I’ve been working at Heartland Human Care Services’ Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) team for a little over a week, but it feels like I’ve gained at least two months of experience. I already have a well-established commute, taking the red line north through Old Town, Lincoln Park, and finally arriving at Uptown. I admire the artwork decorating the walls and street throughout the neighborhood as I walk the three blocks from the train station to Heartland. So far, I’ve had a habit of showing up early—when you’re taking the “L,” arriving just on time is a gamble against train delays and track repairs. Once I arrive, I meet up with my supervisor, and I follow her along to whatever meetings or training we have scheduled for the day. She has a practical teaching style, showing me how to complete a task, and then assigning me that task in […]

In my humble opinion the concept of Sacred Space is not just exclusive to Holden Village. For a very short period during my time here I found a way to connect to the nature and sacredness of the native land that Holden Village occupies by going on a hike past the foot bridge every day alone for four consecutive days where I enjoy the feeling of the nature around me. Every day was a different experience, for instance, on my first day I found the quote “Where the River Flows, Life Abounds” on the back through the foot bridge. I figured this was a sign to embrace a dance of freedom and a deeper spiritual experience bigger than myself. I later found other forms of sacred space different from the spiritual hikes and outside of the designated Sacred Space time. At the beginning of my time at Holden, I hosted […]