Intership Journal and Experiences

Soon I will be starting my internship working at the Family Crisis Center. It will be a new experience for me. I am excited to gain real life experience for what I would like to do, but I am a little nervous, because it is something that I have never done before. I hope to be able to do a good job and I also hope that in some small way I can be able to share my testimony with those that I come in contact with and represent Jesus Christ well.

9/16/2013
Today I went into my internship for about an hour and a half to figure out a schedule and to try to get oriented. I got shown the intern binder and log in and log outs. I got a tour of the office and I met some of the people that worked there. I also got a tour of the thrift shop and I got told about the rules of parking. I got shown where the food bank is, but I did not get to help with that aspect of things. I was not there very long, but before I left, I got my schedule. I will mostly be working afternoons, because that is when I am needed, so tomorrow begins my first day. I will be there from 1-4:30 in the afternoons, Monday through Thursday on most weeks.

9/17/2013

Today I mainly worked in the thrift store for my internship. I became very grateful that I had experience working at Great Basin Foods/ Alamo Sinclair, because I knew how to run a cash register function and I had a knowledge of how to help customers, so that was good. The machine and the buttons were a little different than what I was used to, but I was able to figure most of it out with a little help. I also learned a little bit about taking donations and how important it is to be grateful for these donations and for the kindness of others in giving what they have for others. Later, I read over the some of the policies and procedures that are mandated as an employee or intern who works with those in need of welfare, such as food or shelter, and policies dealing with domestic violence issues. I was very conscious of the fact that I was new and I didn't know much. I kept feeling like I had just been thrown into a world that I knew nothing about. The phrase "fake it 'till you make it" ran through my mind quite frequently. I still have much to learn, especially about helping victims and their families, but I hope to be able to learn and to grow one day at a time. 


9/18/2013
Today for my internship, I answered phones for a little bit. I was nervous. I didn't know what to do. I need to work on speaking loudly and more clearly and also just praying, silently praying when I answer the phone that I will be able to do well and to help someone if they really have a need. I also worked in the thrift shop again today and I was able to observe some children who were in the shop with their mother. I was reminded today once again how funny children are and how very honest they are. Kids will tell you exactly how they see the world and exactly how it is for them. There is no filter, so it was fun to be able to see children again today, especially since earlier in the day, I also helped my roommate to watch a 5 month old baby.

The most valuable learning portion of my experience, though, I think came when one of my supervisors came to my and another intern and talked to us about more of what the Family Crisis Center does. I liked getting to learn about how they try to make others aware of domestic violence and welfare. I also liked that people in need of assistance are educated and then made aware of their options, so that they can choose for themselves the path that would be best for them and their family. We were also told of experiences that involved real people. It was sad to hear about these experiences, but I think a former intern said it best when he came in "It sad to see it busy, because it means that people have gone through a lot of bad experiences to get here, but it is also good to see it busy, because it means that people are starting to get the help that they need."

9/19/2013

Today I read over some of the policies and procedures that are expected at my internship. It was good to get to read more about what my internship office does and what I should be doing as an intern there. I also answered phones again today and today, and at the end of the day we went over a presentation to give to schools about domestic violence awareness.

Today, though, it was a little different, because a client came in that was actually in need of our help. I got to listen to my supervisor try to help this person, along with Jayson, another intern who works with me. It was interesting to see how my supervisor was dealing with this person. She asked questions and she asked what the needs of the person were, and she tried to give this  person a list of resources and options that could aid them in trying to better their life. Then my supervisor asked the client what they needed most, but for some reason or another, there was a misunderstanding or something. I am not quite sure what did it, but mid- discussion, the client got upset and left. My supervisor said that she could see signs of other problems that might have existed other than what was initially mentioned by the client and that she was sorry that we could not help the client, especially because there might have been other issues that needed to be addressed.

It was interesting to be an observer in this. We were told that we can never really prepare for what happens, because every situation is different and every person is different and has different needs that need to be met and addressed, but for every client that we meet, we try to empower them. We assess their needs, educate them, and then give them options to let them choose for themselves what they would like to do in their lives. I hope that we can actually be able to help the next person that calls or comes in, but I guess one can never really will know for sure what or who will help to make a difference for the better in the life of another person. I just hope in my internship and throughout the rest of my life that I can be one of those people who will be an influence for good and who will be able to make a difference for the better in the lives of those around me.

9/23/2013
In a previous post, I made a reference to Great Basin Foods/ Alamo Sinclair and how me having a job there has helped me so much already in having an internship at the Family Crisis Center. I want to reiterate that post. At G.B.F., I worked as a cashier, which meant that I was constantly interacting with my coworkers and other people who would come into the store. I dealt with the cash register and money. I also worked during truck days. I unloaded and put away stock, and sometimes, I would come in and clean and organize the shelves, and look for outdated items. I also answered the phone a lot at the fuel desk and sometimes I had to be involved in essentially being the middle man in taking tow calls. Now at my internship, I work in the thrift store, which involves me dealing with people, sorting through items, and handling money as a cashier.

Today, someone generously donated a bunch of food and other items, so today, I had to help carry these items downstairs and find a place for them. Some of these items were heavy, but I didn't mind. I was used to carrying heavy items, because I did it at work all the time. It was a little different this time, though, because instead of being in jeans and tennis shoes when I carried these items, I was in a skirt and dress shoes, although thankfully, I was not in heels. It was still manageable, but I know which one I prefer for heavy lifting.

 After I carried all the items downstairs, I had to sort through them all and put them away. I put away several cans like I would if I would do if I was at work back home. I also had to check the dates on all the food items to make sure the food was dated 2012 or newer, much like I had to check outdated items back home, and as much as I did not enjoy taking tow calls, I am grateful that I had the experience of taking tow calls, because answering the phone for my internship is much like answering the phone at Alamo Sinclair. Most of the time when we answer the phone, we have to answer a simple question or I have to transfer the call to another department, but occasionally there was a tow call, which meant that I would have to write down all the necessary information and then talk to my boss to see if someone could go out.

Similarly, when I answer the phone at my internship, most of the time it is nothing big. I just have to answer a simple question or transfer someone over to the person that they wish to talk to, but I know there will be a time when I will answer the phone and it will be someone who is actually in need of my help and when that time comes, I will have to listen carefully to them and try to give them some resources to help them with their given situation, and I suspect that most of the time, I will not know what I am doing, but I will just have to pray and then do my best like I tried to do when taking tow calls.

When I first got to my internship today, I helped watch a client's children. I enjoyed that. I like children and I like getting to play with them. It reminds me of being back home and in nursery. The kids were good and we didn't have them for long, so everything went well there. Then I carried in the donations and help to sort through all of that.

There was about an hour more or so until we closed and it was very slow and quiet. We had nothing to do, so one of our staff suggested that we watch some of the videos that they have about domestic violence. We watched the one called Amy's story. It was a really sad case where she had experienced multiple cases of domestic violence from her abusive husband. Amy had tried to get help on several different occasions, but often when she had tried to get help, people did not take her experiences with the seriousness that they required, and so she ended up not being able to get the help that she needed. In addition to this, she was later killed by her husband.

This story was depressing and sad to me. I know it is real. I know stuff like this happens and I know that I need to be aware of it, so that I can help others, but that does not mean that I have to like it. It is beyond my ability to understand, how anyone could treat another human being in such a manner as that, let alone to be treated like that by someone in your family or someone who you have a close personal relationship with. Those are the people who are supposed to love and care about you the most. It pains my heart to think about that. If you can't feel safe and loved at home by your family and those closest to you, then who can you feel safe and loved with?

After the video, I kept thinking of the words of the children's song that says "If we loved our neighbor and loved our God, so much pain would be gone, no more wars would be fought, if the world could live as Jesus taught." I was blessed to be raised in a home by loving parents who worked to build up our home and center our home and family upon the teachings of the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We were not perfect by any means and we have trials, struggles, and disagreements just like everybody else, but because we had the gospel in my home and we tried to live by it, I believe we were able to be a strong and happy family most of the time. I love the gospel! I am so grateful that I was taught from a young age about my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, and about the commandments that ultimately will make us happy if we live by them. I want to be able to share the joys that the gospel has brought to my life with others and as I am in the world with those who might not have been as blessed as I have been in their home life. I love the Savior. To be like Him is my ultimate goal, and I will strive to do this in my internship and in my life.

9/24/2013
 I helped Michael to put up some Halloween decorations today, but mostly I was just at the front desk today. I listened for the phone and answered if anyone called, and then I read a book about domestic violence while I was waiting. There weren't many people that came in today and that was about all that I did, so I don't have much to say about today.

9/25/2013
I spent most of my time today working in the thrift store with Hope. We put away clothes and then a client came in that needed some things and so we wrote down the items that she needed. I also spent some time reading a book on teen dating violence called, but i love him... The book is interesting and informative, but it lacks the wonderful perspective that the gospel offers. I am coming to understand more and more that God gives us commandments, not to restrict us, but because He knows that this is what will make us most happy. For so many of those who experienced teen dating violence, I saw how it could have been avoided if they only knew about and followed the principles outlined in For the Strength of Youth pamplet. I know for myself that God loves me and because He loves me, He gives me commandments to help make me happy, but it is my choice whether I will be obedient or not.

9/26/2013
I spent the first part of my day listening for the phone and reading. I soon got bored of that and no one was calling, so I asked if Kristy needed help in the thrift store and she said that she could use my help. It was actually pretty busy in the thrift store, so that was a nice to be able to feel like I was doing something worthwhile.

Later on, after the thrift store closed, I answered the phone and this time, someone actually needed help. This person had a friend who was in a domestic violence situation. I tried to give resources to the person to be able to help their friend, but I didn't know what I was doing and I was having a very hard time with it. Amanda came and helped me though. She knew who the person needed to talk to and what to do in that situation. I am grateful that Amanda helped me and I am grateful that the friend of the person in the domestic violence situation might have had the chance to get help, even though it was not from me.

9/30/2013
Hope and I were at our internship today. We were both at the front desk listening for phones and reading. We weren't all that busy and I was getting a little bored, so I went down to the thrift store and asked if they needed my help. I was asked to watch the register for a while and there were a few customers, but not too many. I liked being able to move around a little bit when I got bored, so that was nice. As interns, we usually take turns with who helps in the thrift store and who stays at the front desk. I like that we switch off, because it gives us more experience and it makes work more interesting for all of us I think. After the thrift store closed,  I went back up to the front desk and listened for phones and while I listened for the phones, I read. Then I forwarded the phones to the on-call advocates, and we went home.

10/1/2013
Today, I was the only intern in the afternoon shift, so it made things interesting and a little stressful. I was asked to sit at the front desk and help Jory to do some client follow-ups, but Kristy needed my downstairs to help in the thrift store. The phone was not ringing, so I went downstairs to help in the thrift store. For a good hour,  no customers came in, but some girls from the Young Women's came and helped to put nice vinyl lettering on the kid's clothing bin and also on our outside front window. Eventually, the store got a few customers, so that was good.

After that, I went back upstairs. There was no one at the front desk. It was just me, so I said a prayer softly, but aloud. I was so nervous to do the client follow ups, because I had never done it before and I was afraid that I would mess something up. I also was nervous, because I knew how bad some of these situations were, so I didn't know what I could possibly say to the clients, but I called. Many of the numbers that were listed were no longer in service and there were also many people who did not answer, and as an intern, I was not supposed to leave a message for them. There were, however, three people that I called that did answer.

When I heard a real person answer, I asked for the client by name. Two of them responded that they were indeed the person that I was looking for, but one was the daughter of our client, whom I spoke to on behalf of the client.  I asked about the welfare of the clients. The one sounded appreciative that I had called and was willing to take a short survey about the experiences with the Family Crisis Center. Another client mentioned that they were doing okay, but they did not have time to talk, which was understandable, but when I spoke to the daughter of one of our clients, she mentioned that our client was not doing very well and that the client could use a call soon. I did not know what to do. Mostly I just tried to listen to the person and situation that was discussed. I hope that I was able to say the right things to be of help in some way, but mostly I think I just needed to listen, which was probably best anyway, given that I have never experienced the kind of trials and challenges that so many of our clients have and having never been in that situation, I cannot fully understand what they are going through, but I could listen to their needs and support them as they try to do what would be best for them in their own situations.

10/2/2013
I was at the front desk today. I mostly read the book that I have been reading on teen dating violence and establishing healthy relationships. Then the interns got a new desk, so I cleaned it and organized all of our things. I also filled out client contact forms for the clients that I spoke with yesterday. Everything was pretty good. I was glad that Hope and Jayson were there today.

10/3/2013
I spent much of my day working at the thrift store today. It was pretty good. We had a few customers come in and that was nice. I liked that I could move around when I got bored. I also saw an interesting correlation between music and my moods today. I have long known that music has a powerful effect on the mind and the body and how it can help set a tone for the atmosphere and feeling that we as listeners experience.

When I first came into the thrift store, there was music playing in the background. It was popular music, but it was the kind that was upbeat and something that made me want to dance. When I was listening to this kind of music, I was happy. I was upbeat and I was full of energy. About twenty minutes later, another intern came down and asked if he could change the station. He changed it to BYU-Idaho radio, which was playing classical music that had no words.

I like classical music. It often helps to calm me when I am upset or when I can't sleep and as one who plays instruments, I understand and appreciate the complexity of classic music, but listening to that for almost two hours straight made me want to go to sleep and it was interesting to me how tired I became in such a short amount of time. I no longer had an energy or motivation and I wanted very much to be able to go to sleep. It was hard to stay awake even with no music for the hour and a half that I was there longer.

10/7/2013
Today was honestly really boring. There were five interns there in the afternoon instead of just three, so I was at the front desk the whole time with Hope. We read most of the day. I read about dealing with loss from love, break up, or death. The book was fairly interesting and insightful. My favorite quote from the book was "I do alright by myself. I do better together, but I do very poorly when semi-together." I liked that quote because I have personally experienced all three of these situations and I have come very near to that same conclusion. Most of the time, I am okay just being single. It is what I am most familiar with and I am generally happy,  even though I occasionally miss being in a relationship and getting to have a social life on the weekends.

When I was in a relationship, I was happy most of the time. I loved being able to spend time with my best friend on regular intervals and getting to do things with him. I was genuinely happy to be with him, so I relate to the doing better together. I have also, however, experienced a situation in a dating relationship where we were semi-together. To put it simply, there was a time when we were still deciding if we wanted to date each other exclusively or not. In some ways, we acted like we were dating and in other ways, we acted like just friends and not knowing one way or the other was very difficult for me, and in many ways I liked it better when I was still single. It was less complicated and it didn't hurt as much. My day was boring, but it wasn't a complete loss, I found a quote that I could relate to myself, so that was good.

10/8/2013
Right before I arrived at my internship today, or maybe it was yesterday, a young boy and his sister were playing in the leaves and enjoying the beautiful fall day. The boy and his sister were throwing leaves at each other. I think that they got told that they were being too silly, but the boy said "We can't help it. We're kids. That's what we're supposed to do." I smiled at that as I walked past. I love the innocence and excitement that children bring to life.

When I first arrived at my internship today, I was also near children. I helped to watch a client's children with another intern for about a half hour or so. They all wanted attention and they all just wanted to be loved and have someone to play with. I noticed that they were very particular on who got to be first and why we did things in a certain way. I enjoyed getting to do something different.

For the rest of the day, I mostly read. I tried reading different books that were there, but constantly reading about domestic violence is depressing to me. I don't want to have to think about it all the time and not many of the books there are hopeful. I want something that gives hope and that builds up and inspires the survivors. So far hopeful references have been limited and in no books have a found greater wisdom, value and hope in as the scriptures. I think it shows how much man's view and wisdom pales in comparison to God's view and His divine wisdom. He knows all things and He knows what would be most beneficial and applicable to all of His children. I am so grateful for the scriptures and for the spiritual and temporal wisdom that is found within them!

10/ 9/2013
I read most of the day as well. There was not much to do, but this time I searched for a book that I thought that I might be more interested in. The book that I am reading currently is on depression. So far the book is interesting and informative. I think it is useful information to know, especially since depression is becoming so much more common in today's society.

10/10/2013
I was so excited, because today DeAnna gave us a project. We folded brochures and put stickers on handouts. It sounds boring, but we had something to do today where we could be productive, so I enjoyed this project. I also helped out in the thrift store for about an hour and that went pretty well.

10/15/2013
I mostly worked at the front desk today for my internship. I answered phones. I also helped to bring in donations. The mobile pantry donated a bunch of food to us for the food bank tomorrow. We brought in a lot of things, but mostly it was potatoes. It was good though. It will help to feed many people. I also spent much of my time reading a book about depression and some of the symptoms as well as some of the ideas to help people deal with depression and anxiety appropriately. There were some parts in the book that I did not agree with, but I did like an idea about how to to deal with anxiety. The first step is to identify unrealistic expectations that you have that might be making you feel anxious. After you have identified unrealistic expectations, write down some realistic expectations that you could have to still help you meet a particular goal, plan, relationship, etc. See what expectations are healthy and good and keep those expectations, but choose to let go of your unrealistic expectation, and remember to not expect perfection in this life.

I tried this exercise yesterday. I was feeling a little anxious about my dating life. My anxiety existed because I had some unrealistic expectations about my dating life and about things that I wanted to happen there. For example, it was an unrealistic expectation for me to expect that I will have a boyfriend or a serious relationship in a set time frame and it was unrealistic for me to assume that just because a romance or a relationship happened a certain way for someone else does not mean that it will happen that way for me. A realistic expectation would be to be willing to put myself out there and try to date, but realize that dating and or a serious relationship will happen in the Lord's time and in the Lord's own way and not my own. Another good thing for me to consider is the scripture that says "...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear, " and this helps because if I am willing to do all that I can to prepare myself, I can use my agency to act, but I can realize that others also have their agency and I can be able to remember that while still doing my very best.

10/16/2013
I worked in the thrift store today with Alicia and Hope. It was good to have someone to talk to. I learned a lot about the importance of being nonjudgmental today from talking to Alicia and Hope. Both of these women are married and pregnant and they were talking about how sometimes there are certain people who would ask before they got pregnant when they were planning on having kids and the details of all that experience, and with their pregnancies now how some of these same people would ask them if their pregnancy was planned or not. I agree with Hope when she said that "It is none of their business," because it really isn't. Deciding when to have children and how many to have should be a decision that is made ideally only with three people, you, your spouse, and the Lord.

I am not married. I have never been married and I don't have any children, but I know that physical intimacy and family planning is a very sacred and personal matter and I know that it is not my place to judge others based on only limited and very incomplete knowledge of them. I know there are times when I have to make decisions regarding friendships, work, and other decisions of that nature, but even though I may have to judge the integrity of the person or the company, I can still love the people and understand that I do not know everything that they are going through and that I don't know the thoughts and intents of their heart, but the Lord does, so I believe that we should leave the final judgments of others to Him.

10/17/2013
I spent some time in the thrift store today. I put tags on clothing and then I hung them up. After that I worked with Jayson and Hope to put the Family Crisis Center labels on handouts. It was a little tedious, but I did not mind, because it was better than sitting and doing nothing.  All and all, it was a good day. It wasn't too exciting, but I felt of use, so that was good.

10/18/2013
I woke up early this morning to go to a presentation at Citizen's Community Bank with DeAnna. We got there on time, but we got rescheduled to a different time, because of a miscommunication. I went back with Hailey to set up our table and we both admired the decorations. The bank was decorated with a Harry Potter theme. I am a big Harry Potter fan, so I enjoyed all the decorations and the attention to detail. The rooms were named after rooms in Harry Potter, there were paper candles hanging from the ceiling, candy displayed on a table labeled "Honeydukes," a Harry Potter movie playing in the background, and my personal favorite, a large paper "Whomping Willow" tree with a children's toy car stuck up at the top, like Ron's car stuck in the second book.

DeAnna and I went back to present to the workers there a couple of hours later. It was my first presentation, so I was a little nervous, but it wasn't bad. We only presented to four people. We just went over the basics in the brochure. I talked about some of the resources that we offer and how to help a friend who is dealing with problems of domestic violence. The presentation was short, but I feel it went well. We left our display out at the bank all day, so that hopefully members of the community could become more aware about domestic violence and resources. I thought it was neat how the Harry Potter theme coincided with our presentation and public awareness. Harry Potter and his friends fight against evil and we were trying to make the community aware of real evils that affect real people and hopefully aid them in being able to overcome some of these problems.

10/21/2013
I spent a good amount of time in the thrift store today. I mostly hung up clothes and I occasionally helped a few customers. I was glad that I did not have to deal with money for much longer than I did, though, because I didn't have a chance to eat lunch, and by the time my internship came around, I was very hungry and I could not focus very well. I was also starting to feel sick. My head hurt and I could not think very clearly. I was glad when I could finally go home and get something to eat. I guess the lesson to be learned from this is  that when I take care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually, I am better able to perform to the best of my abilities and I am therefore more fit and able to help others with their needs.

10/23/2013
Today, I was at the front desk. I worked to help make tags for the thrift store with Hope and I answered phones. I also read today. The first couple of chapters of the book were good, but after that it started to get repetitive and some of the well- meaning advice conflicted with counsel that has been given us by the general authorities and from the scriptures. I am constantly amazed on how all the wisdom of the world does not compare to God's wisdom and power. He knows everything and He sees everything. He desires what is best for us, and because of that He guides us today through personal revelation, the scriptures, and through a living prophet and apostles who lead and guide this church. I am so grateful for God and His wisdom that is made available to me in my life if I seek it!

10/24/2013
I mostly hung clothes on the racks for Kristy today. We had several people come in searching for Halloween costumes. It was interesting to see what everyone had been buying. After the thrift store closed, I was upstairs at the front desk, where I read and occasionally answered phones. I think I may have helped to copy something as well, but that was about it.

10/28/2013

I was in the thrift store today. There were quite a few people that came in, so I was pretty busy as I tried to help customers, but my math skills were a little rusty today. It's amazing how much I lose when I am not using that every day. I also helped to work on the Family Crisis Center's memory book a little. Then, near closing,  a client came in. We helped this person to get the items that are necessary to survive and I am sure we will continue to help this person at a later time. I was asked to get food and hygiene items for this person. I tried to get what I thought would be most helpful and hopefully this person will be able to have their needs met.

10/29/2013
 I worked on filling out the names and numbers for the families that people can help for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I got the list of the names and began going through our files to find the phone numbers of our clients who we were going to help this year. I was also going to call the clients to find out what the needs of the families were, but just filling out the other information took longer than I had expected, so that is mostly what I did today.

10/30/2013

We got a large donation of food today from generous companies and individuals. There were nearly two pick up trucks packed full of canned food, peanut butter, and juice. I helped the others to bring the food in. It was good exercise to carry all of those things, but it felt nice to do a little manual labor again, like I did when I worked at the grocery store.

After we had put the food away, we were informed that the police had requested that an individual from the Family Crisis Center go in with a family who had experienced a situation that we were familiar with. The interns got invited to go and no one else could go right then, so I went. When we arrived in the home, Katie talked to the woman to see what had been going on and she tried to determine how she could best help this person and her family. I mostly stood back and observed. I didn't know what to do. The woman was crying and I felt like crying with her. I had thankfully never experienced a kind of situation like that in my own life and I could not imagine what she was feeling right then, so I quietly watched.

 There were two others with us in the room besides the family. One was someone else who worked in a field similar to that of the Family Crisis Center and the other was the home teacher. He held a child on his lap as also tried to help the mother. I was thinking about the song Love at Home and how there really is "beauty all around when there's love at home."  If there is love in the home, it is easier to have love elsewhere, but if the home does not have love or does not have the measure of love that it should, it is harder to have love outside of the home.  I also thought about that home teacher and how important it is for us to keep our stewardship of being good home and visiting teachers, because we never know who may need us and whose lives we may be able to bless, but the Lord does. He loves all His children and so He uses us as instruments in His hands to bring about His mighty and great works, which I know was what the home teacher was doing at that time. Before we left, I hugged the woman and I told her that I was sorry for what she was going through. I didn't know what else to do, but I did what I could and hopefully God will do the rest.

10/31/2013

I spent a good amount of time in the thrift store today. There were several people that wanted to come in to find costumes for Halloween. I talked with Alicia as we worked today and I even found a skirt that I thought my Mom might like. Then, when the thrift store closed, I went upstairs. We were given candy to put on our desks, because one of my supervisor's daughters was going to come trick or treating to us. The little girl was maybe a year and a half. She was so cute. She came dressed as a witch and she could barely say the words trick or treat, but she came around to all of our desks and I enjoyed seeing that.

Then, we it was almost closing time, we got a call from the police telling us of a family who was in desperate need of our help. They barely had any food and they needed pretty much any and all necessities that we could give them, so Jayson, Hope, and I worked with Amanda to put together a food and hygiene box for them, so that their family could survive. I learned by doing this that Amanda has a big heart and she is so willing to help those who really need it. I am sure that is why she has this job. She seems to have a way of knowing the needs of others and being willing to do what she can to help those needs be met. I hope that I will always remember to put people first like this when  I later work in social work or a similar field and I hope that I can remember to put people first throughout the rest of my life as well.

11/4/2013
When I first got to my internship, I helped Amanda, Jayson, and Hope set up the Christmas tree. That took up a good amount of time, but it looked nice when it was done. I felt that it was a little early for a Christmas tree, but I reminded myself  that I would probably be grateful for the Christmas tree later, because we will not have one in our apartment.

I  also worked with Jayson today and we called some clients to let them know that their families had been selected to receive Christmas for their families and we tried to get information about the number of children and their clothing sizes, so that we could best be able to see how to help the families. I didn't get to speak to many people, but the ones that I spoke to were so grateful that someone had thought of them. It made me want to do more for others and try to look for how to help others meet their needs.

11/5/2013
Today I went with DeAnna and Alex to give a presentation at Rigby High School. We presented in a health class and then I sat up our table that had our information on teen dating violence, healthy relationships, and the Family Crisis Center.

Most of the time, I was thinking that I was grateful that I am not going to be a high school teacher. I think it would be hard for me to always have to stand up in front of a large group of people. I think that I would do better with only one person or a small group. High school was also a little intimidating for me, because I am about the same size as the kids in high school, and my size combined with the school setting brought back bad memories of middle school and some of high school for me. I tried to be brave, though, and when anyone came up to the table, I offered them a pen and anything else that they wanted to take and if they asked what we were all about, I tried to explain to them about what we did the best that I could. There weren't too many people that took things, but several people looked and a couple people did take things, so hopefully a few people were helped today.


11/6/2013
I spent some time at the front desk today. I read and occasionally answered the phone. I also spent some time in the thrift store. I helped a client who needed thrift store vouchers, and then later, about an hour before the end of my shift, I got to listen in while this same client came and explained more of her situation to DeAnna. From what I could tell, this person had done everything to work through their problems. They were not angry or bitter about what was happening. They just felt emotionally unwell and because of this, this client wanted a better life and wanted to heal.

 I could relate to this client. I have not had to endure as long as this person had and the person that I love has never mistreated me, but I was previously in a relationship and I felt like I had almost come to the point where I had done everything. I had loved and given more love and I had waited and waited some more,  but that love didn't seem to ever be returned. As much as I love my former boyfriend, there came a time when I decided that I was tired of waiting to see if he would ever love me or want me in the same way that I loved and wanted him, so I decided, much like this client, that I was going to move on with my life, and if he ever loved me and was willing to be committed to me, I would take him back, but until then, I was going to do what was best for me in the present. I found great respect for this client, because this client did not want to hurt anyone, but this client had enough self- respect to be willing to say in effect, 'I love you, but I need to be well', and I liked that.

11/7/2013
 I mainly spent time in the thrift store today. Then we had some volunteers come in and they helped us to clean and organize the food bank. It is always nice when we have volunteers. After the thrift store closed, we went upstairs and I mostly spent the rest of the time reading the third book of the Wrinkle in Time series. I am really enjoying those books.

11/12/ 2013
I went to my internship and I mostly sat at the front desk and then later that night I helped DeAnna do a presentation for a mutral activity. We mostly talked about what we do at the Family Crisis Center. DeAnna did most of the presentation and she told me to jump in if I had anything to say, so I talked a little about the importance of being involved with friends or family members and then looking for ways to include others. DeAnna was also asked to share her story and I heard about what made her interested in working in the Family Crisis Center for the first time. It was neat to hear her story and to see how strong that she is.

After we presented our part, the mutral group came up with ideas to try to help us at the Family Crisis Center. They decided to make stockings for a large group of children, which included candy and small toys. The youth also decided that they would donate some of their old clothing to the Crisis Center, so that people their age could have clothing to choose from if they needed. I thought that these were good ideas and I was grateful that the youth and the leaders were so willing to serve.

11/13/2013
I spent some time in the thrift store today. We had some volunteers that came in and wanted to help somewhere, so Jayson put them to work in the food bank. They cleaned and organized the area and made everything look really nice. It is always good when we have people that want to donate their time, or their food clothes, or money. DeAnna always says that "Volunteers keep the Family Crisis Center running," so I appreciate when other people think about us and being kind.

11/14/2013
For most of the day, I watched the thrift store. We had some customers come in. It wasn't busy, but it stayed pretty steady, so that was good. People came in right near closing time, though, so I was not able to close when we normally would have and there were several items that did not get put away in the dressing rooms, so I stayed to make sure that they got put away. Afterwords, I went and helped at the front desk. I answered a few phone calls and then we closed up and went home.

11/18.2013
I spent most of my time in the thrift store today. I folded children's clothes in the bins. The store itself was pretty slow, but folding kept me busy and kept me from being bored. I decided to purchase some spoons, because somehow or another most of mine have been disappearing, so now I have spoons. Yeah! Anyway, after the thrift store closed, I was at the front desk. I mostly answered phones and because I could not find a book that I wanted to read, I wrote letters to my family, so that was good.

11/19/2013
 I was at the front desk today. I answered phones and I also helped to put away several donations that we received from various people. The most interesting part of my day though came when I explained what we do at the Family Crisis Center and what resources we offer to a girl who needed to know for a class. I was able to tell her a good amount of information and I knew the answers to most of her questions, so that felt nice, considering I did not know much at all when I first started.

11/20/2013
I helped Kristy in the thrift store today. I hung clothes and put them in their perspective spots. Occasionally I would leave the clothes to help when we had a customer or two come in, but mostly I hung clothes. Before we closed the store, though, I decided to purchase a game for my brother for Christmas. I am not sure if he will play with it, but it might entertain him for a couple of days or so.

When the store closed, I helped at the front desk. I answered the phone several times. We had a few people ask about volunteering, so I referred them to Amanda, who is one of our people who oversees volunteer work.

11/21/2013
I arrived early today, so that I could go to a presentation that DeAnna was doing in Rigby. DeAnna presented on teen dating violence awareness and recognizing signs of abuse. I mostly handed out candy and looked for whose hands came up first. It went pretty well. Then I got back to the internship and I sat at the front desk, while I tried to find something to read. I was not in the mood to read about domestic violence again, because sometimes, though it is informative, it can be depressing and it can take a toll on you after a while. I think I eventually found something to read or something to do, but now that I am not at my internship, I can't remember what it was.

11/25/2013
When I arrived at my internship today, I started watching some advocacy videos. I did not watch very many, though, because Amanda needed help putting Thanksgiving boxes together. For the Thanksgiving boxes, people had donated turkeys and other items. We worked with other organizations to figure out what families could most use a meal for Thanksgiving. We put together the boxes with turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, vegetables, and a few other food items that the family might need. Then we carried the boxes up the stairs and gave them to the other organizations to take to the families. Doing this was a good work out and it was nice to know that so many families were going to be able to have a nice Thanksgiving.

After I helped make food boxes, Hope and I worked to hang Christmas decorations in the front windows of the Crisis Center. I think they turned out nice. It kept us busy, anyway.

11/26/2013
I came in to my internship in the morning today, because I was singing in devotional. I helped again today with making food boxes for Thanksgiving. I was glad that I wore pants today and not the skirt that I had originally planned, because I went up and down the stairs a lot.

After I had helped to put together the Thanksgiving boxes, I went downstairs to the thrift store. There weren't too many people that came down there, so I assigned myself a project. I began organizing the toys.  I put things together that didn't separate well, like Legos, blocks, and a train track. Rather than having these all be separate I combined them in plastic bags and marked prices on them. It was nice to have something to do.

12/2/2013
Today, I was at the front desk. I answered phones. I also helped to put away donations when we had people who had donated some items. Other than that I read. I was able to read my scriptures, because we did not have many people come in or call. I also started on the fourth book to A Wrinkle in Time series called Many Waters.

12/4/2013
I came in to my internship today even though the power was out for most of the day.  It was open and so I stayed, so that I would not be bored at home. I sat at the front desk for most of the time reading. I answered phones a few times, but we didn't have many phone calls. Then I helped Amanda move a few things. Amanda sent us home a little early, because it had been so cold, so that was nice.

12/5/2013
I helped out in the thrift store today with Hope. We had a few people come in and I bought a couple of items for myself. I liked being able to get to work in the thrift store again, because it seemed like there was more that I could do when I got bored than when I was upstairs. After the thrift store closed, I went upstairs and did a little reading. Then I supervised a group that had come in to do community service.

12/9/2013
 I was at the front desk for part of my day today. I answered phones and I spent a little time reading. Then there was a group of volunteers that came in to help wrap boxes, so Kristy went upstairs with them. While she was upstairs, I was asked to go down to the thrift store. There were a few customers that came, but not many. I did like being able to work in the thrift store during the morning hours and because it was the last of the semester and I am the only intern left, I could set my own hours, and I really liked that. There was no fear of being late and I could stay for as long as I was needed and that was nice.

12/10/2013
I spent most of the day in the thrift store again. I helped a few people. There was a kind Italian or Greek woman that came in and I enjoyed her company. She was friendly and she would always come to me and ask me "How much for this?" I like being able to meet people in the thrift store and it is fun for me to see all the different customers that come in. I also was able to do a little shopping of my own and I found a pair of jeans for me, so that was good.

12/11/2013
Today was my first experience of working at the food bank. I arrived in the morning and I worked with others who were there to organize the donations of the fresh food that we had received. I also went to Great Harvest Bread with a volunteer to see if they had any donations for us. We kept busy all morning. Then I was asked to help in the thrift store for a little while. I worked in the thrift store for about a half hour and then I got to go to the food bank and help there again. People had boxes and we would ask how many were in their family. Then we would fill the boxes with food according to how many people were in their family. We gave them fruits, vegetables, some meat, some milk, bread, and some desert items that had been donated by grocery stores. It was good to see how many people were able to be fed and I was glad that I got to help out with it. After food bank was over, I worked with a volunteer in the thrift store to make tags and to put away children's clothing. It felt good to stay busy and to have something to do, because it made my day go by faster.

After I left my internship, I then went to a class on campus and made an announcement that I had coupons for Second Helpings which is the thrift store at the Family Crisis Center. There were not many who took the coupons, but at least now there are more people who are aware that there is a thrift store at the Family Crisis Center, and I think that this was one of the goals of my supervisors in giving me coupons to hand out anyway.

12/12/ 2013
I spent most of my time in the food bank area today organizing cans and donated items and cleaning. I also went to the safe house today and I helped Kathy get some of the ice out of the freezer. After, I visited the safe house, I went back to my internship and I was asked to supervise some more volunteers that had come in. I tried to work with them to organize the cans and to look for the ones that were outdated. I was fine doing that, but I didn't much care for being a supervisor, because I don't like telling people what to do. I feel like I can be in charge if needed, however, so I guess that today was a good experience as far as that goes.

12/ 16/2013

I worked in the thrift store today. We had several people come in to do their last minute Christmas shopping. While I was waiting for customers to finalize their purchases, I made tags for the clothing. It kept me busy and it kept me from being bored, so that was nice. Then, after the thrift store closed, I helped Kristy for a little while to organize some of the gifts that people had given for Christmas for some of our clients and their families. It was really neat to be able to see how generous members of the community had been in giving to others. It makes me happy to think of how many families will be able to have a good Christmas this year and it is helping me to try to get into the true spirit of the season, which to me is remembering Christ, his birth, his life, his sacrifice, and his resurrection, and trying to do as he would do in giving of himself to others.

12/ 18/ 2013

I originally came into my internship to help with the food bank, so when I arrived, I went to Great Harvest Bread with two other people and we picked up items that could not be sold. After that, I was planning on helping with the food bank still, but there were more volunteers for the food bank than expected and there was no one in the thrift store, so I got asked to run the thrift store instead. That was fine with me. I began working on sorting through clothing. I sorted out the summer clothing from the winter clothing and then I priced and hung what needed to go out. While I was doing that, we had a few customers come in and purchase things, so I helped the customers that came in. Everyone seemed grateful that I was able to be there, especially since they were a little short staffed. It was good for my internship and it was good for me, because I was not at home bored all day, so I was glad that I was able to come in and help out.