My Spring at Hospitality House

Hospitality House of Northwest N.C. is an organization that  I’m so grateful to have been a part of these last 4 months. If I had to describe Hospitality House in one word, the word would be selflessness. Working for this amazing non-profit has made a huge impact on me. My eyes have been opened to a new sector of the helping profession. The people who work here have been so inviting and welcoming. The staff has treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. Asking questions is encouraged and finding success here has not been difficult due to the constant support. It feels like a team here rather than just a bunch of individuals. 

Serving the homeless population gave me a new perspective on the struggle of living in Northwest North Carolina. Rural Appalachia has become leaps and bounds more expensive than it once was. Helping these individuals gave me an immense amount of gratification. As a psychology intern, I worked in both of our facilities. These are our Watauga Housing & Outreach Center and our Brook Hollow Complex. 

At the Housing & Outreach Center, I was able to work with our FDA-approved brain training system called NeurOptimal®. This system focuses on making small changes to an individual's problems they are facing. One of our clients with whom I worked found immense benefits from utilizing NeurOptimal®. She expressed to me how it was her favorite part of the day and it would greatly help with her anxiety. Essentially it helped her thoughts slow down. Seeing her benefit from NeurOptimal® brought me so much joy and fulfillment! 

Working at the Brook Hollow Complex, which houses the shelter, showed me the day-to-day struggles of someone who is facing homelessness. While of course, I had empathy for the homeless population before my internship, working at the shelter increased it by tenfold. I enjoyed working at the shelter, there is always some way to help. That includes working at the front desk, kitchen, food pantry, and whatever else is needed throughout the day. I loved helping people get back on their feet even if it was just as small as passing out lunch! 

I’m beyond thankful for my time at Hospitality House, I learned so many skills and lessons. Hospitality House has helped me grow as a professional but more importantly as a person. I gained so much more empathy, compassion, and gratitude. I would not change anything about my time here and I’m so grateful for it! Thank you to all of the staff for making my experience so great!