During our first retreat for senior affordable housing, I felt especially touched by the words of Bruce Carron who gave us a tour of the Talmadge Gateway Apartments. It was difficult to hear some of the things he was saying, but something that stuck out to me was when he told us to pursue something in the field. I feel like many people try to find jobs that pay big bucks, but people who go into social work have a true passion for helping people. There are so many people in the world that need help, but there are not enough people that have a passion for helping those who are less fortunate. When Bruce was sharing his words with us, I started tearing up seeing how grateful he was for this affordable housing complex. Seeing these neighborhoods with a large homeless population was heartbreaking, especially seeing tents lined up on the sidewalk. But being able to see multiple areas in San Diego where older adults can find housing for cheaper prices truly brought me hope.
I also loved going to the LGBTQ affordable housing center and getting to have lunch with older adults. I am not part of the LGBTQ community myself, so I can only imagine what it’s like to feel unsafe in areas where they are not accepted for who they are. Out of all the affordable housing complexes we visited, this one was definitely my favorite based soley off the vibes given off by the people. When we first walked into the common kitchen space area, the older adults were offering us to go first and were just simply showing us where to get drinks. These simple acts felt very welcoming and it seemed like they were excited to meet us. I think it’s important for older adults who are part of the LGBTQ community to have a place where they feel comfortable expressing who they are and the North Park Senior Apartments does exactly that.
I also enjoyed the first tour around Potiker and Sara Francis and I thought it was interesting getting to know more about behind the scenes. I liked how we were able to learn about Pamela’s responsibilities as someone who does social work and how she’s been able to help the community. I know a lot of people in the field experience burnout, but it was nice to hear about things that make their jobs worth it for them. It’s known that people don’t go into social work for the money, so it was eye opening to hear why they decided to pursue this career and also why they push themselves to continue in this field. This whole retreat really helped me understand what it means to give back to your community, especially to those who are less fortunate. Not many people are blessed with the same luxuries and opportunities, so it’s important to help those in need.
I also loved going to the LGBTQ affordable housing center and getting to have lunch with older adults. I am not part of the LGBTQ community myself, so I can only imagine what it’s like to feel unsafe in areas where they are not accepted for who they are. Out of all the affordable housing complexes we visited, this one was definitely my favorite based soley off the vibes given off by the people. When we first walked into the common kitchen space area, the older adults were offering us to go first and were just simply showing us where to get drinks. These simple acts felt very welcoming and it seemed like they were excited to meet us. I think it’s important for older adults who are part of the LGBTQ community to have a place where they feel comfortable expressing who they are and the North Park Senior Apartments does exactly that.
I also enjoyed the first tour around Potiker and Sara Francis and I thought it was interesting getting to know more about behind the scenes. I liked how we were able to learn about Pamela’s responsibilities as someone who does social work and how she’s been able to help the community. I know a lot of people in the field experience burnout, but it was nice to hear about things that make their jobs worth it for them. It’s known that people don’t go into social work for the money, so it was eye opening to hear why they decided to pursue this career and also why they push themselves to continue in this field. This whole retreat really helped me understand what it means to give back to your community, especially to those who are less fortunate. Not many people are blessed with the same luxuries and opportunities, so it’s important to help those in need.