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| Christine (right) with a participant |
A recent victory in my year of service with Quinn Cottages
was being a part of the first move-in day for our residents after their
cottages had undergone rehab. It was a long process in which participants
were forced to pack up and move their stuff from one quad to another before
they could finally settle in to their newest home. This construction and
rehab had been a work in progress since my arrival in August, so it was
rewarding to finally see what it looked like to hand a key to such a grateful
and deserving recipient. Each of them showed ample gratitude, remembering
what it was like not too long ago to be living on the streets. I have
been able to witness many perspective-shaping moments in which participants
open up to me about their past and the darkness (as far as homelessness,
addiction, abuse) they escaped from by coming to Quinn. Stories like
these have kept me coming to work every day with an optimistic attitude, happy
to serve these people that have been through more than I can even feign to
imagine. Each person that lives here in these 60 Cottages has touched my
life, each of them moving in their own way, and I hope that they feel the same
about my role in their own lives.
Working at Quinn Cottages has changed me in ways I could
not have predicted before moving to Sacramento. I have found a home here
amongst the participants that inspire me on a daily basis. I have come a
long way in my journey: arriving as a business school graduate with no
experience in the field of social work or with low-income housing,
and have since then been able to “learn the ropes” and get to know on a
personal level each individual that lives here. I even upgraded work
space to my very own office complete with a “feelings couch”. My
participants are always eager to show their gratitude to me by bringing me
coffee, splitting their sandwich, or earnestly presenting me a flower picked
illegally from the garden next door to adorn my already overly-decorated
office.
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| Christine (left) with a participant |
I feel so blessed looking back on my time so far and
am sad at the thought of no longer being here in a few weeks, which, many of
the participants have reciprocated in their own refusal to “let me
leave”. I have recently been inspired by one of my more let’s say lyrical participants (while he was laying
on my feelings couch and loudly singing along to my favorite Beatles Pandora
station) to create a Quinn documentary, so to speak, for when I am missing them
months from now or just to look back at down the road and remember my time
here. I plan to make a point of cherishing my time in these next few months
and really soak in everything that these wonderful people have to taught me.
Christine Poletto - Cottage Housing - Sacramento, PA
