Last day, first day

So there are a few reasonably-sized changes in my life that you all should know about.

First, I quit my receptionist job at the property management company. Friday was my last day, and yes, I only had the job for two and a half weeks. Having a paycheck was great, but I missed having a more hands-on role in an organization; I missed making a measurable difference in people's lives. And turns out there were some organizational things I just couldn't adjust to (and yes, that statement is left intentionally vague).

Also as it turns out, I had a new position waiting for me at the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. After an extensive interview and background check process, I finally got the call last week that I had been cleared for employment as an on-call shelter advocate.

So what does that mean?

Well, it means I am the back-up person for the part- and full-timers at one of YWCA's domestic violence shelter. When someone is sick, goes on vacation, or there is just a gap in coverage, they call me to fill the slot. While it won't offer consistent hours, it does allow me to keep a flexible schedule that will allow me to go full time to grad school, which is, of course, my number one priority.

Today was my first day, so I am still getting a feel for the position. So far, though, I have learned that I will be answering crisis calls on the hotline, giving referrals for community resources, performing intake procedures for new clients coming into the shelter, monitoring the facility, and resolving conflicts among the residents. It's a lot to learn and manage, but I am confident that my experience with the Butler County Rape Crisis Program (along with my AmeriCorps experience) has laid the foundation for this position.

It probably goes without saying, but with this position comes a lot of confidentiality. I won't be able to share much about my shifts at the shelter, but I hope to shed some more light on abuse and violence in general. These are topics that most people tend to shy away from, yet affect millions of people every year.

So there you have it--I'll be making social change this fall by going to graduate school and working for the YWCA. And putting in a few hours a week in work study at a different non-profit. And volunteering for Butler County Rape Crisis.

No big thing.