I’ve been in Baltimore for nearly four weeks now and I will admit that the dreamlike state I’ve been drifting about in has started to vanish. Public transportation is not as exciting as it once was—especially considering the heatwave. Though I will admit there is still something magical about the way the Charm City Circulator (the free bus I ride to and from work every day) can accommodate a crush of people that nearly defy the laws of physics. I should also admit that living in the city isn’t all charm either. The view is great, but the noise is nonstop. And all the surrounding grocery stores criminally overcharge for cereal. And chocolate chips, surprisingly.
But I’m not complaining. I’m just acknowledging that my dreamlike state is vanishing into reality. Suddenly, I feel like I’m settling in. I sleep just fine at night in spite of the car alarms and noisy trucks. I don’t have to constantly watch for my bus stop; I am perfectly content to listen to music or watch something on Netflix until the circulator shudders to a stop on Biddle Street. Sometimes I’ll even enjoy a walk home from work on the days that aren’t too humid. It’s a little over a mile and a half, but seeing those buildings from the street—towering over you, pitching things into odd geometric shadows, it’s a strange kind of beautiful. Especially during the late afternoon.

I have grown to appreciate the smells of my neighborhood. The short walks I take when I’m going out to dinner or the bus stop. I appreciate the wind here, which unlike the wind in Valparaiso, actually does not continue forever. It’s also pretty great that I can now walk in to the coffee shop by my apartment and the baristas just know exactly what I’m going to order—Jamoca Almond Fudge Iced Coffee, small—with cream.

There are some things though that I do not think I will ever grow used to. Since my first day at Lutheran World Relief, I have been consistently overwhelmed with the kindness of my coworkers and colleagues and wholly inspired. When I look at these people every day, I cannot imagine better role models. I cannot imagine anything I would like to do more than to one day stand and work with them on the incredible projects they do, and share their incredible and unwavering passion. Yes, I am busy. But I want to be. I see people who have come in to work long before me when I arrive at 8:30 and stay long after I leave at 4:30. They don’t drink coffee or take long lunch breaks. They don’t find secret corners of the office to go waste time in when they are bored. And their dedication makes me want to work just as hard as they do. People don’t work like that because they want overtime hours. Money is not a big enough motivator for that kind of continual, rigorous effort. When I think specifically of the women I work with in the New Business Development unit, I know it is not money that drives them to do the work they do. These incredible women are driven by a contagious passion for what they do, and they do it very well.

My colleagues are gracious, hospitable, and warm—and I have the deepest admiration for them personally and professionally. The work itself is also something that inspires and energizes me. There have been days when I have been *nearly* moved to tears at work from reading some of the truly astounding projects LWR does around the world. Recently, I was reading about Niger and was struck by how imperative it is at Lutheran World Relief that they help communities to help themselves. LWR trains communities to be resilient to climate change and disasters so that they can make their community stronger. Relief work isn’t about giving money or food to people who don’t have it, not completely anyway, it’s really about empowering people to improve their own lives and communities. That’s something that I personally think is pretty awesome. Overall, I’m learning a lot and growing a lot and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next four weeks.

Until next time,

Caprice

The views expressed in this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Lutheran World Relief.

I got lost three times the morning of my first day and ended up asking for directions to my office while literally ten steps away from the front door. Of course, tears were accumulating in my eyes and I was sweating like I just finished playing an intense game of FIFA soccer, but I made it on time (two minutes early to be exact).

My day in the office started with a tour of our massive building along with learning all about its history (sorry, I was too focused on controlling my sweat to pay attention). However, the tour did include the discovery of free candy and coffee for the interns, which instantly made me gain five pounds. Next, my boss sat me down in her office to give me the incredibly detailed overview of what our project really was; I was excited, overwhelmed, nervous, and extremely inspired to take this job on.

The United Way, nation-wide, is asking all county agencies to re-evaluate and modify how they allocate their funding to smaller non-profits. For that reason, the United Way of LaPorte County is holding Community Conversations, intended to get the people involved in the development process and create an impact plan to affect outcomes in the key focus areas of education, financial stability, and education. Our job is to facilitate those conversations throughout the county, making sure we gather input from a demographically representative group of LaPorte County citizens. The second aspect of our job is to analyze the data we compile from those conversations to decipher the specific, countywide needs the LaPorte County community desires. As well as researching present resources and best practices regarding specific issues other United Way agencies around the country have found successful.

I came into work not really knowing what this project entailed, but after only an hour, I had enough information to make my head spin. Garrett, CAPS Fellow and my co-intern, gave me the grave news that a past intern had decided to quit the job without finishing a major project needed for the Community Conversations; a seventy-page binder analyzing and explaining all the different components of education problems in LaPorte County along with best practices research for those problems. Now, it was up to us to start and complete a project in one week that the past interns had four months to complete (still my first day). Thankfully, the past interns that did not quit and completed other binders for the impact areas came to our rescue by helping complete the education binder. After that minor stress-attack, it has been smooth sailing; along with my normal community conversation project work, I have also designed outreach flyers, conversation handouts, a poster, and had the privilege to sit in on development meetings for a potential shared service center for area non-profits.

Two years ago I applied to work at the United Way back in my hometown and did not get hired. Just over two months ago, I was the student that did not have anything planned for the summer and I was not handling it very well (my friends can testify). The United Way of LaPorte County, in the short time that I have worked for them, has proved to be the best blessing-in-disguise I have come to experience. My boss continuously inspires me to critically thinking about the inter-connectedness of aspirations, challenges, and resources within a community and reminds me that even as individuals, we create an impact. While at a community conversation, she said something that instantly made me dissect its core meaning; “No matter what you’re doing in your community, SHOW UP. Invest in your community.” As emerging leaders, which I believe we all are, it is vital that we remember to show up for our cause: to lead and serve.

Live United,

Grace

Work Swag