Bethany House Services

Amanda Beyer, Summer 2017

Bethany House Services was a fantastic site match for me, as a person who knows that I want to become a pediatrician and work with underprivileged populations. Bethany House offers emergency shelter for women, children, and families experiencing homelessness, and also provides comprehensive case management. While Bethany House already offers many opportunities for the children, it was the shared mission of myself and my project partner to revamp the curriculum (Kidz Zone) offered four times per week for kids and teens in the shelter. Future interns at Bethany House may also wish to work with children, in which case they will work with the Parent/Child Coordinator, Ms. Denise Hill. The shelter director, Ms. Gwen Green, would most likely oversee projects that are done with adults in the shelter.

This summer, my partner and I were both in the Medical Spanish and Latino Health Elective during the mornings every day in July. The staff at Bethany House was very accommodating to our busy schedule! Usually, we came in after our class ended at noon and helped the case managers or other staff with office work, such as answering phones, making calls, organizing files, and creating flyers for upcoming events. For about two or three hours each day, we were devoted to working on our curriculum project. We designed 19 workshops for kids and teens in topics related to nutrition, hygiene, and emotional health. In the evenings, we conducted Kidz Zone from 5:00PM until about 7:30PM. Since Kidz Zone is not offered on Fridays, we had extra time to work on our main curriculum project or help out in other ways, such as create a library for the kids and teens using our UHP budget, or design presentations for adult workshops. We were also able to assist with field trips to the Cincinnati Zoo and our Summer Kick-Off Jam.

I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the staff and residents of Bethany House. There were certainly times in which I went outside of my comfort zone and when I met women and children who have been through the unimaginable. In many ways, this was not an easy job. But I have no doubt that this internship has made me a better person and will make me a more compassionate and understanding physician.