As one grows older they generally change. This change can be measured in so many different ways. This post is focused on the growth I have experienced interning at Hospitality House. I was not really sure what to expect on my first day going in, that feeling does not really change much even after the 8 weeks I spent interning there. Everyday at HospHouse is different because of the way it is set up. The agency does not sell anything and there are no customers. The communal living structure leads to the clients building personal relationships with one another. Naturally if you occupy the same space with the same people you get to know one another and friendships form. Seeing friendships between clients and the emotional support they provide one another shows how the good in people can shine through even if they themselves are going through difficult times. Taking care of ones community is definitely a theme that resides in all of those employed at HospHouse and this theme trickles down to the clients as they support each other as any friend would.
This was a first for me working in a non-profit, non-commercialized space. A place that focuses on taking care of clients rather than taking care of their profit margin really changed my perspective of what a workplace can be. Coming in everyday and having different experiences, having conversations with clients and learning from the staff broadened my scope of how a non-profit operates with its clientele. The experience I have had at HospHouse has prepared me to transition from the academic field to the professional field. The support that the staff offers to each other and to the clients helped me to get a better understanding of how to really care about a profession. Seeing senior staff members and how much they put in day to day gave me a baseline for what is expected while working for any agency. The dedication and hard work that the staff puts in was great in forming a more complete idea of how to act in this sort of environment.
Hospitality House exudes a feeling of community. I generally view societal change as something that is extremely difficult with how large our society really is. Communal change is a much more feasible, a more tangible way to have a majorly positive impact and to truly see the change that you wish to accomplish, actually happen. With our limited life spans coupled with the deep seeded structures of society these factors have led me to try and work at a communal level. Seeing individual change really gives me the butterflies again, seeing clients put people they care about ahead of themselves whether it be their friends or family puts a smile on your face. Seeing clients move out into their own apartments with help from staff really are some of the best days. The best days at HospHouse are representative of how communities should lift up and support all of the members.