The blog advantage

Last week I had an awesome experience that I haven't had time to write about until now.

But first a little background.

If you recall, at the beginning of my term I shared a great deal about my experiences with Job and Family Services in getting and keeping our food stamp benefit (click for a reminder of these accounts). I was honest and open about our experience, but also critical of the process. For many readers, my story was their first encounter with how the food stamp process really works. For others it provided a reminder of how much impact social service providers and government programs have on the lives of people in poverty, and how that impact isn't always a positive one.

Jerome Kearns is a reader who fit into the latter category. A board member at Shared Harvest, he received the link to my blog from Tina back in July. (She sent it to all of the board members.) Oh and did I mention Jerome is also the director of the Butler County Department of Job and Family Services? Keep in mind, I had met a few of the board members already, but I didn't realize that Jerome Kearns was a board member as well--and maybe that's a good thing. Over the past several months, I have written candidly about my experiences and Jerome, among others, has paid attention.

Now, fast forward a few months to late December. As the Checkout Hunger Campaign and Holiday Food Drives were coming to a close, I approached Tina about my next non-OBB project: the Butler County school supply campaign. She put me in touch with Jeff Diver from SELF who eventually led me to Jerome Kearns; both men have been involved in the school supply campaign in the past. I set up a meeting with both of them for Friday, January 8th, and while arranging my meeting with Jerome, he mentioned my blog and that he'd like to talk about some of my JFS posts from last fall.

And that takes us to last week. Besides getting more details about the school supply campaign, I also had the chance to personally tell the director of our county JFS about my experience in his office. For about an hour and a half, we talked about how Taylor and I felt during our application and re-certification processes, and the things we thought could be improved. Jerome agreed that some of their caseworkers' customer service skills left something to be desired and that they could work on they way they treat people during the intake process. Never once did Jerome offer excuses or argue with me about my experience. He asked questions and genuinely listened to my answers.

Although Taylor and I are no longer eligible to receive food stamps, it felt good to have our experiences heard. I recognize that as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member on both sides of the social service desk, I am in a unique position of influence that many people in poverty will never have a chance to experience. Without my blog or my connections to Tina and Shared Harvest, I would have never had the opportunity to sit down with the director of JFS and tell him about my experience. Had I just been a regular consumer, my voice would likely never have been heard.

I hope that my discussion with Jerome will mean something, that it will lead to changes in the way services are provided at Job and Family Services. I hope that other families will not experience the frustration and humiliation that Taylor and I experienced at the beginning of our journey; I hope that people will not feel discouraged from seeking the help that is available to them. Only time will tell. In the meantime I am learning that I can make a difference in the fight against poverty not just by working on projects, but also by speaking up about issues that I have personal experience with.