Off the Streets® — Cincinnati Union Bethel

Andrea Sitlinger, Summer 2010

I was extremely excited to begin working at Off the Streets and hoping that I could effectively help some of these women in some way with their complex issues. Little did I realize what a huge impact they would have on me. From the beginning, I started to get to know the women and hear their stories. It was incredible to hear how they ended up at Off the Streets and the struggles they were learning to overcome. Particularly meaningful for me was that I recognized many of the women from working at University Emergency Room when they were at a particularly low point in their lives, strung out or having overdosed. To see them now, sober, enabled me to actually get to know the real person which can be hard to imagine in an emergency room setting. I hope to hold on to this perspective and prevent any potential frustration or sense of bitterness that I saw in some of the seasoned doctors at the Emergency Department.

One particularly great way I was able to interact with the women was through starting a running program. The women went from looking at me like I had 3 heads when I suggested running to being disappointed if they had to miss a day. It just goes to show how if you start building relationships with people, you never know what they are capable of doing. Further, it shows you should never underestimate people. No matter what struggles they are going through, there always is a possibility that they will surprise you with what they can do. With each increase in time running, the women's confidence grew and you could see the impact it was having.

One woman even started running on her own and leaving me notes about her progress if she was at work that day. Her enthusiasm and appreciation made my heart melt. When she completed the 5K race, she was beaming and talking about the next one. Moreover, she has lost almost 20 pounds and talking about how she wants to have her kids do the "kids fun run" when they are old enough and she gets custody back. I also gained an appreciation for how rewarding and challenging working with this population can be. It broke my heart when we had clients leave, knowing that they were struggling against demons that they just were not ready to conquer. A particular challenge for me was hearing that Vernna left. She had a man that kept pressuring her to come home. While a few others have also left during my time here, I had really gotten to know Vernna. She's been through a lot and I was really hoping that this time would stick for her. I just hang on to the notion that there is always a chance the next time will stick. If I will take anything with me, it is that you should never give up hope because there is always a chance this is the time that they are ready. The facilitators that I worked with had all been through prostitution and addiction. One woman had been clean for 15 years but it took her eight times of trying to get clean before it stuck.

Through my experiences at Off the Streets, I am forever changed. Each of the women have touched my life and shaped me in ways I cannot begin to comprehend. Through their openness and struggles, I have renewed interest in working with underserved populations. Though it can definitely be frustrating and challenging, this only makes the successes that more rewarding.