Walk The Line
Text From a R.O.C. Partner: “This client is missing. If you see them, please contact their sister.”
Text From Health Department Director: “Could you all possibly swing by the Health Department and see if you can assist the individual who has been on the bench all day?”
R.O.C. Members: “Absolutely!”
(Arrive @ HD Later)
Client: “Hey, are y’all here to bless me?”
R.O.C. Members: “Yes, we are! …..” What’s your name?”
Client: (States Name Of Missing Client)
R.O.C. Members:“Hey! So your sister has been looking for you! Can we get you on the phone with her and give you a ride to the shelter for the night?”
Client: “Yes!”
“I am working a job now!”
“They stole everything we had! Our tent, sleeping bags, our food, and our two bikes—you all got us! So that’s why we are over here now, but we have to move from here by the end of the week.”
“I got kidnapped for four days! It was insane! I’m ok now though. You got any batteries?”
“Every time I leave my camp, these same people come through and destroy the place! The police say they can’t do anything about it! SO I’M DONE! IF I CATCH THEM, OR EVEN IF I SEE THEM, THEY ARE GOING TO GET HURT! Y’ALL BETTER TELL THEM, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WARNING THEY WILL GET!!”
Client: “I am sorry I am yelling at you guys.”
ROC Members: “No. There is no need to apologize. We know you are yelling towards us and not at us. From what you are telling us, you have every right to be frustrated.”
Non-Profit Director: “Some homeless people have been telling me some thugs have moved into the large camp out here and are being violent towards everyone. Can you all not call the police to have them arrested and get out of there?”
ROC Members: “We aren’t denying what you’re saying is true, but as social workers we aren’t to be in the role of policing other people’s behavior. So even if someone was suspected of murdering someone the night before, if they are experiencing homelessness, we will serve them.”
Client: “You all will get extra blessed one day for what you’re doing?” Keep up the good work.”
ROC Members: “Being out here, breathing in this fresh air, and getting to know you and everyone else is enough of a blessing for us.”
Doing the job of homeless outreach every day doesn’t always put you in situations that are straightforward or all black and white. Many times it resembles a balancing act on the grey lines in between. We walk those lines:
The lines of emotions. Being elated for one client and then devastated for the next.
The line of mastering the day and reaching near burnoutthe next day.
The line of maintaining friendships and professional relationships with those experiencing homelessness.
The line between breaking the rules to ensure someone’s survival and strictly upholding the rules to establish necessary boundaries.
The line is giving more of your time to one client who is opening up to you and less of your time to the client who clearly wants to be left alone.
The line between knowing what someone is going through and having no idea.
The line between accepting the compliments for your work and feeling the guilt of all the work that hasn’t been done.
The line between intervening and respecting autonomy.
The line of lending support and desperately needing more support ourselves.
The line is, We don’t know where we are supposed to be, or where we are going, and we are exactly where we are supposed to be right now.
The line of being members of the R.O.C. and being employees of our own agencies.
The line of helping and serving both really good and really bad people.
The thing about walking on the tight grey lines is that not a lot of people want to. It is not comfortable, and you fall and get hurt a lot. Some would say it’s dangerous, or that walking these lines is a big risk with little to no rewards. For us, we understand it is the journey, not the destination, that many times is the greatest reward we will get to see. And with each boldly confident step, we learn what it takes to develop great balance.
📸: This photo was taken of R.O.C. member Kacy West this week while visiting an encampment that appeared abandoned. Except this sweet dog was still there. It had no food and no water. An unclear decision needed to be made. Do we call McKamey to come pick the dog up? How long has it been here like this? Was the camp truly abandoned? Was anyone coming back for the dog? The emotional decision was made to give the dog food and water today and come back the next day to see if anything changed. We came back the next day, and the dog was gone along with other items we had noticed previously.
#ROCAndRoll
#ROCRetrospective
#WalkTheLine
