when I was in the Day Center and it was this woman’s case manager, she told me that her apartment was ready, and she was on her way to pick her up.

                It was only a matter of minutes before she came to get her, and when she did, you could see the excitedness through this woman’s eyes. She gave us all hugs and thanked us all for everything we had done.

                I haven’t seen her since this day, and I guess that is a good thing. It was just the cherry on the top of this experience to actually see a success story first-hand. Back Bay Mission really does help do God’s work, and I am forever grateful for being able to be a part of 10 weeks of it.

I had the amazing opportunity to accompany some of the Back Bay Mission’s staff to an award ceremony awarding our Executive Director, Dr. Alice Graham at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. She humbly accepted the award on behalf of all of Back Bay Mission and I was very proud to be a part of that. It is hard to imagine that I am wrapping up my last week here at Back Bay Mission. This has been a great summer filled with not only learning but fun as well. From running the Day Center to checking clients into the food pantry. I cherish every experience I have had thus far.

I am currently in the process of seeing one of our clients receive housing. He is currently homeless but is merely one step away from having his apartment. This is something that has truly been the “icing on the cake” for this entire internship. Ms. Loretta has given me personal insight into her housing program, and I enjoy going onsite visits with her and getting a chance to speak with the managers and step into her shoes. This week has definitely been one to remember!

This week we were tasked with a responsibility that we had never been asked to do before: run the Micah Day Center. Ms. Debra, Ms. Sarah, and Ms. Kirsten were not going to be there on Friday, so Kairah and I were to be in charge. So, we followed Ms. Debra around on Wednesday, watching over everything that she did for the Center on a daily basis (which is a lot). When it came time for us to start on Friday, Kairah and I couldn’t have been more excited. This was the first time we had ever been trusted to run the Day Center, and luckily, we did not blow this opportunity. The clients were extremely well-behaved and everything moved very smoothly: this definitely had a lot to do with the help of Ms. Lucy in the clothing closet. This experience really shed a light on how much work Ms. Debra does on a daily basis, and it just increased the overflowing amount of respect I already had for her. It also showed me how many relationships I had built with many of the clients since I’ve been here. Most of them know my name and are now able to speak to me with comfort in knowing who I am as a person. These relationships truly make this internship memorable, and it is the exact outcome I wanted to have by the end of these 10 weeks.

This past week, I’ve had the opportunity to shadow at Coastal Family Health Clinic. I attended on their Homeless Healthcare Day, a day dedicated specifically to homeless clients who need healthcare assistance. The HCH program helps homeless clients (some of whom I recognize from Back Bay) receive health care services from the clinic for free. A select handful of clients come in with any concerns they may have, and they were addressed by the caseworker. I was able to sit and speak with the nurse practitioner, nurse, and amazing caseworker who took the time to shadow and mentor with me throughout the day. The reason this day of internship at Coastal Family Health was so important to me, is because I plan to go into Public Health and Epidemiology. Epidemiology is the study of diseases in groups and communities, or possibly how to control them. My respected professor Dr. Walter Davis is the person who encouraged me to go into this field, and I love it the more I learn about it. From this trip to Coastal Family Health, I was able to see behind the scenes what goes on at a clinic and get one on one time with clients and healthcare professionals alike. I can’t wait to back next week and learn so much more!