If you've worked in direct service in non-profits, you know this experience. People are struggling against systems that were designed to hold them back. Individually, their stories are heartbreaking. Collectively, they're enraging.
I've done direct service, and I couldn't handle using bandaids as solutions when what we needed was major surgery. After a few years of working with individuals, I had to find ways to make the systems better. We need people working at the individual level, and we need to give them hope and confidence that things can and will change.
There are so many injustices in the world and if you work in an 'intermediary' role, where you're not face to face with the human experience on a daily basis, it can be easy to forget.
A wise mentor once told me to never get too far away from the work. I've always tried to build in opportunities to speak with the people who are affected by the programs I'm learning about. It's so important to ask questions about their experiences, and to truly reflect on how your work can make things harder.
System change doesn't need to start with big legislative or policy changes. It can be as simple as shifting the timing of a program or getting rid of an eligibility barrier that is keeping the very people who most need your support out.
Find one thing you can do differently, and do it. It will help everyone - your staff and the people you support - know that you see them, and that things can get better.
How do you keep the humanity in your work? What can we do together to make things better? Hit reply and let me know.
