Lindsay the Intern: Good Bye

After 3 terms here at ShelterCare, it is sadly time for me to say goodbye. I have spent countless hours working alongside some of the most dedicated and passionate people I have encountered during my time here in Eugene. Not only staff, but consumers as well. Their spirit has inspired me to continue working in the human services field and attempt to remedy the inadequacies in our communities.

I believe I left off on the brink of starting my senior project. Though it was not always easy, creating and implementing this Life Skills Curriculum at the Uhlhorn Program for people with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI), was one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life. During my final presentation, my supervisor raised his hand to ask what part of the project I most enjoyed. It was really hard for me to say. Was it working with Uhlhorn’s staff; who truly care about and work for their consumers? Was it spreading awareness about the happenings at Uhlhorn? Or learning about the clients? All of these pieces were incredible learning experiences, but my favorite piece of this project was the moment in every class where one of the consumers would absolutely surprise me. Whether it was by their passion about a topic, their recollection of a story or lesson previously discussed, or their sheer will to survive and stay positive through unfavorable circumstances. Our minds are often clouded by the research and generalizations that we use to get funding and draft documents. I can tell you first hand that yes, memory loss is an issue with ABI survivors, but even the consumer most affected can remind you of something you forgot to mention. And yes, ABI survivors have issues with depression and isolation, but it’s hard to see those issues when they are sitting in front of you telling a story with a grin on their face. We are all multi-dimensional, even those of us who are quickly marginalized. I think this is one very important lesson I will carry with me in future endeavors.

I would like to thank all of those people at ShelterCare who gave me the opportunity to succeed. My confidence in my own abilities, and the good nature of people in this world, have sky rocketed. To all of those who are not sure how to make a difference or don’t feel that they can afford to, it all starts with a change of mindset. Tolerance should be like breathing, natural and ever present. We all have a story, a past, a time when we made a poor choice, or a time when we had no choice at all. Let us remember those times when we are around others so that compassion may be the first reserve in our mind rather than judgment.

A favorite quote: “ be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” – Unknown

I am pretty sure I have said this before, but I will say it again: Keep on fighting the good fight!

Lindsay Walsh

Lindsay the Intern: Week Eight

(Lindsay is leaving us temporarily for some much deserved R and R with her family. She leaves with lots of things to look forward to upon her return.)

Sadly, this will be my last blog entry for a while as I am off to visit family for a few weeks. I am happy to say that everything seems to be falling into place for both the life skills class I will be teaching at Uhlhorn, and the events going on here in Development.

The more time I spend milling over the possibilities for the class, the more excited I get. I am trying not to get my hopes up too high because I have never done anything like this, but I can't help but see the potential for success. I now have a tentative curriculum schedule, which covers an array of topics over an 8 week time period. The topics include, but are not limited to, sexual health and safety, cultural awareness, nutrition, and interviewing. Even if the residents take away nothing from the lesson plan, at least they will have a chance to socialize and enjoy themselves. I cannot wait to share more once the class actually begins!

Also, as you know, we had our first trail run last weekend. It was a beautiful August morning as the runners gathered at the start. Myself and a few other volunteers waited at the other end with snacks and water. About 80 runners and walkers traversed the course as we patiently waited to hear how it went. The feedback was great as the runners flooded in for some nourishment. Of course, like with any event, not everything went perfectly and we learned some lessons that will help us in future years. Overall it was a great success and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the new events have to offer.

Well, that is all for now. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of summer! See you in September!

Lindsay the Intern: Week Three

In class, we have been discussing how to propose our senior projects in a way that would compel our superiors to support and join in our efforts.  The idea of teaching a life skills class to any population seems necessary. We could all brush up on some aspect of life. For some, learning to do taxes might be a skill worth developing. For others, the proper flossing techniques may have eluded them in the past. Defining life skills is an important piece when arguing for its validity, however, it is such a broad concept that it has become difficult to explain.

            Recently, I had the opportunity to present the idea for the class to the residents. I stoop up, puffed my chest out, and put on a “you’re all going to love me” smile. “Hi, my name is Lindsay and I will be teaching a Life Skills class here this fall”. Without hesitation, or pity, a women jutted, “oh yeah, and what are life skills?”  My intelligent well thought out response? “Like nutrition…”

            Clearly, I was not prepared for the question to be asked, not by a resident, not by anyone really. For the sake of sanity, I decided that life skills should be defined in terms of the population being addressed. People with brain injuries must be similar right? They probably all need to learn the same things. Wrong. In fact, the only thing linking people with brain injuries together is the fact that they have brain injuries. That is it. So how then, can I break down the massive category of life skills in order to appropriately capture the Uhlhorn residents? The answer is really pretty simple; ask them! Life skills are simply tools and rules needed to live independently and successfully in the world. After that, the definition extends to what the people in question want to know. The next phase of my project will be to gather information from the residents so that I can create a curriculum of life skills that fits their needs and moves them towards independence.