Bethany House Services

Samantha Kennis, Summer 2011

Upon hearing about Urban Health Project at the organization fair during orientation, I knew that I wanted to participate in it. After being assigned to Bethany House Services, I was excited to work with an underserved population that I had never worked with before: the homeless. Bethany House Services provides shelter for up to 30 women and children at a given time. After arriving at the shelter, the women are assigned a case manager who works with them in their pursuit of finding housing and employment. In order to assist them in this goal, the women are provided with food, linen, toiletries, bus tokens, and other essentials. In the evenings, the women participate in programs focused on life skills. Throughout the summer, the shelter sponsors fieldtrips for the women and children to museums and amusement parks, and volunteers sponsor family fun days and activities.

My responsibilities at the shelter varied day to day, depending on what the social service workers needed me to do. As part of the Parent-Child Program, I interviewed the mothers when they entered the shelter, asking them questions that focused on their children. I chaperoned on the fieldtrips to Kings Island, COSI, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, and Jump Zone. I have watched and learned how the shelter is run, how the in-take and exiting process works, and how much hard work goes into planning and executing fun events and outings for the guests.

I truly enjoyed getting to know the women at the shelter and playing with the kids. It was both amazing and inspiring to work with the staff at the shelter as they help a population in need. Social work can be taxing and frustrating, just as the plight of homelessness can be for the guests, and it was incredible to see both the staff and guests maintain positive attitudes. Although my duties were not directly medically related, working at the homeless shelter allowed me to witness some of the factors that impact health for this population. Their access to health care is limited due to factors including finances, transportation, and medical knowledge. One of the most important things that I've learned throughout medical school, as well as working at the shelter, is to listen to the patients.