Civic Identity
Bhavya Vats, Mia Rand, & Savanna Handy
What is Civic Identity?
Throughout our time at the YMCA Supportive Housing Campus, we took part in many different forms of service. By the nature of the work that needs to be done to support residents and staff, members of our team got to do things that amplified their strengths. This is the basis of civic identity-- utilizing your personal skills, strengths, and interests to aid in community development. Over the course of our trip, we learned more about what our strengths are and reflected on how we can turn them into more sustainable change and action.
In this section, we will elaborate on what our week of service looked like and share some personal testimonies.
Day 1: Tour & Kindness Cards
We started our service trip with a tour of the YMCA SHC. Brooke, the Community Engagement Director, and Ashley, the Community Engagement Coordinator showed us the an empty unit, the pantry full of donations and basic need supplies for residents, and common areas where residents can interact with one another.
After our tour, we sat down in one of the classrooms where residents are able to meet with their case managers or complete workshops on important life skills. We spent the rest of our day writing kindness cards for each of the residents. These card included encouraging and uplifting messages to help brighten the day of the residents. In total, we made 170 cards. Each of these cards only took a couple minutes to make, but could possibly change a resident's day entirely. This enabled us to be creative and connect with the residents prior to meeting them.
Day 2: Donation Sorting & Dinner with Residents
After learning about YMCA SHC on Day 1, we started Day 2 off by sorting clothing donations. One thing that stuck out to us about this organization is that they never turn away a donation. Brooke explained to us that by accepting every donation that comes to them they are cultivating long-lasting relationships with the community. That being said, we spent time sorting out clothing items that were needed to replenish the clothing closet, and we bagged up the rest to be donated to the Salvation Army. This was a great opportunity for group members whose strengths lie in things like organization, record-keeping, or working behind the scenes.
Later in the evening, we were able to join the residents for dinner served by another volunteer group. This dinner went along with one of the 5 promises of the campus: a hot, homecooked meal every week. Personally, I felt interactions with the residents were most enriching in learning my civic identity. Before embarking on our trips, I learned my top CliftonStrengths involved things like gathering and analyzing information, as well as harmony and restoration. I felt these strengths come through as I got to know the residents. I spoke with multiple residents about their stories and some shared some very touching information. Learning real, personal stories from people who have faced housing and basic needs injustice is crucial to understanding the issue and looking toward solutions.
Day 3: Serving Brunch and Traveler's Spot
We started day 3 by serving brunch to the residents! Some of the extroverted volunteers served the food (pastries, cupcakes, and milk), while others organized the food pantry behind the scenes. Food is such a crucial basic need and is needed to maintain the health and happiness of a community. Serving brunch to the residents was an amazing thing that we got to experience because we took the initiative to happily feed the residents that morning. This defines another important aspect of leadership which involves taking care of the people around you to produce the best outcome for everyone in the long run.
Brooke has made so many partnerships with the local businesses and convenience stores that the YMCA supportive housing campus always has donations coming in. These donations support a few meals for the residents throughout the week. I got to work on organizing the food pantry by sorting food donations, labelling shelves, and neatly placing the food items in rows.
On day 3 of the service trip, we participated in the weekly "Walking Club" hosted for the YMCA residents. Each week the residents walk to different walkable locations near the campus. Since the weather was so nice that day, we were thrilled to walk and chat with the residents. I made three walking buddies who told me about their family, hobbies, and cooking skills! I was beyond happy to listen to these amazing stories, and the residents had so many questions they wanted to ask me. These wholesome interactions made me realize just how valuable human connections can be. At times, we also had to careful about not discussing triggering topics such as employment, family, and even dreams. We had to strike a crucial balance between maintaining conversations and not asking too personal questions. One thing I had to adapt to was to let the residents lead the conversation and to find a little bit of positivity in everything. Overall, it was amazing when the residents shared jokes and were happy to talk about themselves.
We all loved the view of Des Moines from the Traveler's spot! Apparently, it's a popular spot to take photos for Instagram. All of our smiles in the picture are definitely Instagram-worthy. For me, taking this walk with the residents was the highlight of the week because I got make so many people smile!
Day 4: Donation Drive and Pop up Shop
"I like making creative posters and interacting with people. Through the donation drive with Dollar Tree, we got to collect donations for hygiene products and help support the needs of the YMCA residents. Spreading smiles and coming together to solve a common problem: lack of adequate resources." - Bhavya Vats
On Day 4 of the trip, we helped Brooke and Ashley collect donations from Dollar Tree shoppers and spread the YMCA's message of "people helping people." I was amazed by how many donations we collected within an hour. The happiest part of this event was telling people that their smallest donations can make the biggest difference in someone's life. This is a form of leadership when you strength your "team" to accomplish the strategic goals.
On day 4, we also organized a garage sale style "Pop-Up Shop" for the YMCA residents. We got to think about what basic needs of the residents could be served through this event. Because we wanted the residents to have access to a variety of items, we set up ten tables with free clothing, shoes, and kitchen and cleaning supplies. We tried to include multiple sizes for the clothing items so that everyone had something that they like and can wear. Having options for what to wear provides people with independence and gives them confidence to participate more in society. These are some of the elements needed for community development to create equity and inclusiveness for all people.
"It was really fun to help give residents different clothing options. Picking out something you want to wear gives people dignity and makes them feel valued. These are just some of the things needed to build a supportive community." - Bhavya Vats
Day 5: Unloaded Donations
For our last day in Des Moines, we spent the morning unloading food from the Food Pantry of Iowa. Each week, the YMCA SHC gets nearly 2,000 pounds of food used to stock the food pantry, as well as ingredients used to cook for their residents. We formed an assembly line and passed boxes of food down to stock their large kitchen pantry and walk-in freezer and refrigerator. We worked up a sweat and were happy to help lend a hand to staff.
For our last hour at the YMCA SHC, we sat down with residents for Friday's "Coffee and Conversations". We enjoyed conversation, as well as pastries donated from a local bakery. It was bittersweet having to say goodbye to the residents, but we hope to have left a lasting impact on their lives as they have on ours.